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What literary work or written document do you think is the most influential or gives the most guidance to the collective American Psyche/Spirit? And why do you think this is so?
Uncle Sam, a two-part prestige format comic book written by Steve Darnall with art by Alex Ross
Quote:
Story
The story centers around Sam, an obviously distressed homeless man, who wanders the streets of an unnamed city speaking mostly in odd quotes and sound bites. As he wanders, he has disturbing visions of events in American history (dealing with Indian Wars, slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and others). Throughout his wanderings, he occasionally encounters a woman named Bea, and has conversations with Britannia.
Eventually, he comes to the remains of the 1893 Columbian Exposition, where he sees Bea once more, now recognizing her as Columbia. He has further encounters with Britannia, Marianne and the Russian Bear, before he confronts a dark, corrupt, overtly capitalist shadow version of himself. He eventually defeats this figure by accepting all its blows, recognizing and accepting his mistakes, and learning from them.
Towards the end of the tale he thinks to himself: "It's a strange and frightening thing — to see yourself at your worst."
In the end we see him again as a homeless man, but instead of wildly hallucinating, he's now chipper and optimistic, ready to face the future.
Thorstein Veblen's "The Theory of the Leisure Class" (1899). Sadly, the American spirit and psyche ignored his guidance, and now we have what he said we would have.
I forgot to mention the reason why'd picked Uncle Samand the reason is: that the story perfectly illustrates why it is dangerous to idealise an ideal.
No matter how great or good it seems at the beginning.
The American psyche/spirit is one of rebellion, an unwillingness to accept the status quo. I think it can be traced back to the Declaration.
In WWII, soldiers from other countries were always amazed at American ingenuity and their ability to improvise. I think this goes back to their American way of not accepting the status quo and having a rebellious spirit.
In WWII, soldiers from other countries were always amazed at American ingenuity and their ability to improvise. I think this goes back to their American way of not accepting the status quo and having a rebellious spirit.
I think it hs to do more with the fact that there wasn't any status quo. Early Americans had to invent ways of doing things because the infrastructure was not there to be relied upon. In Europe, wherever there was a river, there was already a boat or a bridge. Imagination and ingenuity were not necessary skills. It has nothing to do with rebellious spirit.
I think it hs to do more with the fact that there wasn't any status quo. Early Americans had to invent ways of doing things because the infrastructure was not there to be relied upon. In Europe, wherever there was a river, there was already a boat or a bridge. Imagination and ingenuity were not necessary skills. It has nothing to do with rebellious spirit.
But then, someone had to have built those bridges and boats to begin with. Guess they were "Europeans", and if those skills are somehow "transferred" to the next generations simply by blood or something, then the "Europeans" and Americans should have been equally imaginative during WWII.
I'm going to have to go with the constitution. It kind of dictates the mentality/spirit of the people more than any other text or document ever has or will. If that is an okay choice?
The Ox-Bow Incident would be a pretty good contender.
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Uncle Sam, a two-part prestige format comic book written by Steve Darnall with art by Alex Ross
I forgot to mention the reason why'd picked Uncle Sam and the reason is: that the story perfectly illustrates why it is dangerous to idealise an ideal.
