Virtual Scrapbook Narrative
Samuel Burgess
COL Ball
American Literary Traditions
04/15/14
My Virtual Scrapbook Narrative Script: The Evolution of Societal Norms In American Culture
In my virtual scrapbook, I will be taking a retrospective look at the societal norms within American culture specific to the time periods of the author’s we have studied throughout the semester. I will then compare these societal norms to contemporary American culture to see how America has changed over time.
To start with the earliest literature we analyzed this semester, I will first talk about societal norms from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Puritan society. I perceived borderline cult-like tendencies from what I have come to understand about Puritanism in the early 1800’s. For instance, there was harsh and demeaning punishment for those who did not conform to certain rules and practices in this culture. If we look at The Black Veil, we see social ostracism for the preacher who covers his eyes without explaining why. The Scarlet Letter also shows social ostracism for those who go outside the morally utopian design Puritans insisted upon. Finally, the May Pole of Merry Mount reveals an early American version of religious crusades as the Puritans strike down any opposing religious views that do not align with their own. There is some carryover to present-day American culture in terms of religious intolerance, most recently with those who practice the Islamic religion. However, religious factions of America have made great strides in learning to live peacefully with people of other religions, even though they may fundamentally disagree with each other. We no longer see the same types of religious crusades or social ostracism we see in Hawthorne’s America. For the most part, I believe society has begun to learn to live with the differences of others.
One major difference I have noticed when comparing 19th Century culture and modern customs is social exposure to sexuality and what is tolerated in America. Walt Whitman was heavily criticized in 1855 for what was seen as overt sexuality in his book Leaves Of Grass. Looking at what we see as acceptable today would make any 19th Century citizen faint. Miley Cyrus is just one example of the loose standards we hold our celebrities to nowadays. Many modern day icons such as Miley Cyrus endorse scant clothing, dance fads such as “twerking” and sensual song lyrics that would make Mother Teresa roll over in her grave. Additionally, the 21st century idolizes figures who are famous simply for their promiscuous acts and/or sex appeal such as Kim Kardashian. This socialite’s shining moment came with the release of a sex tape, and yet America gives her the utmost attention.
Another societal norm I noticed from Walt Whitman’s works comes as he describes a woman in her house looking onto men bathing in a river. The woman sees the men and desires to perhaps create a relationship of some form or another with one of them. However 19th Century society mandated that since she was of a certain age (most likely in her mid-20’s) she had passed her chance to marry and raise a family. Subsequently, she was housebound, most likely taking care of her parents, and would probably never get the chance again to marry or raise a family. The idea of a woman having to marry as a teenager or by her early twenties is an antiquated notion by current standards. In fact, the average age contemporary women marry centers around thirty years old. And as far as being housebound goes, a good amount women today lead fulfilling careers in many fields. The picture on the bottom shows IBM’s first woman CEO.
It is a well-known fact that the US has a long and troubling past with slavery. It is often referred to as America’s original sin. Some of the works we have been reading really highlight the atrocities of slavery such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass. These pieces explore the horrific and inhumane treatment slaves received in 19th Century America. These two works also show how popular culture of this period honestly believed that African-Americans were no more than property and that slaves were simply replaceable if they were to die. What’s even more terrifying is that these ideas were taught and instilled into the mindsets of children as we see with Huck who struggles interpersonally as to how he should treat Jim. American society has come a long way since the emancipation proclamation and the slave-owning days of the early 19th Century. American society has been forever changed thanks to great men such as Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Justice’s Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas who continue to show how American society has progressed into a country that can more honestly profess freedom and equality for all. However, even today we struggle with issues of race, contemporary American society is by no means colorblind.
The culture of the 1950’s and 1960’s, of which Jack Kerouac and his friends pioneered the ideas of the Beat Generation, seemed to be obsessed with moral righteousness. For instance the thought of open homosexuality in this period was highly stigmatized, much less openly practiced. Homosexuals of this generation had much to fear as Sal Paradise shows in On The Road when he draws a pistol on a gay man at a bar unprovoked. However, Kerouac was not necessarily critical of homosexuals either. For example he was very close friends with Ginsberg and Burroughs who were both gay men. So with the presence of homosexuality Kerouac shows in his book On The Road, it becomes clear that the Beat Generation hinted at progressive ideas. The evolution of these ideas has led to the recent legalization of gay marriage both federally and among 17 states. Gay rights advocates are still battling for civil and political rights, but the movement has gained a lot of traction since the 1950’s-60’s.
Another societal norm that has changed drastically over time is the static lifestyle of conformity Jack Kerouac portrays as the 1950’s-60’s in On The Road. For instance, the dull country girl Sal talks to on the bus to Detroit who does not know what she wants in life, symbolizes Kerouac’s portrayal of American’s during this period. American society of this era was filled with people who had nothing to do, nowhere to go, and nobody to believe in. And it was the absence of these characteristics that attributed to the societal norm of conformity. Most high school graduates of this period were pressured to marry, find a job, and start a family at the ripe old age of eighteen. However Kerouac and other beatniks went against the grain of society and looked to find themselves spiritually on the road, through travel and exploration. This is almost ironic in a way as American society today essentially encourages its youth to take time to explore the world and find themselves through travel. Students are highly encouraged to take trips overseas through study abroad programs. Many students also take time off after high school to travel, take road trips, and backpack among other things. Additionally, many college students in America arrive at school with no idea what type of degree they will be graduating with and can decide based on what interests them.
This American Literature course has given me a new cultural understanding and appreciation for our combined history. It has helped me understand the influences that have shaped our country and contemporary American culture. Hawthorne, Whitman, Dickinson, Douglass, Twain, and Kerouac among others, have voiced the lives of their peers and themselves and they have left the reader to connect the dots of history.