Ethnic Literature Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Literature Essay The term â€Å"ethnic† when in conjunction with the word â€Å"literature† in the academic discourse community of students, often brings out mixed feelings of excitement and dread. On the one hand, students understand that they will be getting away from the canonical American literature – which can equal boring in their eyes; on the other hand, students interpret the term â€Å"ethnic literature† to mean distinctive – which can equal confusing or ambiguous – and perhaps at times not relatable because it is outside their scope of experiences. Perhaps before jumping into why it matters, the term â€Å"ethnic literature† should be defined first and because I am still learning how to interpret this term myself, I searched for a suitable one I could agree with. I found one in an article entitled â€Å"Assessing Teachers’ Knowledge of Multi-Ethnic Literature†, and the article actually used another source themselves to come up with a workable, layman’s definition. Ethnic literature as defined by D.E. Norton (as the article’s source) is, â€Å"Literature about racial or ethnic minority groups that are culturally and socially different from the white Anglo-Saxon majority in the United States, whose largely middle-class values and customs are most represented in American literature† (qtd. in Hager Thompson 22). I think this definition works well to define what ethnic literature is on a surface level, but the more I dig in, I feel that this idea goes much deeper. I asked myself, who can write about ethnic literature? Can anyone just pick up a pen so to speak and tell a story about a young Japanese boy, or a Hispanic family? Can an African-American writer write about Hispanic or Chinese people and claim it is ethnic literature? And the answer to myself is no. Why? Because unless that African-American has been submersed in the Hispanic or Japanese culture from the time of childhood, how are they going to capture the very essence of being, thinking, and living day-to-day in that culture? And even if that African-American had, they would still most likely have a different perspective from the average Hispanic or Chinese person because of being different themselves (i.e black) and perhaps are treated different by the community at large which corrupts the â€Å"normal† cultural thinking. At this deeper level I am trying to get at, I find John M. Reilly’s article â€Å"Criticism of Ethnic Literature: Seeing the Whole Story† helpful in acquiring this. He states that, â€Å"the assertion of ethnicity in literature can be made only through a procedure by which the writer resolves formal problems what moves from recognition of identity to creation of a strategy for handling reality still is not literature until the individual author sustains her or his ethnic identity through a sequence of formal choices† (4). I am interpreting this to mean that as a reader of this literature, I should see and feel throughout the story (perhaps subtlety) that in some way, the characters mindset (and perhaps actions) in the story differ from my own specifically because of the culture they have grown up in in, which has shaped that character’s thinking. There are thoughts and feelings – ideas, I don’t understand without further explanation from the author, which is sometimes provided, and sometimes not. An example of this is in Brando Skyhorse’s novel The Madonnas of Echo Park, I find myself wondering what the significance of the jacaranda trees mentioned in different parts of the book. Looking up what they are, it becomes apparent to me as jacaranda trees are native to Central America – roots back to their homeland. The blossoms from the trees fall and are scattered everywhere. Felicia in chapter 2 states that â€Å"there’s no way getting away from them† (25). Basically