The United States and the cultural myths relating to this country have been a topic of discussion for many years. “The Way We Wish We Were” by Stephanie Coontz, “One Nation Slightly Divisible” by David Brooks, and “A Letter to America” by Margaret Atwood are all essays on different American cultural myths. Each author focuses on a different cultural myth relating to the United States. They explain how these myths thwart a realistic view of America. As well as changing the perception of the country as a whole. The main American cultural myths contained in the texts concern "ideal families", "ideal lifestyles, and the "ideal country". Many couples in the United States idealize the myth of a “traditional family.” The idea that a woman could spend quality time with her child while maintaining an effective sex life with her partner seemed to have caused a lot of stress in the 1950s. Coontz's says that "this hybrid idea drove thousands of women "seeing therapists, taking tranquilizers or drinking alcohol when they were trying to cope." (Coontz, 569). Which explains why it is simply impossible to try to create an “ideal” family. Many families still strive to live a traditional life, which they define as the “old days” life. They must forget the past and start living in the 21st century. “Two-thirds of respondents to a national survey said they wanted more traditional standards of family life. » (Coontz, 582). This shows that many families want to move toward what was once perceived as an "ideal family," but "the same percentage of people rejected the idea that women should return to their traditional roles" (Coontz, 582). Families want to take pieces of what were once "traditional families" over time and create their own i...... middle of paper...... The United States once had among the world s t is narrowed down, what it is and why viewing America as an ideal country would run counter to a realistic vision of the country. If the United States just takes a step back from its attempt to become the most dominant country, it can regain its status among other nations. Stephanie Coontz, David Brook, and Margaret Atwood all discuss American cultural myths in their respective essays "The Way We Wish." We Were,” “A Slightly Divisible Nation,” and “A Letter to America.” All three authors develop specific cultural myths, whether it be an ideal family, an ideal lifestyle, or an ideal country as a whole. As a result of the analysis of the three texts, it is clear that the authors criticize the image of America in their own image. We also explain why the realistic vision of the United States is drowned out by grand cultural myths..