American Literature: Theodore Roosevelt And Ralph Waldo Emerson

Throughout the history of American literature, many writers have shed light upon the strong work ethic and determination embodied by Americans. However, the shortcomings of different groups of Americans in trying to achieve success despite expressing these characteristics has been made evident by authors explaining how problems from sexism to working conditions have impeded people from being able to succeed. Authors including President Theodore Roosevelt and Ralph Waldo Emerson have praised the traits of hard work and dedication in trying to achieve success as they feel by way of having these traits, it is possible for someone to succeed at what he or she wants to endeavor in. In contrast, writers ranging from Carl Sandburg and Upton Sinclair,

As Roosevelt brings up how people should be like the “man actually in the arena”, this correlates with Emerson’s corn growing metaphor because of how the effort put forth should help lead to a positive outcome for the person as they both feel working hard is the main way to reach success. Emerson feeling someone should feel “relieved and gay” from working hard to achieve something is similar to how Roosevelt wants people to be patient and persistent in achieving goals because of how any work done helps someone eventually achieve something and even if success does not come at first, the effort completed so far is valuable. Overall, these authors make it clear how someone who works hard should eventually reach his or her goals as determination put into doing so makes it so the person is likely to

During the worker’s “ten-hour day’s work”, he eats a “dry bread and bologna sandwich” while taking a break. Meanwhile, a “train whirls by” the worker and is full of people relaxing and eating “steaks running with brown gravy”. It is clear to see how the worker is determined at doing his work as he is in the process of completing a “ten hours day’s work” but is struggling financially as for lunch, he only eats a “dry bread and bologna sandwich”. Through Sandburg’s imagery, the struggle the worker goes through to get by in life is illustrated by how the people on the train were eating “steaks running with brown gravy” which contradicts the bland sandwich the worker eats in order to show how even though the worker may have a strong work effort towards his labor, the difficulty to make money makes it tough for the worker to