Like all literature, American literature is a unique reflection of American culture. As one of our first great writers, Hawthorne captures two key aspects of our unique cultural identity: a complete paranoia regarding authority and our fascination with the occult.
In this blogpost, choose one of the following prompts. Be sure to provide specifics where asked and give details to show your understanding. Your blogpost should be a minimum of 4 paragraphs and include appropriate media to support your thoughts.
Option One: In what ways has the USA's obsession with finding faults in leaders hurt our nation? Identify a leader in US History who has been wrongfully (or too severely) vilified and theorize as to what might have been had that particular person been able to perform their duties without unreasonable scrutiny. Feel free to use both current and historic examples, but they must be from the USA.
Option Two: Young Goodman Brown is a perfect example of our countries unique relationship with the "occult." It shows how our country, founded by a deeply religious yet deeply superstitious people, is infatuated with the "dark forces" around us. In what other ways is our fascination with the mysteries of the supernatural demonstrated? That is, in what other forms of art (literature, film, television, visual art) do you see this obsession with the occult? What does that say about American culture? Be sure to be specific- and be sure to be exact. For example, while the movie, The Ring is a good example of occult fascination, it is not an American story.
Enjoy!
Mr. T
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