meaning, you cannot escape who you are and where you come from. I would not have understood this had I not explored the history of that tree to uncover the significance in the book. Another example is in Seventeen Syllables in the story â€Å"Seventeen Syllables†. The story about a Japanese family is easy to read, but is hard to connect with as I don’t share the same philosophies about a woman’s place in the Japanese culture. A specific instance in the story was when Mrs. Hayashi, Rosie’s mother received her the first place prize for her stellar Haiku. When the man from the newspaper presented her with a package, Mrs. Hayashi, stating she knew it was unorthodox, asked if she might open it because she was very curious. (Yamamoto 17). At this point, I am thinking to myself, â€Å"I don’t get it – why wouldn’t she open it?† but upon reflection, I considered the patriarchal society that is dominant in this culture, and perhaps it is the wife’s obligation to consult or have the husband open the gift, even if it is not specifically for him. Yet another example is in Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. To come specifically to the point, I do not understand this idea of why it is understood that Dominican men are supposed to be these â€Å"manly men† that women flock to and fall on their knees for. That the sexual appetite along with innate sense of charisma from Dominican men is expected, and when it’s lacking, it doesn’t go unnoticed. â€Å"Anywhere else his triple-zero batting average with the ladies might have passed without comment, but this is a Dominican kid we’re talking about, in a Dominican family: dude was supposed to have Atomic Level G, was supposed to be pulling in the bitches with both hands† (24). Why is this idea so indoctrinated in this culture according to the book? This is perhaps something I will never understand, except that it is a part of their culture. All of these examples are all good and well, but the important question is why is ethnic literature important? What can be gained from reading it? From a most basic viewpoint, it is a highly effective vehicle for helping people understand themselves and the world around them. Thompson and Hager in their article state that, â€Å"multi-ethnic literature mirrors and validates the experiences for minority groups and juxtaposes the familiar with the less familiar for mainstream children† (22). In other words, through reading ethnic literature, readers can find ways to connect with others around them that are different. The article also states that when readers are exposed to divergent thoughts, language patterns, value systems, and different ways of living, that it can open up awareness about others and create compassion and understanding towards them that might not have happened without the literary exposure (23). To sum it all up, I will never argue against the instruction of ethnic literature in the school setting. In fact, I think teaching it should begin right from the beginning in kindergarten, and perhaps one day we won’t need the designated term â€Å"ethnic literature† – perhaps one day it can just be â€Å"American Literature† and part of the regular American canon of literature. Works Cited Diaz, Junot. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. New York: Penguin, 2007. Print. Reilly, John. M. â€Å"Criticism of Ethnic Literature: Seeing the Whole Story†. Critical Approaches to Ethnic Literature. 5.1 (1978): 2-13. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. Skyhorse, Brando. The Madonnas of Echo Park. New York: Free Press, 2010. Print. Thompson, Deborah L. and Jane Meeks Hager. â€Å"Assessing Teachers’ Knowledge of Multi-Ethnic Literature†. Yearbook of the American Reading Forum. 1990. 21-29. Web. 21 Apr. 2012. Yamamoto, Hisaye. Seventeen Syllables. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2001. Print.

