Way Out West
California, for better or for worse, has always been the ancestral homeland of get-rich-quick schemes-- be it the dot-com boom, Hollywood, or the gold rush. Our fine state has long been considered to be one of the best US states, holding a massive percent of the population, lush and varied terrain, and of course... beaches. If America is the land of opportunity, California is America's America. What this thought process comes down to is the idea of American exceptionalism. Ever since colonial times, America had the dream of expanding westward-- Manifest Destiny, they called it. After a few wars and a genocide or two, that dream was realized. Ever since then, America’s mentality has been manifest destiny-- the belief that if you are worthy of something, you should be allowed to claim it for yourself. That’s what America is all about: An individual’s power to achieve if he puts his mind to it. The early settlers believed that they were entitled to the land they took from the Native Americans, the founding fathers believed we were entitled to our own nation, and the businessmen and wealthy aristocrats in the years following believed that they were entitled to success if they put their minds to it, even if it came at the expense of their workers. In all three cases, Americans took what they believed they deserved, whether they deserved it or not. This is our national mentality-- capitalism crossed with social Darwinism. Those who succeed deserved to succeed, and those who didn’t should be able to pick themselves up by their bootstraps. Although our methods and goals may have changed over the years, the thought process is still the same. America may be the land of opportunity. But it’s also the land of opportunism. This is why the untamed west appeals so much to Willie-- it's not just a place. It's an idea.
Graham, I agree completely with what you said. Traveling west has become a sort of American Pilgrimage, the only difference is that often, many people stay. My father was one of these people, one summer he and two friends packed up an old Toyota with all they owned and headed west with only a few thousand dollars between them and no certainty of a job at the other end. They left family and friends behind because they wanted a fresh start away from the hustle and bustle of the east coast. "For West is where we all plan to go someday." (376) Jack had the same wanderlust in him when he packed up and left, wanting to get away from it all and reboot his system so to speak. The only difference is that Jack eventually returned from his unsolicited vacation, Willie Talos would always draw him back.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well Graham, and also with you Will. California, the West of the West, has become almost a Mecca of America, and many dream of one day seeing and experiencing this land of opportunity, wonder, and adventure.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how many of us, and our ancestors, are attracted to California. My mother grew up in Canada, however in her twenties decided to immigrate to our state. My grandmother was raised in Kansas, however she to saw the light in California. Some people in our class even have come from far away to California, such as Carmen. It is amazing to see America's melting pot teem with people and cultures from all over, and as it follows the West. In the early 1900's, Ellis Island made New York the cultural center of our nation, however as technology and the advancements of civilization headed west, so followed the immigrants. Now, we see people of all backgrounds and kinds, from all heritages, mixing together in one great cultural soup. We are blessed to be born and raised in this amazing place, filled with the best of the best and home to all cultures of all nations. We need not pilgrim to a place of beaches and cultures and wonders and opportunity, we need not seek a place of beauty and elegance, for we are blessed with one of the greatest fortunes of all: We are already West.
You are very right, Graham. Jack not only went out west because it has become a symbol of rebirth, but also because he needed to escape. When he found out that Willie and Anne were having an affair. He felt betrayed by Willie. These feelings had started when Willie asked Jack to dig up dirt on Jude Irwin, ignoring the fact that Jack felt like Judge was family. "The Anne Stanton whom Willie Talos picked out, who had finally betrayed me, or rather, had betrayed an idea of mine which had more importance for me than I had ever realized (431." Jack feels betrayed by Willie because he shattered Jack's depiction of Anne's innocence
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ReplyDeleteDylan Woodhead
ATKM 2# Response
March 8th, 2014
As Graham stated previously, “America is the land of opportunity,” and no place better represents that idea than the West. As the first Americans landed and settled on the East Coast of the United States, they looked westward and saw everything and anything it could be; it represented the collective hopes and dreams of all Americans as they searched for a better life, a rebirth that separates themselves from the problems of their past lives as they look towards the possibility of the future. The West’s, specifically California’s, untapped potential with regard to natural resources and unparalleled freedom (in early America), draw migrants from all over the world who seek to better their own lives with the opportunities that lay in the West. Graham’s idea, expressed above, can directly be applied to Jack in All the Kings Men, who, as he tries to escape the relationship issues with Willie and Anne (431), travels West to Santa Monica. Out of all the places distraught humans could go, including Jack, they see the legacy of opportunity in the West and choose to follow those who have traveled before and voyage westward, to the most opportune region of the land of opportunity.