First, I would like to say that this class is going to be most excellent. Your friends will be astonished at your reading list from this year. The purpose of this blog is to allow you a place to post your answers and feedback on the novels/poetry/short stories/sermons/movies we discuss in this class. You will receive a participation grade for this activity. I require you to post at least two responses on this blog. One response should be directed towards my carefully worded question and the other response should be a directed towards a fellow classmates post.
This summer (as in now) you need to be reading the short stories entitled, "Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle" by Irving. You also need to read Part One (at the very minimum) of Ben Franklin's Autobiography.
As you read the works by these two authors I would like you to think about the following question:
How does a Nation define itself?
Please post your response to this question and a response to a classmate by August 18th, 2013.
NOTE: ADDED AFTER STEPHEN'S RESPONSE: Please keep your response to the blog question short and concise-no more than 12 sentences. I do not want you to write a mini-essay.
America is known as the Melting Pot, that is because we have a vast majority of different people with different cultures living in the United States. With such a vast pool of cultures we need to ask ourselves how does our nation define itself. After completing the reading assignment I believe there are two primary ways a nation defines itself by the people, and the practices.
ReplyDeleteThe people define a nation because they give it personality and character, America is known for its freedom, and justice that is because our people are characterized for their love of freedom and justice. In Sleepy Hollow, the people were know for their superstition, this lead to Sleepy Hollow being know as a superstitious town, the people of Sleepy Hollow defined the character of Sleepy Hollow. In Rip Van Winkle the people were known for their laziness and apathy this led to an overall idea of that area being lazy and apathetic. Finally Benjamin Franklin was know for his ingenuity and passion, this led to that time period being characterized as a time of progress in America and the World. Clearly the people of a city, state, and country play a huge part in how a a place defines itself. However the practices and culture of a people also play a large part in defining a nation.
Around the world countries a classified by their government, religion, and economic system. That is because the practices of a nation play a huge role in defining that nation. Around the world America is known as a free market republic that is because we place a high emphasis on freedom our culture reflects that in our government and economy. Countries like China and Russia place high emphasis on power so their government and economic system place high emphasis on having power. In Sleepy Hollow high emphasis was placed on superstition this lead to many people avoiding Sleepy Hollow in fear of the headless horseman. That action defined Sleepy Hollow as a place to stay away from. In Rip Van Winkle high emphasis was placed on fun and leisure this effected them by making their town a hangout for loafers and sloths. In Benjamin Franklin high emphasis was placed on Freedom and Democracy. This lead to the Revolutionary War and freedom throughout America.
In the three books we read it is clear to me that the people their beliefs and practices dramatically effect how a nation defines itself.
Stephen Steininger, Literature Class 2013.
Great thoughtful response. I had not considered examining the cultures of the two towns in Irving works.
DeleteAlthough, in Rip Van Winkle, it was mainly the men who were lazy and didn't want to work. It said that the women would hire Rip to do the work their husbands didn't want to do.
DeleteHear, hear!
DeleteI like your comment Stephen because you incorporate all of the literature we have read
DeleteI believe a nation defines the whole of its corresponding parts in two ways, its outward expressions and inward ideals. The question, “How does a nation define itself” can be further analyzed by viewing two primary aspects of a nation, the ruler and the ruled.
ReplyDeleteThe first way in which a nation defines itself is the form of government present, policies enforced and the dogmas upheld by its ruler. For example, in the nation of America the United States Federal Government adopts principles that define both its outward expression (foreign policy) and inward ideology (domestic policy). In other words the outward and inward principles fostered by a nation are contingent on the ruler’s agenda.
By offering input that is used to direct a country the people also play a key role in delineating the character of a nation. In short, a nation is simply defined by its government, which is in turn defined by the ideals of the people.
All that to say, a nation’s government and people define themselves by both thier outward expression and the inward principles. This truth is not only existent within the governments that comprise our current society, but is also innate in both the fictional and non-fictional ‘nations’ that composed our reading assignment.
Colby Johnson
American Literature Summer Reading Assignment.
‘How does a nation define itself?’
Well said I think it was helpful for me to see the syllogism you used in answering the question. The government define a nation, the people define the government, therefore the people and their ideals define a nation.
DeleteVery well said Colby, and nice use of vocabulary.
Then how does China define itself as a nation? What about North Korea? Very seldom do the people actually define the government so are countries where the people have no control over the government, nations? Maybe I am just misunderstanding but by this definition only a select few countries are nations.
