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
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
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!
Web Links:
The Transformation of the 'American Dream'
NCES: Employment Rates of College Graduates
The American Dream While Black
BOTW: Millennial American Dream Study
Journal of Economic Perspectives: Homeownership and the American Dream
Census Bureau Homeownership Statistics
Do Millennials Have It Better or Worse Than Generations Past?
How the American Dream Has Changed
Library of Congress: American Dream Essay
American Public Media: A Better Life, Creating the American Dream
What is the American Dream Today?
Who Still Believes in the American Dream?
Most think the 'American Dream' is within reach for them - Pew Research Center (2017)
Indian immigrants make it obvious that the American dream is alive and well
More people express uncertainty in chance to achieve the American Dream
Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs
The American Dream in The Great Gatsby
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!