Sovereignty and the Making of American Identity

Set in the historical context of some of America’s most formative years and conflicts, Days Without End is largely preoccupied with the creation of American identity, and how this was defined by powerful white men. Sovereignty of the land was sought and seized by white, European settlers. Thomas, like many of his comrades - who originate from Ireland, England, Germany, and other European states - comes to America in search of a better life and new opportunities. While other European settlers had already been in America for a few generations, the novel shows how the American continent was in a continuous flux, and that European settlers viewed it as vacant land which they were free to populate and claim as their own. This engendered a narrative that America was a land that needs to be tamed, made, and controlled...