Sprawling Gridlock
The California Dream has been hacked in everybody's mind as the paradise on earth. Everybody in the world has at least once dreamt of going to California and live their dream. California is a prosperous land with beautiful nature, and last but not least, a land of opportunities. The California Dream consists of a big house with a beautiful backyard surrounded by a pictural landscape, sunny beaches and great acquaintances. But further than esthetics, Californian Dream prevails fast wealth and fame. California is perceived as a place of new beginnings where “working hard and playing hard” becomes a great moto. As once the historian W.Brands stated, “[...], California is the new dream of instant wealth, won in a twinkling by audacity and good luck.” California became an attraction to immigrants from within the State as well as all over the world with a dream of each family having their private home and making a fortune. In his essay “Sprawling Gridlock,” author David Carle analyses how the essence of the California Dream has faded away and slowly becoming another highly populated and urbanized location in the world similar to other big cities such as Paris and Hong Kong. The author reveals the difference between the dream chased by many and the actual reality of the once called “California Dream”. The California Dream is fading away and deteriorating. It has lost of its initial value because of the “Sprawling Gridlock” as the essay’s title defines. The congestion in the area, the uncontrollable growth, the degradation of the ecosystem and the famous landscapes are destroying the image everybody has in mind, adding California to the list of highly populated and immense international hubs. Terrible congestion and uncontrollable growth are slowly turning the Californian Dream into a myth. Golden days appear to be losing color in California. Lifestyles have changed; the dream of open road with an endless pleasant drive through the Golden State has turned into a