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Puritain Age
The Purtains pursued God throughout their daily lives and the focus of their literature was on religion as well. The prevailing American Dream in this era is to serve God. -
Preaching of Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God
This book/sermon acurately describes what the Americ dream was for the putitains in the 18th century. They pursue religion their whole lives and work hard to please God. In the 18th centrury the American journey was pleasing God. -
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Transendentalist Age
Transendentalsits believed in unity with nature and being sanding up fro what you believe. They listened to their conscience instead of to society which they rejected. The focus of the trasendentalist is to be one with nature and yourself. -
Publication of Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Walden perfectly Describes the American Dream of the Transidentalists. Walden shows how the transidentalists are connected with nature and how they are independant of society. Their American dream is being connected to nature and finding themsleves apart from society. -
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Realism
Focused on the problems of today and resolving them to have their idea of an utopian society. Realist authors exposed problems with society through their fictious stories. -
Publication of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn gives us a great picture of the vision that realist writers had of the American Dream. Realists pursue the resolvement of a problem in society. Their dream is to make other lives better. This is a big movement in the civil war and civil rights movements. The American Dream for the realist is to make America better. -
Publication of The Yellow Wallpaper
The Yellow Wallpaper describes the difficulties of being a woman in the late 19th century. Gilman's purpose as with other realist authors was to show how women are being treated as unequal. She used fiction to convey a true problem. The American Dream of modernists is that all people would be given an equal say and to have the same rights as everyone else. -
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Modernism
Modernist authors such as Frances Scott Fitzgerald focused on changing the traditional ways and how the world was changing such as the wealth in the twenties. Some also refered to the ideas of Darwin and Marx. The Focus of modernism is to make the world better through new ideas and wealth. -
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Harlem Renaisance
Authors during the Harlem Renaisance focused on the black race and what could be done to improve the black race. They focused on their culture and their roots in Africa. The focus of the era is to improve life for the black culture as well as the greatness of the Black culture. -
Publication of The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby was published during the roaring twenties which is when the novel takes place. The book describes the great wealth that occured in that era and how the rich whites lived their lives. The American Dream in this era is to be successful monetarily. Greed is a big driving force. -
How it Feels to be Colred Me Publication
Zore Neale Hurston describes the Harlem Renaisance in her book "How it Feels to be Colored Me." It shows how early in her life White people and Black people were always seperated, but during the Jazz age that whites and blacks are now together commonly because of Jazz. She still focuses on the uniqueness of the black culture and emphasizes that it is nothing to be ashamed of. The American Dream of Zora and her Harlem counterparts is for the black culture to be accepted and emphasized.
