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A Unique American Voice

            
             As America entered into a generation of native-born Americans, a call for an identity that was exclusively American began to emerge. Americans yearned for a uniquely American expression of themselves through their literature. The self-made man became an icon that was distinctively representative of the American ideal. Here grew a nation that extolled the characteristics of individual independence among its people. A country besieged with issues of social reform, its forerunner being slavery. Although these ideas were as old as mankind, they became issues that were intrinsically commensurate with American literature's individuality. The universal themes of individualism, self-reliance, and slavery became the building blocks responsible for the creation of a uniquely American literary voice.
             A cry for a national literature rang throughout the country. Margaret Fuller was quoted as saying that,It does not follow because many books are written by persons born in America that there exists an American literature?Before such can exist, an original idea must animate this nation and fresh currents of life must animate this nation and fresh currents of life must call into life fresh thoughts along its shores (463).? Henry Wadsworth Longfellow followed this thought in his story Kavanagh: A Tale (1849),We want a national literature commensurate with our mountains and rivers?We want a national literature altogether shaggy and unshorn, that shall shake the earth, like a herd of buffaloes thundering over the prairies (463).? The call for a national literature that praised individualism had begun. .
             Philip Freneau genuinely portrayed the American individual in his poetry and helped to develop themes that were uniquely American.


Essays Related to A Unique American Voice

1. What is an American?

For many, this one simple word brings to mind unique ideas of government, a quality of life, and a diversity of religious and ethnic backgrounds that have come to be associated with the United States and its citizens. ... With the First Amendment, freedom of expression (speech, religion, press, etc.) became another unique aspect of the U.S. ... An American has a voice in his or her government and the right to equality. ... An American represents a unique combination of ethnicity, religion, and opinions, but is still as genuine an American as any other. ... However, most of what an Americ...

  • Word Count: 712
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Douglass's Voice and Gates's Thoughts

Although Frederick Douglass's "Heroic Slave" is somewhat unique when looked at beside his other works, alone it acts a good argument for the validity of Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s assertions in his essay, "American Letters, American Voices". ... Different books will talk in different voices, and books that have fallen into the African American genre speak "a distinctively African voice". ... Douglass, through the entirety of the story, uses references to American Revolutionaries to show the correlation between the plight of African Americans and those issues that the American Revoluti...

  • Word Count: 1334
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography

3. The Legacy of American Jazz

These four characteristics bled into the Americas, and in the U.S, resulted in a chain of unique music genres including blues, jazz, ragtime, bebop, and rock. ... Once in place, it took only a decade to become renowned a truly unique form of American music. ... Plus, Armstrong's voice became an important solo instrument in his works. ... Both the use of these more brash instruments, and the unique quality of voice in jazz singers reflects the influence of the African tone color esthetic. ... Instead, the unique color of each jazz singer's voice becomes his or her defining charact...

  • Word Count: 1710
  • Approx Pages: 7

4. Fritz Scholder: Native American Artist

The oil painting Mad Indian No. 3 is a perfect example of the voice that Scholder gives to Native American artists. ... Brought up in westernized society, Scholder has a unique view of American Indians in the western world. ... Native American art is an important tool used to voice the ideas they hold of themselves and their identity, and how they want the western world to view them. ... This portraiture is comfortable for the western world as it displays the strength and reverence, even romanticism of the American Indian but it is tweaked by Scholder who takes control and gives a strong Nativ...

  • Word Count: 1559
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

5. Distinctive Voices in Literature

Marele Day has used a range of literary techniques including first person narration and phrases to successfully create an interchange of unique characters. ... Claudia makes comparisons between her home city and American ones "Sydney was like san Francisco in many ways except that in Sydney the weirdo's didn't carry guns". ... Throughout the novel Harry is never present; his voice is always in the background, this adds to his voice becoming more threatening and dark. ... The misogyny speech by Julia Gillard displays the distinctive voice of women in Australia and a voice o...

  • Word Count: 1571
  • Approx Pages: 6

6. American Patriotism

American Patriotism Our American Four Fathers designed democracy as a series of systematic checks and balances on power, the primary check being public participation. ... In her book, The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Sarah Vowell discusses the discrepancy between American patriotism and the American populace. ... In the essays "The Nerd Voice, Part I.: The Nerd Israel," "The Nerd Voice Part II.: Nerds v. ... In "The Nerd Voice, Part I.: The Nerd Israel," Vowell gives the prototype nerd as an example of what it means to be a "nerd," and further, as an example to show what specific qualities Ame...

  • Word Count: 608
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Police32

Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Unique in its presentation of traditional police-related topics from a multicultural perspective, this illuminating work gives voice to the historically marginalized in order to shed a penetrating light on the real world of policing. ... Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Unique in its presentation of traditional police-related topics from a multicultural perspective, this illuminating work gives voice to the historically marginalized in order to shed a penetrating light on the real world of policing. ... Book News, Inc., Portl...

  • Word Count: 1757
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Asian Music in American Culture

Many people consider Asian music as something that is not included in American music or something that will never be put into any mainstream America music genre. ... Fred Ho is a Chinese-American jazz saxophonist, composer, and writer who devoted his life to the revolution for Asian American music. ... Her rap She is quirky, funny, and she has a magnetic voice and great sense of beats. ... 2 I think her great rapping and unique style can help audience see how 'Asians can not rap' or 'Asian-American music is not cool' is not true. ... She has a unique feminine voice tha...

  • Word Count: 1535
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography

9. Individualism and the American Dream

Moisi claims, "But now some Americans are starting to doubt the unique value of America's individualism" (Moisi 114). Moisi is correct in the way that he states that some Americans have lost hope in themselves and the American individualism, which has resulted in the fading of the American dream. ... Many Americans fueled their purchase of the new American Dream with credit cards, a choice that eventually affected the state of the American Dream" (How the American Dream Has Changed Over Time). ... Individualism is important in attaining the American dream because we are ...

  • Word Count: 1269
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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