Maya Lin’s quote “To me, the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling”. To be able to do what you want is an incredible freedom.” fully captures the uniquely American idea of chasing one's dreams and aspirations in search of fulfillment. This idea can be found throughout Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, which explores Janie’s journey to find her dream. Even if it goes against societal norms and pressures.

The term “The American Dream” was first coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 in his novel The Epic of America, where he writes about how the American Dream has influenced the United States' past but also future. To Adams, the American Dream is about reaching one’s best self and rising above what someone was born to do. But at its core, and what Maya Lin believes, is that the American Dream embodies …show more content…
She strives to break free from constraints imposed upon her by society and assert her independence. We can see this in her early relationships with Logan Killicks and Jody Starks. In many ways, Janie embodies the spirit of the American Dream, seen in the quote. She refuses to be confined by societal norms or the expectations of others, instead choosing to make her own way and pursue her own personal calling. For example, when Janie meets Jody Starks, she is not sure whether to leave with him to Eatonville since she would be leaving behind her old life, but she says “A feeling of sudden newness and change came over her. Janie hurried out of the front gate and turned south. Even if Joe was not there waiting for her, the change was bound to do her good” (Hurston 32). Janie decides to take the chance and leave Logan because she wants to achieve her dream of finding genuine love and she knows that was never going to happen with