The term 'American Dream' is associated with the European Renaissance. During this period, exploring new lands was one of the greatest achievement. In this consequence, Columbus explored a new land 'America' . The concept of American Dream refers to the ideal which created American ideas. As a younger nation, American had to create its image that was later known as American Dream. At the beginning, the American people followed the principles equality and morality, but later they moved to the ideals based on materialism which resulted in their economic growth. How they turned toward the concept of materialism and how the concept of American Dream was reflected through literation, are questions for exploration and investigation. In this paper, I have tried my best to explore the meaning and concept of American Dream and the impact of Puritan and Materialism on it. I have discussed on the role of ethos and spiritualism in the moderation of the concept of American Dream and how all these things have been given place in American Literature.
(Key words: American Dream, American Literature, Renaissance, Biblical myths, Spiritualism, Materialism)
Formatted Citation:
Ahirwar, Kunj Bihari. “Philosophy of American Dream in American Literature.” Perception and Perspectives in English Language and Literature, edited by Dr. M.S. Vimal and Kunj Bihari Ahirwar, New Man Publication, 2017, pp. 171–76, https://www.ed-intellect.com.
References:
Kamp, David (April 2009). "Rethinking the American Dream". Vanity Fair. Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2009.
Lord Dunmore to Lord Dartmouth, December 24, 1774, quoted in John Miller, Origins of the American Revolution (1944) p. 77
F. W. Bogen, The German in America (Boston, 1851), quoted in Stephen Ozment, A Mighty Fortress: A New History of the German People (2004) pp. 170–71
H. W. Brands, The age of gold: the California Gold Rush and the new American dream(2003) p. 442.
James E. Miller, Jr., "My Antonia and the American Dream" Prairie Schooner 48, no. 2 (Summer 1974) pp. 112–123.
Harold Bloom and Blake Hobby, eds. The American Dream (2009).
Neumann, Henry. Teaching American Ideals through Literature. Washington: Govt. Print. Off., 1918. Print
Symposium: The Role of the Judge in the Twenty-first Century. Boston: Boston U Law School, 2006. Print.
Emily Beller and Michael Hout, "Intergenerational Social Mobility: The United States in Comparative Perspective," The Future of Children (2006)
(Published as a chapter in Edited Book: Perception and Perspectives in English Language and Literature , ISBN : 978-93-83871-87-2, Jan 2017)
