The American Dream Today
Introduction
The American dream has always been a significant theme in literature throughout the nation's history, so it is no surprise that writers at the dawn of the twenty-first century are exploring issues and questions associated with our most basic principles as a country. By analyzing the meaning of the phrase "American dream," modern writers help define (or redefine) the promises the United States makes to its citizens. Writers in the new century find themselves in the difficult position of incorporating modern phenomena, such as family, history, faith, industry, and politics, into a new understanding of what, exactly the American dream constitutes today.
Family Life
Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections (2001) became a bestseller and won the 2001 National Book Award. Franzen tells the story of the dysfunctional Lambert clan and their attempts to "correct" the various problems in their lives. Elderly father Alfred suffers from Parkinson's disease and is succumbing to dementia; his long-suffering wife, Enid, deals with his slow decline while planning a final Christmas gathering with her husband and their three adult children. The three Lambert progeny—Gary, Chip, and Denise—are all undergoing various traumas, including divorce, unemployment, and depression. The result is a funny look at the modern American family, in all its dysfunctional glory.
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