| Pub. Date | : March, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Product Name | : The IUP Journal of English Studies |
| Product Type | : Article |
| Product Code | : IJES010321 |
| Author Name | : Nibir K Ghosh |
| Availability | : YES |
| Subject/Domain | : Arts & Humanities |
| Download Format | : PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : 11 |
Founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the American nation evolved as the land of limitless opportunities and has attracted hopeful wanderers and bold adventurers from all parts of the globe to make America their home. This paper examines and explores at length the trials and tribulations that the institution of democracy has gone through in the world's most powerful nation since America's Declaration of Independence came into existence on 4 July 1776 under the dynamic leadership and guidance of its founding fathers. Beginning with the democratic ideals observed, upheld, and celebrated by writers, poets, and public intellectuals, the paper takes into account the exemplary leadership qualities displayed by President Abraham Lincoln in keeping the Union together during the Civil War by upholding the tenets of democratic norms and behavior. Through a discussion centered on the role of Donald Trump in brazenly flouting the avowed democratic principles in recent times, leading to his second impeachment, the paper gently reminds the readers of the deeds of the likes of Huey P Long during the 1930s. It also lays emphasis on the role of intellectuals and informed citizens in preventing dictators and demagogues from usurping and consolidating positions of power.
My interest in America and American Studies began years ago when I was doing my masters in English with specialization in Modern American Literature. As a teacher-scholar and avid reader of American literature and history for nearly four decades, I was overawed by America's immensity in terms of geographical space, economic affluence, cultural diversity, and political goals. Ever since Christopher Columbus discovered America more than five centuries ago, human interest in the USA, the land of "limitless opportunities," has not waned. Tempted by the dazzling glitter of the great American Dream, hopeful wanderers and bold adventurers from all parts of the globe have rushed in from time to time to make America their home. The great mosaic of many peoples coming from divergent cultures and climes and yet eager to be assimilated into the American mainstream may have inspired Melville (1969, 169) to state in Redburn: