Paz and American Way of Life - Essay Example

Paz and American Way of Life In his book, The Pachuco and other extremes, Octavia Paz has distinctively tried to bring out the differences in the American and Mexican ways of life, and has successfully pointed out the views and beliefs of the American society. Even though the Americans and the Mexicans live together, their differences are very clear-cut and I concur with Paz’s on his view of the American way of life and their self-perception. Their view of the world is human centred, this is engendered by the magnificent structures and mega roads are all an invention of man and it is on this line of thought that they believe the world is driven by human power not any other. Americans avoid the abstract and they embrace a concrete reality, they scorn the surreal and focus on what can be empirically proven, that is why matters or religious doctrines and inclinations hold so little worth in the minds of many of them. The world of the Americans is characterized by machines, other human beings and moral concepts. They do not feel the need to reconnect to the creator of the universe as other cultures may and their lives are of solitude. Americans consider themselves creators in their own right, these is evidenced by the innumerable creations ranging from architectural and infrastructural structures to bold scientific inventions some like cloning which are in constantly in a collision path with many religious organisations. They use their works of creation as mirror, to see who they are and how far they have come. I am in agreement with Paz when he notes that the Americans have let their work take them over, they define themselves by superficial inorganic constructs such as technological advancements and money. Consequently they do not see themselves primarily as human being or citizens of a human universe but as workers, inventor’s businesspeople and other impersonal categorisations in pursuit for objectivity. The mechanical nature of their sense of identity makes them loose a part of their humanity when they fail to recognise themselves for who they really are because they are lost in their work. Americans have put so much effort; time and thought in their work and these are what they hold dear seeming to believe that they are sorely responsible for all that is in their world and it is their job to maintain it. They do not view life as having another aspect; the spiritual aspect, they do not have the craving to reconnect with their source (Stavans 35). The Americans are confident and self-assured, people according to Paz (21) they seem happy and well adapted to the world around them. However, the beauty of this is that it has not suppressed their willingness to criticize the wrong they see around them. Their freedom of speech and opinion is very outward and they do not shy from using it. While criticism may be seen as wrong, to the Americans it is a tool to better their world. It respects the systems that they have in place and does not touch the root of their being. They do not seek to change their structures socially or culturally but to improve or limit the way certain things are done within this structure. The Americans are inherently reformists and when they are unhappy with the existing systems; they go out of their way to ensure they change them in line with the social and constitutional doctrine that states every American has the right to pursue happiness. In addition, they generally feel that their and liberal way are the ways are acceptable; to them and they are not very far from perfection at least in their own eyes (Rosman 82). Paz has managed to vividly bring out the character of the American people not only as he sees them but as the rest of the world does too. Their confidence in unwavering and they take pride in their freedom of expression which allows them to disagrees with people’s ideas and statements while fiercely support their right to express them. Many people view realists as pessimists as Paz has noted, especially the Mexicans, but not the Americans, they take pride in being realists and ingenious. The Mexicans reason that it is possible for an ingenious person to change if he thought about life realistically. It is true that the Americans seem to have a desire to understand reality so that they can use it to further their knowledge, as they believe it. Americans are keen on science and inventions and how they can make life better, at times, at the expense of the reality or the truth. They seem to shy away from bitter realities like death and are always searching for ways to extend life, while other cultures embrace death as a part of life and one that is inevitable to everyone, therefore they do not fight it but stay prepared for it and intermarry death and life together. The American culture and belief is visible even in the stories they tell, they are fond of fairy tales and detective stories, in a way they embrace both realism and fantasy, however most of their decisions are likely to be based on the logic of a detective story as opposed to the romance of a fairy tale. In most cultures when someone is in trouble or needs to clear his conscience, he gets drunk so that he can be courageous enough to tell the truth if there are other parties involved, but the Americans get drunk to forget as noted by Paz (23). This is not only evident in their real life but also in their theatrical productions, Americans are optimists, they are not afraid to trust people unlike other communities whereby people are treated suspiciously until they have been vetted and proven trustworthy. Conversely, Americans are known for taking risks, for instance investing in business that they are not sure will succeed or trusting strangers with secrets without nectary having to investigate them. The Americans are appear a happy lot; they love to joke and make fun of each other and are sarcastic in the same measure. They do not keep quiet in the face of wrongdoing but are activists; they believe and fight for their rights. One will not fail to notice how seriously they take issues such as hygiene and work honesty and accountability, considering that exercise and good diet are the most talked about subjects. They promote healthy living as the key to long life and even more important; contentment, but despite all these, the Americans are not always happy; they do not get to experience and live to the fullest; to feel life from the core of their being. Instead, life to them is motionless; they do not flow with all that life brings and the vitality that is needed to enjoy life is a mirage to them. In this case, it is not the superficial joy that the Americans are used to but one that resides deep down inside a person (Paz 23).I agree with Paz that the Americans do not live life with the same fervour as other cultures do; the American expression of happiness can be at times shallow. In their view, life can be perfected and this is what the Americans live for, to make everything better than it is and should be. This makes happiness hard to achieve and many Americans live for the future and end up neglecting the present joys in their lives as the plan on how to improve the future. Paz says that man is history and not in the history as it is portrayed by Americans, but to the Americans, man is a part of history and the effects that brought about the world that we live in. It is undeniable that the Americans believe that, history is because of human will and can be changed. The Americans only want to accept the positive side of reality without the negative dose that comes with it. Life has two sides, both the good and the bad but for most Americans they promote adaptation. They tend to stifle the emotions that come with life and people are taught how to do this from a very early age, which is taught in schools, churches, widely broadcasted by the television and the press in general (24). The Americans have imposed on themselves a moral perfectionism that is almost unattainable, thus, they judge each other harshly for stumbling morally along life’s path forgetting that it is human to error. Paz seems to be echoing my sentiments when he states that this insistence on being morally upright beyond reproach has resulted in rebellion from the same people who are expected to be perfect. The relationships that have come up in America are a testimony to this; even churches have come up with new beliefs and doctrines. It is almost as if, the Americans are living to break every possible rule that had ever been made and the traditional beliefs and culture of the people. Works Cited Paz, Octavio. The Labyrinth of Solitude: Life and Thought in Mexico Chapter Summary & Analysis - Chapter I ThePachuco and Other Extremes Summary Rosman, Silvia N. Being in common: nation, subject, and community in Latin American literature and culture. TheBucknell Studies in Latin American Literature and Theory. Bucknell: Bucknell University Press, 2003. Print. Stavans, Ilan. A critic's journey: Writers on writing. University of Michigan Press, 2010. Print. Read More