ethodology of early American Studies practitioners in the 30s, 40s, and 50s was named the symbol myth school approach. They came up with a set of assumptions that would guide those working in the field.1. There is one homogenous mind2. The American mind is distinguished by its place in the New World- which makes Americans idealistic, individualist, and pragmatic Europeans by contrast, were tragic in temper and corrupted by old world assumptions3. The American mind can be found in anyone American, and its expressed by those who write the high literature gene, such as Whitman, Twain...4. The American mind is influenced by movements that run through our past Pragmatition, Transcendentalism, and Liberation5. Popular culture is legit image to study, but the whole of American is best revealed in high literature. (Gene Wise)Again, looking at the other side of the situation, there is Linda Kerbers point of view. She suggests that something is wrong with the myth symbolist methodology. Kerber says that their approach did not look for structures of power. What she can now detect is that there is a bunch of chauvinism. She does in fact let them off the hook for being good writers.Culture resides in all learned behavior and in some shaping template or consciousness prior to behavior as well. There are many different cultures. Every country has there own style of living and rituals that they are apart of. Relating culture back into the materials that were to be read for this class, there was a lot of diversity. According to Jacobson, the history of European immigration to America is based on ethnic inclusion, mobility, and assimilation. He is interested in how the Irish, Jews, Polish, Greeks, Italians, Finns, Syrian and Ruthenians became white. It was said that race at different historical moments were perceived differently for different groups. I believe that this is true for the past, present, and ...
