Americans believe themselves to be individualistic people.  They claim to reject the social conventions placed on them by society and reject an overbearing government.  This individualistic thinking dates back to the time of Manifest Destiny when people fantasize about conquering land west of the Mississipi River and living on it in solitude.  However, Americans are not the self-reliant individuals they believe themselves to be according to, Paradoxes of American Individualism, by Claude Fischer.  

Throughout the article, Fischer cites studies that differentiate Americans from people of other Western nations.  The idea that Americans hold an individualistic mentality is partly true.  They believe that people are primarily in control of their own future, unlike many Europeans who believe their future is dictated by factors out of their control.  Likewise, Americans believe one’s economic status is attributed to their lifestyle and personal choices and, therefore, reject government intervention in fixing economic inequality.  However, the economy is usually where their individuality ends.  Americans value belonging to social groups and believe that one must fulfill their obligations to any groups they belong to.  This thinking applies to churches, their employers, or even their marriages.  At first glance, this may give the impression that Americans carry a herd mentality.  However, individualism is reflected in the voluntarism that comes with being a member of these groups.  Voluntarism explains that individuals are not required to be a member of any social organizations, but do so out of choice.  This is true since people are free to join different churches, find a different job, or divorce.  With this freedom comes the expectation that whatever commitment they choose to make, they will fulfill that commitment.  

In the poem, Let America be America Again, Langston Hughes argues that the ideal version of America is one in which there are no obligations to society or a government: everyone is free to do what they please.  However, this desire is open only to a small demographic: middle and upper-class white males.  Others, such as poor Whites, African-Americans, and immigrants have obligations to serve society and have little control over their own futures.  The poem by Walt Whitman, America, describes how boys and girls are born equal in terms of opportunity and ambition but are brought down by a “towering, seat Mother.”  One can interpret the reference to an overbearing mother as an implication that American is not equal for women and girls.  While American society was created and dominated by men, mothers reinforce gender roles in their children.