American Dream

             Most people, nowadays, want to become wealthy and live in the lap of luxury. Everyone wants that million dollars, and to make it to the Promise Land. We use literature to spill our thoughts and tell stories about history. History and literature are linked in that they depend on each other for existence. All throughout the history of literature, America has been made out to be "The Land of Opportunity." This theme can be recognized throughout the various literary periods: Puritans(1630-1760), the Age of Reason(1760-1820), Romanticism(1820-1860), Realism(1860-1910), Modernism(1910-1940), and Post Modernism(1940-present).
             The Puritans came to America to realize their dream of building a new secular society patterned after God's word. They originated in England, but some of them were forced to leave because of persecution. At first they went to Holland, but fearing that they would lose their identity as English Christians, a small group of about one hundred set sail in 1620 for America. Their voyage from Plymouth, in southwestern England, to Cape Cod in North America lasted more than two months. They began in two ships, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. They were forced to turn back twice because of damage to the ships and eventually had to abandon the Speedwell which was prone to leaks. Halfway across the Atlantic, the main beam of the Mayflower buckled in a storm, and the group almost turned back for good. They repaired the beam with a large iron screw which they had brought with them. The Mayflower arrived in the new world on November 11, 1620. There they created towns in order to provide opportunities for the soon to come settlers.(Holt, Reinhart, and Winston 5-7)
             The Bible was the foundation on which the Puritans built their literature. They believed that their lives would be enriched by following the word of the Bible. In their religious services, Puritans rejected any ceremonies that were not ment...

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American Dream. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 08:59, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/37769.html