By studying American Literature I believe the concepts and knowledge I gain from it can be applied to the Seton Hill learning objective of demonstrating ethical decision-making that is grounded in philosophical inquiry. Studying American Literature requires me to look into history and understand philosophical views of the time that influenced authors and their literary works. By understanding the philosophical views throughout history it will help me better understand the ones of today and how things have changed whether it pertains to societal aspects or religious ones, etc. For example, in Dr. Jerz’s video he compares the two different types of American dreams (the lone nomad who is true to himself and the white picket fence and being a good, productive member of society), by understanding the philosophies about the two American dreams of that time I can understand how the modern idea of the ‘American dream’ has changed and been shaped and I can make my own decisions pertaining to pursuing my own American dream in an ethical manner. Understanding how to look into historical and modern day philosophies will help me make appropriate ethical decisions that I can apply to this American Literature class and to my other classes at Seton Hill along with my daily activities.
How would you say that the two differing American ideals has changed your own “American dream?”
By realizing that there are two conflicting American dreams I realized that “the dream” is based on personal interpretation. To many people in the States they see the American Dream as the lives of the movie stars and pop stars, the people of Hollywood and Nashville, etc. To people of the world looking in on the structure of the United States, the “American dream” is being able to live in “white picket fence” home and being able to be a productive member of society. Many other countries don’t have that liberty that we have. So to answer your question, my idea of an American dream began to shift from living the life of the rich and famous to living a stable life in a nice home where I stand on my own two feet in a thriving career, contributing to the different aspects of society. Don’t get me wrong, part of my idea of living “the dream” would be living a luxurious life where I don’t have to worry about financial issues. However, the two differing ideals caused me to blend them together to create my own “American dream.”