Through engaging with diverse variations of American literature, I have gained a deeper knowledge on the historical and cultural context of the United States. This unit has given me profound insight on a number of issues in America, and society in general. The texts studied greatly differ in the sense that the writers’ perspectives and commentary on civilisation are distinctly positive or negative, highlighting that America is a nation of paradoxes. America claims liberation and prides themselves on such ideals, yet through an exploration of literature in this unit, it is unequivocal that many Americans remain oppressed.

In blog 1, I analysed Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. Thoreau comments on the passivity of human existence, confronting a society that is concerned with materialistic desires and is indifferent to the true purpose of life. Thoreau goes into the woods to “live deliberately”, separating himself from oppressive civilisation in order to find freedom and a sense of self. This is ironic to me as America speaks of attaining “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (qtd. in unit outline) yet Thoreau felt it was crucial to distance himself from American civilisation in order to fulfil these aspects of his life, highlighting the paradoxical nature of America. Thoreau’s tone is dichotomised by Whitman who I explore in blog 2, using his poem ‘Crossing Brooklyn Ferry’ to inspire my own poem. I had to focus on small details in Whitman’s poetry such as the repetitive exclamations and romanticised language which portray his excitement as he observes the beauty of people and the experience of being in a vibrant city. A similar city to which Thoreau felt the need to separate himself from, elucidating that America is a nation of paradoxes through these two writers whose perceptions on the same society contradict each other.

In blog 3, I examined Du Bois’ statement; “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the colour-line”. This depicts the oppression felt by many Americans as it refers to the continuous discrimination that African American people encounter, despite being in a country that advocates the belief that “all men are created equal” (qtd. in unit outline). In blog 4 I got creative again, extending on the anger felt by Du Bois, by using William Faulkner’s character Jewel as inspiration for a short story. This blog allowed me to try something that was new to me, which is significant to understanding this unit as many American writers, such as Walt Whitman, broke away from traditional writing styles.

I came to conclude my analysis of American writing in blog 5 with T.S Eliot’s ‘The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock’. Here the city is described as “dull”, and its protagonist is a disconsolate man who is afraid of judgement and feels oppressed by mundane society. He talks about being in a state of emotional paralysis and being disconnected from people. By this point I realised a similar message being made by all these writers on American civilisation being oppressive in some shape or form.

Conclusively, this unit made me realise that America is a nation of paradoxes as it is a country that claims freedom and equality, yet leaves so many people oppressed according to its literature.