Saturday, August 22, 2020

A book that you did not like at first then appreciate Essay

A book that you didn't care for from the start at that point acknowledge - Essay Example As a feature of British Literature class, all understudies needed to peruse Wilde’s book throughout the late spring meeting. I had basically built up a negative demeanor towards the book in the wake of perusing the prelude, which censures the book as being unethical. The introduction likewise succinctly presents the convictions of Wilde’s reasoning of workmanship, which is dedicated to the aestheticism way of thinking. Be that as it may, I needed to peruse the book since it as suggested by the school for the mid year occasion. The book was intended to cause use to gain proficiency with a real existence exercise; it was likewise a task from school on the grounds that in spite of drawing out the character of Dorian the book was intended to help use in English learning as it depicted, various subjects and styles of composing. The book depends on Dorian Gray, who, is the subject of a long representation by Basil Hallward. Basil Hallward is intrigued and beguiled by the excellence of Dorian that he imagines that he is responsible for the new mode in his craft as a painter. In the wake of meeting Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian is captivated by the respectable defiled perspective, where he feels that exotic satisfaction and excellence are the main things that an individual should seek after throughout everyday life. Since Dorian knows, that magnificence will blur with time he takes steps to offer his spirit to guarantee that lone his image will age and not him. Basil awards Dorian his desire, and he seeks after all the common delight by doing distinctive improper things. He doesn't age even a solitary day, however his representation records everything that is in him adulterating sin. In the principal example, when he chooses to proceed to see his image he finds that the image bears an unobtrusive grin of savagery. The grin of pitilessness shows up in the image after his heartbreaks Sibyl a young lady she experiences passionate feelings for after she sees her act in the theater. Dorian seeks after his common delights, yet understands that they are not benefiting him in any way and goes to accommodate

Friday, August 21, 2020

Myths, Legends, and King Arthur Essay -- European Literature Essays Pa

Fantasies, Legends, and King Arthur All through the sunrises of time, individuals have recorded lives and made narratives about the past, the individuals and the entirety of their dramatizations. One such story is Le morte d'Arthur, or in English, the Death of Arthur. In spite of its French title, the real content was written in English. It is a twenty-one book arrangement composed by Sir Thomas Malory in 1469-1470 portraying in detail the risky existences of the Arthurian legends. Sir Thomas Malory was accepted to be conceived in 1408, yet nobody truly knows without a doubt. (New Standard M-86) He was an English creator, compiler, and interpreter who was generally known by his takes a shot at the Arthurian legends, and furthermore the main incredible creator of the English writing and stories. (Encarta, Malory) He was likewise a knight from Warwickshire who wound up spending time in jail in the military on French soil under Richard Beauchamp, baron of Warwick. He was knighted for his endeavors at some point before 1442 and served in Parliament in 1445. After that he spent numerous years in detainment for political and metropolitan charges. He burned through a large portion of his most recent twenty years in jail. (CRC) It was during this time he composed his adaptation of the Arthurian Legends, putting together a large portion of his work with respect to French and English firsts in exposition and refrain. His variant of the story was initially called The Book of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table. It wasn't until after his passing, when a man named William Caxton distributed his book in 1485 did it become known as Le morte d'Arthur. (New Standard M-86 and L-277) So as to clarify the book, I should initially clarify the tale of King Arthur. I'll take you to the start of the story with Arthur's dad Uther Pendragon. The story in itself really starts with Merlin, whi... ...entomb William Caxton organized Malory's work into a solitary story in 1485. (Encarta Arthurian Legends) I picked this story in truth since I was coming up short on thoughts, and occurred across it when I was looking into tourist spots in London in my Encyclopedia. I had discovered a segment for English writing in transit and halted to investigate it. The creators of the volume were sufficiently pleasant to place instances of the accounts in timespans. I found the timespan I required and discovered Sir Thomas Malory's stories of incredible dramas. I additionally enjoyed the thought since it was one of my preferred stories when I was growing up. How it speaks to the general public that made this rendition of hardships, satisfaction and Arthur, and our current society, is we as a whole have shades of malice that we should fight with and regardless of what age you live in there is constantly a drama life sticking around the bend.

