“Working Towards the American Dream”
Sample Syllabus
Key Questions:
• What’s the relationship between work and achieving the American
Dream? Is there more than work in our idea of the American Dream?
• Does America live up to the promise that draws people here?
• What does it mean to “make it”? How do you know if you’ve “made it”?
First Discussion
• Edwidge Danticat, “Papi” (in Vital Ideas: Work)
• Kiran Desai, “The Inheritance of Loss” (excerpt) (in Vital Ideas: Work)
Second Discussion
• Maxine Hong Kingston, China Men
Third Discussion
• Po Bronson, “The Entrepreneur” (in Vital Ideas: Work)
• Joan Frank, “Betting on Men” (in Vital Ideas: Work)
Fourth Discussion
• Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt
www.nyhumanities.org/adultrd