Introduction
The Blithedale Romance novel dramatizes the conflicts between the private desires of romantic rivalries and the commune’s ideas. Hawthorne’s book discloses the modern settings of communities and the challenges American societies face in viewing everyone as an equal. Set on the Blithedale farm, the American fictional writer incorporates his personal life experiences to question the concept of individual selfishness. The main theme in the novel discloses the connections between societies and the economic models adopted in every community. Part of the text challenges individualism, while other segments magnify the significance of utopian societies. Analyzing the roles issued to the main characters exposes readers to understanding the effects of individual selfishness on the creation of equal societies. The hypocrisy and contradictions portrayed by characters in the book disillusioned Coverdale, the same way American citizens are moved by pretense from leaders whose interests lean on personal gains instead of societal developments. The bold step by Zenobia, Old Moodie, Priscilla, and Westervelt to retreat from a rotten society convinces the audiences of Hawthorne’s text that individual selfishness unavoidably undermines the efforts of attaining a utopian society.
The American Dream
Hawthorne’s ideas about individual selfishness and how it impacts the viewership of everyone as equals in the Blithedale Romance are prevalent in contemporary American society. American societies are living to fulfill the ancient dream set by their forefathers; however, a few elements of selfishness prevent the country from having a consistent voice in addressing public issues. Although the U.S. system of governance incorporates democracy, the selfishness of the majority of wanting to be identified with the American dream affects the possibility of creating a utopian society. Achieving an equal society where everyone’s needs are addressed in unison has proved complex in the U.S due to individual selfishness (Kashima and Fernando 101). The ruling parties in America put the interests of their followers first before checking on the wants of opposition party fans. President Donald Trump, for example, passed the massive republican tax overhaul law within his first year in office to please his followers.
Imperfection Attribute to Individualism
Similarly, Hawthorne showcases the disadvantages of individual selfishness in creating perfect communities. According to Boccio (138), every community desires to achieve a flowing economy that supports the needs of the people. Nevertheless, Kashima and Fernando (103) echoed that many regions fail to meet the goal of developing perfect communities based on the individual greed to influence groups in such settings. Even though success attracts many people, American communities are distanced from the policy, especially on economically-driven issues. The fight against racism is not ending any soon in the U.S. due to the individual selfishness of White Americans. Black Americans are being victimized unlawfully based on their skin color and nationality. The war against “Black Lives Matter” would have never existed if the country viewed everyone as Americans or equals. Hawthorne quoted, “Paradise, indeed! Nobody else in the world, I am bold to affirm-nobody, at least, in our bleak little world of New England, had dreamed of Paradise that day except, as the pole suggests, the tropic” (9). The author’s sentiments on the Blithedale farm showcase Hawthorne’s view on today’s American culture.
Cultural Diversity
The American writer weighs the qualities of the Blithedale farm to the contemporary American cultures of diversity. Individualism is one such philosophy that describes the challenges of modern American culture. Although diversity is faced with numerous challenges, the cultural approach facilitates the habitation of people from different nations in the U.S. Hawthorne was selective on role distribution in his book; reviewing the traits of every character in the novel commemorates the current happenings in American communities. The choices of American governments to distance themselves from corrupt leaders are projected in the Blithedale Romance novel. Like in the modern American community, Hollingsworth, the leader of the protesting group, represented the utopians and their societal dreams well. Hollingsworth helped Zenobia, the feminist, retract from society with rotten ideologies and perceptions. The conflicts between the police and the Black community in America are similar to the rot observed in Hawthorne’s narrations. Utopian communities shield their people against social misfortunes; likewise, the American people are trying to end the police killings to create perfect communities with no divisions. However, attaining this ambition is troublesome based of corruption in the police.
Morals of Self-Reliance
Individualism involves the social and political outlooks stressing human independence, liberty, and self-reliance morals. American communities today fight toward attaining a unified nation characterized by societal perfection. The need to acquire equality among citizens irrespective of their religion, race, age, gender, sex, and level of education equates to Hawthorne’s ideologies about utopianism in American culture. “It was the first practical trial of our theories of equal brotherhood and sisterhood, and we people of superior cultivation and refinement felt as if something were already accomplished towards the millennium of love.” (Hawthorne 21). The narrator was questioning the goodness of people in the story’s settings; according to the quote, Zenobia was a utopian whose interests were undermined by the independent selfishness of other characters at Blithedale farm. Individualism has negative impacts on relationships based on its focus on personal branding. Global American businesses continue monopolizing international markets today based on the individualistic choices of such corporations to control international relations with developed nations. Individualism drug the diversity of such businesses in developing countries because such entities lack marketing strategies aimed at promoting universality.
Limitations of Conforming Masses
Individualism undermines utopian societies since it is more realistic and issues people with the freedom to interpret things as they understand them. In addition, contemporary American society undermines the practice of individualism because the state enforces the need to conform masses to maintain social stability and order. In his book, Hawthorne’s view on individual selfishness is relevant in modern American culture because it encourages citizens to debate the significance of everyone in society. Boccio (141) commended that utopian life approaches are unrealistic based on their literal interpretation of the bible and extreme levels of strictness. The American community today is composed of people with diverse cultures, races, and ethnicities; as a result, such individuals cannot have similar approaches to life and the happenings around their environments. Restricting such individuals to tune to one form of philosophy can be difficult with the evolving world and increased use of technology.
Conclusion
Confining individuals to think similarly distances the current American community from adopting utopian philosophies of life. Individual selfishness is double-edged; it has a good purpose and adverse consequences for communities implementing its policies. Hawthorne’s Blithedale Romance exhibits a few factors behind the failures of utopian communities. Role-taking by various characters in the text exposes the benefits and shortcomings of individualism. Restrictions, pretense, and perfectionism hinder modern American communities from applying the concepts of utopia to achieve equality. The comparison of American society today to the documentation in the selected novel distances the compatibility of individual selfishness and ideological systems of economies.
Works Cited
Boccio, Rachel. “What Sort of Man Was Wakefield?”: Selfhood and Sovereignty in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Twice-told Tale.” Nathaniel Hawthorne Review, vol. 45, no. 2, 2019, pp. 130-151.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Blithedale Romance (1852), by Nathaniel Hawthorne a Novel (Original Versions). Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016. ISBN: 978-1530409730
Kashima, Yoshihisa, and Julian Fernando. “Utopia and ideology in cultural dynamics.” Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, vol. 34, 2020, pp.102-106.