Alex Schafer

Karen Field
LNG 406
7 February 2011
The American Nightmare: An Annotated Bibliography
Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Cons
equences. New York: Vintage, 1993. Print.
Truman Capoteâ s In Cold Blood chronicles the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb
, Kansas and the days following in which the murderers were pursued. In Cold Bl
ood follows both the murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, and the authoritie
s that are trying to pursue them, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The autho
rities gain their only lead from Floyd Wells, a former inmate of Dickâ s whom suspect
s that Dick is responsible. Dick and Perry evade the authorities by moving from
town to town until they are captured in Las Vegas. After intense questioning,
Dick becomes the first to confess. They both stand trial and are sentenced to d
eath. Despite attempts at appeals, they are eventually hanged.
In Cold Blood seems to be a very reliable source. It is based on interviews wit
h individuals that have direct ties to the murders. The author, Truman Capote,
also seems to be reliable. While he does add some fictional aspects, the inform
ation is based largely on fact. He is the author of many novels resembling this
one in that they have a strong foundation from true stories. Also, the novel w
as written in close proximity to the events, only a few years later.
In Cold Blood serves as a primary source for this research. It gives specific e
xamples supporting the American Nightmare through the characters in the novel.
These specific examples help to narrow the topic from the very general inability
to achieve the American Dream, to more specific reasons such as economic inequa
lity and false promises. Direct quotations can be used to strengthen arguments
through real life examples.
Kellet, Mary. "Children as Researchers: What We Can Learn from Them about the Im
pact of Poverty on Literacy Opportunities?" International Journal of Inclusive E
ducation 13.4 (2009): 395-408. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Feb. 2011.
In this article, Mary Kellet addresses the idea of a literacy gap among children
. According to Kellet, a major contributor to the formation of this gap is pove
rty. The article highlights the idea that children from poor economic backgroun
ds are generally less literate. A lack of literacy is often attributed to a lac
k of interest in reading. A lack of literacy in early childhood puts the childr
en at very high risks to miss out on a higher education and to experience povert
y in adulthood.
This article is most likely a reliable source because it comes from an internati
onal journal that addresses education. Also, it cites a large number of sources
that have conducted various educational studies on the topic of literacy. The
research does not appear to have a bias because it also addresses the fact that
a lack of literacy in childhood does not necessarily doom an individual economic
ally; it is possible to become successful later in life, but and education is re
quired regardless. The article is also recent, being published in June of 2009,
and therefore is more reliable.
This article brings up the idea that those who are born into poverty will strugg
le to escape its binds. This is similar to In Cold Blood with regards to both D
ick and Perry. They both grow up in impoverished families and have limited educ
ations. Perry was only able to reach the third grade, while Dick was unable to
attend college due to economic set backs. Childhood poverty severely increases
the hardship that one faces while trying to achieve economic success and his Ame
rican Dream.
King, Martin L. "The American Dream." Lecture. Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta.
4 July 1965. The Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.
In this section of Dr. King's sermon to Ebenezer Baptist Church, King discusses
the struggle that individuals face. Some of the struggles mentioned include pove
rty, unemployment, and violence. Dr. King gives specific examples of how citizen
s are being oppressed in their attempts to achieve the American dream.
Dr. Kingâ s sermon seems to be a reliable source for the purpose. While the lecture
is opinionated, it is an opinionated topic. The author, being one of the most f
amous civil rights activists of all time, is very reliable. The lecture is most
likely well documented because it is coming from a large database of similar do
cuments associated with Dr. King.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s description of the destruction of the American dre
am epitomizes the American nightmare. Dr. King discusses how poverty and violenc
e interfere with individuals' success in reaching their American dream, whatever
it may be. This is similar to In Cold Blood in that both Dick and Perry are una
ble to reach the American dream due to similar circumstances. This inability to
achieve the American dream due to environmental factors defines the American ni
ghtmare.
"Poverty in the United States." Congressional Digest 89.10 (2010): 298-300. Acad
emic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.
This article highlights data collected from the 2010 United States Census by the
United States Census Bureau regarding poverty. The data collected shows povert
y rates with regards to time period and ethnicity. It also differentiates betwe
en age groups and regions. In all of the groups tested, the trend of increasing
poverty is displayed.
This source appears to be reliable because it is based upon information gathered
by the United States Census Bureau, which is a government run agency. There is
no bias in the research because it is based solely on factual statistics; there
are no opinions conveyed in the article. The article is also very recent. It
was written in 2010, and is based upon information gathered in 2010. This artic
le gives accurate and factual information on poverty in America.
The information in this article factually expresses the increase of poverty in A
merica over the past decade. An increase in poverty greatly contrasts with the
ideas of the American Dream. Furthermore, it gives strong support for the Ameri
can Nightmare. The murderers in In Cold Blood, Dick and Perry, both struggle wi
th poor economic status. This greatly affects their inability to achieve the Am
erican Dream. The increase of poverty can have a profound effect on ones succes
s or lack there of.
Sandoval, Daniel A. "The Increasing Risk of Poverty Across the American Life Cou
rse." Demography 46.4 (2009): 717-37. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Feb. 2011
.
In this article, Daniel A. Sandoval not only addresses the poverty rate, but als
o the likelihood of experiencing poverty at sometime in oneâ s life. According to Sa
ndoval, while the poverty rate has stayed relatively stable over the past few de
cades, the likelihood that one will experience poverty at some point in his life
has increased. This article also divides the risk of experiencing poverty into
age groups. All of the data leads to the idea that the risk of experiencing po
verty is on the rise.
