Rugged Individualism American Literature

Explore the strengths and weaknesses of american individualism and independence by considering jack london s.

Rugged individualism american literature.

Your rugged american individualism is making you dangerous. Of the risk taking individual. The national museum of african american history. Is trump flouting health guidelines to make some tough guy point.

In america today your life chances depend largely on how you started where you grew up and how much your parents earned. American individualism was universalist and idealist but acquired a harsher edge as it became infused with elements of social darwinism i e the survival of the fittest. If he is he s not alone. The american dream promises that anyone can make it if they work hard enough and play by the rules.

We were challenged with a peace time choice between the american system of rugged individualism and a european philosophy of diametrically opposed doctrines doctrines of paternalism and state socialism. Give some examples of the rugged individual in literature in movies or in your own. Was an experience that he would mine for gems of literature for much of his writing life as evidenced in his. Rugged individualism extolled by herbert hoover during his presidential campaign in 1928 was associated with traditional american values such as personal freedom capitalism and limited government.

Supposedly it was rugged individualism that pushed the frontier ever westward and made the continent safe for ruggedly individualistic entrepreneurs to build the most spectacular economy the world has ever seen. American literature portrays these beliefs by creating characters that strive to build good lives for themselves and not have to rely on others to accomplish their goals. The acceptance of these ideas would have meant the destruction of self government through centralization of government. The term rugged individualism was coined by president herbert hoover in 1928 as a way to describe the american philosophy of self reliance and the need to be free of government control and this ideology is the problem.

Anyone can make it by pulling themselves up by their bootstraps baloney. Some of the determining characteristics include rugged individualism family structure the scientific method history work ethic aesthetics holidays justice competition communication plan ning for the future and decision making among a long and substantive list. The principle of rugged individualism is one of the foundational myths of american culture.