The United States and its cultural myths 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 about the United States. They explain how these myths are hindering a realistic vision of America. As well as changing the perception of the country as a whole. The major cultural myths of America among the lyrics are about “ideal families,” “ideal lifestyles,” and an “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 states that "this hybrid idea drove thousands of women to resort to therapists, tranquilizers or alcohol when they were trying to measure up." (Coontz, 569). This explains that it is simply impossible to try to mold a family to be “ideal”. Many families still strive for a traditional life, which they define as living “ of the past.” They must forget the past and start living in the 21st century. “Two-thirds of respondents in a national survey said they want more traditional family living standards” (Coontz, 582). to what was once perceived as an “ideal family,” but “the same percentage of people reject the idea that women should return to their traditional role” (Coontz, 582). Families want to take pieces of what were “traditional families” over time and create their own. also because seeing America as an ideal country would mean hindering a realistic vision of the country. If the United States took a step back from trying to be the most dominant country, it could 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 elaborate specific cultural myths, whether it is about an ideal family, an ideal lifestyle, or an ideal country as a whole. From the analysis of the three texts it is clear that the authors criticize the image of America. As well as explaining why the realistic vision of the United States is stifled by major cultural myths.