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Gileads Betrayal of Women in The Handmaids Tale - Literature Essay Samples

Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale presents a disturbing future dystopia in which all power is stripped from women and left in a male-dominated power structure. Throughout the novel, betrayal remains the over-arching theme, seen in men’s betrayal of women as well as the reason behind abandoning all sense of self and former relationships. Society’s betrayal of women as a whole leads Gilead to a power hierarchy which leaves handmaids, specifically June, no choice but to betray themselves by giving in to the society which strips them of identity and leaves them with no personal relationships and a constant trial to stay alive. Stuck in a society which has stripped all meaning and emotion from sex, and justified by self-preservation in a power-dominated mà ©nage-trois, June commits acts she is both ashamed of and doesn’t enjoy. Driven only by her need to stay alive, she continues to follow these orders, blocking them from her mind as much as possibl e. During the time in which June is known as â€Å"Offred†, the stratification of the society of Gilead has shifted solely to accommodate an act which is made perfunctory and shameful. The â€Å"Ceremony†, as it is called, is void of emotion and simply exists as an obligation in order to procreate. â€Å"What he is fucking is the lower part of my body†¦ Nothing is going on here that I haven’t signed up for. There wasn’t a lot of choice but there was some, and this is what I chose† (94). This is June’s account from the ceremony around which her life is now entirely based. Even this early in the process, she has separated herself from what she once knew and created a new knowledge of what takes place, recognizing that this is not like the passionate sex she once knew with Luke, but is reduced to the simple act of insemination. For the entire community sex, has lost the meaning it had before and has shifted to this monthly ritual: â€Å"T his is not recreation, even for the Commander. This is serious business. The Commander, too, is doing his duty† (94-95). This change in thinking is one of the most serious in the new society. Though nothing vital has been eliminated and procreation will continue, what was removed from society may as well have been an essential part of living. Without it June, and even the Commander, struggle to know where boundaries lie and how relationships should exist. The Commander orders June into his office, breaking all semblance of structure and tenants by thinking himself to be above the law, and putting June in a position where she has no choice but to follow him, but could still be killed for following his orders. She is left with no way out, and while the Commander realizes this, he sees his own need for companionship as a higher priority, knowing the cycle of handmaids will continue far past June, and caring more to make a real connection to someone. In his office the Commander do es not want sex or inappropriate behavior, but rather something that has become even more intimate, real companionship. Each night, as her visits continue, the Commander requests a kiss from June â€Å"He draws away, looks down at me. There’s the smile again, the sheepish one. Such candor. ‘Not like that,’ he says. ‘As if you meant it.’ He was so sad† (140). This glimpse at the Commander’s true desires shows that more than being a corrupting authority, he too has a hard time in this society of emptiness that he helped create. The restructuring that took place has moved focus from that of love and relationships to the need for reproduction, making Serena Joy’s sole purpose to wait for a baby. Her status in society depends on June’s pregnancy, creating an odd power dynamic between the two of them, as they are completely dependent on one another. In her desperation Serena Joy offers the idea of breaking the rules and arrangin g for June to have sex with Nick, intending to better her chances, and once again showing the corruption that exists in the society which was created to be void of corruption. â€Å"This idea hangs between us, almost visible, almost palpable: heavy, formless, dark; collusion of a sort, betrayal of a sort† (205). The irony of the commander and his wife requesting that June break the rules is both overwhelming and appalling, as she could be betrayed and killed at any time for anything she does, even following their instructions. She is stuck in a position of deciding whether she should follow the rules set out for her by society or follow the orders from her superiors to break these rules. Knowing either path could lead to her demise, June chooses the more interesting path and follows the orders of her Commander, as much as she sometimes despises her actions. With the Commander, June separates herself from her actions as much as possible, seeing it as a duty more than an experi ence. â€Å"With the Commander I close my eyes, even when I am only kissing him good-night. I do not want to see him up close† (269). June’s separation from intimacy with the Commander is her way of maintaining the hope that one day she can return to a life in which she is with someone she loves. The Commander’s request for June to accompany him to Jezebel’s, though an