In short, American Literature follows the idea of individual success and personal advancement. The principal of the American Dream is key to the American culture, and though it has changed through history, foundation remains: you eat on the sweat of your brow. The American Dream is the hallmark of the small-businessman, the creed of the farmer plowing the same land his grandfather worked, and the concept that drives founders to create corporations. It is an ever-present state of mind or at least a principal goal for most Americans. It is a fundamental part of our history and our heritage, and Americans like to hear about, read about, or write about this Dream we have.
"The Crucible" by Arthur Miller is no exception to this aspect of American Literature. The 1953 play turns back the pages to the Puritan city of Salem, Massachusetts, 1692. Through this time travel, Miller tells his reader of a world where virtue governed the lives of its people, and men worked so that they could eat, and ate so that they could rise again at sun-up and continue the work. Success to the people of Salem was food on the table and the favor of God. Riches came from God. Tragedy came from God. That world revolved around God. People worked hard and were virtuous because they sought the favor of God. Maybe it is a far cry from the modern idea of success, but to the people of Salem in their darkest hour, when friends and neighbors were locked away as witches and servants of the Devil, virtue was the most important aspect of their lives. Therefore, the American Dream is a powerful and unending message of American greatness, which pulls at our tendency towards often well-deserved pride throughout our history and our literature.
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