Although Morisson’s A Mercy and Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley are very different books, they both tell the reader about American identity and what it means to be American. One of the arguments that Steinbeck makes about what it means to be an American is being politically active/informed. The United States is known for its democracy and the right to vote is something that Americans take for granted, but it is a big part of who we are as a nation. Steinbeck (as a Democrat) wrote about the fights that he would have with his Republican sisters and he observed, “…I don’t think we were the only ones. I believe this was going on all over the country in private” (Steinbeck 152). Being able to debate and use the freedom of speech is essential to …show more content…
After speaking to people who lived in a mobile home he concluded, “Could it be that Americans are a restless people, a mobile people, never satisfied with where they are as a matter of selection?” (Steinbeck 80). Steinbeck believed that as a result of being a country of immigrants, never wanting to settle down permanently is in our blood. Another interesting thing that Travels with Charley says about being American is kindness. Nearly everywhere Steinbeck traveled to he met strangers who were willing to help him to the best of their abilities. There are countless examples of this, from the vet who cured Charley to the cop in New York City who helped him find his way home. When a man went above and beyond to get Rocinante fixed quickly Steinbeck wrote, “And if ever my faith in the essential saintliness of humans becomes tattered, I shall think of that evil-looking man” (Steinbeck 142). Along his trip, Steinbeck met many kind and helpful people who showed him how generous Americans are. These are just three of the many traits that Steinbeck found consistent in all of the Americans that he