Quest for identity

                    One of the most pervasive theme in American Literature is "the search for identity". Our earliest authors celebrated literary characters who are separated from family, ancestory and the past to head west. This was also a celebration of the serving of our European ties as we tried to create a national "American" identity. Later, it became a celebration of the westward movement and the explorers who left their families and ancestral pasts to pursue their dreams out west. Studies have demonstrated that Americans, more than even before, are researching their ancestral connections as they sense that our national identity and values have changed significantly during their own lifetime. They want- indeed, desperately need - to be more grounded in a continuance of ancestral connections. 
                    The quest for identity has been present in the novels, short stories and drama of the American writer since the 18th century. The novel "Death of a Salesman"represented by Arthur Miller is characterized either by hopeless and despaired individuals (Willy, Biff) or by innocent naive characters (Linda, Happy) all seeking their identity. As regards the American short - story, the writers deals with the fragments of life where they try to reveal as much of the mystery of existence as possible.

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