The “American Dream” and Its Interpretation in American Nonfiction
The “American Dream” and Its Interpretation in American Nonfiction

Summary/Abstract: Perhaps like all dreams, the American dream is open to more interpretations than there are interpreters… (Hochschild 1995: 250) The above quotation introduces one of the most important notions of the American history, reality and mythology – the American dream. This paper proposes to analyze one of the variants of its interpretation and to observe how the American dream is reflected in American nonfiction of the second half of the twentieth century. By “nonfiction” I do not mean the whole layer of nonfiction such as essays, travelogues, theoretical and scientific works. This essay will focus on the special area of nonfiction – the so-called literary nonfiction. The term is rather controversial and so is the phenomenon. Actually it is not the only term applied. New Journalism, artistic nonfiction, nonfiction novel, nonfiction story and new reportage are a few of the names used to describe it. But defining it so differently all the scholars agree in emphasizing its most essential characteristic – such writings present the immediate reaction of the writer to the events which the author took part in, influential ideas and beliefs of the time. Thus, being the most important part of American history, culture, social and political life and American mentality as well the American dream occupies the most significant place in this type of American nonfiction. It is difficult to deny that the notion of the American dream is one of the most discussed ones in American science and reality. It is believed to have an enormous influence on American history, economics, politics and literature as well.

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