Thursday, October 6, 2011

100% American

Ralph Linton starts out on commenting how a typical American starts out their day. He tells of all the materialistic things that we depend on in order to get ready for our day. Also, he comments on the different customs that we have grabbed from others such as shaving from the Sumer or Ancient Egypt.
Afterwards, he comments from the clothing that an American uses to where he gets it from. A chair from southern Europe, garments from the skin clothing of the nomads of the Asiatic steppes, and a tie worn by the 17th century Croatians are all examples of how he describes the way Americans have said to be unique, but that at the same time they have borrowed customs from others.
Linton even comments on the food and money that the Americans use. He continues to show the life of an American and how it is full of hypocritical ideas and creations. I think that Linton was only trying to make people look at their reality. Also, he might have just wanted to make other realize that they should maybe give credit to others for the things that have made their lives easier.
When he says at the end that the American man claims to be 100 percent American, he makes the Americans seem like they are playing a joke on themselves and that they rather cover the fact that they are not original than to say that they have taken everyone else's ideas.

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