American Literature And The Dream : Kessinger Publishing : 9780548385227 : 054838522X : 23 Aug 2007 : American Literature and the Dream is a non-fiction book written by Frederic I. Carpenter, an American literary critic and historian. The book explores the concept of the American Dream and its representation in American literature. It covers a wide range of literary works, from the colonial period to the 20th century, and analyzes how the American Dream has evolved over time and how it has been portrayed in literature.Carpenter argues that the American Dream is a central theme in American literature, and that it reflects the aspirations and values of American society. He examines how different writers have interpreted the American Dream, from the early Puritan writers who saw it as a religious ideal, to the Romantic writers who celebrated individualism and self-reliance, to the modern writers who have questioned the validity of the Dream in a changing world.The book is divided into sev