1.How have writers constructed the idea of the American dream in their work? What are the constituent
parts of the American dream, and what attitude (enthusiasm? critique? both?) do American writers offer
about it?
2.How do you think three of the African-American writers we have read in this class (among them, Booker T.
Washington, WEB DuBois, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and even Hughes himself [in his poem “Theme for
English B”]) would respond to this poem? Where would they agree and disagree with one another? Why?
Sample Solution
