The American Identity

As Jacob Riis said, in How the Other Half Lives, “A map of the city, colored to designate nationalities, would show more stripes than on the skin of a zebra, and more colors than any rainbow.” America was changing rapidly from a collective group of people to a society composed of distinct individuals. “Before the embarkation from New York the Commander had made it quite clear to everyone that he and he alone was to discover the Pole...I’ve spent my life planning for that moment, Peary said, and I’m going to have it for myself...Peary posed Henson and the Esquimos in front of the flag and took their picture...Because of the light the faces are indistinguishable, seen only as black blanks framed by caribou fur” (77, 88). This passage highlights the idea of identity in America during the 1900s. With the introduction of popular media, individuals could now be associated with certain successes, creating celebrities. As the face of America shifted, the desire to establish oneself as an individual increased; Peary embodies this sentiment in his quest for fame as he climbs towards the North Pole. The photograph of the mountaineers shows only the silhouette of the individuals’ faces, not the faces themselves. This represents the idea that, in the end, the significance of reaching the North Pole was not in the individuals who climbed the mountain, but resided in society as a whole. In a way, this picture personifies achievement. Humankind was making great strides — reaching new corners of the world and creating new technology, like cars, for everyone. In Ragtime, E. L. Doctorow suggests that America in the 1920s struggled to establish its identity as its composition of citizens and the surrounding world changed.

By Danielle Dalton

Historical Sources:

"North Pole Expedition Photos." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2011.

Peary Photograph. 1909. iBerkshire. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.

Riis, Jacob. "III. The Mixed Crowd." How the Other Half Lives. New York: Charles Scribner Sons, 1890. N. pag. Bartleby.com. Web. 25 Apr. 2011.