interesting experience for her, exposes the reality that there is no room for intimacy in this society which has made it both obsolete and a necessity. There is no middle ground between procreating and making love in Gilead, where personal relationships have no place. â€Å"The trouble is that I can’t be, with him, any different from the way I usually am with him. Usually I’m inert. Surely there must be something here for us, other than this futility and bathos† (255). June’s separation from her actions has become so deeply ingrained that she cannot reach past it to take part in something more than she has had for the past five years. Her focus remains on staying alive, keeping herself restricted to breaking the rules, but internally removing herself from her actions in order to maintain the hope of being herself and in control of her own body and mind again one day. Through almost the entirety of the novel, June manages to maintain hope, though faint, and finds vicarious rebellion in Moira and Ofglen, even in a society so deprived of all things hopeful. June searches everywhere for even a scrap of evidence suggesting hope and on the inside of her wardrobe she finds it: â€Å"Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.† Even without knowing the meaning June uses this as her motto and her words of inspiration, left from a woman who knew all too well what she was going through. â€Å"I pray silently: Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. I don’t know what it means, but it sounds right, and it will have to do† (90). The writing on the wardrobe is forbidden, so June cherishes it as a secret she keeps, seeing it as her little piece of power and connection with someone else, as distant as it may be. Moira becomes her lifeline of hope, beginning in college before the new society took hold and continuing through the Red Center and Jezebel’s. Her rebellion and irreverence stay with June even when they are apart for so long, offering a sort of optimistic heroism and the hope that there will be a way out of the hell which has become her life. Moira’s escape from the Red Center was impressive, conning her way out by threatening and posing as an Aunt. She was known to be the disobedient one, but this level of dangerous risk-taking was unheard of. â€Å"Moira had power now, she’d been set loose, she’d set herself loose. She was now a loose woman† (133). June’s passive attitude left her to experience rebellion through Moira and the others’ more exciting and dangerous choices. Moira’s daring approach ran out, however, and at Jezebel’s (ironically June’s moment to live dangerously) she confided in June that she had given in, that she was content being a plaything for men because she was allowed to have more freedoms than those confined to households. Moira’s bravery and gumption far exceeded that of most, so when she gave up on her dream of escape and conceded to be part of a society which exploited her, it caused June to feel as if she had no hope left either. Her acceptance of having only three or four years left, rather than looking for another escape plan showed June that her hero had faded and was broken, just like herself. â€Å"I don’t want her to be like me. Give in, go along, save her skin. That is what it comes down to. I want gallantry from her, swash-buckling heroism, single-handed combat. Something I lack.†(249) Moira wasn’t June’s only hope. In fact, as thrilling as Moira’s life was in June’s mind, Ofglen offered an even greater sense of hope. Ofglen’s hope was almost tangible in its accessibility, and June, though wary to become a part of the group, found herself relying on the â€Å"Mayday† group for hope of a future escape. June was lured into the group by the sense of belonging and power in a group of such magnitude and secrecy, though her reverence for this group did not overshadow the fear she still felt for the societal structures that bound her. Ofglen’s status in this organization meant that she was both a friend and a threat to June, offering companionship and information during their outings, but also the chance of exposing what she knew about June’s secret meetings with the Commander if she were ever caught. Ofglen demonstrated incredible perseverance through her suicide, knowing that she would expose others, and hanging herself as her last vestige of self-control in the society which stripped her of it in all other ways. Similar to the disappointing end felt with Moira’s acceptance of the way things were, Ofglen’s suicide, though a relief, also exposes June to the enormity of influence society truly has over all of them and that hits her even harder than Ofglen’s death. â€Å"I want to keep on living in any form. I resign my body freely, to the uses of others. They can do what they like with me. I am abject. I feel, for the first time, their true power† (286). Despite her hope and her fantasies of one day being with Luke and her daughter without constraints, June abandons everything she once believed in and hoped for and resigns herself to the same conclusion Moira reached; she has been broken by society. June feels immense guilt and sorrow over her own betrayal of Luke, even with the knowledge that she will never be with him again; Gilead’s society has cultivated a shame which envelops her even in her simple desire for pure human connection. Even foll owing instructions, June feels guilt in being with Nick. Society has stripped all meaning from the act, but her feelings for Nick, though human nature, are still forbidden in her mind because she had no resolution with Luke, and a part of her heart still belongs to him, or at least she thinks it should. â€Å"And I thought afterwards: this is a betrayal. Not the thing itself but my own response. If I knew for certain he’s dead, would that make a difference?