The reason why I decided to focus on this topic is simple: There are
innumerous images and concepts of America1, written down by an equally
uncountable number of writers from all around the world, also including
citizens of the United States themselves. Moreover, I tend to believe that
there is no other country in the world, which had inspired more authors to
deal with it in their literature. This might be a result of the well-known
picture of America as the land of unlimited opportunities, which spread
around people’s minds ever since the “New World” had been discovered in
1492.
As many people still regard America as the “promised land”, there
surely developed Images of this country, which might not always be true,
or at least not as positive as some dreamers might think. Therefore, I
decided to base my essay on the books of two quite critical authors, Paul
Watzlawick and Bill Bryson, who present America in a questioning way and
do not simply glorify its social, economical and political structures.
Nonetheless, both authors succeed in drawing a rather sympathetic Image
of America. This literary contrast encouraged me to compare both: authors
and novels, but most importantly, the development of their Images of
America.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE AUTHORS AND THEIR BACKGROUNDS
2.1. PAUL WATZLAWICK
2.2. BILL BRYSON
3. IMAGES OF AMERICA
3.1. THE EUROPEAN VIEW ON THE U.S.
3.1.1. Infrastructure
3.1.2. Everyday Life
3.2. THE RETURNEE
3.2.1. People and Lifestyle in America
3.2.2. Nature in America
4. COMPARISON
4.1 THE PEOPLE
4.2. THE INFRASTRUCTURE
4.3. THE „REAL“ IMAGE OF AMERICA
5. REFERENCES
5.1. BOOKS
5.2. ONLINE SOURCES
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper examines how the cultural perceptions of America, described as internal cognitive constructions, developed in the works of Paul Watzlawick and Bill Bryson. It explores the influence of the authors' distinct socializations—Watzlawick as a European emigrant and Bryson as a returnee—on their critical yet sympathetic representations of American society, infrastructure, and daily life.
- The construction of the "Image of America" through individual experience and socialization.
- Comparative analysis of Paul Watzlawick’s European perspective and Bill Bryson’s returnee viewpoint.
- Critical evaluation of American social structures, including media, language, and the "dogma of progress."
- The role of American infrastructure, consumerism, and the legal system in shaping cultural perception.
- The divergence between the perception of social environments and the appreciation of American nature.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.1. Infrastructure
The first important issue in his valuation is the American infrastructure. Historically grown cities, as one finds them in most of European countries are quite rare. Especially the large metropolis was often planned on the drawing board and therefore resembles a gigantic chessboard. Watzlawick calls this pattern monotone and hostile towards nature (cf. ib. p.54) but almost instantly admits that there are a few European styled cities, such as San Francisco or the French quarters of New Orleans, which flatter the Non-American eye. Attached to the cities is the broad highway system. According to Watzlawick, it enforces the inhospitable impression of constriction of those large cities (cf. ib. p.51). In contrast, he points out that Americans are “the most reasonable, the politest and most helpful drivers, you can imagine” (ib. p.42, transl.2). In this context, he additionally lists up numerous traffic regulations, which differ from the European standards.
Another structural difference (and probably one of the most discussed ones in the context of American infrastructure) is the health insurance system. Rather cynically, Watzlawick gives advice, better not to get hurt or ill in America without having taken out private insurance. As there is no public insurance as in most of the European countries, this hint is not only helpful but also may seem very uncommon for Europeans (cf. ib. pp.126). Additionally, Watzlawick explains the American measurement parameters: feet, inches, degrees Fahrenheit, gallons, miles, etc.. He thereby puts emphasis on the fact that the decimal system, which is the basis for almost all of the measuring units in Europe, has never entirely been established in the United States (cf. ib. pp.38).
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Provides the rationale for studying the diverse literary images of America and introduces the two selected authors, Watzlawick and Bryson.
2. THE AUTHORS AND THEIR BACKGROUNDS: Outlines the biographical trajectories of Paul Watzlawick and Bill Bryson to contextualize their unique perspectives on the U.S.
3. IMAGES OF AMERICA: Investigates the specific cultural observations made by the authors, divided into Watzlawick's European-influenced view and Bryson's experience as a returnee.
4. COMPARISON: Synthesizes the findings by contrasting the authors' shared and differing opinions on the American people, infrastructure, and the concept of a "real" image.
5. REFERENCES: Lists the primary literature and online sources used for the analysis.
Keywords
America, Image of America, Paul Watzlawick, Bill Bryson, Cultural Perception, Socialization, Infrastructure, American Lifestyle, European View, Identity, Consumerism, Media System, National Identity, Literary Analysis, Comparative Studies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
This work focuses on how the "Image of America" is constructed and interpreted through the literature of Paul Watzlawick and Bill Bryson, contrasting a European immigrant's perspective with that of an American returnee.
What are the central themes explored in the text?
The central themes include the influence of socialization on cultural perception, the critique of American infrastructure, media influence, language use, and the concept of an "internal cognitive construction" of a nation.
What is the main research objective of this paper?
The research objective is to analyze how the distinct biographical backgrounds of Watzlawick and Bryson shaped their critical yet often sympathetic portrayals of American society and culture.
Which scientific approach does the author use?
The author employs a comparative literary and analytical approach, juxtaposing the arguments found in Watzlawick’s "Gebrauchsanweisung für Amerika" and Bryson’s "Notes from a Big Country."
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines infrastructure, everyday life, social habits, consumer behavior, media impact, and the contrasting perceptions of American nature versus social structures.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The key concepts include American cultural images, social perception, Watzlawick, Bryson, infrastructure, cultural socialization, and comparative analysis.
How does Watzlawick’s view on infrastructure differ from his view on social habits?
Watzlawick presents a balanced, albeit critical, view of infrastructure as technologically advanced yet structurally underdeveloped, whereas his critique of social habits displays a clearer preference for European standards of living.
What role does the "American nature" play in Bill Bryson's work?
Bryson views the American nature very affirmatively, focusing on the vastness and freedom of the landscape, which he suggests is one aspect that remains untainted by the bureaucratic or social criticisms he applies to the rest of the country.
How does the author explain the "real" image of America?
The author concludes that there is no "real" or "true" image of America; rather, it is a mental construction heavily dependent on the observer's own socialization and cultural background.
- Quote paper
- Jennifer Dacqué (Author), 2009, The Insight And The Outsight , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/147712
