American Identity

Introduction

D.H Lawrence was a poet and an English writer who earned both friends and foes due to the nature of his work. Conducting an in-depth analysis on his works, it is clear that the opinions of the gentleman earned him more enemies than friends and this forced him to live in censorship, persecution and this leading to voluntary exile. The ideas of Lawrence did not represent the true American identify. In his poems, it is evident that the poet focused more on absolute dictatorship and did not appreciate aspects such as equality. Moreover, from his poems, Lawrence also holds contradictory opinions on feminism and politics. The identification of these facts will be based on an n depth analysis on the works of D.H Lawrence. The paper will, therefore, focus on trying to identify as to whether the characterization of America by D.H. Lawrence was inaccurate or accurate. 

Discussion

It is evident that D.H. Lawrence did not support the American ideals. The American ideals are based on equality, freedom, and liberty. The fact America focuses on ensuring that all its law abiding citizens are able to achieve the American dream is a clear that all people should be provided with an opportunity to become successful in life without any form of discrimination. The aspect of American ideas is based on the ideology of men being created equal However, the fact D.H Lawrence believes that there is no such thing as equality for all is a clear indicator that he does not support American idealism. From his argument all people cannot be equal, he argues that the social, economic and political status cannot allow equality for all (‘Exploring Federalist 51: Separation of Powers’ 00.00.02- 0.02.59). He explains that social hierarchy leads to the aspect of masters and slaves. He further contends that a man cannot live without servicing a master. When addressing the ideas of Benjamin Franklin, Lawrence tone can be seen as being sarcastic. In his description, he describes Benjamin Franklin as the perfect man because of his believes in equality and his dreams for a better American.

Benjamin Franklin can be seen as an iconic figure in American history. His literary and political aspects are perceived to be of great critical importance to the history of USA. D.H. Lawrence responded to Franklin’s virtue particularly by focusing on the attributes developed by Franklin (Eric, pg., 153.par.2). To start with, Lawrence seems not to be happy with Franklin and does not support the virtue system as stated by Franklin. He believes that the virtue of Franklin only focuses on trying to turn humans to become moral machines. To oppose the views of Franklin, Lawrence creates his virtues.

D.H Lawrence does not seem to be impressed by the views of Franklin. Lawrence does not show any form of admiration to Franklin through the use of sarcastic remarks. The purpose of satire can be seen when Lawrence states that he is an admirer of Franklin. In defense of his ideas, Lawrence sees Franklin as a person who intended to create a ‘moral machine’. According to Lawrence, he believes that the darker aspects of humanity should not put into oppression to any degree. 

Lawrence lists his virtues that can be contrasted to those of Franklin. From the two individuals, it is seen that Lawrence does not support American idealism and instead he puts focus on developing human chaos. On the other hand, Franklin is seen as a man who intends to maintain order and the social structure (Lawrence, David, chapter 2, par 3). On the other hand, Lawrence believes that people should not serve others, Franklin is seen to support the service to other people in the American spirit of brotherhood. From the above description, it can be seen that Lawrence does not support American idealism and he seems to be poking fun at American history.

The American country believes in democracy, and it is evident that over the years the state has not relented on the idea of democracy. The USA believes in the rule of people for the people. That is people have the right to participate, direct, organize and control the affairs of the state either directly or indirectly. The US constitution is also based on democracy as it advocates for the separation of powers amongst the various arms of the government. The separation of power helps to ensure that all the arms of the government are independent of each other (‘Exploring Federalist 51: Separation of Powers’ 00.00.02- 00. 03.00). However, D.H Lawrence believed that Liberty in the Europe continent was better when compared to democracy in the USA (Eric, pg80.par 2). Lawrence saw democracy as a dictatorship of the majority and as a means of oppressing the power. He saw democracy as a means of self-murdering and sacrificial as it was the case with great leaders such as Abraham Lincoln. The objective and goal of democracy in the USA is to ensure that there are security, stability, and prosperity in the free world. However, Lawrence believed that stability and equality for all were unattainable. The fact is a clear indicator that he was not in support of the American ideas and the American dream. He saw the American dream as an unrealistic idea that could not be attained. 

