An American National Character

Paper Summary:

This paper asks and attempts to answer the question of what defines the American national character. The paper first takes a look back at the character of the Puritans to see how much of their resilience and courage has become part of America's national character. The paper then goes on to characterize three great men in American history, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and Walt Whitman, to see if elements of their character have become part of America's national character as well. Finally, the paper concludes by naming the outstanding characteristics of these historical figures and suggesting that, combined, they define a national character Americans should strive for.

From the Paper:

"The Puritans (The American Puritans: Their Prose and Poetry). When analyzing the possibility of a "national character," one must first discuss the original immigrants who arrived on this continent, why they came, who they were, what they believed. They were Puritans, "resolved to "purify" the Church of England;" but were they also hoping to "purify" the new continent in North American? Was the execution of the Archbishop of Canterbury and King Charles I in 1649 a true "purification" "or was it murder in the same blood-soaked clothing that the Puritans loathed and fought to end" Had they become the very thing they abhorred?"

More papers on An American National Character:

• Analytical Essay # 56017 : "The American National Character"
• Book Review # 102815 : "An American Tragedy" and the American Dream"
• Book Review # 107870 : "Democracy, An American Novel"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: