The American Character Essay - 1814 Words

Washington Irving expertly reflects American history in his piece of 1819 â€Å"Rip Van Winkle.† Unbeknownst to Rip Van Winkle, the colonies are now free of British rule as Irving writes, â€Å"Here a general shout burst from the bystanders—‘A Tory! a Tory! a spy! A refugee! hustle him! Away with him’† (Matthews, 2007, para. 36). Rip enters the village armed, ignorant of the fact that he presents the look of a loyalist. The question of being a refugee is preferable to accusations of being a Tory, as a colonist refugee would not claim British loyalty which Rip did openly saying â€Å"’†¦And a loyal subject of the king, God bless him’† (Matthews, 2007, para. 35). If Rip had not been justified by one who once knew him, there could have been an†¦show more content†¦Irving’s keen writing exemplifies his historical insight in the tale â€Å"Rip Van Winkle.† Strong puritan beliefs are discussed in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s piece of 1835 â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† An important question rises that ignites more questions on the role of God versus the devil in how we live our lives, the choices we make, and our uncertain salvation. Do we look to God or succumb to the temptation of the devil? Hawthorne writes, â€Å"’What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow’† (Hawthorne, 2011, para. 9). His uncertain curiosity leads him down a wicked path of which the devil continuously pursues him and he struggles with his own conflicting thoughts, identity, and Faith. Hawthorne historically reflects the Puritans in their relentless struggle to become perfect in the eyes of God. Under the Puritan doctrine it’s common for individuals to live a life of uncertainty, never knowing whether God is pleased. This dilemma is characterized by their daring desire to please themselves and still feel spiritual ful fillment. Goodman Brown expresses his fears as well as his hopes when Hawthorne states, â€Å"’Faith! Faith!’ cried the husband, ‘look up to Heaven, and resist the wicked one’† (Hawthorne, 2011, para. 69). In this declaration Goodman Brown advocates good while identifying evil as he renounces Satan. Puritan history dictates that only strong belief in God makes resisting Satan possible. It is daily repentance of sin which results inShow MoreRelatedAmerican Character - Then and Now2118 Words   |  9 PagesAmerican Character - Then and Now A notion that still holds strong today, Fredrick Jackson Turners idea of American character was one based on trials and experiences. Unlike Crevecour, Turner believed that American character was not simply a product of English character transported to America, but rather another idea altogether (Faragher 63). He expressed this opinion the best when he said, In the crucible of the frontier the immigrants were Americanized, liberated, and fused into a mixedRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of American Assassin1617 Words   |  7 PagesThe book I read was American Assassin, by Vance Flynn. It has 435 pages in it. In this book, the main character is a strong, determined fighter who has had a tragedy occur in his life. I compared the personality and the events that the main character, Mitch Rapp, faced with the song Believer, by Imagine Dragons. The song is about someone who faces many challenges in his life, but uses it to develop strength, which is something that Mitch Rapp does in America n Assassin. American Assassin is aboutRead More american character - then and now Essay2086 Words   |  9 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;American Character - Then and Now nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A notion that still holds strong today, Fredrick Jackson Turner’s idea of American character was one based on trials and experiences. Unlike Crevecour, Turner believed that American character was not simply a product of English character transported to America, but rather another idea altogether (Faragher 63). He expressed this opinion the bestRead MoreThe Damage Of The American Dream Character Analysis752 Words   |  4 PagesThe Damage of the American Dream The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, wonderfully shows how the values of characters in the novel set the time period of the 1920s. The major characters in the story has clear motives and values which helps the reader understand high society before The Great Depression, and give a clear indication that the theme of the book is a twisted view of the American Dream. Nick Carraway is the first persona we are introduced to and arguably the most important; as he isRead MoreThe Unique Character Of America And The American People1721 Words   |  7 PagesCharacter: The Unique Character of America and the American people Throughout history, American has been characterized as a distinctive country. One with its own particular set of rules and customs that make its culture very different from cultures in other parts of the world. The idea of a unique America gives rise to two main ideas: The uniqueness of America and the effect of its uniqueness on its people. Many writers and great thinkers have incorporated these ideas into their writings. A commonlyRead MoreAmory Blaine : A True American Character1586 Words   |  7 PagesA True American Character One of the major characteristics of a great novel is its potential to depict characters that are representative of a specific society, its ideology, its conventions, and its worldview. Analyzing from the perspective of characterization, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel â€Å"This Side of Paradise† should be considered as one of the greatest novels ever written in the realm of American literature because emphasizing on the development of the central protagonist’s character in the novelRead MoreAmerican Beauty Character Analysis Essay653 Words   |  3 PagesAmerican Beauty Character Analysis Everyone knows the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. But is this necessarily always true? Apparently not to Kevin Spacey as he played the role of Lester Burnham in the 1999 film American Beauty. His rule was When youve got nothing to lose, you might as well risk everything. Lester Burnham and his wife, Carolyn, portray a perfect lifestyle to the naked eye. Everyone sees Lester as a man with a perfect high-paying job and a perfectRead MoreAmerican Sphinx : The Character Of Thomas Jefferson3030 Words   |  13 PagesAmerican Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson, a biography by Joseph Ellis, encompasses many aspects of one of the most controversial and unforgettable American Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and a man of astonishing achievements, left behind a legacy of paradoxes and mysteries, which are thoroughly analyzed throughout the novel. Unlike some people, who are easily characterized and have definite opinions, Thomas Jefferson’s beliefs and intentionsRead MoreAnalysis of Characters in Ugly American by by Burdick and Lederer1796 Words   |  8 PagesThe next character I will mention is Honorable Gilbert MacWhite, who replaced Ambassador Sears in Sarkhan. This character functioned in c omplete contrast to Sears. He understood the sensitivity of the US mission in Sarkhan and how vulnerable the Sarkhanese government was to potential communist influences. He also understood the communist threat and did not underestimate it. MacWhite’s understanding of the operational environment was clear from the beginning and made constant efforts in understandingRead MoreAmerican Sphinx The True Character Of Thomas Jefferson Analysis963 Words   |  4 Pagesthird president of the United States of America, but the majority are biographies. In the book American Sphinx: The True Character of Thomas Jefferson, author, Joseph J. Ellis, writes about the character of Thomas Jefferson, by examining his thoughts, actions, and writings in different periods of his life. Ellis starts off the first chapter of his book with what many would call a blemish on one’s character, owning slaves. Throughout Jefferson’s life, he owned give or take 200 slaves. But, between