Over the years Native Americans have been subjected to inhuman conditions. The fact is a clear indicator that most of them have been denied the opportunity to enjoy the American dream. It is evident that most of them are poor and they live in hopeless and despondency. For a reason, they live lives of jobless and impoverishment. The prevalence of poverty amongst the Native Americans is a clear indicator that they have been left out and that their problems are not put into consideration by the American government (‘Ch. 20 sec. 2: Nightmare In Jamestown — 31 min edit’.00.08.00-00.21.23). The ancient Native American society during the arrival of the Europeans was characterized by the aspect of sheer diversity. The sheer diversity meant that the native communities had their own political systems. However, the aspect of diversity on governance was interfered by the coming of the Europeans. After the declaration of independence, the Native Americans hoped that they would regain their former social, economic and political glory ((Eric, pg, 8.par.1). However, their expectations were not met and instead they were subject to inhuman conditions, lack of proper shelter, lack of medical services and unemployment. The Native Americans have lived in these conditions over the years. The fact that the American government stands for equality means that it should be in a position to safeguard, the social, economic and political rights of the Native Americans. According to D.H Lawrence, it is evident that the American government has over the years not been able to protect the interests of the marginalized natives. Due to the fact, Lawrence believes that America is built upon “demons” of genocide and violence. The USA ideas state that all people are equal. The fact is a clear indicator that all people are provided with a fair chance to make their lives better and live a successful life. The fact that Lawrence suggests that America ideas are based on violence and genocide means that he does not recognize the aspect of the American dream and the pursuit for happiness.

Lawrence, characterization of America tends to take both an accurate and inaccurate approach. To start with, Lawrence does not support equality. He believes that their people meant to serve others as masters and them being slaves. The idea is not part of the American dream that advocates for equality. Secondly, Lawrence does not support the rule of the people. He believes that people should not be provided with an opportunity to control, direct the affairs of their country (Eric, pg., 152.par.4). Instead, the idea is in opposition to the principles of democracy where every American is entitled to participate in elections (Eric, pg., 200.par.3). Democracy allows people to choose the leaders of their choice and not having leaders as a result of an external or internal influence (‘Ch. 20 sec. 2: Nightmare In Jamestown — 31 min edit,’00.12.46-00.27.42). Therefore, the aspect is a clear indicator that characterization of American on the above case is inaccurate. On the other hand, Lawrence believes that the treatment of natives by the USA government is unfair. He believes that the Native Americans are subjected to conditions that deny them the opportunity to achieve the American dream. It is also clear that the natives are also denied an opportunity to pursue happiness as enshrined in the USA constitution. From the description, it is clear that in the case Lawrence characterization is accurate in the case of how the natives are treated. 

Conclusion

From the above explanation, Lawrence is seen as an independent-minded person and developed his views on America. On his various works, Lawrence is seen to criticize some aspects of the USA government. Moreover, as an open-minded writer, he was able to criticize history figures such as Franklin Benjamin. Furthermore, he believes that the governance system in the USA is not effective when it realizes the American dream and pursuit of happiness. Lawrence does not support most of the ideas as enshrined in the constitution during the declaration of independence. Also, his ideas do not represent the ideas of Americans on aspects of equity, liberty and governance. The fact that Lawrence believes that equity is unattainable, this is a clear indicator that he is not for equality rather he stands for oppression and social chaos. For the reason, the ideas of Lawrence do not represent the American identity.

Works Cited

Eric Forner.  GIVE ME LIBERTY! An American History. Vol 1: To 1877. W.W. NORTON & COMPANY NEW YORK. LONDON

Lawrence, David Herbert. Studies in classic American literature. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, 2003.

The Federalist Society. ‘Exploring Federalist 51: Separation of Powers’. July 4 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZpgjc9hf28

WHaG. ‘Ch. 20 sec. 2: Nightmare In Jamestown — 31 min edit’. December 7, 2014. https://youtu.be/8u_IAH9bspU