By Staff Writer | Last Updated August 4, 2015
A creative title for an English paper on the American Dream might be “America Has a Dream,” a reference to both the American Dream and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Both Dr. King and people who yearn for the American Dream hope for better futures.
In Dr. King’s 1963 speech at the Lincoln Memorial, the great civil rights leader said he dreamt of a land where all people are guaranteed the inalienable rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These rights may be considered another way of describing the American Dream.
Another way to find a title for an essay on the subject is to borrow or expand upon an existing title or a phrase from an existing piece. An example would be Edward Albee’s “American Dream,” which debuted in 1961. The title lends itself to essay titles that address themes from the play. Ann Petry’s 1946 novel “The Street” reflects the hardships of an African-American mother’s efforts to raise a son in the squalor of 1940s. The straightforward title evokes expansions on the title and theme.
Throughout American literature, one can find examples of works touching on the theme of the American dream. Each of them affords opportunities for reader to use their love of language and ingenuity to name essays addressing those works.
Many writers decide to compose a title after they’ve written the essay so they can base the title on their thesis statement into the title.
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