Poe

Edgar Allan Poe, famed for his Gothic style of writing, has been considered one of the prime examples of American Romanticism. Poe was known to write very descriptive works of gloomy, suspenseful mysteries and horrors. He mostly focused on themes concerning the questioning of death, mourning, love, hope and despair, etc. The source of his works was clearly shown by the events throughout Poe’s tragic life.

After the death of his parents within three years of birth; Poe was then taken in by a wealthy merchant, who sent him to school. Unable to get over the debt, Poe dropped out after a year, leaving him broke and jobless. His caretaker left him with no money or source of survival, and Poe was already poverty stricken.  

 Poe went to New York City where he had some of his poetry and stories successfully published, got a job as a newspaper editor, but still struggled with making a living.  Eventually, he had reached his goal of writing his own magazine, only to be driven out of the city by invading rumors.

 At 27 years old, Poe married his 13 year old cousin; he celebrated his joy in poems. His wife died from tuberculosis shortly afterwards, leaving Poe devastated and unable to write. Poe’s life reached a mysterious end where he dies of unknown causes after he disappeared for a few days after taking the wrong train.  Poe died at 40 years old.

Poe’s writing reflected on his thoughts and views of the world, as the events of his life influenced his work; they were written throughout his career as he struggled to keep bread on the table. Edgar Allan Poe’s life was full of hardship and stress: he was raised by foster parents, did not have many close friends or family and the love of his life died within two years of marriage. It is because these past events which played a big role in writing, enabled Poe to provide the world such classic tales.

Poe’s writing has sent many chills down readers’ spines for many years, and hopefully many more years to come. His descriptions are spot on for the creepiness and suspense factor. Leaving the conclusion vague and open to interpretation leads the reader to many possibilities and explores their meanings. The mixture of love and horror gives an interesting viewpoint, fixated over the premature death of their loved ones. Surely, it is a given that Poe’s work is a timeless classic that should be cherished throughout the generations. It is no wonder Poe is considered the inventor of detective fiction genre as well as the game changer of science fiction.  

Read More

What is an American?

America has been described as a “melting pot” or “salad bowl” of multiple cultures and various peoples, because Americans come from all over the world and began to interact with one another. This nation experiences a phenomenon that no other nation has, due to the vast diversity of people. When asked “what are you?” most people would name their ancestral origins.  It is more common that people resort to ethnicity than nationality in terms of identifying oneself. Why is that?

The obvious reason is that typically the question is asked out of curiosity, mostly due to one’s appearance. Usually, it is simple to make an assumption of a person’s race or ethnicity, based on physical characteristics. People who do not fit the general features, like multiracial peoples, are more likely to be asked. Using 'American' as an ethnicity would be incorrect since it would technically describe Native Americans.

Most would identify a person as an American if they were born, raised and utilize their rights as citizens. Most citizen-born citizens consider themselves a compound word; “x-American” were x is replaced with a ethnicity as a compromise. I find this term of identification most acceptable, since incorporate an individual’s family background, as well as acknowledges the American culture. However, I think the term ‘American’ could apply to anyone who has adapted the “American culture” into their lives, or people who view the States as their home.

America has only 237 years of history; compared to countries, this nation is very young. Perhaps, people do not view America as an ethnicity because of the lack of history. However, in my argument, I do not think that matters; what does is the culture and people. There is a distinctive attitude Americans possess; we are individualistic, democratic, opinionated, and stubborn. Foreigners may view this attitude negatively, but nonetheless, we are very distinguishable from other cultures.

 Until people of the world (as well as our own) recognize America as its own culture rather than “a blend of others”, and look past the physical aspect of it, it will be a while for people to stop calling themselves something they aren’t. Our nation should take the time to appreciate our rights and individuality, and maybe then, we can finally view ourselves as “American”.  

Read More