† (p.263). Gilead’s denial of all personal connections has left June with no one to turn to and no one with whom she can be herself. Nick offers that escape to a place where she is human again, not literally, but emotionally, and that is something June can’t pass up. She has given up everything she once was and everything she once loved and poured herself into this new relationship, as dangerous as it may have been. It becomes the one thing she can look forward to, and the one way she can escape from th e unfortunate reality she faces daily. â€Å"The fact is that I no longer want to leave, escape, cross the border to freedom. I want to be here, with Nick, where I can get at him†¦ Telling this, I’m ashamed of myself†¦ There’s pride in it, because it demonstrates how extreme and therefore justified it was, for me. How well worth it† (271). Though she’ll never see them again, and knows that she’ll never have her other life back, June still feels as if she is betraying her family, but continues, even though she is ashamed of her actions because she never knows when it will end. She stops listening to her guilty feelings and begins living in the moment because she has nothing else to live for. She has betrayed the person she once was and she doesn’t like the choices she makes, but still can’t make herself abandon the newfound emotion she has for Nick. â€Å"I wish this story were different. I wish it were more civilized. I wis h it showed me in a better light, if not happier, then at least more active, less hesitant, less distracted by trivia. I wish it had more shape. I wish it were about love, or about sudden realizations important to one’s life, or even about sunsets, birds, rainstorms, or snow† (267). June resigns herself to the realization that life will never be the same, and as much as she wants it to go back, she has been broken by Gilead’s society to the point where she can’t help but be a part of this clandestine relationship, even one where they agree not to love each other. She is left with nothing else to live for.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Crucible By Arthur Miller - 1579 Words

The Crucible is a 1953 play by the famous play writer and author, Arthur Miller. It is a partially fictional story of the Salem Witch Trials which took place during 1692 and 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism; when the United States government blacklisted accused communists. The Crucible contains quite a few important characters who play in the tragic events that occurred those many years ago- the characters who had the greatest impact and character transformations would be the tragic hero; John Proctor, the blameless victim; Elizabeth Proctor, and the villainous; Abigail Williams. John Proctor s character changes drastically from the beginning of the play to the end, and it is possibly the most important element of the play. He goes from a hot-headed adulterer to someone who truly wants redemption and to make things right with his wife whom he has wronged. Throughout Act 1, John Proctor is seen as a liar when the reader finds out that h e had committed adultery with Abigail Williams, John and Elizabeth Proctor’s servant. Not only does this effect John and Abigail’s relationship, but it causes other issues between John and Elizabeth’s relationship. Abigail also tries to manipulate John by convincing him that he is still in love with her. In reality, Abigail seems to be jealous of Elizabeth while John seems to pick sides. At one point in Act 1, John Proctor says, â€Å"Ah, you’re wicked yet, aren t y’! A trill of expectantShow MoreRelatedThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1269 Words   |  6 PagesAt first glance, the playwright Arthur Miller in The Crucible highlights the historical significance of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, but in fact it is an allegorical expression of his perception of McCarthyism. If the reader has some background information on Arthur Miller’s victimization as a communist, it is evident that the play is a didactic vessel illustrating the flaws of the court system in the 1950’s. The communist allegations were launched at government employees, entertainers and writersRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1681 Words   |  7 Pagesof their way to the last dying breath to make sure they leave with a good or bad reputation. In one of the recent literature study in class â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller, Miller uses characterization to illustrate reputation throughout the play. â€Å"The Crucible† takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. It is based upon the Salem witch trails. In â€Å"The Crucible†, we journey through the life of three characters who reputations plays a major role in the play. The three characters are John