To What Extent Is Our Nation One That Is Unsettled in Its Sense of History and Culture - Essay Example

?America’s Unsettled Sense of History and Culture Many theories have been raised about the so-called American character. From the commercials seen onTV or elsewhere promoting brands while, at the same time stoking a sense of patriotism to the politicians who appeal to the people for national unity as they advance their own agenda, the American character has been made as a point of departure or destination. However, even as this is being raised, the fact is that most Americans could not really explain what this means. Oftentimes, the definition of American that they can arrive at is one that does not typify the people in the collective sense but one that reflects what they want in life, what they desire in the future, and what freedoms they want to enjoy. The typical American is an individualist. Because of this, it would be difficult to come to a precise definition of Americans as a people, aside from the fact that they live in the same country under the same government. In this regard, it is clear that America is still unsettled in its sense of history and culture, two things that are supposed to unite a people and provide them with a common identity. However, this is not something to be feared or loathed. In fact, this is what makes America grow continuously and, with such evolution; this is also what makes Americans achieve progress that will distinguish them from other peoples. Lewis Lapham’s Who and What is American is an article that points out the various theories raised regarding the American character. Lapham manages to accurately identify the misconceptions according to the subjective views of those who wish to come up with a definition of the American character but he does not go to the extent of actually pointing out his own alternative concept. Jack Hitt’s Dinosaur Dreams, on the other hand, may discuss about the America’s fascination about the extinct gigantic reptile but it points out the tendency of the American individual to adapt to the situations that surround him in order to seize opportunities that will work to his advantage. Wedded to an Illusion by Fenton Johnson explains, however, that although the nation’s culture can indeed change, the process can be long and tedious considering that there are also powerful forces that will arise as obstacles to such transformation. Despite the fact that the United States has been a country for about four centuries already, it is very obvious that it still does not really have culture that is really commonly practiced by its people and one that it truly American. Nevertheless, certain influential sectors who wish to address the people tend to emphasize on general traits in order to connect with the majority. In so doing though, they also create the misimpression that Americans have really settled with a common cultural characteristic. Lapham explains that Americans “were always about becoming not, being; about the prospects for the future, not about the inheritance of the past.” (Who and What is American) Through this statement, Lapham puts emphasis on the notion that it is not correct to conclude that the American people can already boast of having a culture that transcends races, genders, ethnicity, classes, or religions. This is because there is even no common history to speak of. American society is becoming more and more multiracial. Even those who may consider themselves genuinely Americans could not come to agree in their interpretation of history due to the fact that they are influenced by prejudice based on their own political, ethnic, class, or religious background. Because Americans are about becoming, to state that they already have a common culture and understanding of history now is a fallacy. Hitt, on the other hand, raises a point that may be considered as supportive to Lapham’s premise. Hitt writes that through the fascination with dinosaurs as seen in the popular culture, “we sculpt their meaning; like outsized Schrodinger's cats, their existence depends on whether or not we have decided to look at them.” (Dinosaur Dreams) By using America’s enthrallment with a long extinct animal, he emphasizes that Americans can make anything non-existent alive for as long as it serves their purpose. History may not be what it really is, depending on the exigency of those who try to interpret it. In this regard, both Lapham and Hitt definitely believes that Americans have not yet arrived to clear settlement on what is their culture and what is the common appreciation of their history as a nation. Since the nation has not settled yet with a sense of culture and history, it is only expected that that typical American character is one who has yet to achieve his own identity. What is meant by identity here is not just based on the success of the individual but also on the traits that distinguish him from the rest. It is clear that the American character gives so much importance to his individuality. Without any settled sense of historical identity, the only driving force for him is for the creation of a self-image. Because of this, according to Lapham, “we find ourselves set adrift at birth in an existential void, inheriting nothing except the obligation to construct a plausible self, to build a raft of identity.” (Who and What is American) This simply means that Americans have the tendency to spend most of their lives trying to establish their own identities because they feel that their history does not adequately provide them basis for it. As individual Americans try to establish distinct identities by presenting their ideas and asserting on these, it is only natural for new concepts that will challenge and transform the old norms to emerge. Johnson reasons that “an institution embodies social norms does not render it immune to change - slavery was once socially accepted, just as mixed-race marriages were widely forbidden and divorce an irreparable stigma.” (Wedded to an Illusion) Johnson uses the issue of slavery as an effective example in his assertion that changes can really occur just as new ideas are put forward even if these are not really popular at first or even if these are detested upon its introduction. Just as Lapham expresses in his article, Johnson explains that it is the continuing search for an identity that actually prompts the evolution of a national sense of history and culture. Changes in the outlooks regarding culture and history should not be considered as a bad thing. In fact, these should be welcomed because the emergence of new perspectives that will bring about changes in culture is actually what makes American history unfold, its nationhood develop. Hitt makes an accurate analogy when he notes how Americans once consider the T-rex dinosaur as the epitome of power. However, “controversial scholarship has turned up a new interpretation of how the great meat-eater lived, and it is so at odds with T-rex's public persona that even scholars hate to talk about him anymore.” This should not be the case because the T-rex can still be considered as a symbol of strength due to its own unique ways. Johnson clearly stipulates this when he raises the argument that such realizations are actually part of the evolution of the American identity. He writes that “identity - is the logical culmination of the American democratic experiment, which provides its citizens with an open playing field on which each of has a responsibility to define and then respect his or her boundaries and rules.” The positive condition that allows Americans to achieve the sense of history and culture is that they are provided the freedoms to form their respective identities. Such freedom is the basis of change and such transformation is important in gaining identity. America still has an unsettled sense of history and culture for as long as American individuals themselves to continue their search for individuality. Such conclusion has been achieved through analyses made on Lapham’s Who and What is American, Johnson’s Wedded to an Illusion, and Hitt’s Dinosaur Dreams. However, it is only by grasping the essence of this point that Americans themselves will have a positive attitude to towards this unsettlement. Change is definitely the offspring of unsettlement. As Americans continue to see their culture and appreciation of history evolve, they also acquire characteristics that will become factors in the shaping of their identity as a nation. Works Cited Hitt, Jack. “Dinosaur Dreams: Reading the Bones of America’s Psychic Mascot.” Harper’s Magazine, 1 October, 2001. Johnson, Fenton. “Wedded to an Illusion.” Harper’s Magazine, 25 November, 2004. Laphan, Lewis. “Who and What is American.” Harper’s Magazine, January, 1992. Read More