White picket fences are more than they seem.

Since the days of the first New England settlements, the “American Dream” has perpetuated one vision of success most easily described as attainable through the bootstraps mentality. This mentality perpetuates the notion that individual triumph is ripe for the taking and all anyone has to do to achieve is “pull himself up by the bootstraps.”

While this notion isn’t toxic in itself, the way American society extrapolates its dream is reminiscent of intentionally rose-colored lenses. Quintessentially “American” rags-to-riches stories are meant to illustrate how America provides its citizens the opportunity to rise in socioeconomic status so long as they work hard enough.

However, the problem with this assessment of America’s inner workings is that it does not exist. The “dream” American society perpetuates does not mean happiness or fulfillment for all, only cookie-cutter materialistic success. Even further, that materialistic success is not so easily attainable as the purveyors of the dream would let on. The dream, in essence, is “achieved” by the privileged on the backs of the oppressed.

Thus, we can analyze much of American Literature in context of writers’ attempts to cope with the fragmented psyche that “American Dreaming” inflicts.