The article, “Paradoxes of American Individualism” compares and contrasts the difference types of individualism that Americans experience. On one hand, individualism is described as a form of “self” where individuals hold themselves and others personally accountable for their actions. In the first study, compared to other Western countries, Americans were more likely to blame poverty on individual’s actions and qualities as opposed to the government. Yet at the same time, it was discovered that overall Americans were less likely to side with the individual over the collective group. Claude S. Fischer describes the idea of collective individualism as caring more about a group than about the individual. He explains that Americans are more likely to care about family, they belong to more organizations and churches, marry at the highest rates, won’t disrupt their place of work, and will support the country no matter the circumstances. Fischer concludes his argument by bringing up the idea of voluntarism. He explains that through voluntarism, people are allowed freedom in whatever they choose to do. Americans can freely choose to marry, divorce, and switch religious groups. They are committed to the decisions they made at that point in time, such as marriage, but can leave or change their minds at their own will.

Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman’s poems are similar in that they are both talking about America and writing about the different people who live there, but contrast in the point of view they take. Hughes focusses on the truth­– the struggles people suffered through the achieve the American dream. Whitman, on the other hand, writes about the positive aspects of America– the love and strength it has.

Langston Hughes describes in his poem, “Let America Be America Again” the concepts of the American dream and how they were not a reality for everyone. He talks about how all the love, freedom, liberty, and equality for everyone America seems to have is not the case. He mentions the different types of people who suffered because of that idealistic concept– poor whites, black slaves, and immigrants. It is the underprivileged people who have hopes and aspirations for themselves in America, only to be let down by the reality of the country.

Walt Whitman’s description of America focusses on the positive qualities of the country, while not addressing any of the oppression and injustice different races, ethnicities and genders face every day. The first line in the poem “Centre of equal daughters, equal sons,” ignores the inequalities that women suffered through and fought against for most of their lives, and the inequality is still present in society today.  Women only gained the same rights as men, the ability to vote in 1920, 100 years ago. Still to this day, they face inequality with the wage gap, as women generally earn around 81 cents to a man’s dollar. This poem also fails to mention the lack of equality between races. People of color are still treated poorly and as they are not equal by many whites, as we have seen in the media over the past year. The poem talks about law and love, and while the law towards every citizen in America might appear be equal, the love towards different races has not demonstrated equality.