On Tuesday we continued talking about Letters from an American Farmer and we said how Hector focuses on immigration and the feeling that Americans had that they were different was a mindset that ultimately led to revolution.
Other topics we discussed include:
-the idea of the "completion of the great circle" (this phrase is very characteristic of a neoclassic document and it was similar to what Wheatley said.)
-America as the melting pot
-the document's audience:
1. nationals
2. neutrals (because encoded within it is an instruction manual" as to how to be an American, giving it a logical edge. also, its written and not pushy)
3. enemies
- Hector's exaggeration of America
- there is a purpose for everyone in America and in America man has the chance to rise up and better himself (relates to: man is not perfect but perfectable)
We were asked to think about the reality of the American dream.
Today we discussed America's "tolerance" on other languages as well as what makes a person an American.
We talked about America's failures in becoming a mulitlingual country, like many in Europe, alluding to the controversy sparked by the Spanish translation of the national anthem.
-Julie S.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I'd like to elaborate on the theme of American identity and the American dream. It is clear "The American Farmer" was one of the first instances of this idea. One of the reasons I can think of for such an early occurrence of the American dream idea is the fact that America is fundamentally different from the rest of the world. To the settlers of the 17th and 18th centuries, it was a wonder. It was an entirely new continent without the history and bad connotations that the old world possessed. Not to mention it was a fulfillment of enlightenment and neoclassic ideals, which lead to a more stable and progressive government that, again, was something new and wondrous. The idea persisted throughout the decades as America kept this general image, and through the years the image and identity was strengthened through the amount of people who had experienced this dream. Today, where there are no black and white concepts, the American dream is not on the stable ground it once was in the minds of Americans. Cultures and people change, and ideas become contested. The American Dream is not the concept it once was; other countries offer similar opportunities and America is far from the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This is apart of the American identity, however - never perfect, but always hopeful.
Post a Comment