The Beginning Of Labyrinth Of Solitude By Octavio Paz Essay

Alexis de Tocqueville's visit to the United States in the early part of the nineteenth century prompted his work Democracy in America, in which he expressed the ability to make democracy work. Throughout his travels Tocqueville noted that private interest and personal gain motivated the actions of most Americans, which in turn cultivated a strong sense of individualism. Tocqueville believed that this individualism would soon "sap the virtue of public life" (395) and create a despotism of selfishness. This growth of despotism would be created by citizens becoming too individualistic, and therefore not bothering to fulfill their civic duties or exercise their freedom. Tocqueville feared that the political order of America would soon become

We lost the ability to be still, our capacity for idleness. They have lost the ability to be alone, their capacity for solitude. (The end of solitude, pg.4)

According to the material, Americans are taught that their behaviors and choices made come from within themselves. This particular characteristic asserts the position of individualism. Individualism drives Americans to believing that there is uniqueness about themselves and their situation. The belief of emphasizing a human’s ability to choose is strengthened by American cultural narratives. This belief also leads to the fundamental narrative of American culture: Regeneration through regression.

Count Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) was a part of the French government and held many positions as a magistrate and political observer. Most of his observations were done on political observations and writings workings of the United States. After some time, he became a reliable source for historical and contemporary aspects of American culture. In Origin of Anglo-Americans Tocqueville makes an excellent point,

There is a fine line between what American society looked like during World War II and contemporary America. The dilemma is that society has gone from patriotism and a fight for liberty to “everyone walking around with a chip on his or her shoulder” (Carr 2). This two distinct differences on America culture and society is manifested in, Howie Carr’s “Take $2000 and Call Me in the Morning” and Ronald Reagan’s speech, “The Boys of Point du Hoc”.

Seymour M. Lipset2 contends that negative traits that plague the American landscape, such as “high crime and economic inequality”, are fundamental characteristics of and are inherently linked to a capitalistic and openly admirable democratic society. Not only does American history reside in the nature for “disdain of authority”, but current American norms signal that everyone must elevate their own status and rise above the ranks, both economically and socially. In analyzing the trends of high crime, acts such as theft, narcotics production and distribution, fraud, etc. are a means to

According to Abraham Lincoln, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Not only did the purpose of John Winthrop’s A Model of Christian Charity serve to establish a successful society, but one can assume that it was to also set a positive universal standard for all of future’s upcoming societies. However, considering the tragic events that America has caused, one can also agree that the society mentioned in John Winthrop’s A Model of Christian Charity is full of unrealistic expectations when compared to today’s society. Whether or not that is true, when that particular U.S. History lesson that discusses such American atrocities is over, it is crestfallen

After the geographical location in context of America is explored, Tocqueville begins his exploration of the origins of Anglo-American people in society.

Throughout the United States’ history, Americans have found ways to set aside their differences and focus on their commonalities in order to overcome tribulations. Leutze was able to highlight how the differences of the America people

In Charles Murray’s journals he examines the changing American landscape and how it evolves from 1960 to 2010. He looks at marriage, honesty, industriousness, religion, and crime. The first journal to examines is titled “Belmont and Fishtown— On diverging classes in the United States”. He begins the journal talking about American exceptionalism and many different qualities that make up Americans. American exceptionalism is the idea that americans are exceptional. More specifically it is the idea that the way of American life is exceptional when compared to others around the world. He describes Americans has a group of hard working people always striving for something better. He talks about American neighborliness. He talks about how generosity

Growing up in the inner city, I did not spend a great deal of my time focusing on what it meant to be an American. My daily struggles were surviving the tough streets of the city of New Orleans. In fact, my perspective of what it is to be an American was tarnished. When I think of being an American I can recall the odds of escaping poverty were huge; for one thing, the feeling

Habits of The Heart create a vision of the middle class American life with all its good, bad, strengths and weaknesses. Its examines the conflict that exists between individuality and community in this country, as well as how these conflicts effect our ability to form relationships with others, whether it is in a public arena or our own intimate relationships with family and friends. The very word individualism means to look out for number one, it implies a me society that has lost it’s way from the way it use to be. The title “Habits Of The Heart” creates images of love, faith, hope and commitment to others, a sense of belonging to something larger than yourself. Does individualism really exist, or is it that people tend to forget where

By far, Garcia Marquez's most acclaimed work is Cien Anos de Soledad or One Hundred Years of Solitude. As Regina Janes asserts, "his fellow novelists recognized in the novel a brilliant evocation of many of their own concerns: a 'total novel' that treated Latin America socially, historically, politically, mythically, and epically, that was at once accessible and intricate, lifelike and self-consciously, self-referentially fictive." <4> In it, the totality of Latin American society and history is expressed. Upon first reading, the novel appears to relate a regional history of the town of Macondo and the many generations of Buendias that inhabit it. This local

Everyone often has different perceptions of the world that significantly vary from others. As a result, our own perceptions are often internally and externally in severe conflict with ourselves or others. Eventually, an individual is often forced to reconcile their internal conflicting perceptions and required to embrace the ideologies of others. In the short story “The Blue Bouquet”, Octavio Paz suggests that when individuals have varying perceptions of the world, they are often unable to understand or embrace these different ideologies; as a result, conflicts internally and externally will naturally arise unconsciously. Individuals are often experiencing internal conflicts with themselves when their ideal perception of the world is different

Far in the distance, the faint chewing sound of people taking their first bites into their carne asada tacos, the loud, sharp clinks of tequila glasses, and the hoarse bangs of a piñata being beaten all come hand in hand, representing a Mexican celebration in La-La Land or also known as the city of Los Angeles. The city has been nicknamed “La-La Land” due to its recognition of being a place full of fun and out of touch with reality. For the past several decades, the city of Los Angeles has increasingly become a Latino city as they hosted countless festivals to celebrate the Mexican cultural holidays such as Cinco de Mayo, El Dia de Los Muertos and etc. In the book, The Labyrinth of Solitude, Octavio Paz discusses the generalization of Mexicans and emphasizes the idea of them preferring to be placed in solitude due to their fear of intimacy. The book even discusses the roles of a Mexican fiesta and cultural aspects of the Latino culture. By having Mexican holidays celebrated in Los Angeles, the city has become more invested into the Latino culture with the adoption of its cultural belief of death and celebrations techniques, which include excessively drinking, usage of guitars, letting off fireworks and celebratory gunshots.