Essays on American Culture

In his 1956 poem ‘Howl’ Allen Ginsberg portrays a vision of America that is simultaneously both apocalyptic and somewhat hopeful of the future. Ginsberg, one of the primary figures of the counterculture of Beat Writers during the 1940s and 50s, presents America as a land...

In his book Babbitt (1922), Sinclair Lewis presents George F. Babbitt, a tormented man anchored in the Roaring Twenties. Firstly described as an active citizen who is pleased with his job, his Club and all the thriving technological developments of his time, the protagonist of...

George Bernard Shaw exemplifies values of the “new woman” and “superhero” through the character of Vivie Warren, in the play Mrs. Warren’s Profession, in order to promote individualism and critical thinking amongst females. Even the male characters like Sir George Crofts and Frank Gardener are...

In his film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, director Jack Clayton develops F. Scott Fitzgerald’s comments on the society presented in the novel. Clayton’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby successfully articulates to a large extent the novel’s theme that the class structure of 1920s America...

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the whirlwind lives of the 1920s New York upper class. In the novel, Fitzgerald criticizes the unattainability of the American Dream as well as the shallow nature of the upper class. From this novel, several movie adaptations...

As The Red Scare infiltrated American culture and consciousness in the 1940’s and 50’s, few prominent players within the Hollywood film industry dared to challenge the accusations of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC); the fear of losing credibility and being blacklisted even ruffled...

Organization structure of a company is a road map to the company’s success. A well-designed organization structure makes it easier to identify inefficiencies and new problems as the organization grows. Goldman’s business of buying and selling bonds, commodities and currencies is noted to have a...

Relations between the American Indians and the English were much more hostile than those between the American Indians and the French. Firstly, the French treated the American Indians with respect on all accounts of their culture. Secondly, the English showed no mercy or reason to...

My whole life has revolved around two distinct cultures: Chinese and American. These two cultures have worked in perfect harmony to shape the way I live. Throughout my life, I have come to recognize both the distinctions that set the two cultures apart as well...

So how can Europeans reverse the trend of this American cultural domination? One route might be to take a page from the European music industry. European music producers have been increasingly having artists record songs meant just for a European audience in English, right from...

The period between 1877 to the early 1900s was the time after Reconstruction that is characterized by a greatly expanding economy and the appearance of plutocratic, or the rule of the rich, ideals within society known as the Gilded Age. This period also saw the...

Today, music festivals are far more popular in America than ever before. There was a time when there were only a handful of music festivals for Americans to attend, but now there are hundreds of festivals each year that cover almost every genre of music....

JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU) is an American minimal effort airline. The airway is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City precinct of Queens. Its fundamental base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, in Queens. In 2001, JetBlue initiated a main city...

Since America and Asia are far apart, there are a lot of differences between American and Asian culture. Everybody knows it, but it brings to mind a question, “Why are they different even though we are human-beings who are all same?” I found out why...

McDonald’s is as American as you can get, or so I thought. Eating burgers and having fireworks for the 4th of July. that is what is thought of us by the world, but of course being American is much bigger than just eating donuts and...

What would happen if there was no one around to lead the world? There would be no order and everyone would not know exactly what to do. Laws would never have been passed because no one would take charge enough to make sure they’re upheld....

The most significant event in America during our time frame of 1860-1900 is the Civil War, and thankfully everybody should already know at least the gist of the defining moment. Most of us know what happened, why it happened, and the general outcome of it...

It was around 300 years ago that the philosopher Immanuel Kant claimed that lies are wrong since they arise when someone creates for themselves an exception to the rule ‘Deception is wrong’ – a rule the deceiver himself would expect to be followed by everyone...

From the age of 11, I was told that if boys pulled my hair or poked me with pencils, it meant that they liked me. I didn’t like it that much. By 13, I had the first man look me up and down in the...

Vampires have been around for generations that there are a variety of forms of these immortal creatures with each culture having their own version. In the past, vampires have reflected the fear and things perceived as taboo in those cultures. Originally, vampires were first known...

The word value has many meanings firstly it means the worth of something that can be traded with an amount of money, but it could also mean morals, and a person’s principles and their standards. Values have to do a lot with ethics since they...

The roaring twenties were some of the best and also worst times in American History. The 1920s was the first time to have a nickname which is the “roaring twenties”. The roaring twenties was an age that people were living their best lives. During this...

The 1920’s were a decade of dramatic social change and political realignment. Forms of mass media were shaping popular culture by spreading information and bringing new ideas to the table. This new era of free-spirited popular culture, known as the “Roaring Twenties”, kicked off with...

Almost a hundred years ago, Jazz music fills the streets, flappers smoking outside while cars bustle down the streets. It is the roaring twenties. A time of joy and an ever-growing culture. Compared to today’s culture of technology and millennials, it feels like we have...

The 1920’s is still considered one of the dynamic periods in US history. From all the crazy money people like Rockefeller were making while others faced the great depression. To the temperance movement rocking society in both good and bad ways. To the explosion of...

Before the widely known Great Depression, there was an era of great economic, political, and social transformation: the 1920s. This was an equally important period; however, it is discussed less often than the following years of devastation. The involvement of people and the changes they...

In America today, individualism is at the core of American culture. In America, the ideal is for all people to be able to make their own decisions freely. We teach that individualism gives you the freedom to pave your path, make your own choices based...

The Hopi people are a spiritual, indigenous American group who place emphasis in their ancestor’s history, rather than archeologist history. Hopi people believe that their cultural landscape, or landforms that are affiliated with religious and historical affairs, bodies of water, and places of worship, includes...

The human race has developed immensely over the years. From the most ancient peoples to the modern peoples of today, we have continued to expand our horizons. The Hopi tribe sets a prime example for human development. History is important today because of how improvements...