Outcast Theme in American Literature - Essay Example

Outcast Theme in American Literature Apparently, the United States appears to be outgoing, money-oriented and optimistic. However, in reality, it is profound, rooted in their everlasting quest for their identity, from the days of John F. Kenney to the current leader, President Barack Obama (Mihalache 34). On 29th September, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson consented to the National Foundation on Arts and Humanities Act, which sought to support arts and humanities. The president was not much of an arts supporter, but he acknowledged that culture, in the United States, had become a weapon to fight the cold war. The leader was well aware of how much supportive press leaders who were behind him, such as John F. Kennedy, has gotten for their political support of arts, as well as how much goodwill the support of arts has generated home and internationally (Mihalache 34). He anticipated that through establishing a federal art agency that he might gunner more endorsement from the East Coast liberal development, which opposed most of his policies. The endorsement of arts is what constituted to the American outcast. Americas, prior to the “arts act,” were not always kind to the artists or people who basically opted to pull out of the tradition way of life so as to arrive at some knowledge and some individual integrity. The scientists, on the other hand, always seemed to receive all the praise whereas arts and humanities received mostly negatively reviews (Mihalache 34). The American outcast theme is also portrayed in famous American literature such as Rye, Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, Scarlet Letter, Star Wars and Finding Nemo (Mihalache 35). All these works have the major theme of the main protagonist breaking away from the traditional way of life to living by trying to fulfill way the society has set for them but instead fulfill what they have set for themselves. Historically, the outcast arose from the mystique concerning frontier life (Mihalache 35). The Frontier Life, also referred to as the Turner Thesis, was an argument developed by historian Frederick Turner back in 1893, which held that American democracy was developed by the country’s frontier. As the 1774 to 1778 Governor of Virginia argued, Americans, at all times, think of a land that is far off even though they seem contented with the one that they are already settled. The governor went on to say that if Americans attained paradise, they would still move on with the slightest chance of being promised an advanced place (Mihalache 35). The culture currently entails a chance for Americans to attain prosperity by incorporating hard work. According to the outcast, this concerns the chance for one’s children to be brought up without receiving any actual schooling, but still manage to form a successful career of themselves devoid of any artificial barriers. However, at times, people can still go to school and form effective careers of themselves through the outcast in the sense that they career they picked was not traditionally expected from them (Mihalache 35). It is the chance to make personal choices devoid of the prior boundaries that restricted individuals according to their class, religion, caste, race, and/or ethnicity. People who migrated into the U.S. supported ethnic newspapers that were published in foreign language; the editors normally endorsed the outcast theme (Mihalache 35). Catcher in the Rye Holden, the protagonist of this novel, can be considered as an outcast judging by the way he used alienation as a form of self-protection. All through the book, he appears to be victimized by, as well as excluded from the world around him. He tells Mr. Spencer that he feels as if he is trapped on the other side of life and that he constantly finds himself in a world where he feel that he does not belong (Salinger 53). As the book progresses, readers start to see that Holden’s alienation is simply a way of safeguarding himself. The outcast theme is seen in the way he puts on his hat to promote his uniqueness; he utilizes his alienation as evidence that he is way better compared to everybody else around him and thus, way above to interact with them (Salinger 56). However, the truth is that interactions with other individuals normally puzzle and overwhelm him, and his pessimistic sense of power caters as a form of self-protection. Therefore, Holden’s outcast is the cause of what small stability he enjoys in his life. This outcast is the source of Holden’s happiness, as well as the source of his issues. For instance, his isolation leads him to start dating Sally Hayes, but his urge for isolation makes him to affront her and push her away (Salinger 78). Likewise, Holden longs for the meaningful love he, at one time, shared with Jane Gallagher; however, he is too afraid to make any actual attempt to reach her. He relies on his outcast, but it eventually destroys his chances. Huckleberry Finn The outcast theme in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is seen in the way Huckleberry, or just Huck, declines the normal trappings of society, such as having a home, proper manners, normal bathing and a strong work ethic among others, all of which add to a well-run or effective society. Huck is also overly lazy, but, in some instances, we see his strong side in the way he mans-up to his drunken father who was significant in making him an outcast (Twain 29). Since he is an outcast and has also overlooked society, Huck assumes Jim as his society. The two are outcasts simultaneously. Since they are escaping and are secluded on the river, they grow fond of each other in a much stronger manner than if they had stayed in their community restricted to the traditions of their times (Twain 38). Huck acquires a better comprehension of human nature, both the ostracizing society, as well as the black man's great effort and degradation, which leads him to the realization that Jim, and everybody else like Jim, is just like him. Till Mr. Jones invites Huck into his house, he has never been welcomed into anybody’s home (Twain 58). However, Huck is realistic by acknowledging that he does not belong in the community; he is an outcast. Since he exists on the edge of society, his personality acts as a kind of moral commentator on society. However, when the