...What is an American? This question can have very diverse answers. Many factors go into answer of this question when asking it. For example, take the time period in which you focus the question of what an American is. After reading a letter written by a farmer named Hector St. John de Crevecouer, who was a farmer from Pennsylvania in the colonial days of early America, I got a perspective to this question in a way I never thought before. I enjoyed the examples he gave to what differentiated an American from a European. For one, in Europe you never got to look out and see a new nation or land that was uninhabited. Crevecouer explained this experienced inspired a good citizen. Another difference was Europe has and for the most part always had lords and royalty. When you looked around in Europe you saw lords who had everything and people who had nothing. In America there were no “Aristocratical families, no courts, no kings, no bishops.” In Europe there was one great one and thousands working for him. The colonies were very different from the already established European countries. The people who formed the colonies worked for themselves and were people of cultivators. They were united by their works which, to me, sounds like they took a lot of pride in. How inspiring it must feel to be a part of a royal monarchy and leave that life and move to your own new land where everyone is pretty much equal. This foundation the new colonies built bred people to respect the laws because they...
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...Essay One: What is an American? Gregory Coryell American Literature I Dr. Joseph Walker January 19, 2011 What is an American? America has always been based on the precept that it was formed as a melting pot. This term means that different religions, cultures, traditions and countries were blended together to create the “New America.” Europeans from various areas have fled their countries for many reasons and settled on American soil, “the land of the free.” Religious persecution, war, famine, and the hope for economic prosperity have enticed individuals to pull up their tent poles in their native lands and move to a bold new world, known as America. This new world, America would be a starting point and a birth of a new civilization and a new breed of people who all share one common goal. What does it actually mean to be an American? There are many definitions that have existed and that have helped us understand and shape our interpretation of this term. This paper will compare and contrast two separate views of what the new American is and what it means to be called an American citizen. In William Bradford’s, “Of Plymouth Plantation,” he accounts for his journey to the new world by describing the intent of his voyage, his first impression of his surroundings, and the things and people he encounters. Our text verifies Bradford’s hopeful spirit and passion for his beliefs when Bradford uses the term, “Pilgrims” to describe the “community of believers who...
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...People would usually use the term “American” to refer to someone who simply lives in America, but there is more to this word than just that. When I think of an “American” I think of someone who is free to do just about whatever they want, someone who is patriotic and loves what their country stands for, and someone who has the opportunity to acquire a job and work in order to provide for their family. John McCain explains this idea in his short story, “Veterans Day”. Walt Whitman also backs up this definition up in his poem, “I Hear America Singing”. In “Veterans Day,” the author, John McCain tells us a story about his days in Vietnam. He introduces a fellow named Mike Christian who “didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13.” He met Christian at a P.O.W. Prison where they were cellmates along with a group of others. When the soldiers are allowed to receive some care packages Mike Christian gets his hands on some cloth and a bamboo needle and begins sowing an American flag on the inside of his shirt. Eventually, one of the guards finds the flag and Mike is beaten. When he returns from his punishment his eye is almost swollen shut, but he whips out his bamboo needle and starts constructing a new flag all over again. It's easy to see that he takes being an American very seriously and loves his country. This is supported by the quote, “He was making the flag because he knew how important it was for us to be able to pledge allegiance to our flag and country.” And also by McCain...
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...What Is an American? Christopher Snyder HIS/110CA May 28, 2014 Joseph Pirrelli What Is an American? The differences between an American and a European are quite distinct according to J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, is that there is many varieties that separate an American and a European that can be seen in everyday life. The biggest difference that someone would notice right away is the monarchy is gone. The government in America is democracy so each citizen has just as much of a right to choose its laws and the officials to govern those laws. “Here are no aristocratical families, no courts, no kings, no bishops, no ecclesiastical dominion, and no invisible power giving to a few a very visible one;” (St. John, na, p. 49). Manners, customs, and the way of life is visually different to the Europeans who came from a country that had so many lower classes and that the gap between them was socially unfair but, in America you can see the everyday farmers and workers all coming together on a Sunday to congregate and socialize with a certain amount of humility because it was everyone coming together to build a society of freedom for each other. Finally a European is no longer afraid of their own court system instead in America the courts are equal and everyone has the right to represent themselves or be represented to prove their innocence. The British American colonies seem to have created the first sense of appreciation for what America represented to the world. Each European...
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...States of America in order to earn the name of an American. Becoming an American is an important event to the lives of millions. Some of the people will ask themselves what is an American? An American is patriotism and freedom. The primary definition of an American is patriotism. Patriotism can be known as devotion to one’s country. John McCain, however, defines patriotism in a different way. He states” Patriotism is a love and a duty, a love of country expressed in good citizenship” (McCain, John; “Cause Greater Than Itself”). The important aspects of patriotism is portrayed in this quote. What McCain is trying to explain in this quote is that patriotism is more than loving your country, it’s something you should do. It is also something than everyone expresses in just being a citizen. An American with patriotism is a job to all of us. Second way to define an American is freedom. The most known thought of America is “The Land of the Free”, meaning we are known as a place of freedom. In “What Is an American” De Crevecoeur states, “Those lands confer on them the title of a freeman” (De Crevecoeur; “What Is an American”). The “lands” he is talking about is America, which is giving the people who live there the title of freedom. In conclusion an American is differently defined. Though one might never actually find the perfect definition of an American, it can somehow be found in everyone. In many, they would say an American is patriotism and...
