The American Experience | RD

ENG 270B

Xavier A. Talamantes

April 2nd 2020

Wordcount: 1003

The American Experience | Unrefined Edition

What is the American experience, the raw and gritty nature of our country and culture? Growing up, my family moved and traveled a lot, which allowed me to experience many different regions of the country from a more lived-in point of view (not vacation). Manifest destiny has spread our borders so wide and vast, we encompass across a continent and are in about the same weight class as two more. Being American is hard, as states can be thought of as their nations, with their histories and biases. The socioeconomic relationship between the states is not on even ground as well. California, Washington, New York, and Texas cultures and populations largely overshadow the other forty-six states that are in the union–and they face internal conflict as well. What is it to be born in Seattle or Spokane. To get back on track, it’s with hesitation I go on to talk about the proposed question, “what is American Literature?” I don’t believe it’s possible to answer that question without overlooking too many religious, economic, gender, age, geographic, and ethnic groups. Though that has been historical. 

With that noted, I’ve decided to do my focused reading on E. Annie Proulx’s, The Half-Skinned Steer (the Atlantic). As I said, when I say American, I don’t believe any work to truly capture the essence of America, as there’s too broad of cultures and experiences for anything to truly relate and convey to everything. I can concede that there does seem a prevalent idea of what is American. From Hollywood, perhaps lingering wonder from the old days of uncharted lands and untold riches. The idea of going out into the world alone and making something out of nothing seems to be a national fantasy. [thesis]Our heritage tells us we meant to be pioneers of technology, democracy, and that we cannot trust anyone–Your fate is yours alone.[thesis] As Ari Bang (an American literature class student) comments the American image in a class reading, “they seem to be very good at hunting-even if it seems hard to do-they will do it for the benefit of themselves” (Laulima), emphasizing the individualistic nature American culture imposes.

In Proulx’s writing, we’re taken about to a time roughly between 1930-1990. We’re able to read about the conflict between regional and economic division between our protagonists, Mero, experiences in Wyoming (West) and his later life in Massachusetts (New England). I feel this story strongly illustrates the independently ambitious concept of the broadly American heritage I had mentioned before, as he leaves his poor rural family & lifestyle in pursuit of a more socially accepted successful one. The worldly and material life of conquest.

Throughout the story, we bounce between present and past as Mero finally returns home for his brother’s funeral. He struggles to come to terms with his past, and actively tries to differentiate himself from his family as he relives memories. Reasons he uses are largely economic, as he boasts he has become wealthy from his work & his ability to buy expensive purchases. His negative view towards his family and past illustrates a socioeconomic divide between classes. He also notes his many sexual encounters and his physical state throughout the story which further emphasizes the material base for the American heritage. There is little said about personal behavior and philosophical or spiritual development, only material wealth and physical ability (beauty & performance). 

Another theme greatly present in both this story and broadly American culture and history is the relationship between man and nature. Proulx highlights this throughout the story many times. The lack of emotional awareness, empathy, and the overbearing struggle to gain more, expand further, and ownership has caused a conflict between man and nature. Man is separate from nature, has to harness the elements, and convert everything it encounters into a resource. I feel like this is a parable for broadly American culture and value today. Manifest destiny wasn’t about peacefully uniting similar people groups who shared common values, as it was about expanding ownership and claiming resources–It has been a defining philosophy. 

Relating this borderline political science paper to literature, I believe many critically acclaimed works of American literature showcase first, this consistent idea of rags to riches and man’s timeless material pursuit of property, partners and affairs, and material wealth. The struggle to gain more for themselves is largely to showcase to others around them to reaffirm their status. Secondly, and increasingly with modern works, we’re looking at our relationship with ourselves, each other, and the greater world around us. This inner reflection acknowledges this negative narrative and offers social criticism. It opens up the question of our relationship with nature and its inevident outcome. Largely, there is more discussion about the morals we choose to identify with as a nation, and how those may conflict with our social view of success. While ambition, pride, and greed have been with us since the beginning, we’ve also nurtured a spirit of tolerance, innovation, and empathy.

The United States was founded unconventionally, and since then as a people and culture, the identity has struggles to maintain itself with every expansion and inclusion of another ethnic group, widening pay gaps, and world crisis. Thus, anything associated suffers a similar fate. The “American” essence is hard to pin-point in literature from a cultural stand-point as everyday individuals’ experiences vary too greatly. But pulling from a root that has been with the broader culture and history of the nation from the beginning, the American heritage, there has been an undeniable conflict between man and nature. Authors seeking to write about America I believe try to answer this relation, and as they write, science discovers, and we find every day. Nature doesn’t forget, and this conflict only results in destruction. “It tossed its head, and in the howling, wintry light he saw he’d been wrong again, that the half-skinned steer’s red eye had been watching for him all this time.” (Proulx, “The Half-Skinned Steer”).

Works cited

The Half-Skinned Steer, “Proulx”, the Atlantic. November 1997.