Nora tells Coleman that her father believed in the American Dream. The American Dream is a longstanding cultural tradition in the United States which suggests that hard work and dedication can help any suitably ambitious person become rich, successful, and a winner. Nora suggests that Driss saw his own life as a fitting example of the American Dream: a young immigrant family arrive in America, build a business from nothing, and become wealthy enough to send their two successful daughters to college. On the surface, Driss fits the model perfectly though the ideal is somewhat retrofitted. Driss did not move to America specifically because of the American Dream. His success was a byproduct which he later assembled into a convenient narrative. The narrative makes him a part of American society in a way that he race cannot. Driss’ investment in the American Dream as the narrative of his life allows him to see himself as truly American even though the society continually views him as foreign and other.

Driss’ success is held as an example of the American Dream but the arson attack on the donut shop reveals how he is excluded from American mainstream society.