AMERICAN DREAM IN JOHN STEINBECK’S THE GRAPES OF WRATH AND JEFFREY ARCHER’S KANE AND ABEL

Abstract

This article attempts to analyze the American Dream
in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and Jeffry Archer’s Kane
and Abel. The article uses American Dream Concepts and
Historical background to analyze the characters. The study aims at
comparing two different literary works coming from two different
cultures, nationalities, and historical background. The article
studies the concepts of the American Dream which holds three key
points, better, richer, and fuller life with opportunity according to
ability or achievement.The results of this article can be formulated
as follows: 1) Both have the American Dream and different
achievements and effort to gain the American Dream through the
representation of the characters of Ma Joad in The Grapes of
Wrath whose American Dream is unattainable and Abel in the
Kane and Abel whose American Dream is attainable. (2) Both Ma
Joad and Abel struggle to concretize the American Dream while
Ma Joad cannot achieve the American Dream through her hard
effort. Abel achieves the American Dream. Therefore, Ma Joad’s
mobility is downward, while Abel’s is upward. (3) The similarities
of the two novels are the descriptions of the main characters that
are poor people to achieve and struggle for the American Dream.