The history of the American nation development has many impressive scenes full of patriotic consideration and points on strong country creation with support of suchlike strong people inhabiting it. John de Crevecoeur: Letters from an American Farmer is a work where the author pointed out several reasonable arguments and explanations of what an American is. His narration concerns the idea of the “soul of the nation maintained in the soil.” It is described in the multiple arguments which Crevecoeur represents due to the logical gradation of a thought movement during the whole amount of letters.
The thing is that farmers from ancient times served a significant part of the society which was responsible for feeding people. Here the theme of bread is emphasized which soil produces due to its mysterious principles of making plants grow. This French consul urges to get to the point of what is an American with glimpses on the comparison of men with plants (Lauter & Yarborough, p. 440). Plants are growing in a constant progression and soil feeds them – this comparison made by Crevecoeur characterizes the important and rather grave role of farmers in terms of giving the rest of Americans a base for obtaining property, independence, prosperity (Lauter & Yarborough, p. 445). In letter II the author writes about his own experience as of farms and work of a farmer: “When I went to work in my fields, I worked with more alacrity and sprightliness; I felt that I did not work for myself alone, and this encouraged me much.” (Lauter & Yarborough, p. 439). By the third letter, Crevecoeur outlines the role of an American: ”The American is a new man, who acts on new principles” (Lauter & Yarborough, p. 442).
The idea of a nation’s prosperity was taken up by one of the first presidents of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, in his work The Way to Wealth. The person of B. Franklin was considered with his ability to straightforwardly tell the words of truth by means of reasoning throughout satire and sarcasm. The order which the author claims should adhere to the aspect of taxation which “poor” Richard considers to be a hard burden for him and the country. The prayers of poor Richard to “father Abraham” according to the concept of taxation maintained in the country the narrator criticized by the following response: “There are no gains, without pains, then help hands, for I have no lands, or if I have, they are smartly taxed” (Lauter & Yarborough, p. 367). In fact, this idea splits up with the same in the above-discussed letters of Crevecoeur where he made stresses on the labor of farmers and their activity for the well-being of the US. The extents of working and paying taxes are vital for poor Richard not to run into debts, as the author explains. One of the principles on which today stays America is outlined by Franklin like this: “For age and want, save while you may.” (Lauter & Yarborough, p. 372). The two scenes which are significant in comparison to these two works consider the concept of poverty prevention and a means of following this direction by virtue of taxation. Thus, Crevecoeur in the third letter depicts an ideal American in the conditions where “the idle may be employed, the useless become useful, and the poor become rich” (Lauter & Yarborough, p. 442). Franklin time and again tries to knock until one is heard about the principles of state essence and governmental protection due to the help of every ordinary citizen.
Works cited
Lauter , Paul & Yarborough, Richard. Heath Anthology of American Literature, Vol. 2. Houghton Mifflin Company; 4 edition, 2001