American Literature: The American Dream - Socratic Seminar Prep: Home

After reading The Great Gatsby and several poems from the Harlem Renaissance, your final task of the first quarter is to consider the accuracy of Adams's definition (above) in 2025.  

In order to prepare for the Socratic Seminar on The American Dream and its relevance/irrelevance today you have to research to find evidence support your argument on whether the American Dream is still accessible.  

In order to receive full credit for your research it must:

• come from a database on this project guide
• have at least THREE (3) articles to reference 
• all three (3) articles MUST BE PRINTED and brought to the seminar
• all three (3) printed articles MUST BE ANNOTATED

Resources that are appropriate for this assignment include articles that discuss: statistics, economy, demographics, access to education, etc.  Use the following questions as a guide while you conduct your research:

1. In what ways can/do “fortuitous circumstances of birth or position” help a person to live a richer and fuller life?  In what ways can/does circumstance impact ability and/or achievement?
2. What does attaining “the fullest stature” people are “innately capable of” look like? Is what people are “innately capable of” the same for everyone?
3. What, if any, barriers exist that prevent people from achieving the American Dream?
4. What are some of the solutions to the fact that some people are born with fortuitous circumstances and positions, while others are not? Who, if anyone, is responsible for the fact that not everyone starts on a level playing field?
5. Assuming that achieving The American Dream, as defined by Adams was possible when he coined the phrase in the 30s, what is so different about today? Are there more opportunities, or less? Why?