Proctor, AbigailRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller998 Words   |  4 Pagesmotivated by jealousy and spite. The Crucible is a four-act dramatic play production that was first performed on January 22, 1953. Arthur Miller used dialogue within the characters to cover the multiple themes; conflicts and resolutions, plus the few directions for the different actions of the play. The Salem Witch Trials were intended to be performed as the play however, when read, it can be more carefully examined and broken down to analyze the techniques. Miller, the playwright, uses literaryRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1333 Words   |  6 PagesAs the various characters in The Crucible by Arthur Miller interact, the dominant theme of the consequences of women’s nonconformity begins to slide out from behind the curtains of the play. Such a theme reveals the gripping fear that inundated the Puritans during the seventeenth century. This fear led to the famous witch-hunts that primarily terrorized women who deviated from the Puritan vision of absolute obedience and orthodoxy. Arthur Miller presents his interpretation of the suffering by subtlyRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1145 Words   |  5 PagesUnbalance Through The Centuries In Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, the author reflects the persecution of communists in America in the 1950’s through a recount of the Salem witch trials. It is often presumed that Miller based his drama directly off of events that were particularly prevalent in the years surrounding the publication of The Crucible- which was released in the year 1953, towards the conclusion of the Korean War. Although there was not a literal witch hunt occurring during this timeRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1063 Words   |  5 PagesIn the English dictionary, there are three definitions of the word crucible. One is a metal container in which metals are mixed and melted. Another is a severe test. But the third definition, and the one that I think fits the best for this book, is a place or situation in which different elements interact to create something new. In my mind, this fits because all of the characters had their little grudges and dirty secrets. But when all th ose seemingly little things interact, they formed somethingRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1285 Words   |  6 Pages Rationale, Morality, Stereotypes, Pressure, Self-Censorship, Unanimity, and Mindguards. Groupthink has also taken place in our history a a country. The play, The Crucible by Arthur Miller is about a the real-life Salem Witch Trials that happened in 1692 - 1693, in Salem, Massachusetts. Some symptoms of Groupthink found in the Crucible are Rationale, Pressure, and Self-Censorship. The Groupthink symptom, Rationale, is described as when victims of Groupthink ignore warnings: they also collectivelyRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller841 Words   |  4 PagesThe Crucible is a chaotic play, throughout this American classic Arthur Miller takes the reader through multiple events of terror and insanity. While creating a great on-stage play, Arthur Miller portrays his life through the events, the characters, and plot of The Crucible. Using vivid imagery and comprehensible symbolism, Miller manipulates the real personalities of the characters and events in 1600 Salem, Massachusetts to create a symbolic autobiography. Throughout this play, the reader experiencesRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller811 Words   |  4 Pages While The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is only a four act play, it still resembles the format of a five act play. The five-act structure evolved from a three-act structure, which was made famous by Roman Aelius Donatus. Donatus came up with thre e types of plays: Protasis, Epitasis, and Catastrophe. The five-act structure helped to expand the three act structure, mainly made famous by Shakespeare through his many tragedies. Even though The Crucible contains only four acts, it still has the commonRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1052 Words   |  5 PagesBuddy Al-Aydi Ms.Healy English 9 CP 14th October 2014 The Crucible Essay The Crucible was a novel written by Arthur Miller in the 1950’s. It was written in a format of the play, portraying an allegory of the Salem Witch-Hunts led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. The book is known to have a inexplicable plot. This plot is advanced by multiple characters in the book in order to ensure that the reader maintains interest with the material that is being read. The farmer, John Proctor, would be the

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Personal Reflection on the Self Paper free essay sample