DeleteThat's an excellent point. However I believe a nation defines itself in two ways the ruler and/or the ruled. In countries such as china or North Korea the countries are defined primarily by the "ruler" rather than the ruled. Like I stated, "the first way in which a government defines itself is the form of government present, policies enforced, and dogmas upheld by its ruler." In some cases the people do play a part, but in examples such as china and North Korea the ruler does indeed define the nation. Does that make more sense? My apologies for the confusion.
DeleteWell stated. Very interesting about how a nation's leader and a nation's people can have totally different aspects of the definition of their nation. Does this mean ALL nation's have two definitions?? Does America have two definitions of itself as a country? -Nick
DeleteThat's a very fascinating question. I think the answer to your inquiry is simply that both a nations ruler and the ruled conjunct to establish the ideals fostered by a nation. Oftentimes either the ruler or the ruled posses the majority of the power and in turn assume the role of adopting the nations outward expressions and inward ideals. To answer your second question, America is defined by its form of government which vests the power to define in the people. Hope that answered your question.
DeleteColby, well said. I really appreciated how you separated the ruler and the ruled. I think the reason many revolutions begin is because the ruler and the ruled have very different definitions of their nation. Would you agree?
DeleteI most certainly agree. When the people and the government have alternate ideals and expressions that conflict with each other they tend to cause civil dispute.
DeleteA nation defines itself in several ways but the thing that sets one nation apart from another is the culture. This includes the language, cuisine, social habits, religion, history, etc. For example if you went to France what would tell you that you were truly in France? On the streets of France you will find shops that only sell a specific type of item, there are musicians on the streets, artists are everywhere, the food is always fresh, portions are small but there are many courses and the people take two hours for their meals, the monuments which reveal France's past are scattered throughout the country, and the list goes on and on. Every nation has their own culture and it is one of the biggest defining points for any nation.
ReplyDeleteGreat response, Lauren! You talked about how the culture of a nation defines it, but would you agree that often a nation encompasses several different cultures? If that's the case, wouldn't the citizens within a country have many different views of the country?
DeleteLike if you asked a Chinese-American what he thought about cheeseburgers. Probably a different response than you or me. The same can be said about any aspect of culture found in a nation.
DeleteMegan,
DeleteNot necessarily. While like Sam said, a country like america has many different people groups and differing views, there are many countries that are not this way. Take for instance Nippon(Japan)(yes, in know you all knew i would bring up japan). In Japan, the highly contextual culture is one of the richest in the world. the japanese value the same values today as they have for hundreds of years. to them some of the most important things in a society are honor, elegance, dedication, harmony, support of society as a whole, and functionality. These virtues have defined Nippon since the 100ADs and still do today. Their culture dictates how they operate. In such a state as Nippon, the society does not encompass many different views, but one harmonious honor, support, and dedication too.
Many eastern countries like Korea and many smaller countries, have one respectful view of their country. This springs from the difference in western and eastern society. Westerners are all to quick to think of themselves and their advancement, while easterners are much quicker to be concerned with their society as a whole. They are concerned about the harmony and function of their country more than the success of their faction in many instances.
One way I believe that a nation defines itself, is by who or what it identifies itself with. For example, Muslim nations identify with Allah, therefore, that's how that nation is defined. Another way, to quote Batman, "It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me." How a nation acts towards other nations, in my opinion, is one way of how that nation is defined. Thirdly, like Stephen said, it's also the people in the nation. What they believe and act like, can very much define a nation/area, as is evidenced by Legend of Sleepy Hollow/Rip Van Winkle. There are many different ways a nation can define itself, but as Mrs. Butler said, I'm not supposed to write an essay. I look forward to seeing you all soon!
ReplyDeleteA quote from batman earns you two points.
DeleteSara, I completely agree that a nation defines itself by its actions. I think that this can go beyond how that nation responds and acts towards other nations to how it acts towards its people. A nation's definition could also include its laws and ideals (which are kind of the way it acts towards the people).
DeleteDepending on the nation, nations define themselves in sundry ways – culture, people, values, religion, history, government, products, etc… However, how a particular country defines itself can be difficult to discover unless you inhabit that country, since the way a nation defines itself and the way other nations see it often differ. For instance, Americans usually define America with such words as “liberty,” “equality,” and “opportunity.” In contrast, many Middle Eastern countries hold a very hostile view of America.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThat is a very interesting point Hannah and I agree that often the way we see a particular country and the way they see themselves can be very different.
