Americans And Their Myths Jean Paul-Sartre Analysis

There are many American myths, there is the idea that one will have a better life the moment they can work in the land of opportunity. One of the longest standing American Myths is the idea that there is a definition to the word American. There is also the myth that people define what it means to be American. As explored by Jean Paul- Sartre “Americans and their Myths”, both of these ideas are false. Sartre begins his article with an interesting idea, that we cannot agree what it means to be American. “When a friend tries to explain our character and unravel our motives, when he relates all our acts to principles, prejudices, beliefs, and a conception of the world … we listen uneasily, unable either to deny what he says or entirely accept …show more content…
People are social animals that form social groups. Thus groups of like minded individuals will have different meanings as to what makes an American. Gear heads will say their muscle cars and NASCAR are part of the DNA of an American. Of course they would, their friends like cars, they like cars, all of them like racing, and they all believe they are Americans. Sartre points out “ Americanism is … something every American continually reinvents in his gropings.” (Satre 5) Groups take bits and pieces to make their definition of American, and when they try to see what other groups think, they can’t deny the definition, but it is not completely correct either. This is not limited to close geographical groups either, even the internet has an idea of what it means to be American. On the internet an American is obnoxious, fat, loves bacon, and is a gun toting capitalist patriot who loves freedom, but can’t find themselves on a map. Even though it is a massive bound away from general reality, many American users stick to the idea and happily play along with it, while many more fight the idea that it does not apply to all