Personal Reflection on the Self Paper In order to examine the concept of the self an individual must know what it is. The concept of self is defined as to be aware of oneself is to have a concept of oneself. The self concept is how we think about and evaluates ourselves. Also the expression self-concept is a general term used to refer to how someone thinks about or perceives them. Did you know that concept of the self actually reaches both into the past and into the future, as we know who we were and who we are? Included in this picture are all the memories, fears, goals and possibilities that remain in our minds. For example, a concept of self from our early life might involve how we looked physically and how we associated with friends and playmates. What we remember of this is part of our personal concept. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Reflection on the Self Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Level One Heading Replace the level one heading with the words for your heading. The heading must be in bold font. Level Two Heading Replace the level two heading with the words for your heading. The heading must be in bold font. Level three heading. Replace the level three heading with the words for your heading. The heading must be in bold font. Conclusion In the present, our concept might also involve how we work, what success we achieve and, most importantly, if those things are important to whom we think we are. Studies of personality and behavior have shown that as we grow older, our concept of self becomes more abstract and more idea oriented. We begin to make connections between social ideas and political issues, for instance, and judge ourselves on how we fit with these. Deciding if this is good or bad can be part of the self concept, because how we judge our place is part of self. On the other hand, whether our actions or associations are good or bad is a judgment by society. Self concept is distinct from self esteem, and may be more akin to self worth. Esteem means that we think something is important or has a particular value. While this idea can be a small part of our concept of self, they are not necessarily one and the same. In short, self concept is a lifelong and often complex view of the person we are. References This is a hanging indent. To keep the hanging indent format, simply delete this line of text using the backspace key, and replace the information with your reference entry.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

The Issue of the American Identity

Those Europeans who established colonies at the new territories of America hoped to start the better life. The cultural and national diversity of the first settlers was discussed as the specific feature to characterize the new nation which began to form in America.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Issue of the American Identity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, the development of the American identity was the prolonged process, and it depended on the progress of new principles associated with the ideas of freedom and independence. The idea of American identity is discussed in the works of such authors as Henry David Thoreau, Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur, and Thomas Paine. In his Walden, Thoreau focuses on an American as a man seeking for closeness with the nature. Crevecoeur discusses the controversial question of being an American in his Letter III: What Is an American?. In his work The American C risis, Paine pays attention to the concepts which are important for an American as the representative of the new nation. In spite of the fact three authors concentrate on different significant features discussing the American identity, their ideas are similar in relation to the point that Americans are independent people and liberty is the main value for them. Emphasizing various aspects and details, Thoreau, Crevecoeur, and Paine provide their unique answers to the question of the American identity. However, the writers’ visions are similar regarding the key notions which are significant for the Americans without references to their origin and aspects of life. The image of an American can be based on the analysis of such features as the character traits, background, goals, possible challenges and obstacles. The position of Thoreau in relation to the American identity differs significantly from the views of Crevecoeur and Paine. In Walden, the author focuses on the personal d evelopment apart from the society. To find themselves, the Americans should live a simple life in the harmony with the nature without focusing on the material and wealth (Thoreau 603-604). Nevertheless, this idea is opposite to the developed American dream which characterizes Americans as persistent and goal-oriented persons who strive for the success and happiness. Thoreau’s American has the diverse cultural background, but he is free from the impact of the empires and societies. Furthermore, this American focuses on his inner world, self-development and self-reliance. Being close to the nature, this man should find the harmony of his world. The American’s main goal is to understand himself and follow a simple life full of natural obstacles (Thoreau 605-607). From this point, the image of Thoreau’s American is not tied to the concept of nation.