20th Century American Literature & Advanced Comp Term Paper

The American Dream is a national philosophy of the United States, a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and upward social mobility can be achieved through hard work.

In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. Throughout American history and literature, the concept of the American Dream has played an important role.

But, in this day and age, is The American Dream worth believing in? Is it achievable? You will conduct thorough research and, based on your evidence, make a decision.

Prompt: Is the American Dream dead?

You will choose a specific area of concentration from the list below, personally define The American Dream according to that concentration, and then argue whether or not the Dream is achievable today.

Areas of Concentration:Economics Civil Rights Women’s Rights EducationFamily Government Immigration Another idea???

In your paper, through your research, you will synthesize unique answers for the following guiding questions: 1. Given your chosen concentration, what is the definition of The American Dream?2. According to your definition, has The American Dream been attainable in the past? 3. What are some current obstacles to achieving The American Dream?4. How can people overcome those obstacles?5. Are there circumstances in which obstacles are insurmountable?6. Given your chosen concentration, how realistic is The American Dream today?

Paper Requirements: MLA format Minimum of five pages, typed Works Cited page (does not count toward total pages) Minimum of 5 sources, including at least one primary source Internal citations for each quote and paraphrase used in the paper

Library Research Dates: ___________________________________________________

What is a Primary Source?Primary sources provide direct evidence of an event, produced or created by an eyewitness. Examples include the Declaration of Independence, Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, or Walker Evans’s photographs of The Great Depression. You need to use at least one primary source to write your term paper.

The best place to look for primary sources is the Library of Congress’s American Memory Project located online at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html.