America

Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair…
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on...

This excerpt from “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes shows how many in America feel about themselves. We think of Americans as being enduring and courageous people in our literature.

Eudora Welty. In “A Worn Path,” by Eudora Welty, she tells the tale of an older grandmother who is traveling far from home to acquire the medicine needed for her grandson. This woman endures walking a long way, while needing a cane, through the country and into the city. She had even forgotten why she had gone to the trouble to go to the pharmacy by the time she got there. Welty shows that through everything, the woman stuck through with it no matter what, even despite not remembering a clear motive.

Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes, in “Mother to Son,” also shows this obstinate attitude and strength in endurance that Americans give themselves. A mother is writing to her son about how life throws obstacles in your path and that he should do as she did and continue treading along through it all. You shouldn’t even stop to rest but continue plodding on.

But we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we glorious Americans will occasionally astonish the God that created us when we get a fair start.
-Mark Twain

Mark Twain. Another writer, Mark Twain, showed our American ideals through his writing. In his books, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, he tells the stories of common boys and people that are no different than many living on the Mississippi today. He tells of them overcoming barriers as well as physical obstacles like the river itself or the weather. He also challenged the way people oppress one another.

Individualism. All of these authors show in their writing how Americans view life as a rugged path that can be tamed and beat down to our will; that we, as Americans, can overcome anything. Our cockiness and outright ignorance of others is one of America’s greatest strengths and faults at the same time. We are individuals who strive to make our lives what we want them to be. We have a lot of self-confidence as a nation and probably think more of ourselves than we should. More than likely, this is one of the reasons why other countries dislike us so much.

Americans are a strong people.