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The discussed image reflects the features of any human living in the harmony with the world. Although Thoreau’s vision of a real American is rather philosophical, the author agrees that independence should be the main characteristic of the human life, and this point allows speaking about Thoreau’s image of a true American in the context of the national identity. An American described by Crevecoeur in Letter III: What Is an American? Is also independent and self-reliant as the image provided by Thoreau, but Crevecoeur proposes the more detailed description of the principles according to which the American identity can be defined. In his work, Crevecoeur follows the history of the nation’s development and focuses on the features which are important for the Americans to succeed in their country. To achieve the ideals of the American dream, the nation should be persistent and hard-working. The author pays much attention to the role of coloniz ation and further independence for the development of the American identity. Being only poor people in the European countries, the new Americans are citizens of the new world who have opportunities to develop their potential and achieve the American dream as the period of the greatest prosperity. According to Crevecoeur, the nation has the flourishing future because of the mixture of nations and Americans’ ability to reach the goals (Crevecoeur 304-308). The main challenge which can be associated with the development of the new nation is the necessity to build the new independent society, free from the European impact, focused on individualism and liberty, and worked out to promote the idea of the common good (Crevecoeur 304-308). Thus, Crevecoeur’s American is independent, self-reliant, hard-working, and responsible. The author is inclined to exaggerate the opportunities provided in America and the abilities of the Americans to achieve their goals, but the discussed i mage is closely correlated with the notion of the American dream and responds to the discussion of the American identity. Paine’s discussion of the American identity is based on the analysis of the background. The necessity to win freedom from the British Empire is discussed by the author as the driving force to direct the Americans’ actions. According to Paine, the Americans hope only for independence in order to live the appropriate life as free people (Paine 295-296). Thus, one more author states that pursuing for independence is the main feature which can characterize Americans in the context of their identity and historic development of the nation. Nevertheless, Paine adds to the list of the character traits typical for the Americans. The writer concentrates on the Americans’ humanity, their focus on justice, and equality. From this point, the main challenge which prevents the Americans from achieving their independence and freedom as the main goal is the c onsequences of the British Empire’s impact.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Issue of the American Identity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Following the ideas presented by Paine in his work, the Americans can be described as concentrated on the civil rights and freedoms and on their individualistic goals (Paine 295-296). As a result, the image of the Americans and their national identity are based on the ideals of justice, equality, and freedom. Paine’s ideas are more correlated with Crevecoeur’s discussion because Thoreau’s thoughts on the Americans are more utopian in comparison with the visions of the two other authors. If Paine and Crevecoeur focus on the social aspects of the Americans’ development, Thoreau is inclined to state that the individual progress is more significant that the focus on prosperity (Thoreau). Although Thoreau, Crevecoeur, and Paine choose differ ent aspects to focus on the discussion of the Americans, the particular features of their characters, their new life, intentions, and typical features, the basic ideas of the authors reflect each other. Thus, the complex notion of the American identity can be developed with references to the idea that the Americans are rather unique in their extreme focus on independence. The concept of independence and associated notions of freedoms and liberty are the basic values followed by the Americans in spite of their origin, cultural background, and social status. Independence, liberty, and freedom are the ideas which are mentioned in the works of the three authors who paid much attention to the discussion of the American identity. Moreover, referring to Thoreau, Crevecoeur, and Paine’s works, an ordinary American is a self-reliant, independent, honest, hard-working, and persistent person who is oriented to achieving the certain goal. The intention to reach prosperity and success can be discussed as the American dream which is typical for many representatives of the nation, and it is also the part of the American identity. Works Cited Crevecoeur, Michel-Guillaume Jean. â€Å"Letter III: What Is an American?† Harper Single Volume American Literature. Ed. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan. USA: Longman, 1998. 301-315. Print. Paine, Thomas. â€Å"The American Crisis†. Harper Single Volume American Literature. Ed. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan. USA: Longman, 1998. 294-299. Print.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thoreau, Henry David. â€Å"Walden†. Harper Single Volume American Literature. Ed. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan. USA: Longman, 1998. 602-697. Print. This essay on The Issue of the American Identity was written and submitted by user Delilah Cook to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.