The American Dream in Art and on Stage

Course Overview

The term 'American Dream', coined in 1931 by James Truslow Adams, describes a belief that anyone can attain their version of success, with hard-work. This national ethos imprinted a desire to prosper and succeed, encouraging social mobility for family and children. This ethos had such a dominant effect on the American psyche, resulting in a responsive surge in art and theatre. This course will begin by providing students with an understanding of the context of the work emerging in 1930s/1940s America. Students will then begin to look at how the American Dream was presented in art and popular culture – looking at references such as Norman Rockwell's 'Thanksgiving'. The course will then go onto look at two examples of plays that explore the theme, Tennessee Williams' 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and Arthur Miller's 'Death of A Salesman'. The American Dream promised a better life, one that was fuller and richer. The American Dream, or in fact, the disillusionment of the American Dream, had a tremendous impact on art and literature. This course aims to give students an overview of the American Dream and what impact it made on the American psyche. Each lesson is 1.5 hours and includes digital handouts with reference images and a digital PDF of the two plays. The course will require every student to read 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'Death of a Salesman' before the course begins.