Tuesday, October 26, 2010

De Crevecoeur and expansion of materialism


The website which I chose to discuss which is about the new and expectional as typically american is the 'Macy's' store website. The reason I believe for this is the founder of Macy's - Rowland Hussey Macy started off as someone wanting to start their own business, and it ultimately turning into a multimillion pount department store. This is much like in Crevecoeur Letters from an American Farmer;
"Here he see's the industry of his native country displayed in a new manner, and traces, in their works the embroyes of all the arts, sciences, and ingenuity, which flourish in Europe" This backs up Macy's store as on the homepage of the website there are many things being advertised, not just one object such as clothes.

The fact that Macy's store sells many products shows the typical american ideal of always wanting something more, something bigger and better. Also this reflects todays modern day society of greed and always wanting something new and exceptional.

Futhermore another quote from Crevecoeur backs up this idea of the new and exceptional being typically American;
"Here he beholds fair cities, substantial villages, extensive fields, an immense country filled with decent houses, good roads, orchards, meadows and bridges, where, a hundred years ago, all was wild, woody, and uncultivated!" This quote shows the developement of america, if you take this into a modern day view this would be the rapid expansion of materialism and the want for more, thus showing greediness. Typically Americans are always wanting to be bigger and better than the rest of the world.

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