The main difference that the brothers and hh have in terms of aspirations is hope. The hh have been exposed to the work force for some time now. They have found that it is really hard to get a good job and almost impossible to keep one. The see the road to a successful job as a steeplechase, with many hurdles that they will not be able to overcome. They tend to adjust their aspirations to what they see as reality, jobs like labors in construction, or at the most middle class dreams like stoney dreaming of owning a pizza joint. Basically they aspire to get a job, any job and think that that's how it is for a poor boy like themselves. They think that in order to get a career you need to have parents with money that can pull strings for you. They believe that outside uncontrollable factors not their lack of education, poor work ethic, or habitual drug use is to blame for their plight.

The brothers on the other hand hold on to american dream type aspirations. They believe that if they work hard enough they can do anything. They see education as the way to achieve this and look down on the hh for not valuing education. The brothers unlike the hh don't believe that they will meet hurdles to tall to overcome. They believe that if they don't achieve their goals it is because they didn't work hard enough. The brothers aspirations are quite high compared to the hh. They aspire to become professionals or at least middle class white collar workers. They value the job prestige of the white collar workers. Juan wants a job that will enable him to stay clean, others want a job where they won't have to stand. Part of the brothers optimism can be related to the fact that they have not been out in the work force, and tried to get on of these good jobs that they dream about. Juan is the only brother to go into the work force and his lack of success has caused him to lower his expectations from a cook to a mechanic, a "dirty" job.