Contemporary Connections – Your American Dream
What makes a dream an American Dream? The uniqueness of the American Dream is that, given the opportunities available to all Americans, it is not limited by society's standards, one's ancestors, or any other external factor. Indeed, the American Dream for each person is about finding one's own path to happiness and fulfillment in life. The only limit is the desire of the dreamer's heart.
Now that you have finished reading Their Eyes Were Watching God or Of Mice and Men, show your understanding of the American Dream developed in your selected novel by comparing it with a contemporary work that also touches on the American Dream. The work that you select may be a poem, song, novel, short story, film, or play. In choosing a work to compare and contrast with your selected novel, try not to limit yourself to concrete mentions of the term "American Dream." Remember, you are thinking about examples of an American's goals and hopes for the future. Neither Hurston's nor Steinbeck's novels ever made mention of the term "American Dream," yet their stories were about precisely that. Likewise, the American Dream of your selected work does not have to have the same ending as that of your protagonist, but it is a good idea to think about a work that shares similarities with the protagonist of the novel you read. And lastly, choose a work that was published or produced within the last fifteen years.
Once you have chosen a work to compare, create a Venn diagram with the title The American Dream and two circles, one for each work. Each circle must contain at least four characteristics that make it unique from the contrasting work, and the middle section where the circles intersect must contain at least three points of how the works are similar in their treatment of the American Dream. Points of comparison may include:
- The definition of the American Dream according to the author/creator
- Affirmation or repudiation that the American Dream is achievable
- Obstacles to the achieving the American Dream
Options to create your Venn Diagram include the following:
- Hand-draw the diagram and write in the information. Then, take a picture of it for submission to the assignment's dropbox.
- Hand-draw the diagram and write in the information. Then, scan it for submission to the assignment's dropbox.
- Utilize a paint, publishing, word processing, presentation, or graphics software program to create the diagram and type in the information. Then, save the file for submission to the assignment's dropbox.
- Copy and paste the template below, click within each circle, and type in the information. Then, save the file for submission to the assignment's dropbox.
- Use a graphic organizer app to create the diagram and add information. Then, export your work to submit to the dropbox. You can find free apps for creating graphic organizers from online sources such as readwritethink.org.
Because the contemporary work that you select may not be familiar to your instructor, please submit a paragraph that names the title of the work and its author/creator and also summarizes the content of the work. Remember to use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your paragraph. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing resources. Before you begin, review the Contemporary Comparison Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit.
Once you have completed your Venn Diagram and summary, please submit your work to the dropbox.