This article seems to be a reliable source. It is based on factual statistics r
ather than simple opinion. It seems to be very scholarly due to the use of stat
istics, and it does not appear to be biased. The author, Daniel A. Sandoval, is
most likely a reliable source because he has affiliations with renowned univers
ities such as Washington University and Cornell. He has also conducted various
other social studies, and therefore is experienced in the field. The article is
also relevant with regards to time, being published in November of 2009.
This article stresses the idea that the probability of experiencing poverty at s
ome point in oneâ s adulthood is increasing. This may contribute to increasing econo
mic inequality, which would make it more difficult for individuals to achieve th
e American Dream. Similar to Dick and Perry, these individuals may see it as un
fair that they are being forced into poverty as others prosper. This article gi
ves a very specific analysis of poverty, describing differences over age groups
and time.
Wikeley, Filicity, Kate Bullock, Yolande Muschamp, and Tess Ridge. "Educational
Relationships and Their Impact on Poverty." International Journal of Inclusive E
ducation 13.4 (2009): 377-93. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Feb. 2011.
This article discusses the idea that children that are raised in impoverished co
nditions are at a disadvantage with regards to their ability to learn. The idea
is that by being raised in a poor community, the do not have the necessary expe
rience to succeed financially. According to the article, there is often a direc
t correlation between family income and educational success and opportunity. Ch
ildren raised in wealthier households are more likely gain positive experiences
and support from their surroundings.
This article seems to be a fairly reliable source. It was published less than t
wo years ago and therefore has information that is relative and to date. The ar
ticle was compiled by four different authors with varying associations with univ
ersities and educational departments. The article also seems to be more reliabl
e because it is published in an international journal. The article also cites m
ultiple sources that convey similar ideas, increasing support for the argument t
hat individuals raised in poverty are at a disadvantage with regards to educatio
n.
This article discusses the effects of poverty on the educational success of chil
dren. This can be related to In Cold Blood through the characters Dick and Perr
y. Both received educations as children. Perry is forced to quit his education
due to the lifestyle that he lives with his father. This lifestyle is brought
upon them due to poverty. Dick is unable to pursue higher education due to a la
ck of financial backing. This article is very specific because it focuses mainl
y on the likelihood of an impoverished individual obtaining a valuable education
. This article gives more example of how poverty can provide for unequal opport
unities.
Williams, Wendy R. "Struggling with Poverty: Implications for Theory and Policy
of Increasing Research on Social Class-Based Stigma." Analyses of Social Issues
and Public Policy 9.1 (2009): 37-56. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Feb. 2011
In this article, Wendy R. Williams discusses the discrimination that occurs betw
een social classes. According to Williams, this discrimination can often be att
ributed to a negative quality of the person that is a result of their economic s
tatus or education. These negative qualities may prove to make it difficult for
a lower class individual to find work. This increased difficulty for the lower
class to find work can contribute to a gap forming between the rich and the poo
r. According to the article, poverty has grown at an alarming rate since the re
cession and large number of citizens are living below the poverty line.
This article appears to be a reliable source because it is backed by Marshall Un
iversity, which is quite well known. It is also fairly recent being published i
n December of 2009. The article also quotes and cites many reliable sources to
give evidence of its argument. No bias appears to exist due to the fact that mu
ch of the information conveyed is based on scientific studies. The author, Wend
y R. Williams, appears to have a direct association with Marshall University and
therefore is most likely a reliable source.
This article addresses the difficulty of moving up the financial ladder due to d
iscrimination over social classes. This could contribute to the American Nightm
are by providing unequal opportunity for jobs, and therefore forming a gap betwe
en the rich and the poor. Both Dick and Perry become victims of this growing ga
p in In Cold Blood. Unequal opportunity may have been a factor that pushed them
to edge.
Wright, Luke S.H. â The Death of the American Dream.â The Virginia Quarterly Review 85.
(2009): 196-199. Academic Search Complete. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.
In this article, Wright recalls Hunter S. Thompsonâ s idea that the American Dream is
deteriorating. Thompson describes how it has been altered over the course of t
he years. According to Thompson, it is no longer feasible for an individual to
have a â rags to richesâ story. He says that corporations have made it impossible by in
lating prices and making competition impossible. He claims that it is no longer
viable that one may compete with major corporations in business because they ar
e too powerful and well established. It is also said that with the current fina
ncial status of the average American, being buried under debt due to â pie-in-the-skyâ l
festyles, citizens are unable to excel economically.
This article seems to be reliable because it comes from the journal of a major u
niversity. Also, the majority of the ideas being conveyed are those of Hunter S
. Thompson, who is a published author. The article uses direct quotes and lette
rs of correspondence with Thompson. This helps to guarantee that the ideas conv
eyed are accurate. It is also relatively close to the time period of In Cold Bl
ood being from the 1960s.
This article describes the difficulty of achieving the American Dream due to tro
ubling financial and economic status. According to this article, poor economic
status makes it very difficult for one to reach their dream. This is similar to
the struggles of Dick and Perry, as well as Floyd Wells in In Cold Blood. All
three of these characters have been denied their American Dream partially due to
the fact that they have struggled economically. This article can further the i
dea that it is not feasible to achieve the American Dream.