Americans in Conflict
The purpose of this project is to participate in the field of American studies by closely studying an issue from multiple perspectives. The assignment will expect students to critically assess sources and creatively write an interesting paper that clearly expresses an argument.
The argumentative paper for the class will consist of 4-6 pages on the topic of Americans in conflict. Consider our discussions of moments where Americans have struggled in one way or another in their pursuit of the American Dream. Select one of the texts covered on the syllabus to serve as your primary focus with which to explore the conflict over achieving the American Dream.
Suggested topics are:
- The relationship between Americans and others (clashes of interest, values, actions, mores, behaviors) over pursuing the Dream
- The influence of social causes (such as wars/economic cycles, or cultural movements) on Americans and shifts in the Dream
- The experience of belonging to a particular social group (race, religion, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and education) as it tries to define the American Dream
- The effect of Americans on popular culture and the demand for success with the American Dream
- The psychological experience of failing to achieve the Dream
- A message in a text concerning the American Dream and how it relates to a particular moment in time
- A close analysis of a character in a text and an assessment of these steps are used to claim the Dream as presented to the viewer/reader
The paper should contain a firm argument and will require research; it should be supported by at least 5 credible sources (outside research from articles, books, documentaries, websites, specialists, documents, and surveys), contain parenthetical citations, and works cited page in MLA format. Make sure you have narrowed down your topic thoroughly to keep the subject-specific and maintain the scope of the page limit. A strong paper will follow a clear line of cause/s and effect/s or shift/s.Why is establishing the connection important—what do we gain from your discovery? Once you have formulated an argument, determine a strong and supportable thesis statement that is upheld by each paragraph in your paper.
This should be a formal paper with an introduction, thesis, and conclusion.It should be clear, engaging, and focused.You are welcome to focus on specific points that we have discussed in class, but your analysis must go significantly beyond the class lecture or discussion.
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