Uniqueness of Nations: Writing and Stories Preserving History - Essay Sample

Introduction

Every country has its own identity and history, which defines the existence and formation of its way of life. The identities make countries unique and exciting to learn about. Writing and stories have contributed to preserving the history of countries, which brought about distinctiveness. For instance, various forms of writing and storytelling in the United States helped to shape it. People could use multiple types of writing to communicate the pressing issues that the society was facing at that time. The public and the government could read these stories and act appropriately (Pollock 60). The American Revolution was as a result of various writings that campaigned against odds and discrimination that affected Americans for long. Some of the texts that played a significant role in shaping America include The American Crisis by Thomas Paine, The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, and Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

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The American Crisis by Thomas Paine

In his writing, Paine wanted to unite the people to fight a common enemy who was Britain. He argued that all people in America had equal rights and identity. He encouraged people to come together and fight for their independence from British rule. For him, he felt that it was unfair for the British to rule them, yet they were capable of controlling their affairs. He further claimed that all human beings were equal and that they required to be treated with respect. He then proposed a form of government whereby all people were allowed to decide how they could be ruled (Smith 12). Paine's writing motivated soldiers and the public to fight the British to acquire their independence. America was then set free after it managed to chase the colonial rule. Today, America enjoys the fruits of self-rule and independence.

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

The author talks about the power of reading as a way of solving stress that people went through. For instance, the character in the story decides to ignore the knock at his door because he was busy reading his poems. He claims that reading made him get relieved from the stresses he faced as a result of the death of his beloved one. Stories helped many people in America to relax and think positively towards making American a better country. The reading culture of Americans is displayed in this text to show that people believed in the power of books as a way to provide solutions to the problems they faced (Watzlawik 7). Also, information from such books and stories helped people to realize their worth and to appreciate the power of nature.

Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hawthorne narrates a story of a man, Brown, to help him pass his message to his readers. In his story, the people who ought to guide others in doing good have turned against them. Brown's religious teachers, who ought to be leading by the example, had joined hands with the devil against God's will. The texts help the readers to understand that the world was not a friendly place to be, and it required an effort to salvage themselves. The colonial rule that was in the American land had advocated for religion as a way of solving problems that faced the Americans (Williams 20). On the contrary, these colonial rulers did not follow the same teachings they taught other people. These developments helped Americans to rise and fight for their independence.

Conclusion

Conclusively, it is evident that various forms of writings that were done in the past helped in the shaping of the American identity. Writing influenced the American identity in that the progress of its development was noted in these writings. Information in these writings reminded the Americans that they had come from far, and they needed to keep on pushing for a better tomorrow. Speeches offered by various people provided a polite way of communicating with relevant authorities on the need to shape America to be better. Leaders and the public agreed that they needed to form a better society and solve various issues raised by authors and storytellers. The movements will consider the use of the internet to store American writings. The future generations will access it easily, and they will be able to understand their identity and push for a better society.

Works Cited

Pollock, Susan. "Latin American Identity through Transculturation: The Work Of Cuban Writer Fernando Ortiz." PLVS VLTRA 4.1 (2018): 55-65.

Smith, Delphia S. "Second Reaction: Thomas Paine: A Champion for Freedom." First Opinions, Second Reactions 8.3 (2015): 12.

Watzlawik, Meike. "A liaison of poetry and tattoos: The multivoicedness in Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven"." Poetry and imagined worlds. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2017. 3-22.

Williams, Andrew Hayes. "Bewildered in Salem: Speech Acts and Sexuality in Nathaniel Hawthorne's" Young Goodman Brown"." PSYART JOURNAL-ONLINE JOURNAL FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE ARTS 22 (2018): 13-31.