While the American Dream is essentially about success and security, about making it, the road is about escape, and freedom.
Romancing the Road by Eyerman, page 74.
I believe that Wyatt was under the impression that money doesn't fulfills life and happiness so he wasn't satisfied at the end of their trip. Their mission was to go out and find the America that they hadn't experienced before which was complete freedom from everything and exploration for experience. It was very fitting that when they set out on their journey,
Born to Be Wild
was playing in the background, as if they were born to be on the road. The American Dream is supposed to mean that people have freedom but in the movie, it was evident that most people like the so-called
rednecks
were too afraid to let go of the lives that they were leading. For example, the men in the small town diner that were discriminating against Wyatt, George and Billy because they had long hair and dressed differently, didn't think that anybody should act or be different. When Wyatt said them three words after they left Mardi Gras, he meant that him and Billy two blew it for anyone that thought America was different because they were supposed to find that there was another success other than money. When Billy was satisfied with the fact that they were rich with money, Wyatt was disappointed because money was all they knew before they ventured on the trip. They set out to find something new and instead in the end, they gave into the societal norms with money measuring success. Life itself was supposed to be the reward since they were experiencing a different kind of life, independence, with the choice that they could decide what they wanted to do and when they wanted to do it, without boundaries. I think it is sad that the only measurement of success and happiness always has to be connected to money and that is what Wyatt was starting realize and it frustrated him. I would also like to add that I thought it was ironic that Wyatt said
we blew it
and was unsatisfied with life and then the next day, they were both shot to death. Isn't it ironic?