Poe

     Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer and poet who lived in the early 19th century. He played a major part in the American Romantic Movement. Poe was one of the earliest short story writers in America. He is known for his works with mystery and horror. Today, he is still one of the most famous writers and his works are studied deeply by a majority of scholars.
     At a very early age, he became an orphan with his father running away and mother dying. Throughout his entire life, he struggled through depression and hardship. His escape was gambling, and consumption of alcohol. Although he was taken in by the very wealthy Allan family, his debts in gambling destroyed his relationship with them, causing him to not be able to finish University and struggled to survive off of only his works of writing.
     Most of Poe's works seem to be a reflection of his emotions. All of his stories that we have read so far have to deal with the supernatural, ether with people coming back from the dead or a raven that drives a man insane. These works reflect the darkness and depression inside of him. His works all have a sense of gloominess or despair. Many of his works reflect upon the loss of his his wife, Virginia Clemm. When Virginia dies, Poe falls deeper into depression and consumes more alcohol, just as the characters in The Raven and Ligeia does when they lose a love one.
     By reading the works of Poe, one can see into his mind and go deep into his emotions. This brilliant, tormented man is one of the greatest writers in American history.

What is an American?

     The simplest way we can describe an American is a citizen of the United States. But, it goes much deeper into that. People of every nationality have their own background and traditions. The people of the United States are not just made up of one group of people, but several ethnicity groups. The creates a melting pot of traditions, changing some and completely creating new ones. People come here for 2 main reasons: economic opportunities and freedom. This is what unites the people of the United States.
     The idea of freedom is what created the United States. The 13 original colonies in the eastern coast of North America fought for their independence from Britain. They abolished monarchy and created a government made up of 3 branches. From there on out, people have been fighting for more and more freedom, leading to the civil rights movement which fought against segregation of race and the women's rights movement which fought against segregation of sex. As the country grew and grew, more people were attracted from around the world.
     As the country grew, the economy grew with it. Soon, the United States became one of the most, if not, strongest countries in the world. This is a huge accomplishment, considering how young the country is. This is largely accomplished by people attempting to live the American Dream: to have freedom and the opportunity to work your way up from nothing to prosperity and success.
     In conclusion, Americans are people who strive for success. They are people who enjoy the freedom of this country and are in the pursuit for happiness. People of many different backgrounds coexist in the same communities, each with the same goal as each other. Immigrants come here and adapt to the traditions that we have here, as well as adding to it and changing it. So, an American is not just one type of person, but people from all around the world who had the chance of coming here and took that chance to try to achieve the American Dream.