Summary:
Allan Ginsberg and James Agee have given us the idea that Americans have an image of a perfect American for its citizens that have caused a large amount of America's problems with racism, American dependence on media to form its own opinion, and war. This perfect American is usually white, male, middle class citizen, early thirties, and very successful at what it is that they do.
Samantha Wyatt
Dr. Teresa Jones
English 1101
2/15/06
America in the Eyes of Ginsberg and Agee
Allan Ginsberg and James Agee have given us the idea that Americans have an image of a perfect American for its citizens that have caused a large amount of America's problems with racism, American dependence on media to form its own opinion, and war. This perfect American is usually white, male, middle class citizen, early thirties, and very successful at what it is that they do. Allan Ginsberg ferociously attacks American for conforming to this way of thinking instead of being a country that believes and respects individuals for their individuality and difference in opinion. James Agee does almost the same thing in his writing "America, Look at your shame" where he calmly recollects a story about a bus ride he had, which strongly portrays the prejudices that a person who doesn't fit the profile of the perfect American has to go through. Agee and Ginsberg both believe that in order for America to change the woes of its society, each citizen along with the government has to take a stand against racism, the perfect image of an American citizen, and war.
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James Agee's "America Look at Your Shame" focuses on racism in America and how those of us who believe that it is wrong should stand up and voice our opinions to the oppressors of these people. His main subject is the racism against blacks, but there is subtle hints that suggest to us that it's not just about blacks versus whites, it's also about racist whites versus non-racist whites, Jews against those who don't like Jew (Hitler and others). He mainly uses blacks versus white racism as an example of how America contradicts itself because it calls itself a melting pot with segregated schools and race riots. We are fighting against Hitler for the subjugation of a race of people, but here we are, Almost like Hitler, in America trying to and in some ways succeeding at this expression of hate towards a race of people who skin color is darker than theirs. Agee tells us about this social conflict as and how it is handling by the racist, the non-racist, and the oppressed. Agee would not say anything to the offender because of fear of not belonging with their own. The soldier says ."..f@#king n@#$%ers all over the whole God damned f@#king Nawth. The word cut through my solar plexus like a cold knife, and the whole bus, except for those two voices and the comments of their friends, was suddenly almost exploded by an immensely thick quietness ..."(5). Agee's vision of America is different from that of Ginsberg because it takes blame away from the government and highlights the fact that the people of the American population can change the vision of this country by changing how they treat people that are different from that perfect American image.
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"I was trying to think what to do and what to say. I repeatedly, a very clear of the moment I would get up, draw a standee aside and hit the big young sailor..." (Agee 5). He advocates the fact that our vision of America can be instantly changed by us if we stop treating people differently from the way that they would want to be treated if they had to face the same adversities that the blacks had to go through.
In Allan Ginsberg's "America," explains to us how the image of the perfect American has infiltrated our society through magazines and television. "Are you going to let your emotional life be run by Time Magazine?"(Ginsberg 34).Ginsberg mocks the perfect American by saying that he does things like smoking marijuana and saying things like "I won't say the lord's prayer" (Ginsberg 33). He defiantly rebels against everything most Americans believe in and at the same time includes him self in those things, in order to show that everyone no matter who you are have accepted that image of the perfect American. Along with believing that Americans treat each other based on what they believe is the right way to be, Ginsberg also believes that war is not the way that the government should deal with foreign affairs. He fears that America is risking harm fighting against these countries. He says "The Russia's power mad. She wants to take our cars from out our garages" (Ginsberg 34). Allan Ginsberg is a Humanist that believes in what Agee believes but on a larger scale. He doesn't jus talk about one particular problem that America faces, instead he elaborates on war and the social side of Americans and things about it that he thinks need to change.
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Essentially, all the things that these authors envision are all possible ways in which we can improve America present and future by learning from our present and our past. Both authors believe that changing the standard for being a productive member of society and are respected as just that and be seen for being human and not for anything else. They also believe that foreign affairs changes in America can enable it to become a more solidified country and be an example of what a truly powerful and respectful nation should be. The point that all the authors were trying to illuminate to us was that America has many issues that have resolutions but are often not realized, and some that are realized nothing is done by the people or the government to solve these problems. Even though the government and people know these issue if not addressed and addresses properly may eventually result in even more damage to America that may result in so many other issues that could possibly bring America to its knees and devastate the millions of people that live in America and depend on the way the country is run to decide the direction in which their life take them. Overall Agee and Ginsberg tell us what they believe American needs to change in order to begin the process of change. They are casting the first stone by enlightening the people around them about these issues so that we realize and always be aware of the things that don't make us America.
Works Cited
Agee, James. "America, Look at Your Shame." The Best American Essays. Ed.Robert Atwan.
New York: Houghton, 2004. 1-8.
Ginsberg, Allen. "America." Course Book. Ed. Teresa Jones. Carrollton, GA. UWGUP. 2005.
33-34.
This is the complete article, containing 1,074 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page).
