American Literature Exam

Paulina Parypa (student's number 218015)

DATA

Declaration
I declare that the exam paper I submit was written by me, without the help of the third persons and
that I have followed all the principles of intellectual property protection.

Who is a ‘self-made man’? Discuss the concept on the example of B. Franklin’s

Autobiography and other literary texts.

The concept of a 'self-made-man' is directly connected with the idea of the 'American dream',
which stands that each citizen has a right to be free, independent, equal and seek their own idea of
happiness. The term 'self-made-man', or in other words pioneer, describe a person who despite
many unfavorable circumstances is able to achieve success with their own hard work and do it
without any help. It can also represents someone who through gaining education or learning some
technical skills provide a life which is above their expectations regarding their original
circumstances. It is possible because of their hard work, learned skills or even their talents. A 'self-
made man' is a person who proves that self-improvement and a hard will can provide a better future
and create an opportunity to become a master of our own fate.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is the best illustration of what the concept of a 'self-
made-man' really stands for. Through the four parts of his narrative, Benjamin Franklin leads the
readers throughout his life, starting from the bottom and reaching the peak of the social structure.
Franklin describes his way from an underprivileged family to a successful and respectable member
of the American society. He emphasizes that only his hard work and stubbornness in pursuing the
goal of better life, helped him to achieve his success. He is undoubtedly the role model of the
concept of a 'self-made man' and was the guiding light for the subsequent generations of people to
help them achieve their rags-to-riches story come true.
The story described by Francis Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby is an another
representation of a 'self-made man'. The novel tells us about the life of Jay Gatsby who become a
prosperous businessmen and made a fortune. The beginnings of his way were not easy. Gatsby, who
was born into a poor family, does not have social, economic or financial privileges. However, when
he fell in love with Daisy Fay, a stylish, young girl who comes from a wealthy family, he decided to
become the man that would win her heart. He kept his word, and when he comes back from the
front he settles in New York City and buys a mansion. Even though his motivation is not
completely based on the will of self-improvement and it is not specified how he built his fortune so
quickly, he is still a symbol of a 'self-made-man' who fulfilled his 'American dream'.
The concept of a 'self-made-man' can also be noticed in the works of Puritans settled in
America. Regardless of the fact that they lived believing in predestination and being the nation
chosen by God, everything that they achieved was made thanks to their hard work. One of the best
works describing their experiences in the New World is Of Plymouth Plantation written by William
Bradford. The journal describes the arriving of Mayflower and the settlement of its passengers, so
called Pilgrims, in America. It also describes the establishment, development and the flourishing of
the Pilgrims community. As William Bradford stands, in one of the chapters in his journal, he wrote
it for future generations of Pilgrims to present them the struggles and the hard work of their
ancestors in creating a new society.
In conclusion, the concept of a 'self-made-man', which assumes achieving a personal success,
can be found in many American texts, even though it is not always presented in the same way.
Benjamin Franklin was gaining knowledge and experience to fulfil his dream and pursue his goal of
better life. The self-improvement and becoming a successful citizen was his aim. Whereas for Jay
Gatsby, becoming a millionaire was only the way to achieve his dream which was winning Daisy
Fay's heart. Pilgrims, who lived in the name of God, were not even aware that because of their hard
will and in pursuit of freedom they become masters of their fates and created a better future for
themselves. All of the examples, in texts described above, represent 'self-made-men', that is people
who were fighting for their dreams despite many failures and who became successful thanks to their
own actions and determination.

List of reference texts:

https://www.theidioms.com/self-made-man/
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4614-3858-8_229
https://www.grin.com/document/231210
https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the-american-dream-quotes-and-history-3306009
https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/american-dream/
https://sites.google.com/site/ams205benfranklin/self-made-man
https://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_wit_self.html
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Great-Gatsby
https://blog.prepscholar.com/the-great-gatsby-summary
https://blog.prepscholar.com/jay-gatsby-great-gatsby-character-analysis-quotes
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Puritanism
https://historyofmassachusetts.org/the-great-puritan-migration/
https://historyofmassachusetts.org/of-plymouth-plantation/
https://www.themayflowersociety.org/the-pilgrims/pilgrim-history

Discuss the representation of people from minority groups on chosen literary examples.

Since the beginnings of the human race, people were divided into better and worse, stronger
and weaker, or speaking generally into superiors and subordinates. Those people who are in power
dictate their will to those people who, at the time, are in the less privileged group. These people are
called minority and they could belong in this group for a variety of reasons, such as different race,
religion, disabilities or because they are in the opposition to power. They can be also simply
excluded from the govern group. Over the years, the literature have described various minority
groups, and so it is American literature. Despite the differences in the representation of people from
minority groups in American literature, it can be remarked that they are mostly presented in a
negative light and that their depiction is one-dimensional for the benefit of the majority.
In The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper can be found plenty of examples of
people from minority groups. However, the easiest to notice is undoubtedly the race minority,
precisely Native Americans. They are described relatively positive, taking into consideration that
the book was written almost 200 years ago. Cooper describes them as brave and honorable. Yet, it
does not change the fact that he eventually destroys any possibilities of interracial romance, as it
was thought to be inappropriate to mix races. What is even more, at the end of the novel it can be
seen that the destruction of tribes is described as inevitable in the process of progress. Another
memorable representation of race minority in this book is Cora Munro, who is treated badly only
because she was born from black mother and white father .
The short novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck pictures another minority groups.
First of them are migrant workers, who are represented by George and Lennie. On account of Great
Depression migrant workers were looking for any opportunity of work and because of that they
were treated badly and perceived as people who can be easily replaced by other workers. The
second minority group is represented by Lennie himself, due to his mental disability. He is
perceived as a threat, which is also affected by his gigantic posture and strength. His terrible actions
lead to the situation when even his best friend, George, does not see any other solution but decides
to end Lennie's life by shooting him in the head. It can be perceived as an act of mercy but it also
shows that there is no place in the society for people with mental disorders and that they are
doomed to fail.
The last example of minority group comes from The Scarlet Letter written in 1850 by
Nathaniel Hawthorne. It describes exclusion of Hester Prynne and her daughter Pearl from the
Puritan community. Hester committed a sin, which was an adulterous affair, and as a consequence
she had to wear a Scarlet Letter A on her clothes that everyone would be aware of her crime. Pearl,
on the other hand, was seen as the implementation of the devil and was perceived as a living
evidence of Hester's sin. Mother and daughter were forced to live at the edge of the city and they
need to face with harsh comments from other residents on a daily basis reminding them that they
are excluded from the society.
In conclusion, the representation of people from minority groups in American literature can
differ depending on the author and on the century. What also matter is whose point of view is
presented, the superior's or the subordinate's. Nevertheless, the minorities are mostly depicted as
worse and less meaningful than the majorities. It happens also, that they are perceived as redundant
and not worthy to live. The majority group discriminate people only because they look different or
have distinct views and beliefs. Overall, the representation of minorities in American literature is
not very different from how people from minority groups are presented nowadays in the mass
culture.

List of reference texts:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/minority
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/minority
https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/07/30/why-literature-needs-more-minority-authors.html
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Minorities/SRMinorities/Pages/ConceptMinority.aspx
https://www.prb.org/americasracialandethnicminorities/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Last-of-the-Mohicans-novel
https://creativeenglishteacher.com/blogs/news/five-reasons-to-teach-the-last-of-the-mohicans-by-
james-fenimore-cooper
https://americanliterature.com/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/book/the-scarlet-letter/summary
https://americanliterature.com/the-scarlet-letter-study-guide
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z34vcwx/revision/1
https://www.history.com/news/dust-bowl-migrants-california