The American Experience as a Tragedy
"Success is most often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable." --Coco Chanel
The reason the American Experience often goes hand-in-hand with tragedy is that its concept of continuously/endlessly chasing an ideal is usually implied in the definition of a tragic hero. That definition is so similar to the archetypal hero that undergoes the American Experience that it is almost guaranteed the "American hero" will have an element of tragedy in them. The link between the tragic hero and the typical American hero is not only obvious, but also telling, implying things about the "chasing an ideal" part of the American Experience that have serious consequences and implications for the Experience that can be seen in an optimistic light.
Each entry contains multiple artifacts that fit together to prove the "tragic and American hero" mini-thesis.
- Defining the American Hero: Definition of the American hero archetype with examples.
- Definition of the Tragic Hero: Defining the tragic hero through use of multiple sources, opinions, and examples.
- Tragic Connection: Analysis of the similarities and connections between the two archetypes.
- "Breathe" by Pink Floyd: An analysis of the song "Breathe" by Pink Floyd in relation to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and McMurphy's character.
Each entry contains multiple artifacts that fit together to prove the "tragic and American hero" mini-thesis.