title: Big lie, small world: what E. Lynn Harris wanted readers to understand about the struggle for African American, homosexual males seeking to attain the American dream.
abstract: This article will examine the social implications for African American homosexual males seeking to achieve the American Dream. Invisible Life and Just as I Am-the first two novels in a trilogy by the late E. Lynn Harris writing from a semi-autobiographical perspective in late-twentieth century America-will serve as the texts that drive this research topic. Careful analysis of these works will substantiate the assertion that the American Dream, even on the cusp of the new millennium, is just beyond the grasp of this specific subpopulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Arts and Humanities, National University, San Diego, California, USA. adarqone@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lisa D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D001240:Aspirations, Psychological; D049673:History, 20th Century; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008093:Literature, Modern; D008297:Male; D062487:Social Marginalization; D014481:United States