superficial forms and outward layers of society are removed, the reader observes another aspect of Huck's personality revealed (Twain 71). At the final section of the book, Huck proves his nobility when he jeopardizes his own life to guard Widow Douglas, and different from the typical boy, Huck does not want recognition or praise. The Great Gatsby The outcast this in this novels is portrayed by both Jay Gatsby and also Nick Carraway. Nick is certainly an outcast. Not only is Nick’s house not a mansion, nor is it sloppy, it simply does not fit in anywhere else (Scott 15). His way of reasoning is so extremely diverse from others. Also, the only character who happens to also be the protagonist of the story and who thinks most as Nick is Jay Gatsby. Jay does not exploit people for his own benefit. In reality, he lets others exploit him (Scott 16). All he wishes is for Daisy to turn up one more night so that he can try and win her back. People such as Tom and Daisy exploit others and, after they are done, throw them away. The reader would not see it this way if Nick was not the narrator of the story. When it comes to attending parties, both Gatsby and Nick never attend parties until they get an invitation. All the other individuals who flock to these two’s homes, drink, eat and prepare food devoid of invitations (Scott 23). Jay sends his messenger over with an invitation and so Nick does, at last, go, even though he just went about "participating" in the proper and correct way. Scarlet Letter The outcast theme in the Scarlet Letter is seen in the way some of the characters are publicly ashamed and yet they opt to man-up and prove society wrong (Hawthorne 78). After Hester is ashamed by the public and forced by the citizens of Boston to put on a badge of shame, her reluctance to run off might be considered as an act of trying to prove a point to the people. She is not imprisoned, and cutting ties with Massachusetts Bay Colony would be easier for her to take out the scarlet letter and also live again a normal life (Hawthorne 78). To our surprise, she responds with dismay when Chillingworth informs her that the Massachusetts’ leaders are thinking off letting her disclose the content of the letter. Hester’s conduct is rooted in her need to decide her own identity instead of allowing others to decide it for her (Hawthorne 81). This supports the outcast theme of breaking away from society to prove a point to them. To her, escaping or disclosing the content of the letter would be an acceptance of the people’s power over her: she would be accepting that the content of the letter is a sign of indignity. Rather, Hester decides not to leave, refiguring the letter as a sign of her own character and experiences. Dimmesdale is also another character who struggles against a communally decided identity. As the community’s priest, he is more of a sign to the people than a normal human (Hawthorne 82). Other than Chillingworth, everybody else those around Dimmesdale intentionally ignore his clear torment, misjudging it as holiness. Sadly enough, Dimmesdale never entirely identifies the truth of what Hester knew: that strength and individuality are achieved by calm self-assertion and through a reconfiguration, not a negative response of the identity society has given you (Hawthorne 91). Star Wars In the Star Wars novel, the outcast theme is brought out in the way heroes struggle against culture and society to define themselves both inwardly and outwardly. Outwardly, the hero fights to find his role and place in society just as he fights inwardly to comprehend his own nature (Sherman and Cragg 9). Symbolically, these endeavors assume the form of a hero who was orphaned from a young age. This secret mission was discovered at birth (habitually that he is of royal descent) and is forced to make his way in the world as an outcast. In his expeditions, the hero faces widespread opposition in the form of monsters, which he has to fight (which denotes his individual fears or failings), and he is offered assistance from wiser and older counselors (Sherman and Cragg 9). Finally, the hero seeks to climb to full maturity through assuming his position as a person of patriarchal power, normally through destroying or displacing an imperfect father figure who assumes the hero’s rightful position. Luke Skywalker’s situation can simply be regarded to fit this mythic mold. He is an orphan, unsure of his position in society, as well as even of his own self (Sherman and Cragg 15). He is confused, Ben and Yoda, who both share the elder and wise men authority, guide Luke along his path. He endures numerous adversaries, but his toughest challenge is in discovering self-mastery, and with each fight Luke grows in self-understanding and wisdom (Sherman and Cragg 98). However, in the end, he faces his own father so as to take their family’s abandoned position as heir of the Jedi Knight, as well as the figurative head of his family. Finding Nemo Finding Nemo's hurt relationship is between a son and a father, as acted among the creatures who live in the ocean. The complication is in the father's act of over-protectiveness his son (IMDb 1). Even though, one cannot blame the father because of his past experiences, this over-protectiveness causes Nemo to push himself away from his father and he is eventually caught by some fishers, which leads him to a new life trying to fulfill everything that his father had deprived him off (IMDb 1). Nemo also forms a group of friends who are also outcasts. His father two on the other had can be considered as an outcast trying to fulfill his own desires (IMDb 1). Through his journey of trying to find his son, he encounters a lot of challenges, which leads him to the reality that he was being overly hard on his son. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Boston, MA: Ticknor, Reed & Fields, 1850. Print. IMDb. Finding Nemo. N.p, 2003. Web. Mihalache, Roxana. “Quest for Identity in American Literature.” American Literature 3.4 (2010): 34-37. Salinger, Jerome D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1951. Print. Scott, Fitzgerald F. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925. Print. Sherman, David and Cragg, Dan. Jedi Trial (Star Wars: Clone Wars Novel). New York: LucasBooks, 2005. Print. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. London: Chatto & Windus, 1884. Print. Read More