Gun Control in America Essay -- Second Amendment The Right To Bear Arms

One of the biggest issues facing our nation today seems to be gun control. The government is constantly proposing legislation for more and more gun laws. There are people that feel strongly on both sides of this issue. Neither side wants more gun violence; the question is how to control gun violence. The Second Amendment to the United States constitution states â€Å"a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed†(U.S. Constitution). The founding fathers included this in our bill of rights because they feared the federal government might oppress the population if the people did not have the means to defend themselves as a nation and as individuals. Law-abiding citizens should have the right to protect themselves against danger. One way citizens can protect themselves is through concealed carry permits. A concealed carry permit allows the permit holder to carry a gun (concealed) in most public places. If an applicant meets a set of requirements, a concealed carry permit is issued. These requirements may consist of a licensing fee, safety training course, fingerprinting, a clean record and no history of mental illness. This is also known as â€Å"shall-issue† laws. Thirty-two states have enacted "shall-issue" concealed carry laws (New Mexico being the most recent in April 2001), and one state, Vermont, does not require any permit of its residents....

Love Is Able to Say Sorry Essay

Love, as in enabling a loving relationship to survive, is all about being able to say sorry. In life, no one is perfect; everyone makes either big mistakes or small mistakes. There is nothing wrong with making a mistake, but there is something wrong about not admitting it. Thus, saying sorry is very necessary in any relationships, especially in romantic love. I have heard that, â€Å"Love means never having to say you’re sorry†. In my opinion, it is not true, but â€Å"love, as in enabling a loving relationship to survive, is all about being able to say sorry†. Apology is not supposed to be easy to all people. Why do people consider saying sorry as such challenging endeavor? Almost of the people find that saying sorry is a sign of weakness. Human often has a high consciousness of their self, so they feel like they are in danger of losing their power and status when they say sorry to others. However, if you want to maintain a relationship, especially romantic love, saying sorry is essential since an apology shows your respect for your partner as well as for yourselves, and you will understand each other deeply. Firstly, an apology shows your partner that you care enough about him and your relationship to be responsible for your hurtful actions. All of us know that respect for each other is the very fundamental factor for a long-lasting love. Obviously, if you do not respect him, you never care what he thinks about you, never want to apologize him. Thus, when you say sorry, you show your respect for your partner. As a result, he realizes your love, your sincerity and your respect for him, so he more easily forgives you. Counselor Paula says â€Å"we are learning that saying sorry is about allowing yourself to be vulnerable, which is actually a sign of strength, not weakness. You learn from experience that saying sorry increases people’s respect for you, rather tha n diminishing it†. (www.mprestige.net) Secondly, an apology can clear up a misunderstanding between lovers, so that gradually they understand each other deeply. Everyone all wants and needs to feel safe with the ones that he allows into his inner circle. Not taking responsibility for wrongdoings makes people seem unsafe or untrustworthy. Surely, when loving ones, it is unavoidable that you will have quarrels, misunderstanding, and whether you have intention or not, you hurt your partner. If both of you are intolerant, do not want to belittle yourselves to admit your mistakes, you are destroying your relationship by yourselves.  In contrast, if you can admit your mistakes, apologize sincerely each other, misunderstandings among you will be cleared up. Moreover, after mistakes, and correcting them, you will understand mutually more, and get on well with each other, so obviously your relationship will be strengthened. In conclusion, saying sorry is a way of keeping your loving relationship survival. Love means being able to say you are sorry and allows you to own up to whatever behavior it was that â€Å"warrants an apology†( http://inspirationaldaze.blogspot.com.). However, an apology is just powerful when it is made by your honesty and heartiness in right moment, if not, it is fruitless. Thus, don’t afraid of saying sorry sincerely to your partner if you make a mistake.

I Am An Efficient Editor - 1779 Words

Poetry has always intrigued me due to its musical nature. I appreciate the pairing of figurative language and ambiguity to express emotions and personal experiences in a distinct, original way. Over the past few years, I have written a lot of poems and lyrics as a means of sorting my thoughts and dealing with overwhelming emotions. Entering the course, I knew my struggles would not lie in writing poetry, but rather, through deciphering the meanings behind others’ poems. I questioned my ability to annotate poems and write about them in an academic format. In my self-assessment, I identified my greatest writing weakness as â€Å"my inability to be concise† because I think of numerous ways to express [an idea or thought] and have trouble†¦show more content†¦Looking over my writing preps from the semester, I am able to see how much I have grown in my ability to analyze prose and poetry. In writing prep #1, we were asked to perform a rhetorical analysis of Billy C ollins’ â€Å"Poetry, Pleasure, and the Hedonist Reader†. Even though I was often asked to perform â€Å"close readings† in high school, through making observations about an author’s writing and identifying how the text interacts with the audience, I came into WR 100 still intimidated by the process of criticizing another author’s work. In writing prep #1, I opened my analysis saying, â€Å"Billy Collins is the best-selling poet since Robert E Frost, giving his writing substantial credibility,† which now, seems like impertinent information to the overall purpose of a rhetorical analysis (citation). I also stated, â€Å"Collins’ piece on poetry and its significant influence on the human mind does a superb job of describing the pleasures that accompany it and why humans have been drawn to it for so long† (citation). Although I do say that Collins’ piece successfully achieves what he set out to accomplish, I do not explore or explain the rhetoric behind his success. Primarily, I focused on what the over-arching message of the text was, rather than making specific observations about what was being said and why. Compared to my more recent writing preps, and even to writing prep #2, there was great improvement in the thoroughness and depth

