The world saw two horrific and devastating World Wars which traumatized people since then. Their needs and ambitions took a different track and their lives became increasingly exhaustive and full of desolation. Specifically giving light to the American society, their American Dream took a different path and changed its notion throughout the ages. In this paper, four different narratives are taken- ‘Revolutionary Road’ (1961) written by Richard Yates, ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ (2006) directed by Gabriele Muccino, ‘Catcher in the Rye’ (1951) written by J.D. Salinger, and ‘Into the Wild’ (2007) directed by Sean Penn. These four narratives are compared with one another to establish the idea of changing the American Dream with time. The ‘Revolutionary Road’ is compared with the film ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ because in both narratives American Dream is achieved but some characters are driven away by the disillusion of the American Dream which proves fatal (Revolutionary Road) and the other character achieves by protecting and sustaining it (The Pursuit of Happyness). On the other hand, the new American Dream is shown through the eyes of the younger generation (The Catcher in the Rye, Into the Wild). The discourse establishes an idea that there is a need to change the perspective of the American Dream that the ancestors built ages ago.
M.A. (English), Kalyani, West Bengal
