Take Home Exam 1 2018.1-Merged

NORTH-AMERICAN LITERATURE III
TAKE-HOME EXAM I
Part I: CHOOSE TWO OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS AND DISCUSS THEM AS FULLY
AS YOU CAN.
1. What does “the American Dream” mean? How does the material aspect of the American
Dream relate to existential or spiritual fulfillment? How does “The American Dream”
relate to both Puritanism and Capitalism?
2. “The American Dream” is closely related to the myth of the “Self-Made Man”, which is
closely related to the idea of the “American Hero”. In which senses are these cultural
concepts connected?
3. Considering your knowledge of the history of the USA in the 20th century, do you think
all US citizens have equal opportunities in social, economic and political life, or does the
origin of certain groups favor them in the achievement of their “dreams”? What are the
ideological implications of being a “looser” in the US? For example, if we say that
everyone can become rich if they work hard enough – does that mean that the poor are only
too lazy? What are the most evident “failures” of the American Dream?
4. Why does it have to be the “American dream”? What makes the “American Dream” so
typically American? What makes so many people want to live in the United States?
Consider the roles of some ideological constructions, such as “freedom”, “democracy” and
“the pursuit of happiness” in “the promised land”.
5. “The American Way of Life” is an objective social representation of the “American
Dream”. How was the notion of the “American Way of Life” originated? What does it
imply? What are the advantages / disadvantages (for the individuum and society) if people
only try to pursue their own dreams? Consider this question in the light of political
Liberalism.
6. How did the so called “counter-culture” movements (The Beat Generation, the Hippies)
operate to contradict the American Dream?
Part II: CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS AND DEVELOP IT AS FULLY AS
YOU CAN
1. Make an analysis of the novel/film Revolutionary Road in the light of ideological
constructions, such as: The American Dream, the American Way of Life, freedom,
individual pursuit of happiness, women’s and men’s roles in the 50’s.
2. Analyze A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, considering the construction of the
dramatic action in relation to its main conflict and the way the characters in the play relate
to different aspects of “The American Dream”.
Universidade Federal da Paraíba
Centro de Ciências Humanas, Letras e Artes
Departamento de Letras Estrangeiras Modernas
Discipline: North-American Literature III
Professor: Sandra Luna.
Student: Cleiton Willian da Conceição.
TAKE HOME EXAM:

(ANSWER SHEET)
1 - The United States of America is branded with bad and good times,
considering its development from a colony of Great Britain to a giant nation, both
cultural and economically. In the 20s, Americans wanted to live a bohemian life,
since they had great success at the World War I, by selling weapons to different
countries, endorsing the war to keep going, until they made their entrance. Since
it was a late partake, the US did not have the same number of men loss as other
countries did.
Both succeeding at selling weapons to countries that were taking part in

the war, and entering the fight late made the US the country that benefited most
from the first war and lead to a different life style from every and each person in
the American territory. In the 30s, the country that had most succeeded from the
World War I declined, since all their economical power rested upon stock market
money represented by pieces of paper, when the country went through the crisis,
people who had invested their lifetime fortune in this business, were desperate.
From simple to wealth individuals, everyone was affected by the stock

market crash. Since Americans had lost everything, all they had left was hope,
and that is what kept most people going. During this time, an ideal emerged, the
American Dream, which can be defined as “Hard work pays at the end”.
According to the American Dream WebQuest at the OS, defines the American
Dream as being the belief of the US-American Society that each individual can,
through hard working and strength of mind, achieve everything. It can be inferred
that in the American society there is the idea that hard working people can
achieve anything, since it is a capitalist society, people have it in mind that
success can only be obtained through.
Considering the American aspiration of success, it is possible to conclude

that in regards to how the American Dream came to be, it is deeply rooted in the
arrival of the first settlers and their ideal of freedom and begin a new in an
unknown land, where they can be themselves and believe in what ever they feel
like. Tanking into considerations these facts, the Dream of the founding fathers
gained a new face, due to the great depression. People wanted to have a perfect
life again, however, due to the great depression, the feeling od being successful
became much stronger, people wanted to have the perfect life and after World
War II, the US rose above and became the major world’s power. Although they
were a wealth country, once again, Americans were afraid of the divine laying its
heavy hand on them once again and making them suffer, the laws of conduct was
redesign to the point of generating a well-conducted and traditional society,
influenced by the previous traditional and religious ideals that once served as
laws of conduct for the American people.
It seems that this idea of the American Dream, fulfills the people’s hearts
to the point of making them believe that regardless the circumstances, anyone,
through resilience and perseverance can achieve whatever they set in their mind.
Even Nowadays, whether it is in movies, or political speeches, there is