Academic Time Management - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 945 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/05/31 Category Management Essay Level High school Tags: Time Management Essay Did you like this example? With every new experience comes challenges, and anxieties that can be overwhelming if they are not handled and dealt with in a reasonable way. Beginning college is certainly no exception. Stress takes forms, most notably in the academic sense, As exams, papers, and various projects and assignments. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Academic Time Management" essay for you Create order Making the grade is an important aspect of many of college students, and the best way of getting good grades without sacrificing all aspects of a social life is effective time management. Well developed time management skills not only help to organize all the different pieces of a studentrs life it also reduces their levels of stress and anxiety, while allowing them to achieve decent grade point averages. Simply learning and implementing useful time management techniques can help me and anyone through the turbulent transition to college academic life. College life is filled with academic stressors and anxieties that consume most students. Many of the reported causes and time periods during the school semester in which students experienced heighten angst were similar and consistent among their peers. However, freshman and sophomores students had higher reactions to stress than juniors and seniors (Misra, 2000, 1). This variation is caused by the underclassmenrs lack of strong social support networks, and their underdeveloped coping mechanisms needed to deal with college stress due to demanding school work and tasks. Academic stress not only stems from the physical workload of classes, exams, papers, projects, and assignments, but also from psychological factors. Most of the pressure and stress students face is self-imposed. Students perception of the extensive knowledge base required and the perception of an inadequate amount of time to develop it, studying for exams, grade competition, and the large amount of content to master in a small amount of time, are all considered academic stressors (Misra, 2000, 1). Avoiding and not dealing with everyday stressors can lead to work and other situations pilling up and becoming severely overwhelming. Excessive negative stress and anxiety can be detrimental to a studentrs physical and psychological impairment (Misra, 2000, 2). The key to handling stress and class workloads is an effective time management schedule. The concept of time management is explained as behaviors that are believed to aid in productivity and alleviate stress (Misra, 2000, 2). Implementing time management strategies helps to organize the aspects of your life, therefore allowing yourself time to complete all the tasks necessary to reduce your stress level. In completing the tasks in a scheduled and organized fashion a student will also enhance their academic performance and achievement. Time management behaviors consist of starting large assignments well before their due dates, breaking down large assignments into small ones, and completing small tasks on a regular schedule. Other effective tactics include setting goals and priorities, the use of lists and mechanics, an organized workplace, and the perceived control of time (Misra, 2000, 2). Studies conducted on college students have shown that while using these management strategies reduced their levels of stress, females were more apt to respond to them than males (Misra , 2000, 3). The mere feeling of being in control of a stressful situation drastically reduced students anxiety related to that situation. Although controlling stress is an important aspect of the transition to college, being successful is even more significant. Time management has also been linked to overall higher GPAs of college students. Using effective time management skills allots a student significant time in which to complete all their academic tasks. The more study time that is given to a certain class or subject has a positive effect on the grade received for that particular class. Students understand that as they take more classes, they will have to devote the extra time needed to study for those classes. They also understand that the higher GPA that they hope to attain, the more committed they must be to academics. This determination leads them to schedule and organize their complex lives into a system that will allow them to achieve the goals that they have set for themselves. Time management ability was positively associated with quarter GPA. Time management ability was also positively associated with amount of hours scheduled to be in class and amount of study time because better time management ability increased the effectiveness with which time is used(Lahmers, 2000, 3). Studies have found that students spend forty or more hours a week on academic activities, 55 hours per week sleeping, 8 hours eating, and 20 hours involved with leisure activities (Lahmers, 2000, 7). This full-time academic schedule of most college students demonstrates the need and usefulness of time management techniques. It is even more imperative to college students who, on top of their academic workload are juggling a part time job, to implement an organized time management schedule. The most precious resource of a college student is their time and learning to control this commodity is the key to academic success. Starting college is a challenging transition to adapt to and having the opportunity to be able to utilize beneficial time management strategies should be available to all college students. Research shows that these skills can be easily taught, and it has been suggested that topics such as time management be incorporated into freshman orientation programs (Lahmers, 2000, 8). Academic stress is very prevalent throughout many college campuses and is the cause of many students decisions to drop out of universities (Misra, 2000, 4). Time management has been a proven stress reducer, by helping break up and spread out workloads so that students can complete assignments with as little anxiety as possible. Using such organizational techniques also allocates ample amounts of study time for each class improving students GPA. Time management strategies provide an effective guide for working your way through any college experience and are invaluable to every type of university student

