The-discoery-of-what-it-means-to-be-an-American练习答

12.TheDiscoveryofWhatItMeanstoBeanAmericanJamesBaldwinEXERCISES12Ⅱ.1.HeleftAmericabecausehewasafraidhemightnotbeabletosurvivethefuryofthecolorproblemthere.HewantedtopreventhimselffrombecomingmerelyaNegroorevenjustaNegrowriter.AndhealsowantedtofindouthowhisspecialexperienceasaNegrocouldhelptoconnecthimwithotherpeopleinsteadofdividinghimfromthem.2.HefoundhimselftobeaspatrioticasthemostpatrioticAmericans.Hewas.discriminatedagainstandpersecutedinAmericasohewasveryeagertoleaveit.ButwhenheleftithewassurprisedtofindthathelovedAmericaasmuchasanyotherwhiteAmericans.3.HesufferedakindofnervousbreakdowninEuropewhenhefoundmanyofhispreconceptionsandbeliefstobefalseandungrounded.HewenttoSwitzerlandtorecuperatefromhisbreakdown.BessieSmiththroughherbeautifulsingingofNegrofolkmusichelpedhimrememberandaccepthisNegroorigins.4.EuropehelpedtoreconcilehimtobeingaNegro.InEuropeherealizedthathelovedAmericajustasanywhiteAmericandid.HefoundthattheoriginsoftheblackandwhiteAmericanswerenotsoimportantasthefactthattheywerebothsearchingfortheirseparateidentities.HealsorealizedthatEuropehadformedboththeblackandthewhiteAmericansandthisfactwaspartoftheiridentityandinheritance.Finallyherealizedtheresponsibilityofhisdevelopmentrestedinhisownhands.5.Europeanshavelivedwiththeideaofsocialstatusforalongtime.Europeansocietyhasalwaysbeendividedintoclasses,sopeoplethereaccepttheideaofstatusveryeasilyandnaturally.WhereasinAmerica,amobilesociety,akindofsocialparanoiaexists,becausenooneiscertainwhathisstatusinsocietyis.InAmericaeveryonethinkshehasstatusandatthesametimeeveryonebecomesun-easyastojustwhathisstatusis.6.HiscontactwithpeoplefromeverystationinlifeandthefreeuninhibitedinterchangeofviewswithalltypesofpeoplehelpedhimtodiscoverwhatitmeanstobeanAmerican'.ThismayhappenonthedaywhenanAlgeriantaxi-drivertellshimhowitfeelstobeanAlgerianinParis,oronthedaywhenhecatchesaglimpseofthetense,intelligentandtroubledfaceofAlbertCamus,oronthedaywhensomeoneaskshimtoexplainLittleRock.7.InBaldwin'seyesAmericaisamobilesocietyinwhichnothingisfixedandinwhichtheindividualmustfightforhisidentity.ThereisrichconfusionandtensioninAmericanlifebutAmericaisalsoalandofunprecedentedoppor-tunitiesandunlimitedpossibilities8.AmericanwritersshouldfindoutthehiddenlawsandprofoundassumptionsonthepartfthepeoplethatgovernAmericansociety.AmericanwritersshouldalsotrytounitetheoldvisionofEuropeandthenewvisionofAmerica.Ⅲ.1.ThecentralthesisofthisexpositionisthediscoveryofwhatitmeanstobeanAmerican,expressedbythetitleoftheessay.2.No.Thethesisdoesn’tseemtohavebeenfullydeveloped,forBaldwinappearstobewritingonthreelevels:1)asanAmerican,2)asanAmericanwriter,and3)asanAmericanNegrowriter.BaldwindiscoversinEuropethattheAmericanisdifferentfromtheEuropeanandthatitisacomplexfatetobeanAmerican.HealsodiscoversthatallAmericans--whiteorblack--lovedtheircountryandwerenotathomeinEurope,thatAmericansknewmoreabouteachotherthananyEuropean.evercould,andthatEuropewaspartoftheiridentityandpartoftheirinheritance.3.No.ThetitleoftheessaycouldhavebeenTheDiscoveryofWhatItMeanstoBeanAmericanWriterorTheDiscoveryofWhatItMeanstoBeanAmericanNegroWriter.PerhapsthemostsuitabletitleorthesiswouldhavebeenTheDiscoveryofWhatItMeanstoBeanAmericanNegro.4.Yes.Thefirstsentenceofthisessayisaquotation.Beginninganessaywithaquotationlendsauthorityandforcetowhatoneintendstosay.So,thisaptandwell-chosenquotationisveryeffective.5.Yes,hedidsucceed.HefoundhelovedAmericajustasmuchasanyotherwhiteAmerican.HefoundthattheoriginsoftheblackandthewhiteAmericanswerenotsoimportantasthefactthattheyweresearchingfortheirseparateidentities.FinallyhefoundthatEuropehadformedboththeblackandthewhiteAmericans,andthisfactwaspartoftheiridentityandinheritance.6.Theparadoxis:thoughAmericansocietyismoremobilethanEurope's,itiseasierfordifferentsocialandoccupationalgroupstointermixinEuropethaninAmerica.ItisdifficulttointermixinAmericabecauseeveryonethinkhehasstatusandyetnooneissurejustwhathisstatusis.InEuropeclasslinesareclearandeveryoneacceptsnaturallytheirsocialstatus,sointermixingwithoutmuchfrictionispossible.Ⅳ.1.ThefateofanAmericaniscomplicatedandhardtounderstand.2.TheywereuneasyanduncomfortableinEuropeasIwas.3.Theywerealltryingtofindtheirownspecialindividualities.4.Idon'tthinkIcouldhaveacceptedinAmericamyNegrostatuswithoutfeelingashamed.5.Europecanalsohaveaveryfrustratingordisablingeffect.6.ItiseasierinEuropeforpeopleofdifferentsocialgroupsandoccupationstointermingleandhavesocialintercourse.7.InEuropeagoodwaiterandagoodactorareequallyproudoftheirsocialstatusandposition.Theyarenotjealousofeachotheranddonotliveinfearoflosingtheirposition.8.IwasborninNewYorkbuthavelivedonlyinsomesmallareasofthecity.9.Thereconsiderationofthesignificanceandimportanceofmanythingsthatonehadtakenforgrantedinthepastcanbeverypainful,thoughveryvaluable.10.Thelifeofawriterreallydependsonhisacceptingthefactthatnomatterwherehegoesorwhathedoeshewillalwayscarrythemarksofhisorigins.11.Americanwritersliveinamobilesocietywherenothingisfixed,sotheydonothaveafixedsocietytodescribe.12.Everysocietyisinfluen