always the ideal that through working as much as possible, anything can be
accomplished by anyone in America.
2 - (3) – First and foremost, it is believed in the American system of life

that anyone can achieve anything if they work hard enough, however, there are
different people with different social status and income money. For example, if it
is taken into consideration the situation of immigrants in the United States in the
50s, where they lived in the most atrocious situations, having to work for over 70
hours per week (EH.net), and being crowed in tiny apartments made it much more
difficult for them to succeed as it was preached by those who believed in the
precepts of the American Dream.
Apart from the immigrants, there was the black community, which was still
trying to minimize the scar left by the bondage and enslavement. Prejudice
against colour, social status, poor living conditions and so on. Also, this sector of
the American society also had their social image marginalized by those who were
of the opposite “race”. For instance, in The Black Feminist Thought, black women
were only seen as either housekeepers or a sexual tool to white men. There are
studies which indicate that black men, after the abolition, kept on working on the
fields, being payed less that they deserved for the hard work they were being put
through.
These are two examples of social minor groups who, whether it is from
their historical background, or due to the adversities in life, they cannot succeed,
as it is expected by those who believe in the American Dream. So, historically
and culturally speaking the Dream of becoming socially and financially successful
is not for everybody. There are certain people who, considering their social status
and monetary power can easily make the American Dream come true, such as
white Caucasian, native-born American, as well as having other features and
characteristics of social dominant groups.
3 – Revolutionary Road is a movie/novel which intrigues people who

believe in the moral values of the American way of life, as well as the American
Dream and the ideal roles of men and women in the 50s. It becomes known,
considering the development of the movie/novel that April and Frank want
different things, although, both of them, in one way or another believe in the
American Dream and the pursuit of self happiness.
Back at the 50s, men were considered to be the family’s provider, the one
who worked outside the house, while women had to stay home caring for their
education and well-being. In the movie/novel, April worked as an actress and
Frank also worked outside the house. She had a dream of becoming a well-
known actress. They were both miserable, even though they lived in a house in
the suburbs.
Taking into consideration the way they dress, their way of life, it is clear to
see they were adept of the way people lived in the 50s, which for white and rich
people was the American way of Life.
After the World War II, the United States, as it was mentioned previously,
went through a radical change, from being the careless and free society, to a
more religious rooted society. From partying every night to going to the church
every Sunday, the change that the American society was undertaking, as a result
of the Great Depression and the second World War, made Americans return to
their old values and recuperating norms of conduct, which were dormant for some
decades.
Throughout the whole movie/novel it is possible the anyone who is

watching/reading to get the feeling of how life was at that time. However, it is
paramount to address that the main characters were different from what it should
be expected from people who lived in the 50s. As it was mentioned before,
women were expected play the role of house and family keeper. Opposite to that,
April was a woman in that time who worked outside the house, in her dream job.
Throughout the whole film Aprils acts as the opposite of being the perfect
wife, by arguing, working outside and dreaming of being a successful actress,
whereas her husband was more of a good for nothing who supported her, at
certain moments, but when his luck turns and he gets a better job offer, he
decides not to move to Paris with her.
Most of the movie contradicts the idea of the American Way of Life, where
there is happy provider who works outside the house, married to a happy family
keeper and a couple of children in a really nice house in the suburbs.
The movie opens room to reflection regarding the social roles of men and
women in the fifties and the perfect American way of life, which in the motion is
not so perfect as well as April’s pursuit of true happiness, which is connected to
her dream of becoming a successful actress.

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NORTH-AMERICAN LITERATURE III

TAKE HOME EXAM:

Both succeeding at selling weapons to countries that were taking part in

From simple to wealth individuals, everyone was affected by the stock

Considering the American aspiration of success, it is possible to conclude

Even Nowadays, whether it is in movies, or political speeches, there is

2 - (3) – First and foremost, it is believed in the American system of life

3 – Revolutionary Road is a movie/novel which intrigues people who

Throughout the whole movie/novel it is possible the anyone who is

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