Again and again, the American dream changes faster than most decades have a chance to change. The novel A River Runs Through It, written by Norman MacLean, suggests a cold feeling that developed in the 1970s, a feeling that took away everyone's time to relax in nature, even though there was dark moments of pride and joy that almost suggest that times are over. changing in their entirety (MacLean). Even rock n' roll bands like the great Led Zeppelin have written songs that suggest these same themes in many of their songs. In "Good Times Bad Times", the band writes: "In my youth, I was told what it meant to be a man. Now that I've reached this age, I've tried to do all these things as best as possible." I can. No matter how hard I try, I find myself in the same old bind: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Good Times, Bad Times. , you know I had my share." (Led Zeppelin). The children of the 1960s were growing up and many of them were having difficulty living in the times of this new technological age, with many other political changes Coming in the early 1970s, the incredibly costly Vietnam War had just ended. Many citizens of the United States were still extremely angry at the government that had entered the war. removing Americans from Vietnam, Richard Nixon, was not particularly popular in the public eye. They considered him a good president, but Vietnam took away all that confidence. They were happy in part because Nixon had surrendered. in China and had opened relationships between bitter opponents. His downfall was the Watergate scandal and he resigned because of it He had made promises he could not keep (Nixon became the). next president and promised more difficult ideals to live up to (Ford). In A River Runs Through It, Norman MacLean talks many times about the government and how it has failed the American people (MacLean). In the 1970s, the cultural aspects were successfully flourishing. Some of the greatest rock n' roll bands of all time got their start in the 70s. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen and The Who all left their mark during this decade. At the same time, a new musical craze began. Disco has become the music that fuels parties. Some of the most well-known films were also created in the 70s. One of the most cited films, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, was made during this time (Gilliam). Sometimes considered one of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather left audiences in a state of excitement as they exited the theater (Coppola). Finally, Jaws, the shark thriller, was also made at the same time (Spielberg). The 70s were a time of inspiration, as the culture shows, but they also show some of the decline of the decade. A river running through it includes another important aspect of the cultural significance of the 1970s. The game was becoming important and more common during this time (MacLean). The war still lingered in the minds of Americans throughout the 1970s. Many even became paranoid about the situation. At the time, only a handful of elites had much confidence in the government. It was also a time of growth for the "Flower Children" of the 1960s. They were pleasantly surprised by the new technology that was arriving quite quickly. The first computerwas launched by Apple, which ultimately paved the way for email in the 21st century. Some TV shows brought people together, including "Happy Days (Marshall)." There was always the issue of racism in the 1970s. George Wallace physically barred black students from entering the University of Alabama in the 1960s. While campaigning for the Democratic nomination for presidential election, Wallace was seriously injured by gunfire. This was due to his racist actions. Others still showed signs of extreme racism and did not approve of the continued integration of blacks into white school districts. Another major problem was sexism. Women have not completely abandoned their role as housewives. They all wanted to play a bigger role in the world. There were some advances in the 1960s, however. One of the most significant events occurred when girls were allowed to enter Little League Baseball for the first time in 1974. Even Coca-Cola tried to bring people together by featuring celebrities in advertisements (Coke). Norman MacLean noticed the racism factor in A River Runs Through It and knew it was a big problem, because he seems to talk about it extensively in his novel (MacLean). Many adults today remember the 1970s extremely well. The historical aspects of that decade remain constant memories in these people's lives (Mosley). The United States went so far as to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics, depriving many athletes of their only chance to win a gold medal ("The United States Boycotts the Olympics"). The 1970s were also marked by technological advances. Betamax and VHS video recorders were first released in 1976, greatly increasing profits for many film companies as people were no longer required to see films in theaters. As previously stated, the first computer was created in the 1970s, along with some extremely important medical machines. The MRI machine and ultrasound were first used in the 1970s, greatly increasing patients' chances of finding out what was wrong. Music was a big part of the 70s, also previously mentioned, and the SONY Walkman helped push music further. A River Runs Through It acknowledges many of these events and occasionally lightly mentions something that might relate to one of them (MacLean). The economy of the 1970s grew enormously from start to finish. In 1970, 4,088,000 people were unemployed and the population was only 204,879,000. The life expectancy of the average man was 67.1 years, while the female population lived longer, averaging 74.8 years. The average salary for a working citizen was $7,564 per year, much lower than today. Food prices have also changed at a dramatic rate. Milk cost 33 cents per gallon, bread cost 24 cents per loaf, and a round steak cost only $1.30 per pound (Morrow). The 1970s were a period of fairly high economic success, with some prosperity ahead. Norman MacLean occasionally explains that money was never really an issue, which may lead the reader to believe that MacLean was referring to the economic success of the 1970s (MacLean). Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a Custom EssaySince James Truslow Adams first distinguished the American Dream in 1931, the conception of it has changed so rapidly that many people never truly understand.