Each of the subjects that Bruder follows throughout Nomadland believed, or perhaps still believe, in the American Dream that if a person works hard enough, they can thrive financially. The American Dream is a form of patriotism and exceptionalism, spreading the idea that every individual is solely responsible for their own success. Linda is one of the most obvious figures who finds herself feeling disillusioned by the American Dream, but she still yearns to find stability. This is in contrast to Bob Wells and others who believe it is no longer possible to climb the ladder and succeed financially in the United States, and therefore they are better off going off the grid and making their own way in the world. The title of the book, Nomadland, plays with the idea of America being a land of nomads rather than a “land of the free."

This is particularly important given the timing of the book’s publication in 2017. A decade after the Great Recession in 2008, the jobless economic recovery and rising cost of housing has prevented many people from rebuilding their savings or  finding a permanent job and home. Unlike the Great Depression in the 1930s, in which many also lost their jobs and homes and lived as vagabonds, there is little to no hope that the people Bruder meets will be able to recover what they have lost.