Things Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe - 1265 Words

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is markedly relevant to our current course of studies in World History, as it tells a story based on European Imperialism in Africa. Coming off the heels of our Imperialism unit, this post-colonial novel provides very helpful context on different civilizations’ perspectives throughout the Age of Imperialism; aside from analyzing death tolls, descriptions of conflicts, and names of countries, it was previously hard to envision what life was actually like during that time. Reading the story of the Umuofia Tribe supported the concepts learned during class, and seemed to wholly represent (in a more relatable way) what we had previously researched. This information was valuable to a deeper understanding of the unit, and will help me better grasp future learning throughout our course of studies. Chinua Achebe was born in 1930 in Ogidi, an town in Nigeria. The child of a Protestant missionary living in an Igbo community, Achebe experienced a time where the crossroads of traditional culture and Christianity in Nigeria were very apparent. For this reason, Things Fall Apart is widely considered to be one of the most authentic novels on the Age of Imperialism; although Achebe did not experience the Imperialization itself, he was immersed in the â€Å"mixed† culture of the following decades, which lead him to write this narrative. According to Achebe, with Things Fall Apart he hoped to educate non-African readers on Africa’s true complexity and humanity,Show MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe1415 Words   |  6 Pagesbook Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe does just that. This book should be taught in schools because it shows the values and traditions of Achebe’s Igbo culture, persistently teaches life lessons throughout the book, and shows the darker reality of European colonialism in Africa. Chinua Achebe is known as one of the most influential and famous authors to ever write. Chinua Achebe originates from an Igbo background and he expresses that through his writings very well including Things Fall ApartRead MoreThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe1324 Words   |  6 Pages Chinua Achebe chose to write his novels in English to reveal a deep response of his people to colonisation and to make that response understood to people all over the world. Things Fall Apart was written in English to teach people worldwide of the struggles he faced and the people of Nigeria faced growing up. Many authors and critics have written about Achebe’s ‘Things fall apart’ adding their valued opinion on what he was trying to say and his decision to write in English. In the followingRead MoreThings Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe Essay1203 Words   |  5 Pages who took their land for monetary gain. This was a dark period of time for Africans that live there. The U.S. Civil War and The Great Depression both can be related, in this instance, to how down their people were because of what happened. Chinua Achebe said it best, â€Å"I would be quite satisfied if my novels...did no more than teach my readers of their past...was not a long night of savagery from which the first European acting on God’s behalf delivered them†(qtd. in â€Å"Morning Yet† 45). In theRead MoreThings Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe1452 Words   |  6 Pagesassume control over the Roman Empire. However, imperialism in Africa remained a recorded element from 1750 to 1945. This paper visits how control and changes were influences over the Africans during this time period as seen through Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. (UKEssays, 2015) Europe was experiencing a few financial and political changes that forced the major European forces to investigate abroad regions to add to their resources during the seventeenth century. In order for the EuropeanRead MoreThings Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe2361 Words   |  10 PagesThings Fall Apart Book Critique Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a historical fiction novel describing the life of Okonkwo in a Nigerian village succumbing to European ways, in order to portray Achebe’s view on imperialism. It was chosen for us to read by our teacher because it describes imperialism and its effects in an Ibo village of Nigeria. It also shows the treatment of natives by the Europeans and how the natives reacted. Things Fall Apart is useful to our course of studies because itRead MoreThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 735 Words   |  3 PagesThings fall apart. Achebe. Ernest Gaines once said, â€Å"I write to try to find out who I am. One of my main themes is manliness. I think Im trying to figure out what manliness really is.† Indeed, every society or culture has its own understanding of an ideal man. Even though these characteristics are different in various parts of the world, the significance of masculinity can never be overestimated. â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe is considered as one of the best examples of a riseRead MoreThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe692 Words   |  3 Pagesthe way to go. Through commercial trading Islam spread into Igboland, and this led to more Igbo people leaving the Igbo way of life for another, whether it be Islam or Christianity which divide the country in two. In the novel Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe British colonialism and the migration of Muslims to Nigeria led to the change in the faith, social and economic changes in the Igbo society. Traditional Igbo faith believes that there is only one creator or god known as ChinekeRead MoreThings Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe897 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel, â€Å"Things Fall Apart† by Chinua Achebe the Igbo tradition revolves around structured gender role. Everything essential of Igbo life is based on their gender, which throughout the novel it shows the role of women and the position they hold, from their role in the family household, also planting women crops, to bearing children. Although the women were claimed to be weaker and seemed to be treated as objects, in the Igbo culture the women still provided qualities that make them worthyRead MoreThings Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe Essay1851 Words   |  8 Pageschoice and styles are critical not only to the reader’s understanding of the text but to his appreciation as well. How language is effectively manipulated in their writings enhances the reader’s valuing of the works. The selected novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a representation of Igbo culture and their language. It explores the life of an Igbo tribe at the time of when colonization hit Africa. It could be considered as a post-colonial text, as the protagonist of the story and the otherRead MoreThings Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe1948 Words   |  8 Pageswellbeing or their absence. Things Fall Apart is a novel that was written by Chinua Achebe, who is a supporter of multiculturalism as depicted in his book through the appreciation of the differences between cultures. In his novel, Achebe has used the Igbo society as a representation of the African cultural roots. He demonstrates that interactions between cultures have both the constructive and unconstructive consequences. The primary purpose behind Achebe writing Things Fall Apart was to respond to the

