Letters from an American Farmer

In his collection of letters from an American farmer

Crevecoeur explains the truth of the dream at the outset of an emerging American society. Crevecoeur makes observations about the tenets of American societal structure as well as the newly developing sense of identity. Crevecoeur did include elements of his own experiences and ideas in his writing, as well as depictions of the typical American way of life. In an effort to explain, he applied basic economic, political, and philosophical theories. From the book, the images of the picturesque of the American farmer whose life seems to be apparently faultless and filled with abundant happiness get transformed into complete despondency when perfection is contaminated with slavery and revolution (Crevecoeur 21). Crevecoeur illustrates how the revolution changes the American dream making it go astray and the way it was filled with accounts of desolation and horrific brutality. The imagery depicts the scenes of slavery, farming and even war which produce and create the American life in a destructive manner compared to the idea life. Crevecoeur address in his book the primary concerns of the American identity, freedom from the institution of oppression along with self-interests. The novel does celebrate the fertility of the lands while at the same time explains the dark elements of war and slavery which defined the American life.

The book describes that being an American involves an ideal new society

and promotion of equality for all. A society in which there are no aristocratic, class and religious intolerance. Being an American involves being hard-working and disciplined. The letters from the farmer did give the Americans the confidence that they required in believing the nation. The story of the farmer displayed to be the perfect nature of the new world and help in building self-confidence along with the belief in the image of the American society. Crevecoeur writes that “The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must, therefore, entertain new ideas, and form new opinions. From involuntary idleness, servile dependence, penury and useless labor, he has passed to toils of a very different nature, rewarded by ample subsistence. — This is an American” (Crevecoeur 28). This statement evidences the idea being an American and what it incorporated.

In the American history, the Americans believed that they had overthrown the reign of the kings

and ended up governing themselves through voting people they wished to rule them. This element constituted democracy and freedom. The essential elements of new nationality as the book postulates was embedded in the belief of equality for all the people. Being an American involved doing your business without any interference from the government and the nature of the Americans was defined in their typical political beliefs. Crevecoeur portrayed that being an American meant that no notable differences existed between the rich and the poor. Furthermore, Crevecoeur’s book shows dramatic changes that occurred in the economic and social environments. According to Crevecoeur, the Americans created a new society that sustained their new move to prosperity and freedom. However, in 1775-1776, war and revolution came into America and caused confusion and despair. There were no good grounds of rebelling against the British Empire which has offered enormous freedom, naval protection, and prosperity compared to other empires. The American Revolution is thus termed to be an important part of the American history.

Equality of Sexes and its comparison to Letters from an American Farmer

Murray’s book, Equality of Sexes explains how being an American was defined by the traditional stereotypes that presented different roles of men to women. According to Murray, the traditional customs undermined the value of the women in the society and diminished their worth. In the initial essay that Murray writes, she argues against the notion of the women who are perceived to be mentality unequal to their male counterparts in all the areas of life. Murray stipulates that “province of imagination hath long since been surrendered to us” (Murray 10). However, these women become limited in the manner in which they exercise imaginations. The book disdainfully states that many women channel their creativity of thinking into the fields of fashion, gossip, and slander where they portray to be extremely skilled. The author states that the traditional activities that the society defined for the women such as cooking and sewing are not enough to bring out the creativity in the women.

The intellectual of these women is also not evident to the full potential through these roles as they do not need any thinking and critical attention that would bring out the facet of creativity. Murrays also backs her argument by stating that the female child is wiser compared to the boy child. However, the dramatic change that she encounters as a result of nature, traditional customs and culture make her view herself as being an inferiority creature. She writes that “one is taught to aspire, and the other is early confined and limited” (Murray 38). The boys are told the way they can prosper in life while girls are not and limited as they do not get access to education. The two children grow up knowing that they are all equal. However, because the girls get limited education compared to the boys, they become filled with the inferiority complex. The women get confined to the traditional stereotypes of gender actions and roles which have a detrimental impact on their thinking and life. Therefore, the female gender ends up destructively exercising imaginations, and therefore the girl will grow “embittered towards her brother, as she sees him as both her oppressor and as representative of what she was denied” (Murray 39).