DeleteI didn't think of that. It's hard to judge how a nation defines ITSELF if you're not part of that nation.
DeleteA nation defines itself by that which makes it up; its culture and the people of its culture. Its laws and customs are designed, set, and upheld to bolster and protect the people, and in return the culture molds itself to more tightly guide the laws and the nation itself. A nation is externally defined by the regime of its leader; by the current voice of its people, but will, in the end, always hold to an undercurrent of the standards which first gave it birth. A nation defines itself by the beliefs on which it was founded, and, however far it may stray from those beliefs, that is what a nation is.
ReplyDeleteHannah Lane
American Lit Class
"how does a nation define itself?"
Great post, Hannah!
DeleteYou said that a nation is defined by the beliefs on which it was founded, but would you agree that America today is a lot different than what it was, say 150 years ago, as far as morals go? Do you think that other nations view America by that or by the beliefs of the Founding Fathers?
-Grace
Wow Hannah! Very complete thought. Do you think the definition of a nation can ever change?
ReplyDeleteA nation defines itself in the minds of people. The citizens within the borders and the strangers without, may or may not share the same interpretation. We, in America can often idolize our country while outsiders scoff (with the exception of Colorado). I recently had the opportunity of engaging my Chilean cousins for a week. I felt somewhat a shamed at my pompous view of the US when they (jokingly) called me a "gringo" and gaped at the fact that we had two large meals a day.
ReplyDeleteWhile I would agree with Hannah (and most of you) on some level, I think the definitions as well as the values of a nation are ever changing. I can guarantee that the America of the 19th century was completely different than that of the 21st.
It's interesting to think that people outside of our country have different views of us then the way that we define ourselves. Is it always defined by the "minds of the people" themselves or by the propaganda released by governments/media?
DeleteStephen is an overachiever. Stephen! You make us feel lazy...
ReplyDelete"One nation, under God, indivisible..." When Baptist minister Francis Bellamy pinned this infamous phrase in 1892, and it got accepted into Congress, no one knew what a defining moment that would be for America. Now 44 percent of the population considers this line from the Pledge of Allegiance, to be highly offensive and 'inappropriate.'
ReplyDeleteSome people believe that a nation is defined by what type of government it has, (Republic, Socialist, Anarchy, etc.), and yet they are confused on what their own type of government is! When President Woodrow Wilson stated, “America is a Democracy", this caused widespread confusion in the USA. America is not a Democracy but a Republic. Even soon after Hitler took the throne and as WW2 started to heat up, the German government was considered Socialist. It soon became evident that Germany was anything but that, it was a Dictatorship!
Knowing that a class of government is not a reliable term to define a nation, I resort back to the first paragraph, "One nation, under God, indivisible." A nation isn't defined by what class it's considered, or even who its leader(s) are because a nation is truly defined by where they stand with God. Now on the flip side, in present day, we can say that we follow God and just be practicing the rituals and not REALLY be following God. "Faith without works is dead," and if America is defined as a 'Christian' nation but 44 percent of our culture deny the fact...
I like your take on it and your historical examples. However, would you say that nations in general define THEMSELVES by where they stand with God?
DeleteLike in the Old Testament. The nation of Israel defined itself as being the Nation of God. People like the Philistines defined themselves as worshiping their own pagan gods.
DeleteHannah: Great question.Unfortunatly no. Many nations have turned away from God and chased after their own wants and/or religions. Because they choose not to follow God, chaos comes and downfall eventually pursues close behind. (See Sodom and Gomorrah[Genesis 19], Babylon [Daniel 5{The fall of King Beltshazzar}])
DeleteSam: Yes. And look what happened to the Philistines vrs. the Isrealites. The Isrealites were blessed time and time again... meanwhile the (heathen) Philitines lost their independence to Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria by 732 BC, and revolts in following years were all crushed.
Excellent answer. Right after I asked you that question, I had a thought - you could say that in a sense many nations, even in the present day, do define themselves by where they stand with God even though they do not acknowledge Him. Even though many nations like China, the present U.S., and the Philistines do/did not serve the Lord, they define themselves by their non-service to Him (atheism, Buddhism, many gods, etc.).
DeleteI really liked your answer Nick, we all have a different view on how nation's define themselves but all of ours have flaws because they are imperfect ideas, whereas God is a perfect being, which makes him the best thing to compare to.
