American Mythos

American Mythos Why Our Best Efforts to be a Better Nation Fall Short Robert WuthnowPrinceton University Press, 2008ISBN 9780691138558 Softcover, 304 pp.6.55 X 9.23 X 0.72 inches | 0.95 pounds America was built on stories: tales of grateful immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, Horatio Alger-style transformations, self-made men, and the Protestant work ethic. In this new book, renowned sociologist Robert Wuthnow examines these most American of stories--narratives about individualism, immigration, success, religion, and ethnicity--through the eyes of recent immigrants. In doing so, he demonstrates how the "American mythos" has both legitimized American society and prevented it from fully realizing its ideals. This magisterial work is a reflection and meditation on the national consciousness. It details how Americans have traditionally relied on narratives to address what it means to be strong, morally responsible individuals and to explain why some people are more successful than others-