Definition of the American Dream

You learned the definition of the American Dream in Week 1, and you also learned about the American identity. Traits often associated with the American identity include boldness, confidence, perseverance, and integrity. These traits are often demonstrated through a character’s words or actions. This week, we’ll focus on perseverance and how it is reflected in two of the readings. Choose one character from a work of fiction (“The Soft-Hearted Sioux,” “Pawn Shop,” or The Invisible Man) and one person from a work of non-fiction (“Speech to the Osages,” Incidents in the Live of a Slave Girl, or “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”). Describe how perseverance is reflected in each.