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...The idea of what an American is can be different for everyone. It all depends on perspective. Through my experiences and research I have a better grasp on what I think it means to be an American. With stories and letters, such as Equiano, Of Plymouth Plantation, and Letters from Columbus, an American is one who has a desire for success, money, power, and freedom. It is through the stories of the past that provide proof to that statement. In the story of Equiano, slaves were brought to America, to fulfill America’s need for power and money, but the story also shows the desire for freedom. Equiano was a young boy who was ripped out of Nigeria and transported by boat to be sold as a slave in America. He suffered the long, awful boat ride, and...
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...What is the American Dream, and who are the people most likely to pursue its often elusive fulfillment? Indeed, the American Dream has come to represent the attainment of a combination of goals that are specific to each individual. While one person might consider a purchased home with a white picket fence his or her version of the American Dream, another might regard it as the financial ability to start and operate his own business. Clearly, there is no cut and dried definition of the American Dream because it is different for every person. What it does universally represent, however, it is the opportunity for people to seek out their individual and collective desires and go out and achieve them. The American Dream was and always will be something that makes America great. It allows those with aspirations to make them come true. In America all you need is a dream and the motivation to carry out that dream. Ambition is the driving force behind the American Dream. It allows any one that has an aspiration, a desire, a yearning, to carry out the individual dream. It knows no bounds of race, creed, gender or religion. It stands for something great, something that everyone can strive towards. A dream can be a desire for something great. In America, the American Dream allows dreams to become realities. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, the American Dream is defined as "An American social ideal that' stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity". To live this...
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...Tani’qua Jones Dr. Boyd American Lit. After reading and analyzing de Crevecoeur’s essay, “What is an American,” one could argue that the entire purpose of the essay was to describe an egalitarianism society, a society which has never existed in his eyes. De Crevecoeur was raised in a family of Counts and Countesses, experiencing the fortune of being born into a wealthy and prosperous family, while witnesses the misfortune of those who weren’t. Through the details and images described, from his experiences, in Letters of an American Farmer we obtain the true sense of being English or French; something de Crevecoeur wasn’t all too proud to be called. John de Crevecoeur was more honored to be called an American, working as a farmer, a life vastly different from the comfort and riches of being a Count. In “What is an American,” De Crevecoeur compares Europe and America to define the nature of being an American. And he illustrates throughout the essay, why the great American frontier is preferred by the vast majority. Although de Crevecoeur was born in France, he sees himself as an Englishman who has come to settle in America. Through his eyes we explore the differences he encounters in America that he would never discover in England. Most of these changes are based on his experience of being an American farmer, working on the beautiful open frontier. Here de Crevecoeur sees the industry of his native country displayed in a new manner, “there are no great manufacturers employing...
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...30 November 2015 What Is The American Dreams? Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a book written by Hunter S. Thompson published in the year 1971. The book is a reflection of American politics during Thompson’s time. It is written with the author (Thompson) as the main character, but he uses a fictional name to avoid repercussions and allow for more artistic license. The book takes place in the early 1970s and the main character, Raoul Duke, is sent to Las Vegas to write an article on the 4th annual “Mint Race 400” buggy race. Under the advice of his lawyer (Dr. Gonzo) both drive out to Las Vegas on a nonstop LSD and mescaline trip. Unfortunately, Duke and Gonzo engage themselves in an adventure of the lifetime. Somehow things go berserk and both of them end up abandoning work and engaging in an experience that involves disparaging everyone around them. The obvious theme of the book is The American Dream. Thompson wrote a lot about the American Dream and just like most people, he believed in the American Dream. Hunter S. Thompson portrays the American Dream as illusionary, as there are some places where he says that the American Dream is about money. The American Dream is a phrase which is heard, at some point, by most people today and the meaning has been understood since the founding of America. The definition of the American Dream appears to be different for most people, depending on their views. Probably the most accepted explanation of the American Dream is that it “is...
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...ssn# 113 -96-56-72 ERNO .E27-314501 08/09/10 on june 19 or 20 from what i can remenber i was working on unit 3 in the 1st assignememt .on room 304 i had a 97 years old ladie and 95 years old ladie there are both in the same room they usually serve dinner at 5:30 or 6:00 ocloc"k .After dinner the ladie on the A bed ask me to put her to bed at 7:00 P.m .exatcly at 7:00 i went in her room to get her ready . her roomate told her it' s to early to go . and the A bed said ok coming back later by 7:30 , i told them there anything i can do the B bed told me to bring to bathrom get her self ready for she going to sat on her chair. by the time i am done with her the A bed ask me to bring her to bathrom also while she in the bathrom she told me , she's ready now then i put her to bed . everything seem ok were was lauging together . I have other patient to took care , and went finish my job i was off the next day and the following days i on , the night supervisor call to told what happeng i explaing to her, the head nurse of the unit was here as witness also .and they told it's not a write up they make me signe a paper like in sevice they told me so . i go back to work the next day i was off from work and the following days i receive a message from my job told me call immediately when i did call they to come they told me to stop working . yes i had union they...
