The American Dream: a cultural ethos that celebrates the cultural and individual pursuit of glorfied success. This preconceived concept is what defines our understanding for a better life in the United States. This notion is also what defines our pursuits and choices in order to get there. Truman Captote’s In Cold Blood sheds light on this socio-cultural concept as well as exemplifies the failure to achieve such a pursuit and the consequences made in order to get there.
American Exceptionalism was coined by Alexis de Tocqueville in his book Democracy in America. To illustrate how the American way of thought is superior to the other ways of the world, Tocqueville expresses that the American way of thought is distinctively unique and special. This distinction is exemplified through liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism, and Laissez-Faire Economics. These qualities prove America’s exceptionality and difference from other countries. Although American Exceptionalism originated in the early 1800s, the idyllic values Tocqueville paints in his book can be seen throughout American history.
Irving was another American author for whom the native legend and landscape were sources of inspiration (Rabe). Henry Wadsworth Longfellow achieved
It is also worth to notice that John Hawthorne, one of the Salem Witch Trial Judges, was his great grandfather (Concise Dictionary of American Literary Biography). Since Salem was his hometown, he developed his writing through the gospel of American Puritanism and intend to spread those principles through his literature which also gives the focus of his literature. Hawthorne’s writing style was unique and was well-regarded for several reasons. First of all, Hawthorne induces readers to use their own imagination to interpret the meaning of the tale, as it is evident in “The Minister’s Black Veil”. Moreover, he likes to present multi-fold and multi-perspective of a character.
Setting out to reclaim his Americanness, Irving proclaimed his love for his country […]. “ (Norton Anthology 468) 3. Characteristics of Romantic Literature Romanticism in America can be determined by the time after the War of 1802 (1802-1805) and through the Civil War (1861-1865). By defeating Britain, a vast feeling of nationalism was formed throughout the population of America and thus motivated many writers to express their emotions of American nationalism, creating literature that tried to distinct itself from European traditions, instead shaped by “[…] radical individualism and a total commitment to social reform, religious freethinking and the most conventional pieties, artistic experiment and self-conscious imitation. “ (Habich 3)
In the book, The Roman Way, by Edith Hamilton, the author intends to show a lense into early Roman societies. The Roman civilization is explained by analyzing the writings of several of the greatest authors of the time including Cicero, who wrote many letters; Catullus, who was a poet of love; Horace, a historical writer; and the Romantic writers such as Virgil, Livy, and Seneca. The author is effective in conveying an understanding of what the Romans of the time thought and felt. She also shows what kind of legacy they left behind. This is why the book is a piece of literature that contributes to society in a positive way.
This story has a profusion of symbols and hidden meanings that have to do with the reason why the black veil is so important. The author is competent to take a certain idea or object and expand the story or idea to make it have a greater meaning to get the reader thinking of the real reason behind it. American Romanticism is a form of creativity, imagination, intuition, exaggeration and expression. There is significant meaning behind each story that these Romantic authors write about that's why it is so interesting to read these stories.
Numerous famous writers and other well-known individuals read and originate inspiration from Walt Whitman’s poems. Various American poets mention Walt Whitman is an inspiration for their creation, indicating appreciation for his pioneering fundamental originality along with the frequently scandalous themes he focused on. “Like Walt Whitman, he heard America singing, and he asserted his rights to sing America black...” (Hughes 870). Therefore, it’s clear that Langston Hughes was profoundly influenced by the work of Walt Whitman.
Two American writers have paved their way in literature with their captivating outlooks on the societies of their time. F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of “The Great Gatsby” and e.e. cummings , author of “anyone lived in a pretty how town” convey similar themes of carelessness and love through the use of imagery, symbolism, and motifs. Both selections reveal that the intense love between people can create carelessness for the world surrounding them. Fitzgerald's, “The Great Gatsby” is known for his use of color imagery to help convey a message.
As a writer one is greatly influenced by their personal experiences with social, historical, and cultural context within their specific time period. Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray was shaped by the aspects of the world around him. The themes of the text are are influenced by morality in the Victorian Era. Throughout the Victorian Era a deeper movement was also prominent in London called Aestheticism. Aestheticism is the worship of beauty and self-fulfillment.
Tom Paine and Ray Bradbury were writers who discover worlds that have evolved and changed making them almost unrecognizable today. While Tom created a fascinating world, Bradbury’s view is more accurate when it comes to the changes that we see today. Both authors use characters, social changes, and government control to advance their theme of awareness. Both of them have amazing books, both of them have conflicts.
His fascination with this genre was mostly impart of its ability to make music sound uniquely American. When asked to comment on jazz as a generating force for his compositions, Copland remarked: “You see, I was very aware of how French the French music seemed in those days. And looking for an American idiom, naturally, it was a help to know that it had been created in a field that I considered light music. Very attractively the whole world recognized it as American, so it must 've been American.” He claimed he “began to consider that jazz rhythms might be the way to make an American-sounding music.”
In the article, Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a man who represents the American society as a whole. Gatsby is the perfect portrayal of the American Dream simply because he represents all of our issues and dreams rolled into one. One aspect of Gatsby that relates to America and it's culture is looking to money as the answer to all of life's problems. Furthermore, it can be seen that relying on wealth can lead to issues, and it Gatsby's case, fatal.
F. Scott. Fitzgerald and the American Dream F. Scott. Fitzgerald’s message at the end of chapter nine of The Great Gatsby illustrates the American dream. “Gatsby believed in the green light.” To be able to achieve the American dream.