The hollowness of American dream in three selected novels : Upton Sinclair's the jungle, Jack London's the iron heel and john Steinbeck's the grapes of wrath

Other Title(s)

خواء الحلم الأمريكي في ثلاث روايات مختارة : الغاب لابتون سنكلير و العقب الحديدي لجاك لندن وعناقيد الغضب لجون شتاينبيك

Dissertant

Qasrawi, Ubaydah

Thesis advisor

Abd al-Muttalib, Fuad

Comitee Members

Abd al-Karim, Majid Yahya
al-Badarinah, Abd Allah

University

Jerash University

Faculty

College of Arts

Department

Department of English

University Country

Jordan

Degree

Master

Degree Date

2016

English Abstract

This research work to explores the origin of the American dream, its vanity and its consequences in three selected American novels: Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, Jack London's The Iron Heel and John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.

The first chapter is an introduction of the definition of the American dream and a historical outlook of its origin and development with a focus on its social and economic promise in the twentieth century.

A brief glance on the literary career of the three American authors and their novels from a socio-political perspective exposes the hollow dream and its main features.

In the second chapter, there will be a discussion of The Jungle from a racial and economic angle through the character of Jirgus and his Lithuanian family who leave their country and sell all their properties to seek their dream in the New World.

They were looking for a permanent work, good wages and a comfortable life, but they were shocked when they discovered that hard work does not lead to success but stealing and cheating instead are better ways leading to that.

They represent a type of immigrants to America at that time.

In the third chapter, there is an examination of London's The Iron Heel from a political viewpoint.

This novel depicts the struggle between the capitalist class and workers.

It also depicts the strife of workers to get their class rights and the hypocritical and horrible ways that capitalists use to subjugate working people.

In the conclusion, there is a summary of discussions reached at previous chapters.

The fourth chapter discusses the American Dream from a social and economic point of view through the family of Joad who were forced to leave their field and home to immigrate to the west of the country California, where they worked for long hours with lower wages only to survive.

They are the type of the simple farmer family exploited by the Capital class, in the American countryside, represented by the greedy capitalist system based on sucking the blood of the poor working people.

In the conclusion, there is a summary of discussions reached at previous chapters.

The methodology followed in this work can be described as textual and new historical depending mainly on texts of the novels and other historical and critical sources produced on this issue.

Main Subjects

Comparative Literature
Languages & Comparative Literature

No. of Pages

106

Table of Contents

Table of contents.

Abstract.

Abstract in Arabic.

Chapter One : A study of the American dream : its definition, history and function.

Chapter Two : The working class dream in Upton Sinclair's the jungle.

Chapter Three : The American dream in the framework of the conflict between workers and capitalists in Jack London's the iron heel.

Chapter Four : The dream of immigrants in John Steinbeck's the grapes of wrath

Conclusion.

References.

American Psychological Association (APA)

Qasrawi, Ubaydah. (2016). The hollowness of American dream in three selected novels : Upton Sinclair's the jungle, Jack London's the iron heel and john Steinbeck's the grapes of wrath. (Master's theses Theses and Dissertations Master). Jerash University, Jordan
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-720994

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Qasrawi, Ubaydah. The hollowness of American dream in three selected novels : Upton Sinclair's the jungle, Jack London's the iron heel and john Steinbeck's the grapes of wrath. (Master's theses Theses and Dissertations Master). Jerash University. (2016).
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-720994

American Medical Association (AMA)

Qasrawi, Ubaydah. (2016). The hollowness of American dream in three selected novels : Upton Sinclair's the jungle, Jack London's the iron heel and john Steinbeck's the grapes of wrath. (Master's theses Theses and Dissertations Master). Jerash University, Jordan
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-720994

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-720994