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When the settlers settled on the tip of Cape Cod, they had dreams and expectations of the new land which will never be forgotten. They craved freedom of religion, opportunity, and a new life. Throughout history writers in America have documented their hopes, fears, dreams, and fictional works through literature, each and every piece holds an aspect of the American Dream.
The Puritans were one of the first settlers, they came to America to escape religious persecution. The Puritans believed that in following Adam and Eve's sin, most of us would be damned to hell. However there were very few who were saved. One did not know whether they were saved or damned one must act accordingly in order to reach heaven, if in fact you are one of the saved. Puritans came to value self-reliance, industriousness, temperance, and simplicity. The Puritan writing was always simple, and to the point, there were no metaphors or similes. Such style was exhibited in William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation" this short story told his account of the pilgrims' journey to Plymouth and the hardships they faced throughout their time spent there. He stressed that everything happened because God planned it that way. When someone was hurt, it was because God was punishing him. If something good happened, it was because God was pleased with them. The Puritans also used the Bible as a model for writing. Mary Rowlandson's short story "A Narrative of the Captivity" used this form, and several times during her story she used references to the bible. Rowlandson often saw direct connections between her hardships and the ones in the bible. "So I took the bible and in that melancholy time, it came to my mind to read the first chapter of Deuteronomy, which I did, and when I had read it, my dark heart wrought on this manner, that there was no mercy for me, that the blessings were gone, and the curses come in their room, and that I had lost my opportunity…" This quote describes Mary Rowlandson's story of being captured. In this quote she sees the direct connection between the bible and her own personal life. In Deuteronomy chapter 28, Moses warns that God will bless those who obey him and curse those who do not. The Puritans style and content of literature reflected their own personal American Dream, to be free to worship God and attempt to be saved.
Rationalism is the belief that human beings can arrive at truth by using reason, rather than relying on the authority of the past, on religious faith, or intuition. The Rationalists discovered God through the medium of the natural world, but in a slightly different way than the Puritans. Rationalists believed in deism, American Deists came from different religious backgrounds, and avoided specific religious groups. They sought the principles that united all religions.Rationalists believed that God created the universe; however, he does not interfere with its workings. They also praised humanities goodness instead of evilness. Rationalists came to value the "self-made man" as well as self examination. A good example of Rationalist writing comes from Benjamin Franklin. In his autobiography he stresses the "rags to riches story" as well as deep self examination in order to improve oneself. Throughout Franklin's life he found the goodness in America. To rationalists, America holds opportunity and freedom. "…Then I asked for a penny loaf, and was told they had none such. So not considering or knowing the difference of money, and the greater cheapness nor the names of his bread, I bade him give me three-penny worth of any sort. He gave me, accordingly, three great puffy rolls. I was surprised at the quantity, but took it, and having no room in my pockets, walked off with a roll under each arm, and eating the other." This quote from Benjamin Franklin's autobiography shows a minor example of opportunity. He was surprised at what all he could get from just three pennies. Benjamin Franklin also showed good insight to the rationalist ways of self-examination. In order to look deeply into himself he devised a plan to help him. Franklin made a book of virtues, such as temperance, silence, and order, he would follow at the end of each day he would see if he had carried out these virtues the way he had planned. This way he could make a habit of good virtues. The rationalist's American dream was to live in a land of opportunity, where they could come from a poor family and rise from rags to riches in American society. The Rationalist American Dream was full of hopes for a better future and life.
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American Romanticism prospered from 1800-1860. This new name was given to people who believed in intuition over reason. American Romanticism was described as a journey away from the corruption of society and towards nature and imagination. They also valued poetry over any other kind of writing. Romantics found inspiration in myth, legend, and folk culture. Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle was a good example of the myths in romantic literature. This tale was told of a man who fell asleep in the wilderness. He awoke several years later, and the world had changed greatly. This story also described the perilous journey into the supernatural realm which romantics valued. Oliver Wendell Holmes was another good example of romantic writers. His poem "The Chambered Nautilus", describes the life cycle through the life of a shell called a nautilus. This beautiful metaphor of life and death shows the imagination of romantic writers. The American dream of romantics was to escape the evils of society and explore the supernatural realms of imagination and goodness.
The Americans who called themselves Transcendentalists were idealists, they believed in human perfectibility, and they worked to achieve this goal. One of the American dreams of this time period was to reach "human perfectibility." Transcendentalists believed everything in the world, including human beings, were reflections of the Divine Soul. They also believed that self-reliance and individualism should outweigh external authority and blind conformity to custom and tradition. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a great writer of the transcendentalism period; his book Nature had a true view of Transcendentalism because it viewed nature as a doorway to a mystical world holding important truths. "Self-Reliance" was another work written by Emerson that held up the American dream as transcendentalists viewed it. To Transcendentalists the American dream was a journey out of conformity and into individuality. "Is it so bad to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood." Emerson's strong belief in individualism brought him to the conclusion that if you must be misunderstood to escape conformity it is better to be misunderstood. The dream of Transcendentalists was to escape tradition and conformity and live in a world of individualism and self reliance.
The Modernists had an emphasis on bold experimentation in style and form, reflecting the fragmentation of society, rejection of traditional themes and subjects, and an interest in the inner workings of the human mind. This was sometimes expressed through new narrative techniques such as stream of consciousness. Some dreams of the moderns included a land of unlimited resources and endless opportunities. They also believed that the American birthright is one of ever-expanding opportunity and progress should be celebrated. "Birches" by Robert Frost is a good example of modernism. In this poem, Robert Frost uses birch trees to illustrate the beauty in nature and how one sometimes may have to step out of society and enjoy life as it is. Modernisms dream of unlimited resources, beautiful nature, and opportunity shows the American dream from their point of view.
Throughout history American Literature has reflected the American dream in each time period. Most American authors built up on the ideas of others and the American dream remains unchanged with a few modifications. America is a place of freedom, opportunity, self-reliance, individualism, and resources. A true paradise to those who had lived in persecution and limited lifestyles before America was discovered. People flocked to American to experience this realization of new found hope and freedom. Today people still hold on to the American dream as they search for jobs, homes, and a new life in this profound country.
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