The American Dream and Materialism

Where it surfaces

• Part I

  Eliza's relentless pursuit of property and financial security contrasts with Oliver's artistic yearnings, embodying the tension between material success and spiritual fulfillment.

• The Stonecutter's Legacy

  Oliver's pursuit of success as a stonecutter and the Pentlands' focus on property and prosperity reflect the American Dream.

• II

  Eliza's relentless drive to acquire land and property, and Oliver's contrasting focus on his artistic craft, highlight different visions of success.

• III

  Eliza's focus on property ownership and financial security contrasts with Oliver's reckless spending, highlighting the central conflict over materialism and the pursuit of wealth.

• Chapter V

  Eliza's pursuit of profit through a boardinghouse at the Fair reflects the materialistic drive of the American Dream.

• VI

  Gant's desire for affluence, his carrying of large sums of money, and the family's lavish consumption of food reflect material aspirations.

• VII

  Gant's journey to California and his reflections on land, wealth, and the desire to own versus explore highlight the tension between material ambition and personal fulfillment.

• Chapter XI

  Eliza's purchase of Dixieland as a 'good investment' reflects material aspirations, while Gant criticizes it as a curse.

• XIII

  Eliza's relentless pursuit of profit through boardinghouses and Eugene's job selling magazines highlight the commodification of home and hospitality.

• XV

  Eliza's financial success and property improvements reflect the pursuit of material security and the American Dream.

• XVI

  Eliza's snobbism and the cost of tuition reflect the family's aspirations and anxieties about social standing.

• XVIII

  Gant's purchase of a car symbolizes both aspiration and ruin, while Steve's letters boast of wealth and success, highlighting the family's obsession with money and status.

• The Angel

  Elizabeth's wealth, earned through her brothel, contrasts with Gant's declining fortunes; the sale of the angel for $420 underscores the commodification of art and sentiment.

• Chapter XXI

  Gant's hypocritical support for prohibition while secretly drinking and his lecherous gift-giving to women highlight the gap between public morality and private desire, a critique of the American Dream's illusions.

• Chapter XXIII

  Gant's financial worries and Eliza's speculative Florida trip highlight the pursuit and anxiety of material success.

• XXV

  Coker's sarcastic description of the conventional American life—owning a home, a car, and following social norms—critiques the emptiness of material pursuits.

• XXVII

  Hugh Barton's wealth, car, and 'psychology' reflect material success; the wedding's lavishness underscores social aspirations.

• The Moonlit Vigil

  Ben's advice to Eugene about education and success reflects the American Dream, while Eliza's focus on accumulating property underscores materialism.

• Chapter XXXIV

  Eugene's pride in paying his own way and Ben's cynical advice to get money from the family reflect materialism and the pursuit of self-sufficiency.

• XXXIX

  Eliza's obsessive real estate trading and the family's greed over inheritance highlight the corrosive pursuit of wealth.