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American Dream

 
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The American Dream


 

Research Databases

Access your library databases HERE to find collections of magazine, journal, newspaper articles, abstracts, images, videos, and other information, which has been checked for accuracy and reliability. SIRS Student Research Guide
 

Research Databases


From Bloom's Literature:

The American Dream in The Great Gatsby           

The American Dream in Of Mice and Men  

The American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun   

 

 

Research Format & Citations

The Unit 5 English department has created the U5 Research Paper Handbook to assist students.  
 
 
The Researched Paper

 
 
 

Annotated Bibliography Guides

 

 

 

Is the American Dream acheivable today?

On this page you will find a wealth of varied resources to help you explore the American Dream and in what sense the American Dream is still possible today. Check out our online databases, GVRL eBooks, as well as our OPAC (online public access catalog) to find print resources in our library.

James Truslow Adams on the American Dream

James Truslow Adams states in his book The Epic of America (1931):

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" (p.214-215).

Featured Books

American Dream Book List -- these books are available in your IMC!

 

Call Numbers: 305.5 PUT
by Putnam, Robert D. - 2015. -
"The...author of "Bowling Alone" offers a[n]... examination of the American Dream in crisis: how and why opportunities for upward mobility are diminishing, jeopardizing the prospects of an ever larger segment of Americans"--Provided by publisher.

 

Call Numbers: 973.049 OBA
by Obama, Barack. - 2006 -
Barack Obama calls for a different brand of politics--a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the "endless clash of armies" we see in Congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness and nobility of spirit at the heart of our democracy.

 

Call Numbers: 973.9 BRA
by Brands, H. W. - 2010. -
From bestselling historian H. W. Brands, an incisive chronicle of the events and trends that guided--and sometimes misguided--our nation from the A-bomb to the iPhone. Ultimately Brands captures the national experience through the last six decades and reveals the still-unfolding legacy of dreams born out of a global cataclysm.

Dust Jacket or Front Cover
 

Call Numbers: 339.2 FRA
Looks at how state and local governments, businesses, and citizens are fighting to close the gap between the rich and the poor.

Dust Jacket or Front Cover
 

Call Numbers: 339.4 DES
by Desmond, Matthew. - [2017] - Copies: 1 of 1 available
Examines the fates of eight families struggling to pay their rent in the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, discussing the human cost of America's vast inequality.

 

Find a book

Search our library catalog: 
 

West Book Catalog


We have eBooks available through Gale Virtual Reference Library:

  

 

 

Google Tips & Tricks

When searching the Web or library databases, be specific in your terms. Rather than searching "American Dream," try being more specific.

  • "American dream" education
  • "American dream" equality
  • "American dream" race


If you're searching Google, plug the following words into your search string:

unemployment statistics site:.gov

Google will ONLY pull up all the results about unemployment statistics that are from .gov websites! 

Check out the Boolean pamphlet for more research tips and tricks!

Try Google Scholar to find scholarly material for your research!