gg contexts

Question 1

American dream

Answer 1

‘dream of land in which life should be better and richer and fuller’
‘dream of each man and woman shall be able to attain. to the fullest stature’
‘ not one of motor cars and high wages merely’
James Truslow Adams

Question 2

GAN

Answer 2

Laurence Buell
acts as a mirror to American society and a critique of it.
conveying ‘ national self-criticism’

Question 3

declaration of independence 1776

Answer 3

’ all men are created equal’
‘ unalienable rights, among these are life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness’

Question 4

the constitution

Answer 4

’ we th people ‘
ran by people as a hole , no hierarchy , everyone same rights

= equality/ destiny of all Americans

Question 5

theory of leisure class- Veblen

Answer 5

leisure class = predatory In nature , ability to overproduce , conspicuous leisure , activities that don’t contribute to sustainful life

2 classes= those who exploit and those who are exploited

lower class try to emulate upper = allow themselves to illusion they live similarly to leisure classes = conspicuous consumption = conspicuous waste

Question 6

Eugenics

Answer 6

preserving dominant class, removing those unfit for society
many victims = African American, hispanic, native American women
1894 = Immigration restriction league created, to prevent inferior races diluting ‘ superior American racial stock’

immigrants seen as degenerate, low IQs, alcoholism, shiftiness , problems transmitted thru genes

Immigration act 1924 = strengthened laws prohibiting races mixing

Chines + japans seen as least desirable’s , largely banned from US

Question 7

life of Jesus , Ernest Renan

Answer 7

Jesus a figure who decided to make himself son of god but ruined, refused to accept reality
“ faithful to his self-created dream but scornful of the factual truth that finally catches him and his dream”

Question 8

Anti semitism

Answer 8

• between 1877 and WWII
• americas jewish population = less than 250,000 up to over 4 million
• jewish organised crime fuelled , tended to follow immigration waves
• involvement small percentage immigrants = lasting stereotype
• jewish ‘crime wave’ early 20C New York, young jews joining ‘rackets’ , however exaggerated figure show was far below average for wider society

Question 9

Benjamin Franklin

Answer 9

list of ‘13 virtues ‘ from when he was a young man