DeleteDefining a nation can be very complicated, particularly when the nation is defining itself. Very rarely is there a consistent image the entire country reflects or acknowledges. For example, numerous countries in Africa are made up of several different people groups, each with unique cultures, religions, and perspectives of the nation. Even in the United States, asking several citizens for the definition of our country will yield extraordinarily diverse responses. However much I don't want to say it, the most comprehensive way to see how a nation defines itself is by viewing the face it shows to the world –its government. Despite having different languages, cultures, and beliefs, all the citizens of a nation have their government in common. Regardless of the true “identity” of the country, it defines itself through its rulers.
ReplyDeleteThere are two ways a nation can defines itself. First by the people and secondly by the government. Countries are defined by the values and dogmas that citizens set forth through democracy while a government can define itself with the suppression of its people.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to define the people as a whole because there is always conflicting views (as Franklin knew well), as such, we must turn to the majority. During the era of Benjamin Franklin there was primarily first or second generation immigrants, all with their diverse cultures and unique political viewpoints. At the time America was known as a nation of immigrants and is still today, though not as commonly. The U.S. is defined by the people within it. One of the main reasons why this is true is because we have not only a Democratic Government that is run by the people, but also a primarily Capitalistic Economic System.
Nations can not always be defined by their inhabitants’ views. Unfortunately some nations are simply defined by their government and economic system - not the people living within that nation. Countries that suppress the people’s voice and are ruled by dictators or large governments are simply defined by the government or in the case of Communism or Socialism - the economic system. These countries are known as greedy, harsh, or cruel. Does that take a look at the majority of the people living within these countries? No, it simply looks at the government. Governments can define a nation.
In the end, nations are always changing; regimes falling under in a night, people revolting in a day, and new policies being constructed over weeks - all which shape and define a nation.
How does a nation define itself? What makes the nation of China different from European nations? What makes America different from the rest of the world? Culture, ethnicity, traditions, class and wealth, religion, morality, government, and even food can define a nation. Yet a nation defines itself by the ideals that it upholds. A nation defines itself by the choices of its people. The definition of a nation is constantly changing…the world of Benjamin Franklin and the image that America portrayed as a young nation has morphed into something almost entirely different in our modern day. Ultimately I believe that the people of a nation decide how a nation defines itself and how that nation will define itself in the future because the people are the building blocks of that nation. They are the ones that eat certain foods, are of a certain ethnicity, earn an income, make moral or immoral choices, and (in certain nations) elect the government officials. That is why America is considered the melting pot of the world, because we have accepted all ethnicities and that (along with freedom and justice for all) has become our identity as a nation.
ReplyDeleteA nation defines itself based on the actions of its people. For instance, Japan has established the world's second largest economy because the people’s choice to benefit Japan outweighs the success of the individual. Communist China is full of people led to believe that they’re just another cog in the wheel. These actions define these countries. America has the most freedoms and that provides people with more opportunity to take action. America defines itself through freedom, as best quoted in the constitution: there's a line here that's at the heart of all the others. “But when a long train of abuses and usurpation pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty to throw off such government and provide new guards for their future security.” True that. America has lost the one thing that defines itself. Japan’s actions are letting them progress, and China is just running its wheels in the mud. A nation is defined by the action of the people. For better or for worse. US’ definition? Started great. Now, not so much.
ReplyDelete-Sam Waters
"How does a nation define itself"
ReplyDeleteI believe that a nation defines itself by its enemies or lack thereof. We can see this in two different ways, internally, and externally. A nation defines itself by its enemies and allies because it shows who they really are, their ideals, views, actions, and more.
When we look at the US we see an ongoing battle between Christians and the general public. The US is trying to make an enemy of Christians for many reasons, a few being our ideas, worldview, beliefs, and how we spread our views to the world (You are a sinner, and you need Jesus). This shows that our society is ignorant and what we do when we disagree or don’t get our own way, and how we react. This is an example of internal enemies within a nation.
Looking at external enemies we tend to make enemies and allies of countries or groups around the world. When we see the US 10 years ago we were heroes, friends, and saviors to many people in the Middle East because of our involvement there. Now we desert those people who trusted us and loved us. The world has a different view of the US now than it had then and not for the better. We cower in the shadows as nations like Syria and Egypt struggle to find freedom and a new country. We were once in that predicament as well but we have forgotten that and leave other nations to flounder in the blood of their countrymen.