Murray argues that being an American involves giving equal treatment to both sexes

and education for all should be the philosophy of the society. Similar to Crevecoeur who also argues equality for all, Murray stipulates that practicing equality in the society has a far positive impact to both genders. She notes that women have the ability to excel in subjects that men also excel in like geography and astronomy. Equality is a way of giving women liberty and ability to reflect upon their education. Women should practice their duties like cooking and sewing while at the same time be allowed to carry out the activities that men also do in the society as education as they are not inferior (Murray 42). Murray shows that the idea of degrading women is forbidden and unethical. Men and women as evidenced by Murray are equal, and many women have demonstrated that they can be a man’s equal.

Murray, in part two of his narration, provides the bible verses which are used to depict that men are superior. However, Murray argues that these passages are only metaphors and not by any means facts to use in making women feel inferior. The verses also involve the biblical men who are imperfect, and this means that men are not always right in their undertakings. For example, she gives the example of Job who was cursing God and therefore refutes the notion that the Bible does support the superiority of men. In this part, the importance of giving women equal education is stressed and notes that the idea of women education interfering with the household duties is not true. The huge leisure time that these women have to make them feel idle.

Crevecoeur and Murray evidenced some differences in their books. Notably, Murray strongly advocated for the rights of women which is a factor that has made her be widely celebrated on a global scale. He argued that gender equality is essential in ensuring that women get access to education and involve in critical thinking. Murray looked at equality on social position, education, and the general accessibility of women to opportunities. Similarly, Crevecoeur also concerned with equality, but his equality was based on everybody in the society including equality of the lower classes. Equality of Sexes stems from the traditional stereotypes that were propagated against women particularly in the 18th century and hence the quest for women’s rights. Murray also looked at the idea that women are thought to lack intellectual capacity as men which she states that the notion is false. According to her, the culture and nature that girls are brought up making them feel inferior.

Crevecoeur did not question the idea of female inferiority in his book but rather argued that the social stratification of the class has an impact on the entire society in the way people reason. Revolutions and American identity with slavery also formed a good part of Crevecoeur explanation. On the contrary, Murray alludes that women’s deeds in gossip and fashion drive the tendency of creativity and imagination. Murray asserts that the only intellectual difference that is evident between men and women arises from the inequality in education received. While men get full access to education, women are destined to live without education due to the social constraints. Therefore, the lack of intelligence or knowledge is not a state of inheritance but a position that is the socially constructed on the genders which ends up making inequality a natural state. Additionally, Crevecoeur does not use any biblical illustration to back his arguments while Murray intensively does incorporate the Bible stories. For example, the interpretation she gives on Adam and Eve is interesting. She states that the Tree of Knowledge bore the fruit that Eve ate, and it is not Eve who succumbed to the temptation due to knowledge acquisition. She states that “As their years increase, the sister must be wholly domesticated, while the brother is led by the hand through all the flowery paths of science. Grant that their minds are by nature equal, yet we shall wonder at the apparent superiority if indeed custom becomes second nature; nay, if it takes the place of nature, and that it doth the experience of each day will evince” (Murray 47). From this, she ascertains that women since the time of Eve have had the desires and the capacity to seek knowledge due to lack of educational equality and social inequality.

Conclusion

Crevecoeur and Murray uncover the way of being an American in the 19th to the 20th century. Their books are extremely educative and informative on the American life. Murray shows how women were undermined in the society. She based her arguments on the concept of gender inequality for both sexes. Notably, the book demonstrates that giving women an opportunity to get education helps them to be creative and think critically. Crevecoeur, on the other hand, stipulates that the American Revolution has a significant impact on the life of the Americans.

Works Cited

Murray, Judith Sargent, and Sharon M Harris. Equality of Sexes New York, Oxford University Press, 1995,.

Crevecoeur, J Hector. Letters from an American Farmer. [S.L.], Tredition Classics, 2013,.