An American Tragedy

The American Dream is the idea that anyone can secure financial prosperity and social mobility—a good job, a nice home, and a better future for the next generation—with hard work. The experiences of characters in An American Tragedy suggest that this dream is not a reality. Instead, characters like Clyde and Roberta confront a world in which those who have power get more by exploiting those beneath them in the social order. Both Samuel and Gilbert believe that deprivation is “good for their [people who are working class] characters. It informed and strengthened the minds and spirits of those who were destined to rise. And those who were not should be kept right where they were” (75). This justification highlights a sense of hypocrisy among the affluent characters who want to keep their labor force “right where they were.” In the novel, people with money make more money, while those who start out life without it don’t advance far.

Clyde’s inability to achieve the American Dream is rooted in his poor beginnings. His parents’ poverty means that he has neither the skills nor the education to advance beyond their class. His parents’ narrow existence means that Clyde lacks the life experience to navigate the world of work once he does manage to secure a job.