Cowboys Myth V. Reality free essay sample

The American Cowboy Discuss the American cowboy in terms of myth vs. reality. How and why did this less than glamorous historical figure become transformed into our romantic â€Å"All-American† national hero? The traditional cowboy depicted in media is noble, heroic, determined, and humble – all qualities that many individuals would like to possess themselves. So it is no wonder that America has adopted this image of the rugged do-gooder as its national symbol. Through these expectations the image of the cowboy and the values he holds have been shaped and molded by years of cinema into an almost completely false assumption of what true cowboys did and how they behaved. Even popular assumptions of a cowboy’s physical appearance are often false. Cowboys in cinema are generally tall with impressive builds. However, for practicality, true cowboys tended to be shorter with smaller builds, since horses would have not been able to support the wait of a six foot four heavy weight champion for very long. We will write a custom essay sample on Cowboys: Myth V. Reality or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Despite the many fallacies surrounding the traditional cowboy a few descriptions of the cowboy’s appearances are somewhat accurate, such as the wearing of wide-brimmed hats, boots, Levis, and bandannas. However true, some of these wardrobe staples may have not been used for the purposes we believe. For example bandannas were not worn to mask a cowboy’s identity, but were in fact used as dust guards when riding behind a herd of cattle. Another unfortunately true description of the cowboy’s appearance was that they were rugged and dirty. Cowboys would travel on horseback herding hundreds of cattle for 1200-1500 miles over the course of a few months and they would not bathe often during these treks. While some of the physical aspects of the cowboy’s appearance may have been accurate, the behavioral aspects of his image are almost entirely created by media. One of the most popular images of the cowboy is that he is courageous and dedicated to justice. In reality however, cowboys were not heroes but simply employees. Employees in arguably one of the worst and hardest jobs any person could have in fact. Cowboys did not fight in duels, kill Indians, or rescue the damsel in distress. Instead they drove cattle for thousands of miles, bribed Indians to avoid conflict, and were often single. Cowboys were believed to be lone vigilantes who weather the tough terrain of a life on the road alone. However in reality the task of successfully herding hundreds of cattle over thousands of miles could not have been done by a lone ranger and was performed by groups of ten or more. Every aspect of a cowboy’s job required teamwork. These fictional accounts of cowboys were caused primarily by the romanticized portrayal of them in western literature and shows. The most famous of which is Owen Wister’s novel The Virginian written in 1902. Wister’s character embodied all of the selfless heroic characteristics we associate with cowboys in myth and his stories sparked the popularization of tales of cowboys and the frontier (Brinkley 413-414). In addition, the interest in western culture and the cowboy drove the success of Wild West shows. These shows traveled throughout the nation, as well as abroad, depicting the adventures of heroic cowboys. These shows and novels created the glamorous image of cowboys as the rugged heroes of the west. This image stuck and has remained over generations. This romanticized image of the cowboy has in fact overpowered the factual account of who they were. So much that many American’s would be surprised to learn that the hero they associate their country with was in reality a low-paid manual laborer who never rescued a maiden or stood for justice. However if America was searching for a symbol they Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation. 6th. 2. New York: McGraw Hill, 2010. 413-414. Print.