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...Jamaica’s first loan agreement with the IMF in 1977 due to lack of viable alternatives which turns out to be a global pattern common throughout the Third World. This is an example of structural adjustment, which consist of loans provided by the IMF and the World Bank to countries that experienced economic crises. At the present, Jamaica owes over four billion dollars to the IMF, the World Bank, and the inter-American Development Bank, yet the meaningful development that these loans “promised” has yet to manifest. In actuality, the amount of foreign exchange that is met to meet interest payments and policies which have been imposed with the loans have had a negative impact on the lives of the vast majority. In fact, this is the textbook definition of debt trap in which a debt is difficult or impossible to pay typically because high...
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...becoming something. I believe that The American Dream is exactly that, the climb to become successful in America. It is a commonly known fact that immigrants in history and in the present day have come to the United States to start again and make better lives for themselves and their families. Although this dream means different things for every individual person, all of them reach for something they don’t have, and they usually originate from a lower class than their end point. An example of The American Dream in action is the background behind renowned special effects makeup artist Glenn Hetrick. He was raised in the lowly suburbs of Bethlehem Pennsylvania, and his interest in makeup effects drove him to participate in local theater productions as a fledgling makeup artist in high school. Once he graduated from high school, he moved to the big city of New York and took various film jobs, mostly for horror films. Soon enough, Mr. Hetrick was noticed by big time movie and special effects companies, and was being hired to work for them. After years of hard work under their corporations, he finally became the owner of the Optic Nerve Studios in Hollywood, and more recently has opened up his very own original studio, The Alchemy Studios. The point I’ve tried to make behind Mr. Hetrick’s life story is that he, like many others, started from little to nothing and worked his way up. There are no shortcuts, no get out of jail free cards. The American Dream can not be realized in the...
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...Expression and Devotion to Our Country What Makes a Person an American? What does it truly mean to be an American? There are so many possibilities when it comes to answering this question. Is it your patriotism, equality, or your freedom? Many would say that all three of these things are large factors of being an American. It is seen as a rather obligatory job for Americans to take their citizenship seriously. If you are an American, you are encouraged to talk positively about your country, and also to fulfill your duties as a citizen. Using your freedom as an advantage, by voting, and participating in the enrichment of your country. To be an American is to be patriotic, express your equality, and embrace the freedoms presented by our founding fathers without overstepping boundaries. Patriotism is a very important aspect of most Americans' lives. To be patriotic is to have or express devotion and vigorous support for one's country. Everyday Americans show patriotism not only in simple actions, but also by taking extreme measures and risks in...
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...America is seen by many as the Land of Opportunities, a place where one can achieve anything and be anything, no matter what their past may be. Some however, say that the American Dream is not real, that it is simply a dream that cannot be realized due to social or political obstacles. The truth is that many of these obstacles can be overcome through hard work and perseverance. The American Dream is achievable through hard work and the determination to keep going, no matter how slim the odds seem to be. One important aspect of the American Dream is that one’s past has no bearing on the achievability of the American Dream. One can come from nothing and become the richest person in the world if they put their minds to it. Andrew Sullivan, in his essay, My America, touched on this when he wrote that what matters in America is not where you come from, but “where you are going” (Sullivan, Para 5). This shows that in America, people don’t care about one’s past as they do about one’s future. Here, the past is not a hinderance, it is simply something that is there, motivating one to do better, to achieve their American Dream....
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...“What is an American?” This speech, given by Harold Ickes in May of 1941, banded its audience together in a fight for World War II. The speech can be classified as many different things; some might say that it is persuasive, others motivational. Whatever title one might choose to brand it with, one thing is irrefutable; the speech itself does its duty by capturing the attention of its audience through language and technique. Ickes’ speech to the American people was very successful in rallying his points because of the way in which he chose to deliver it. Rather than deliver a formal speech, he addressed the American public very personally. This can be seen as he repeatedly used the terms “I”, “our”, “we”, and so forth. The “our” and “we” are especially important because he was talking to America as a whole. Through these terms he showed that his concerns were the same as those of the American public. Not only did he bring the people together as a united front through his inclusive terms such as “we” and “our”, he showed that he meant all of America, not just the working white man. “What constitutes an American? Not colour nor race nor religion…An American is one who loves justice and believes in the dignity of man…” Through this statement it can be felt that Ickes was speaking to every American out there. He was rallying to bring them together and it worked because he was sure not to leave any man out. Another way in which Ickes unified and connected with his audience...
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