Beliefs and Institutions of the United States - Essay Example

How the Literature of the United States Describes the Culture of the United States through an Ongoing Criticism of the Beliefs and Institutions of the Country

Literature has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool when it comes to discussing issues that afflict the society. Indeed, the whole purpose of literature is founded upon the saying that it is the mirror that the society can look itself into and identify the ills that affect it. The United States has been indicated to be one of the most interesting places in the world. Its interest has captured the imagination of literary scholars all over the work and within the US. As a result, various works whose sole purpose is to attempt to discuss the cultural issues that affect it as a nation give its diversity and importance in the world. The present paper will be founded upon the relationship that numerous literary stories have with the prevalent culture in the United States. This objective is going to be achieved through the examination of the institutions and beliefs that are captured in the literary sources.

Toni Cade Bambara in his work The Lesson examines the absence of social equality in the American culture especially between the Blacks and Whites. In addition, the author also examines the issue of education. According to her, the education comes in varied forms in life and she thinks that it is fundamentally important given the knowledge that people gain from outside the classroom environment (Heller 280). The writer uses children to accentuate the economic and social disparities that affect the American community. The most significant literary strategy is the usage of language. The language employed by Sylvia is colorful and lively. The slang and with that she demonstrates indicate that she is an interesting, bright, intelligent, and believable character, who is likeable to the leader. Sylvia is used as a symbol to accentuate the level of despondence in the black neighborhood with regard to young children due to lack of opportunities. Also, her character is a clear indication of the fact that the children born in slums may lack equal opportunities due to their laziness and lack of effort. Through the role of Sylvia and other characters, the writer is able to highlight the societal and economic inequality that faces the United States.

The setting of the novel is dome somewhere in Harlem, which is a slum in the United States. This allows the reader to understand that the theme of social inequality and education within the African-American group in the United States relative to whites. In the novel, Sylvia tells Mrs. Moore that the assignment she has given her “really pains my ass,” which is an example of the polished nature of the slum kid Sylvia (Heller 285). Generally, Bambara indicates the absence of aspirations concerning culture in the United States. The author story allows us to see a society that has resigned itself to mediocrity and a children that prefer empty entertainment to important issues in life.

In the story To Build a Fire by Jack London, the main theme is persistence. It pushes the perception that in order to achieve an objective, then persistence needs to be exercised. The main character in this story is a man who is on a journey but tragically dies due to lack of will to overcome obstacles (Williams 1894a). In general, he story is characterized by a tone that is unemotional and very candid. However, symbolism has been used predominantly by the author. Fire features prominently in the story and I sued to symbolize the challenges that humanity faces. The wolf dog has also been used to indicate the cross between wildness and civilization that characterizes the United States society.

The setting of the story is done in Yukon, Alaska. It is important in the development of the story’s theme due to its cold weather. The narrator’s omnipresence nature is captured in the statement “He paused for breath at the top, excusing the act to himself by looking at his watch,” (Williams 1899), which further pushes the narrative. In this particular work, Jack Landon is indicting the American society for a lack of persistence when it comes to achieving objectives. As a consequence, many people have failed to achieve their goals in life.

The Wasteland’s main theme is memory and the past whereby the authors criticizes that modern society is emancipating itself from the past. According to Williams “the issue of isolation also crops up whereby the society is accused of selfish tendencies” (1900a). The author uses fire in this poem to represent the hellish state that is the modern society. Indeed, the author speaks of “the wasteland,” to indicate how far the current American society has fallen compared to the old society. The author similarly uses The Thames River to represent the filthiness of the current American society, which is a far cry from the old one. Therefore, Eliot has predominantly used symbolism to pass across its themes.

While the majority of the poem is set in the “Waste Land,” the setting seems to fly over varied places to accentuate the rottenness that is affecting the contemporary American society. According to Elliot, understanding the "physical place inside your head" notion is central to comprehending the current society (Chinitz 68). The usage of this kind of setting is fundamental as it allows the reader to see the differences between the current American society and the old one.

Generally, Elliot, in his poem, has managed to indicate the advantages that the past American society had over the present one. He castigates the modern American society for its failure to use the advantages of the older society to make the contemporary one better (Chinitz 70). According to him, the present social order is dead and a lot of efforts are required to restore it to the glorious past.

Eugene O’Neill in his work Long Day’s Journey into Night examines various themes in his book including drug addiction, family integration and societal despair in the young generation as a whole. The play is developed in a way that is realistic and sometimes poetic. The characters in the play speak using speech patterns of their daily activities. These dialogues are infused with poetic intonations by O’Neill. However, most of the poetic intonations are seen during the stage directions that are done by O’Neil as the play progresses.

Analysis of the book demonstrates that the author has developed imagery and symbolism patterns to develop the themes. He has used fogs and foghorns to depict isolation and the darkness that has descended upon the society with regards to the drug menace. He also uses the car to represent the love that James had for Mary, only for it to be misconstrued by her. The alcohol and morphine used in the work portends the fact that the society has despaired-they are basically going nowhere. The day and night usage represents the cycle that the Tyrone family is trapped, which further leafs to its disintegration.

O’Neill uses a setting that encompasses a summer house for his work. The house is essential since it is the one thing that represents something that the characters can call a home in the story. The house is not used a lot indicating the despondence that the Tyrone family has been suffering. Tyrone writes a letter stating that he want to get "forgiveness for all the four haunted Tyrones” (O’Neill 34), which is indicative of the despondence in his family. In this work, O’Neill is criticizing the society for allowing the fabric of the family to disintegrate. Thus, parents have almost become powerless as their children engage in vices.

In the work A Streetcar Named Desire, the author Tennessee Williams covers a range of topics including sex, society and class, and drugs and alcohol. The author has predominantly used allegory, imagery and symbolism to advance the themes that he covers in the book. He has used flowers in the novel, which are representative of desire and death in the novel. Lights and the paper lanterns have also been used to symbolize various things in the novel. Blanche uses the paper lantern to block certain things from her life. The use of the paper lantern similarly indicates that women do not like their ageing process to be noticed. Mitch says of this:

"I don’t think I ever seen you in the light. That’s a fact! [..] You never want to go out in the afternoon. […] You never want to go out till after six and then it’s always some place that’s not lighted much. […] What it means is I’ve never had a real good look at you" (Williams 28b).

The setting of the story in the apartment is important as it allows the author to mirror the tension in the societal relationships in the United States. The setting succinctly captures all the themes that are covered in the play. In the play, the author criticizes the existing sexuality issues and racial tensions within the society. Also, he criticizes the society’s obsession with the external beauty of the body as well as the fact that it has turned its eyes on the drug menace that is eating away the American society.