Selected Passage No. 6
"The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas and form new opinions. From involuntary idleness, servile dependence, penury, and useless labor, he has passed to toils of a very different nature, rewarded by ample subsistence. This is an American."
The
passage, referring to a rebirth of the “American,” displays a complete overhaul
of the original, punitive worldview held by an American man. From “involuntary idleness, servile
dependence, penury, and useless labor” to “toils of a different nature,
rewarded by ample subsistence,” the author shows a drastic 180⁰ reversal of
ideology. The American man overthrew the
governing, leeching authority and became self-sustaining. Finally reaping the rewards of his own hard
labor, the American faces the challenge of realizing his new independence and
building a new sense of self-worth based upon his new freedom.
The “new principles” refer to the
existence of a failing previous moral system.
Described as being based on “involuntary idleness, servile dependence,
penury, and useless labor,” the past American man was, to the author’s
disapproval, an enslaved man. This old,
subjugated version of an American was brutally taken advantage of by a
personage deemed to be a higher power.
This influencing authority systematically stole the work, belongings,
and general independence of those under its influence.
Without an obligatory offering of
all skills, labor, and general autonomy, the American found it necessary to
embark upon a journey of self-discovery: “The American is a new man, who acts
upon new principals; he must therefore entertain new ideas and form new
opinions.” Based on the generalization
of the “American” man, it can be inferred that this quotation is referring to
America as a whole, freed from subjugation to Great Britain through the
Revolutionary War. By induction, the
author believes himself to be a witness to the birth of a new cornerstone
philosophy of the United States of America and a new American dream. This dream, based on a realistic
understanding of past pain and a hopeful glance to a new future, requires a
completely new ideological system.
Suddenly finding the freedom to make its own decisions without complete
subjection to the wishes of another, the United States of America faced the
challenge of developing a world view, deciding upon its moral code and
philosophical obligations, and developing opinions independent from the
influence of the rulers of Great Britain.
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