Book Review on “American Exceptionalism” by Deborah L Madsen
Introduction:
One can easily be attracted to this book just by taking a look at the image on the cover. The image has been wisely chosen as it suits the topic under discussion very well. The image shows an angel moving to the west, therefore it represents the movement to the west and the idea of Manifest Destiny which is inevitably linked to the idea of exceptionalism. She has a cable in her hand that is connected to the telegraph poles on the right side of her. As she moves west, she brings that wire, let’s say modernity, over to the left side, where you can see the Native Americans and wilderness.
This book is among a series of books published that are designed to help American Studies students tap into the crux of the field. Madsen, a professor of English at London’s South Bank University, provides those students with six chapters on exceptionalism, each quickly covering one important factor. In addition, he has provided the reader with a paragraph at the beginning of each chapter in which he explains what the chapter is about and who the key writers of that period are.
Summary:
The introduction:
In the introduction to the book it is stated: “American exceptionalism permeates every period of American history and is the most powerful agent in a series of arguments that have been fought over the centuries regarding the identity of the United States and Americans” (p. 1) . The author describes how exceptionalism has helped the evolution of the US as both an ideological and a geographical entity from 1620 to the present.
Chapter 1:
In the first chapter, Madsen talks about the Puritan era and how they created a notion called exceptionalism. Roger Winthrop’s idea of the colony as a “town on a hill” was one of the early phrases that later helped coin exceptionalism. These sentences in a Winthrop report to a minister show how unique they thought this colony was: “…how evident it was that God had chosen this country to plant his people, and therefore how displeasing it would be to the Lord, and dangerous to himself, to hinder this work. (p. 19) he continues talking about other famous people who stood out at the time. One such person was Benjamin Franklin, who wrote in his ‘Information for Those Who Would Move to America’ (1784): “Hard work, industriousness, thrift, common sense, altruism, moral integrity, and fairness: these are the qualities that will ensure success in the United States.
Episode 2:
The second chapter focuses mainly on Native American literature, but the reader wonders how the contribution of the idea of exceptionalism can help. The last sentences of this chapter perfectly show how Native Americans felt towards so-called American exceptionalism: “The apocalyptic culmination of American history imagined by Puritan colonists who tried to create a perfect church-society becomes the imagination of Native Americans.” from Silko and Vizenor a punitive apocalypse where the arrogance, self-indulgence and self-interest that were the sins of the Founding Fathers now fall upon the sons.” (p. 68)
Chapter 3:
This chapter called “Exceptionalism in the 19th century” can be considered the most important chapter of the book. He talks about important authors of the century such as Emerson, Hawthorne, Melville, Thoreau, Whitman and James Fenimore Cooper, the abolitionist movement and the idea of Manifest Destiny that led to the expansion of the United States.
The authors mentioned above believed in American exceptionalism to a certain extent. “Where their Puritan (intellectual) ancestors had anticipated an exceptional destiny based on the perfection of ecclesiastical institutions, the intellectuals of the 19th century anticipated the perfection of political, specifically democratic, institutions.” (p. 71)
It has also been mentioned here that since the mission of the Americans was to move west and civilize nature, it was quite acceptable to destroy “everything that stands in the way of expanding the institutions and culture of American democracy.” (p.92) It doesn’t matter if the obstacles are large herds of bison or Native Americans.
Chapter 4:
This chapter is titled “Chicano Responses to the Ideology of American Exceptionalism.” He’s basically talking about the expansion of the United States in the 1840s due to the doctrine of Manifest Destiny and how Chicanos/Mexicans felt about it. His feeling is represented in his writings and he mostly talks about the loss of his homeland.
Chapter 5:
In the fifth chapter called “Westerns and the Westward Expansion”, Madsen focuses first on Turner’s thesis: “In this statement, Turner defines the West not as a geographical place or region but as a process, a process that arises and defines a unique American character”. (p. 122) he then goes on to describe how the notion of border arose in Western novels and films.
A witty comparison between the cowboy hero and the US has been used at the end of the chapter that justifies all US military actions: “…this very nation supports one of the largest military establishments in the history, his violent crime rate is enormously high, and he possesses the technological ability to destroy the world.Perhaps one of the sources of the cowboy hero’s appeal is the way he resolves this ambiguity by giving a sense of moral meaning and order to violence. “. (p. 143)
Chapter 6:
The last chapter of the book is called “Contemporary Interpretations of Exceptionalism.” Many contemporary novels that portray the idea of exceptionalism are introduced in this chapter. Madsen also traces the exceptionalism in the dialogue delivered in Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo movies.
At the end of this chapter, Madsen discusses the effect of exceptionalism on the Vietnam War, saying, “The Vietnamese landscape becomes understandable when viewed as requiring a kind of redemption that can only come from God’s chosen people, those whose mission history is to save other nations from their own folly”. (p. 166)
She concludes this chapter with a bold statement: “Exceptionalism was the Old World’s legacy to the New, but exceptionalism is now America’s legacy to all of us” (p. 166).
Tip for readers:
Although the purpose of this book is to help students touch on the key elements of American studies, the author has gone so far through many books that students are not familiar with. In other words, one may find oneself unlucky among the names of novels and writers. Well, at least I don’t suggest this book to American studies students who don’t live in the United States. To understand this book you need to know about important American writers and movies. Also, the flow of the book is far from good, most likely due to the different extracts from different books.
american exceptionalism
Format: Softcover
Author: Deborah L. Madsen
Publication: Edinburgh University Press
Publication date: 1998
ISBN: 1-57806-108-3
Pages: 186