I hope I have made my point, a nation shows who it really is by its enemies, and allies. When we see nations this way we can remove the mask that covers the true identity of a nation and what defines it
Hunter Grant Literature Class 2013
From reading the tael of Rip Van Winkle, I drew this link to how a nation defines itself. A nation defines itself by its actions. (I promise I'm not trying to copy Sara.) In Rip Van Winkle, the author didn't focus on Rip's thoughts, aspirations, or personal beliefs. Instead, the author focused on what the people in the village saw Rip Van Winkle doing. The same goes for a nation. It is not defined by ideals, documents, or individual men. Instead it is defined by it's actions. The thought of a nation can come from things like beliefs, ideas, and religion, but the true definition of a nation comes from its laws, its foreign relations, or its court rulings.
ReplyDelete(forgive the tardiness of this post. I haven't been getting the class emails. :P)
I honestly feel I cannot answer this question specifically, unless one thing is specified. Which group of nations are we defining. is it the middle eastern region, the western, the european, eastern, far eastern. Democracies, dictatorships, republics, communistic societies. All nations define themselves differently. While this is the case, how do NATIONS define THEMSELVES is more answerable. Most nations will somehow define themselves according to their society. A nation is driven by it's society. Like I said in my response to Megan, some countries Like Nippon(Japan) are incredibly rich and stable in their society, so their definition of their country has remained relatively uniform. However, many western countries societies are continually changing. Each generation has a slightly differing view of their country. In many cases there are often a precious few(and I say this because they are precious, not because they are amazingly few) glory in the history of their society. In america our view of our country has drastically changed. Many liberal groups have pushed hard into our school system and are now redefining our culture and country into something it never should have been. They have changed the minds of each generation, slowly bringing our country nearer to it's downfall. We no longer see the value of true freedom, but many americans daily oppress others. Many americans show the same problems that the government possesses. Our government is the reflection of the people of the United States of America. Our country is now totally different then when it was founded because our society has changed. This is why I say how nations define themselves depends on their culture.
ReplyDelete(Sorry for the late post. I also have not received any of the class emails. I hope this addition is still helpful to the purpose of the blog though.)
After reading these stories, I came to the conclusion that every nation is defined by the citizens which inhabit it. And those citizens, in turn, are defined by the hardships they have to endure.
ReplyDelete21st century American life is very comfortable. As a result, the majority of citizens aren't hard workers, because they haven't been pushed by tribulation.
In Benjamin Franklin's childhood, he was forced to work hard. He wanted so badly to be able to read that he spent all of his spare money on books, sometimes even having to skip meals to pay for these. That made him an extremely diligent person. In the story of Rip Van Winkle, everyone was lazy, because they didn't have to do much. Life was easy, so people didn't have to work hard to acquire a comfortable lifestyle. So many Americans today are as lazy as can be because the government provides what they want, rather than the citizens having to go out and work for what they want.
In Benjamin Franklin's time, there were incredible inventors right and left, and America was known for being the home of many diligent and successful people. Today, that reputation is dwindling. People are being trained to let others do their work for them, and that is detrimental.
In places like Haiti, people have to work so, so hard to make a living--just to provide food for themselves. Many fathers, mothers, and even the older siblings give the best of the food they buy to their families. People like that are so selfless. Nations like Haiti are therefore defined and characterized by selfless people.
Compare those hurting people to the selfish citizens of wealthy countries like America, and your respect will be with the hurting. A nation is defined by the hardships that its citizens have to endure.
Hello.
ReplyDeleteWhen examining how a nation defines itself, the primary determinant is who has influence in the nation. For example, Nazi Germany defined itself as moral and orthodox in its persecution of Jews, though millions of Jews and dissenters would have said otherwise. Despite a strong opposition of people, Adolf Hitler's subversive tactics and totalitarian agenda shaped Germany.
ReplyDeleteLikewise, the budding nation of America acquired the uniquely "American" principles of opportunity and freedom as developed by its forefathers, who exerted the most influence on it. Because he perceived America's impressible nature as a new nation, Benjamin Franklin gave it character through his ingenious, progressive ideals. Adhering to the principles of freedom and democracy, the people of America used their original influence to shape the nation.
When Rip Van Winkle arose from a long sleep, the whole nation he resided in had been redefined. The patriotism of the people reflected the root of the change. Through the boldness and influence of a few people of the American colonies, America now called itself a nation, and the people then reflected the change.
I think that a nation defines itself through the influential people who step up to lead it. We the people created a unique Constitution, America declared its future.