America and Americans' first essay, after a brief foreword, examines perhaps the most prominent American teleology, from which the essay takes its title: "E Pluribus Unum." But even as Steinbeck explains his belief in the factuality of this American motto, he also highlights those discrepancies or paradoxes which make this teleology ironic. The second essay, "Paradox and Dream," continues this theme and attempts to explain both the necessity and the irony of the mythic "American Way of Life." Much like Wallace Stevens' Supreme Fictions, these national myths, according to Steinbeck, aid the individual and the nation, not so much by any actuality, but by their potentiality: "These dreams describe our vague yearnings toward what we wish were and hope we may be: wise, just, compassionate, and noble. The fact that we have this dream at all is perhaps an indication of its posibility(34). The Dream of the American Dream John Steinbeck, in his essay America and Americans, uses many contradictions to explain his views on the American Dream. I have witnessed and experienced many of these contradictions in my life. Through my experiences, I have learned to believe that the American dream is no more than just a dream. One of the first contradictions Steinbeck uses that I have personally experienced is, We are alert, curious, hopeful, and we take more drugs designed to make us unaware than any other people. This quote almost perfectly describes one of my cousins. She at one time was very bright and intelligent. In fact, she had over a 4.0 grade point average through her fist two years of high school. However, she began taking drugs and progressively followed a downhill track until she was barely even able to think at all. I do not think that a girl almost killing herself and ending up as a vegetable is part of the American Dream. Another example of a contradiction Steinbeck uses in his essay that I have personally witnessed is, We spend our lives in motor cars, yet most of us - a great many of us at least - do not know enough about a car to look in the gas tank when the motor fails.
Americans have been envied since they have evolved. ... That's why Americans comes in different colors. ... In the 20th century Americans have changed dramatically. ... Americans has a reputation of being lazy and rude. ... In his essay "What is an American" he states that all Americans are of European descent and that people who comes to America lives a better life. ...
The song "America Town" by Five for Fighting tells a tale of contradiction on the positives and negatives of American life. ... "America Town"s lyrics capture a contradicting opinion of American life told through the eyes of the artist. ... But first I"ll take a nap tonight and know someone's looking out for me" shows how the artist is content with the feelings safety that America produces, and the line saying "but first I"ll take a nap tonight" shows how most Americans take for granted the safety in America and how only a certain percentage of Americans actually do anything to protec...
Are Americans really over the plane attacks of September 11? ... The destruction was supposed to rip America apart. ... Some Arab Americans began to discover the other side of American life. Arab Americans started to feel that they were being profiled. ... September 11 is a day that Americans will never forget. ...
Fear has consumed the United States of America. ... America's violence was committed by America's people. ... America has a reputation of self-centeredness and superiority. ... Getting to that point will take as long as Americans push it. ... It is important that Americans overcome their fears. ...
Why can't America just mind their own business, and stop getting involved in everyone else's. ... Is it true though that American is the only super power in the World? Yes, many people believe this, and even if so, they shouldn't get too used to having America always on their back. "Although that belief is reported around the world, our officers attribute that to Americans and not necessarily to the rest of the world's belief." Now this isn't fair, because America has and still is trying to do their best to solve other countries problems, before they even try to solve ...
Let America Be America Again Langston Hughes The Poem "Let America Be America Again" is a very emotional and moving poem. It was most likely written around the same time slavery ended in America. ... The poem speaks of America's dream for freedom and for all to be equal. ... America is supposed to be a land of freedom and opportunity but this was not the America so many experienced. ... The character does say though that "America will be" to him meaning he is determined to live in the America that this poem speaks about the one where he can live free the one without greed th...
In the film "An American Tail" there is a song that includes the lyrics, " there are no cats in America and the streets are paved with cheese". ... In the first part of the lyrics they describe an America were there are no cats. One of the ways I took this as was that there is no war in America. ... This could mean one thing that every one in America is rich and everyone has job. ... This is why I think that their actions were truly American....
For countless immigrants, the struggle to arrive in America was rivaled only by the struggle to gain acceptance among the existing American population. It has been said that immigration is as old as America itself. ... At that time, the Americas had been settled by the Indians, who were soon threatened by the first immigrants of America. ... In America, they earned 50 cents to one dollat in a day, doubling their paycheck. ... Americans accused the Chinese of almost everything possible. ...
