Connection Between American Language In Literature And Melting Pot - Essay Example

Connection Between American Language In Literature And Melting Pot “Melting Pot” is a term used to describe cultural process and development of homogeneous societies. This term is connected with the use and development of American language in literature and influences of other cultures and societies on American literature. An influence of “Melting Pot” processes on American language in literature is a complex notion which includes cultural issues and language differences. Thesis American language becomes a unified force which helps authors to connect their cultural values and norms with American culture and make their literature available to a wide audience of readers. There is no doubt about the relatively recent emergence of the ethnicity in academic and literature discourse. The question is the phenomena it is used to designate new, in any significant respect, or is this just a new and more fashionable way of describing something that has been there all along? The deliberate and self-conscious substitution of the term “Melting pot” in critical writings over the past 20 years might seem to support the latter view. In the article "Under-Writing: Forming an American Minority Literature", Gina Masucci MacKenzie describes and analyzes the problems of national minorities and their impact on American language in literature (MacKenzie, 2003). The author states that immigrants have had an impact on literature and language using specific vocabulary and colloquialisms typical for their cultures. In the article Nicholls Brendon analyses the problems of Jack Kerouac's fiction and influence of native mother tongue on the context and translation of his works (Nicholls, 2003). He underlines that Jack Kerouac's works originate in racial fetishism and reflect vocabulary and language means typical for his culture. Claudia Mills in “Diversity in Deep Valley: Encountering the "Other" in the Betsy-Tacy Serie” addresses the problems of “Melting pot” which can be found in children’s literature. She uses the Betsy-Tacy Series as a core of her research and analysis. The authors use works of fiction as the main type of primary sources (Mills, 2004). The argument is advanced principally through an examination of three broad areas of concern depicted in the works under analysis. These are: impartiality and inequality of impact; the meaning and value of culture; and the legitimate legal enforcement of local social norms of language. The authors effectively debunk some weak or specious arguments that have been advanced in favor of “Melting pot” principles and policies. They unveil that “Melting pot” has become a fashionable issue in literature theory and, as with most fashions, this has resulted in some misunderstandings. Nicholls Brendon uses primarily sources as a core of his research to support and underline the importance of the problem. He creates a vivid picture of changes and influences of American language on Jack Kerouac's works. While different use of American language in literature can be shown to exist, it is quite another matter to be unequivocal about why writers use their own cultural norms as a basis in their works. It is possible to say that this decision-making is generally regarded as a linear process, starting with the recognition of a need, particular a need to express themselves. In the decision-making process the first step is where followers acknowledge that they have a need, or a problem that requires a solu­tion, and language means tries to solve this problem. In general, American language becomes a strong force that affects all aspects of literature joining specific cultural norms with American culture. MacKenzie uses primary sources for illustration purposes to prove arguments and ideas expressed in the article. The author analyzes the function of minor literature and use of language by immigrant writers. The author’s research is based on the analyses provided by Deleuze and Guattari and two novels Anzia Yezierska's “Bread Givers”, and Pietro di Donato's “Christ in Concrete”. Broad and indeterminate though this conception is, it is narrower than a notion such as 'difference'. In thinking of American language and “Melting Pot” in this way, it is important not to essentialize or reify it. The 'system' of “Melting pot” and its processes has to be under­stood as interrelated in complex, diverse and changing ways - some elements will be more central than others, some more easily modified or abandoned, and so on. American language as such do not do anything: it is people who make claims or feel marginalized, and so on; and people will often disagree, some­times quite fundamentally, about how their culture should be interpreted or understood. However, while the pervasiveness of hybridity often complicates matters considerably, it does not negate the idea of systematic cultural differences. In the research provided by Claudia Mills (2004) fiction primary sources are used as the core of her research and analysis. The most important is that fiction works used by the author are a first hand knowledge of the events and processes, and the opinion of the person drew it up influenced the source. On the other hand it is possible to say that it helps to understand the real matter of the things and connection between American language and the “Melting Pot”. These sources are intended for large audience. The fiction works reflect personal feelings of authors and the impact of “Melting Pot” on American literature and language. In general, the primary sources used by the authors belong to different classifications according to type, location, time, and purpose of creation which help to study the epoch more or less objectively, taking into account subjectivity of all narrators. Response to this objection is characteristically dismissive, if in an irrelevant way also incontrovertible. The principal point he makes is as familiar as the objection: any language will have an unequal impact on some people. The use of American language and influence of “Melting Pot” reflects a way of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another. It becomes the collective programming of the mind that distin­guishes the members of one category of people from those of another. Accordingly, the connection between American language and “Melting pot” can be defined as a specific way of relations existing between the authors influenced by national cultural values and norms (Mills, 2004). In general, primary sources provide evidence to further analysis of the events and their authors’ style. Without primary sources cultural and literary analysis would not have scientific value and could not be as trustworthy as they are. Each of primary sources represents different type of records which help to supplement each other, and reconstruct a real situation and connection between American language and “Melting Pot”. The authors unveil that many problems associated with the relationships between culture and language stem from variations in norms and values. At its deepest level, however, American language comprises a set of basic assumptions that operate automatically to enable groups of people to solve the problems of daily life without thinking about them. In this way, “Melting pot” is that which causes one group of people to act collectively in a way that is different from another group of people, but these differences are caused by deep traditions and values as a core of the culture. American language has a great influence on the society as it is often designed to add psychological value to its existence; it plays a more important communications role in every day life than any another activity: politics or economics. Religion controls the circulation of ideas in popular culture. This impact is evident, because “Melting pot” replaces multiculturalism diminishing social and cultural differences. In general, the authors pay attention to the facts concerning historical context and cultural norms typical for a particular period of time. This historical information helps them to analyze differences and similarities, and the role of language in fiction. Readers need to know in what context they find a person in order to evaluate it, or, in the case of language, how a word or words are used. By themselves words carry little meaning. Many contemporary critics underline that readers do not understand religious impact on their perception while reading. On the one hand, the authors use different primary sources to bring objectivity to their analysis. On the other hand, the authors pursued different aims of their researches and for these reasons select different primary sources for analysis. For instance, MacKenzie uses the analyses provided by Deleuze and Guattari to support his theories and arguments. Also, primary sources help to underline that cultural influences in different societies result in different values and traditions, but have much in common. In reality, American language became the main tool which connects different cultures and authors. Many contemporary critics underline that readers do not understand religious impact on their perception while reading. While different types of literature styles can be shown to exist, it is quite another matter to be unequivocal about why writers use primary sources as a basis for their works. Taking into account the facts mentioned above, it is evident that “Melting pot” and American language depends on social possessions ands influence on popular culture and literature. Being a part of literature, American language supports homogeneity and cultural unity. It is possible to say that cultural behavior is socially determined and that the key to suc­cessful ideas lies in the understanding of dogmas and values. This unequal impact may take the form of making illegal some activity associated with a particular culture or simply making the performance of the activity more burdensome, either more difficult or more costly or both. References 1. MacKenzie, Gina Masucci "Under-Writing: Forming an American Minority Literature" Journal of Modern Literature, Vol. 26, 3/4, Summer 2003, pp. 1-11. 2. Mills, Claudia "Diversity in Deep Valley: Encountering the "Other" in the Betsy-Tacy Series" Children's Literature, 2004. Vol. 32, pp. 84-111. 3. Nicholls, Brendon "The Melting Pot That Boiled Over: Racial Fetishism and the Lingua Franca of Jack Kerouac's Fiction" MFS Modern Fiction Studies, Vol 49, Number 3, Fall 2003, pp. 524-549. Read More