The American Dream In Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle

For centuries, the American Dream has motivated citizens of the United States to go above and beyond in their efforts through life, yet not everyone is hoping to reach the same outcome. The stereotypical prosperous dream was for the average individual to have a successful job with a supportive and wealthy family. However, for some, their idealized version of the American Dream is different. Although the American Dream came in variations, a commonality within all of them was the pursuit of happiness. In the epilogue of The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams argues his idea that the American Dream cannot be defined by one type of accomplishment or triumph. He claims that the American Dream cannot be defined by one type of achievement or particular success, reiterating the fact that the dream is not about tangible goods creating a sense of artificial happiness, but every individual seeking to fulfill their utmost potential. Adams saw that the American Dream was eroding into a need for material possessions, causing him to combat the shift and attempt to preserve the original idea. This theory is echoed in Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle. Despite being hindered by

While James Truslow Adams argues a hypothetical, something he sees as quite intangible, Walls made it real. There was no need for public pity, her memoir being rather a call for her audience to decide what they want, and how they plan to get there. The American Dream is not impossible. Walls is recognized for her eloquence and the grace through which she has come to carry herself, not despite, but because of her childhood. The American Dream, as described in The Epic of America epilogue, is held together by the idea hope and promise, the illusion of it all. Walls breaks a barrier in the hypothetical, drawing from her unique perspective in the dreams she achieved for her own Glass