Stakes is High: Life After the American Dream

How has Smith used his writing in this collection to process his own relationship with America? Using evidence from the text, argue how Smith defines himself in relation to the country he calls home.

The 2016 election of Donald Trump holds both symbolic and tangible power in various moments throughout the essays. Yet, as Smith remembers, Hillary Clinton received millions of more individual votes in that same election. How does Smith simultaneously acknowledge the implications of Trump’s election and the subsequent inferences drawn from Clinton’s popular vote victory?

In “Part 1: Delusions,” Smith critiques America’s overinflation of the role of the president, claiming that the elected president “is assumed to represent the totality of our values […]” (23). Despite Smith’s criticisms, how might a president actually be helpful in helping America realize its need for change and accomplish its ideals?