says Everyone was supposed to have money They'd be ashamed not to have it But Wilhelm s dream of becoming an actor failed He could not find success He then worked as a salesman which he did not enjoy His job did not match his dreams He felt unhappy and unfulfilled Many people like Wilhelm follow the American Dream but end up in jobs they do not like They feel like failures Risk and Consequence Wilhelm believes in the American Dream so he takes big risks to get rich He thinks that if he works hard and makes bold choices he will succeed This hope leads him to trust Dr Tamkin Wilhelm invests his last savings in the stock market Tamkin tells him Only the present is real the here-and-now Seize the day Wilhelm wants to solve all his problems quickly by making money But instead of becoming rich he loses everything This shows that chasing quick wealth without knowledge can bring disaster Wilhelm and His Father Wilhelm s father Dr Adler is a successful man He worked hard and now lives a comfortable life He represents the traditional American Dream Wilhelm wants help from his father but Dr Adler refuses to support him Dr Adler feels Wilhelm is a failure who should fix his own problems Wilhelm realizes The money makes the difference He sees that money has created distance between him and his father To gain his father s respect he tries to get rich quickly Financial and Emotional Struggle Wilhelm s story shows how the American Dream focuses too much on money Wilhelm s problems are not just about money He is also lonely and feels empty inside He is years old separated from his wife and children He knows time is running out for him He wants to find peace and meaning in life not just money Wilhelm thinks it is his duty as a man father son and husband to carry family burdens The narrator says The peculiar burden of existence lay upon him That must be what a man was for But Wilhelm s belief in success pushes him further away from happiness He feels more lost and unhappy Wilhelm s chase for the American Dream leaves him with nothing He is broke alone and emotionally crushed His dreams of success lead to disappointment and suffering In conclusion Seize the Day shows that the American Dream is not always true Chasing it blindly can hurt people more than help them Many people like Wilhelm believe that their worth depends on getting rich This makes them easy targets for people like Tamkin They end up failing and feeling even worse