Critique Essay It often said that love makes the world go round, but patriotism can make or break a nation. If a man is to show patriotism to his country, he will put his life on the line for it on the battlefront or at the very least purchase a product that is locally manufactured. The ‘patriotic’ act of buying a locally- made product, contributes to the economic enhancement of the country or, simply gives one the impression of feeling patriotic. This theme is what Dave Barry strives to put across in his piece titled ‘Red White and Beer’.
As an American, I believe that the American spirit is what drives our country to be united. Being patriotic and standing together when times get tough, is what I think the American spirit is. When great disasters happen or tragedy hits, its the glue that holds us together and keeps us fighting as a country. Within this paper I will discuss three different authors points of views, on what they believe the American spirit is. The following authors are Anthony Burgress, Adam Goodheart, and Bonnie Miller Rubin.
Prologue The book Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America, contains specific days and events that have not been actually considered a “big deal”, but has significantly contributed to the present situation in America. It explores themes such as; National Identity, American Democracy, American Creed, and Democratic Revolution. It also sheds light on the ideology of being born equal, or being made equal. It places emphasizes on the fact that history is often a result of a great impersonal forces and that change can be extremely slow.
Thus, the article questions various patriotic expressions, parsing the words for what they mean. Sloan begins his article by describing how patriotic expressions are plentiful in the US. He characterizes the
Much of targeted audience hailed from the United States, and seemed content with simply fleeing from the chaos, placing the thoughts of their homeland into a dark corner of their mind. However, Cary brings back their repressed patriotic feelings, placing the United States as a center of one of her arguments. Personifying America, Cary states that “as the great country grows, we grow with it; as it improves and progresses, we are carried forward on the bosom of its onward tide”. Commonly, Americans refer to the United States as a mother, and one of the most comforting places of a mother will always be the warmth and protectiveness of her bosom. Here, Cary refers to the United States as a mother, mentioning one of the most warm and protective places on her: the bosom.
Literary Analysis: Exploring American Identity Introduction This essay compares “In response to executive order 9066” (poem) by Dwight Okita to “Mericans” (short story) by Sandra Cisneros. Specifically, the essay explores the central theme of American identity in the two literary works. The “Mericans” is about a little girl who has a story about the new world and the old world. In this case, the new world is America.
The American present witnesses the steady aggrandizement of” powers, while “the story of the American past, on the other hand, continues to be told in narratives that…highlight[s] a story of relative powerlessness.” This conflicting representation of American past versus present supports Novak’s claim that one cannot associate what began as a weak state to how it is formed today, indicating a falsehood to Tea Party members
The United States has always had a lot to be proud of. With features like beautiful landscapes from deserts and forests to mountains and snow, the infamous title of ‘land of the free,’ and of course there hard won independence-which they have always found worth celebrating. The United States serves as the world’s melting pot, where the traditions of different races, cultures, genders, social classes, and any other difference can all be found in one place, though maybe living their lives in many different ways. The United States had always shown promise for so many people.
In some of the pieces of literature like “I, Too, Sing America,” “America and I,” “The Bill of Rights,” and “Veterans Day: Never Forget Their Duty” the authors have different ideas of what it means to be American. They also express their ideas using different strategies: negation, classification, and function. With these ideas and strategies a more complex definition on what it means to be American was developed. Being an American means being patriotic, having freedoms, and believing in a dream of something amazing. Having patriotism is part of being American.
Sanders argues, “Lord knows we could do with less nationalism (to say nothing of its ugly siblings, racism, religious sectarianism, or class snobbery)” (Sanders 37). Here, Sanders makes claims about nationalism that likely contradicted what Americans may have thought at the time. People of the time pursued the idea of the American Dream: a nationwide concept that one should do whatever it takes to pursue happiness and success. However, what the populace was blind to were the sins orbiting the concept.
Americans are known around the world for their American spirit, notorious for the unsaid motto of, ‘My country, right or wrong’. However, America was not the only country known for its nationalistic ideals. If one were to take a trip back in time, they would find ancient Romans giving America a run for their money. While ancient Rome did not have a Fourth of July, one could argue that Americans are the modern-day ancient Romans in terms of patriotism. Modern Americans are quite similar to the ancient Romans in their love for their country.
The United States of America has a rich history filled with success, failure, courage, and drive. Millions have come seeking the “American Dream” and to live in the land of the free. The past is what has shaped this nation’s present and future. Yet, as time drifts, the world around us changes. What was once deemed acceptable can now seem outdated in today’s society.
A patriot, by a simple definition, is an individual who vehemently supports their country. The word has a generally positive connotation, however, patriotism does not necessarily have to coincide with a positive national situation. There is also the question of how patriotism coincides with notions of national identity. Extreme, or misguided forms of patriotism can lead to terrible outcomes. In the case of the founding fathers, their patriotism did not extend to women, African Americans, or Native
The Irony of “Born in the U.S.A.” As the fireworks explode in the night sky to celebrate Independence Day, “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen plays loudly for the audience to hear. As the men, women, and children bellow out the chorus proudly, they never seem to grasp its intended meaning. By studying the appeals and irony used in Springsteen’s lyrics, it is easy to see how Springsteen’s message of the poor treatment of Vietnam War veterans is misconstrued by millions of listeners into American pride. Springsteen’s intended audience is a group made up of mainly white, blue collar Americans-
“We, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents” (Obama par. 3). He used this in order to explain how we will always pride our ideals of the forebears. This view of patriotism from soon-to-be President Barack Obama made his audience appeal to his
