De Crevecouer and Schwarzenegger take on America!

De Crevecouer book "Letters From An American Farmer" not only told Europeans of the great land that was America, it told them it was this grand, new, and ultimately free land that they could settle in. Seeing as the book, would of been mainly read in Europe, De Crevecouer used it in a way to challenge the way the Europeans would of thought about America. He compared this new unconquered land to conquered Europe. He once states in the letters, that in Europe everywhere you look there are fences and hedges, yet if you are in America, there are no fences or hedges, no boundaries at all. This suggest that this entire land is unclaimed and ready for the settles to make something off the land.

I chose to focus on the 5th letter titled "Education and Employment in Nantucket" I read this, and felt that it was very important to the book, and to the description of America. In the quote "After many trials, and several miscarriages, they succeeded; thus they proceeded, step by step; the profits of one successful enterprize..." from this quote, De Crevecouer is talking about the whalers, that started fishing cod, but then started whaling, which in turn made them more successful, which expanded their business. He seems to be describing that, in America if you work hard, you will succeed! This in comparison to Europe, where if you work hard, it will most probably be for nothing, as there is always a richer person with more power, lording over you.

With this, I felt it was relevant with Arnold Schwarzenegger, seeing as he came from Austria, he moved to America to pursue a career. Through his bodybuilding, he got into acting, and through a long career in Hollywood, Schwarzeneggar was elected in 2003 to become the California Governor (or as he is called the Governator). I feel that what De Crevecouer was describing in his letters, was the beginning of the American Dream. You work hard in America, you will get the rewards you deserve. You will make it. And Arnold Schwarzenegger is a prime example of the American Dream. He worked hard from the beginning and got to where he deserved. This reflects De Crevecouer's ideals he wrote about in his letters. America is very different to Europe. America is this place where you have the freedom to make something of yourself. To create a sustainable farm, to create a business fishing cod to expanding that into whaling. America is a land of hard work and freedom.


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