Democracy An American Novel - 2141 Words

A work of fiction, Democracy: An American Novel, is a novel in which Henry Adams skillfully addresses many social commentaries through satire and interesting characters. This novel can simply be described as a political love story. The main character, Mrs. Madeline Lightfoot Lee, originally leads her life as a â€Å"private philanthropist, amateur philosopher, and socialite† in New York (Adams v). After her husband and child died she lost her â€Å"taste for New York society† and everything that was in it (Adams 14). Eventually she became tired of her life in New York and decided to go to Washington D.C. to see what life had to offer her. The book has many parallels to Henry Adam’s own life. For example, when Mrs. Lee moved to Washington she lived on Lafayette Square, as did Henry Adams (â€Å"Washington, D.C.†). Madeline Lee is the kind of character who loves power, and she knew exactly where to look. Aside from finding out what exactly lay at the center of democracy and government, she wanted to see â€Å"the clash of interests, the interests of forty millions of people and a whole continent, centering at Washington; guided, restrained, controlled, or unrestrained and uncontrollable, by men of ordinary mould; the tremendous forces of government, and the machinery of society at work. What she wanted was POWER† (Adams 18). She was not the only one to travel to Washington, however. Madeline’s sister, Miss. Sybil Ross, came along with her. The two would much rather describe themselves asShow MoreRelatedDemocracy An American Novel, by Henry Adams Essay956 Words   |  4 PagesIn the late 1800’s, Henry Adams wrote Democracy An American Novel, in which he portrayed Washington society through the eyes of a wealthy young widow, Mrs. Madeline Lee, who is looking for the basis of American governmental power. In her search for the basis of power, Mrs. Lee encounters many facets of Washington society, such as the types of people who control the government. The novel moves beyond a simple plot and story and includes portrayals of the basic Washington types of people, WashingtonRead MoreFalse Truths, Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Happiness1538 Words   |  7 Pages The motto and the foundation of American democracy. If life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the key to a long and stable governing power, then, would non-vitality, imprisonment, and censorship do the same? George Orwell’s, 1984, a bleak, yet compelling novel answers this question. In this dystopian version of 1984, asides from discos and neon leggings, Oceania, a mega-continent, is ruled by the omnipotent force called the Party. As told in the novel, the government, itself, is builtRead MoreFeminists, Abolitionists, and Democracy Essay736 Words   |  3 PagesFeminists, Abolitionists, and Democracy The framework of America’s government was forged in the spirit of democracy. The founding fathers envisioned a nation of free and equal persons and a country where everyone had a voice in the decision-making process. However, it soon became evident that not all people had a voice or even equal rights. Two groups excluded from government were women and African-Americans. These groups rose up to declare their rights to equality and freedom under the law. TheRead MoreSatire In Herman Melvilles Moby Dick1239 Words   |  5 PagesSatire in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick Herman Melville’s Moby Dick is a parting from the traditional conception of the Anglo-European novel in underlying the idea of the self as opposed to society, or, the human being in contrast to the universe. Many of Melville’s themes are typical of American Romanticism: the â€Å"isolated self† and the difficulty of self-revelation, the imperfections of human knowledge, the contrast between immorality and virtue, and the pursuit of the truth. Although Melville intendedRead MoreThe Dangers of a Totalitarian Dictatorship1671 Words   |  7 Pagescommunistic country, many Americans feared Communism because of the influence that it had in America. Many intellectuals supported Communism in the U.S. which led to more concern within the country. The communistic threat presented by the Soviets in the war led to the spread of Communism within the U.S. It was a fear that many Americans spoke out against in attempt to save the American society. George Orwell spoke out against it in 1949 by warning people in his novel 1984 that the spread of CommunismRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1540 Words   |  7 Pagesdictatorship greatly limited the liberties of its people. This era created lasting views of the concept of â€Å"good versus evil†. British author William Golding wrote his novel, Lord of the Flies, during this time and it reflects this uneasy atmosphere. The character development, along with the carefully chosen symbolism of the novel suggests that Golding wrote Lord of the Flies as an allegory to the people and events of the Cold War, but also to present his future predictions for the Cold War; bothRead More The Dangers of a Totalitarian Dictatorship Essay1637 Words   |  7 Pagesa communistic country, many Americans feared Communism because of the influence that it had in America. Many intellectuals supported Communism in the U.S. which led to more concern within the country. The communistic threat presented by the Sov iets in the war led to the spread of Communism within the U.S. It was a fear that many Americans spoke out against in attempt to save the American society. George Orwell spoke out against it in 1949 by warning people in his novel 1984 that the spread of CommunismRead MoreThe Impact of Sir Walter Scott on American Literature722 Words   |  3 Pagesup to the American Civil War, Sir Walter Scott made a lasting impact on American literature. His romantic style was wildly popular, especially in the southern states. Most of the nations views on the war at the time were highly romanticized as a result. However, there was nothing romantic about this war. Once soldiers witnessed the horrors of war, many of their romantic views were changed forever. One such soldier was Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. The themes of American literatureRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel Chesnutt Uses Mixed Race Characters 1675 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel, Chesnutt uses mixed race characters, w hich have both black and white ancestors and these characters display the conflicts between black and white societies. Within the novel, Janet Miller is the best example of a mixed race character. Janet’s father was from the white aristocracy, while her mother was a slave and a servant. Janet is emotionally hurt because she doesn t receive the same affection like white half-sister. She views herself as black and submits to the segregation of theRead MoreRealism In Huck Finn Essay876 Words   |  4 PagesEuropean, and American Literature in the nineteenth century (9). The key principles of this literary style are the insistence upon and defence of the â€Å"commonplace†, characters being more important than plot, attacks upon romanticism and romantic writers, an emphasis on morality, which is often self-realized and upon an examination of realism, and the concept of realism as a realization of democracy. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , written by Mark Twain, is a perfect archetype of a novel written in