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Theme Of The American Dream In Richard Russo's Empire Falls

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Seventy-one years after the American Dream came into play, it continues to live on in Richard Russo’s novel, Empire Falls. As defined by Dictionary.com, the American Dream is “a life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the U.S.” Numerous authors have used the American Dream as a theme for their novels, including many famous works such as The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The American Dream is something that numerous Americans aspire to achieve throughout their lifetime, and Miles Roby, along with the other characters, are no different than the average American. The pursuit of happiness and success in life, also known as the American Dream, is an ubiquitous theme throughout the novel, Empire Falls. Russo shows the importance of the American Dream by portraying it throughout the lives of the characters in Empire Falls. Russo used the character, Grace Roby, to show that parents want their children to be …show more content…

The lives of the characters in the novel are drastically affected based on the turn of events that come with the American Dream. A few examples include the divorce between Miles and Janine, as well as Miles taking Tick to Martha's Vineyard for a few months. The American Dream is a large part of the lives of many Americans, just like it was in the novel, Empire Falls. Russo’s novel has won the Pulitzer Prize, making it a bestseller all around the United States. This gets many readers acquainted with Russo’s theme of the American Dream as well as other themes that are present throughout the novel. Russo gets into the reader’s head by making them understand that everyone has a dream of being happy and successful. However, sometimes one has to dig deep to find that dream and set it into motion to make the dream finally come

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