Critique of American Dream in Yaa Gyasi's Transcendent Kingdom

Abstract

This research paper explores the critique of the American Dream in Yaa Gyasi's novel Transcendent Kingdom (2020).It presents the meager case of getting life, liberty and pursuit of happiness (Declaration of Independence, 1776), for the migrated ordinary people though they dream such things in their life, no matter what the circumstances are. As the majority of people have been mobilized by the few exploited group, there has been the failure of immigrants’ aspirations. This paper shows that the dream of working class does not turn to reality during the contemporary time because of the oppressed groups of people. It shows that the promises of material prosperity rather lead lives of these characters to trouble, alienation, and fragmentation. The democratic values of equality and respect are crumbled by practices of discrimination based on gender, race, and nationality. Immigrants hardly achieve the prosperity and dignified life they had expected. This failure suggests the decadence of the American dream. This study deals with the disillusioned and disappointed lives of characters through the racial, gender and nationality-based prejudice.