The American Dream is a belief central to the mythology of the United States that promises any individual can achieve great success in the country should they apply themselves. This ideal plays an important role for the Chinaski family in Ham on Rye. The Chinaski family arrive in America as a family of immigrants from Germany. Henry grows up as a German-born American in the period between World War I and World War II. As such, the American Dream becomes an aspirational model for the poor immigrant family who are struggling to get by and adapt to American culture. Henry Senior adheres to this model whenever he can. He values hard work over anything else, which becomes his most frequent criticism of his son’s behavior. Henry Senior interprets the American Dream with the zealotry of a desperate man, who believes that his son must learn to mow the lawn perfectly each week if he is to achieve success. Failure to measure up to this interpretation of the American Dream results in frequent beatings for Henry Junior.

Whatever the American Dream might promise to Henry Senior, his son comes to realize that his father has been sold a hollow vision of a successful future.