Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts.  His parents died when he was a child and he was brought up through several foster homes and boarding schools.  After his schooling Poe was enlisted in the U.S. Army (1827) and it was during that same year that he wrote his first collection of poems.  From there he began to sell short stories, became the editor of the "Southern Literary Messenger", and got married.  After all of this Poe really matured as a poet and created some of his best known works such as "The Fall of the House of Usher" among other stories.  The cause of his death is shrouded in mystery and there are various theories as to how he died. Nevertheless he was a leader in the romantic movement and has heavily influenced American literature.

I personally find Poe's works very interesting, his gothic/horror style is so clearly depicted in each of his works that one could read the same poem/story over and over again and get something different from it every time.  To me some of his stories were very confusing and I didn't always understand them the first time I read them through, however after class discussions and/or group works I really think I have multiple understandings any given piece.  Today I really enjoy his works because they are mysterious and they make you think, however I think that during his time Poe must have been, and maybe still is very controversial.  Still I find that reading his pieces are very enjoyable and I prefer them over a lot of the other materials we have been reading in class.  I also think that it is very intriguing and maybe even a little ironic that Poe's cause of death is unknown because it seems like Poe's death could be a part of one of his short stories.  A man dies young from a mysterious cause of death with no clear ending that someone else can interpret on his own. Poe could have written the story of his death himself.  

What is an American?

In my opinion I don't think that there is a definitive group of people that can all identify themselves together as Americans.  There is such a huge clash between cultures and a mix of backgrounds in the United States that it is impossible to pick out one of them as the image for an American.   I suppose one could say that an American is anyone that is a citizen of the United States, but that really doesn't tell us who that person is.  However I do think there is a specific image or rather two specific images that come to my mind and a lot of other people's mind when they hear the word America.  The first image that I think people see is a bunch of obese people, indulging in fast food and a lazy lifestyle.  The other image I think people see is one of hope.  A place where anything is possible, anyone can make a name for themselves, and a place where life is better.  I prefer to think about the second image that comes to mind, and I like to believe that an American is someone who makes all of those good things possible.  That an American is an innovator and a bright thinker and a good person.  I hope that in the future that, that is the image that will stay in people's minds when they think of an American.  Not of the selfish, wasteful, and just overall bad American, but the generous, smart, and kind American.  In addition to all of this I hope that people will see Americans a mind that is open to all possibilities as to who an American can be.  That anyone, no matter how they identify themselves through their race, sexual orientation, or any other part of them, can be an American.