In some cases, the American Dream has depicted an American Identity. Some of the values of the American identity would be considered spoiled and selfish. This is shown throughout the text by representing the father as the American identity. Bethia’s father only has one perspective: how the world treats him. He’s stuck in a cultural paradigm. He doesn’t take into consideration other’s wants, desires, and liberties. 

The concept of justice is to get what you deserve. In Caleb’s Crossing, Caleb is able to get justice by graduating from Harvard after all the work he’s done. 

Whatever is to be considered right and wrong is different from each person. According to the father, it is right that a woman shouldn’t need to study, but should focus her time working in the house, cooking, and obeying her husband. However, it’s considered wrong for Bethia to waste her knowledge like that.

Justice seems to be in Caleb’s favor. There’s a great opportunity for Caleb to get an education, and he only has to sacrifice a little. Justice is controlled by the people themselves, or the society it’s created in. People control their own ways of life and how they choose to go through with their actions. Those that don’t care to work for what they want don’t deserve what they want, and therefore suffer the consequences. Although, those that do care will be able to have whatever they please as long as they work for it. It all depends on what is done to get what one deserves.