Comparing The American Dream In Catcher In The Rye And Winter's Bone

As former President Ronald Reagan once said, “The American Dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God intends he should become”. Many Americans are unable to achieve this philosophy of the famed American Dream, which countless people attempt to acquire. Our country is built off the idea of prosperity and equality which many Americans are critically lacking. A number of our country's business owners are prime examples of the American Dream, in which so many people aspire to live. In the books, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger and Winter’s Bone, by Daniel Woodrell, 2 characters are terribly limited from achieving the American Dream. From family to mental struggles the famous American Dream seems impossible to achieve and live. Ree Dolly, the leading protagonist, is severely limited from achieving the American Dream because of the environment that she lived in. With countless obstacles arising, Ree does not have the time to focus on her dream, joining the army. The lack of a stable and suitable

With both parents being immensely inadequate, Ree has no guardian to rely on for assistance or advice. Ree is forced to raise 2 of her siblings, who she deeply cares for by herself. Essentially Ree has to be Sonny and Harold’s parents due to the fact that they have no adequate parent. This forces Ree to remain present in their lives for a minimum of 10 years at the least, which will eliminate her dream of joining the army. A key component of the novel is Ree’s feeling of being alone in the whole ordeal of her father missing. Though she has an enormous extended family there are practically no family members she can trust. The majority of her family is in the meth business which she does not want to be associated with. Ree’s main goal which is clear throughout the novel is protecting her siblings and preventing them from following Jessup’s