The American Dream Essay
Analysis/ Synthesis Prompt
James Truslow Adams first used the term “American Dream” in his 1931 book, The Epic of America. He states: "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position" (214-215). Considering the passage above as a starting point, choose one of the following prompts for your analysis essay. Prompt A: Is it still possible in our country for everyone to achieve the American Dream? Prompt B: How does a concept of the American Dream, as presented in A Raisin in the Sun, relate to an idea (or ideas) from other sources? Prompt C: Discuss a conception about the American Dream as presented in the readings, and explain the validity of this concept as it relates to other conceptions.
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