American social thought in literature

Memoirs are effective forms of writing to use for a number of reasons. As a 20th Century American, one can look upon memoirs as both a telling of a time past and a time present; memoirs show a piece of our history, and thus by extension a piece of one's own identity as an American.

A less effective form of writing is that of social science argumentation, which asks us to believe various results of tests, polls, and studies. While an effective means of persuasion, it is not quite as stirring as that of the 'simple' memoir, or story of our 'own' people.

This paper will examine two writings which have been studied this year- that of Margaret Meade's "Coming of Age in Samoa" as well as Whittaker Chambers's "Witness." These two memoirs show different sides of America, and Americans. Meade's "Coming of Age" speaks of a time when she was in Samoa studying adolescent children and trying to figure out why American children seem to have such rough childhoods, while Chambers's "Witness" tells a tale of his adventures as a soviet spy in the 1930s.

The first part of this paper shall examine some of the reasons which make Margaret Meade's "Coming of Age in Samoa" a less effective piece of persuasion, while the second part of this paper shall examine some of the reasons that Whittaker Chambers's "Witness" is a compelling memoir composition.

Meade's writing examines life in Samoa through a study of adolescent girls. Meade explains how social science claims that the study results are indicative of the hypothesis that social science studies advance knowledge about a society and help dictate "appropriate" conduct. It should be noted that Meade's very analysis techniques for foreign cultures have been called into question by some scientists.

As a 20th Century American, the idea of studying other cultures to imprint one's own personal mark upon them is rather repungent. Meade speaks about this process,

Because the length of human life and the complexity of our experiment did not permit us to make our experiment here...it was necessary instead to go to another country where history had set the stage for us." (Page 200, Paragraph 1)

It is as thought Meade feels a need to justify going to study other cultures. Meade insists, further down on the same page, that a girl who is more able to work in other cultures will be shunned by peers and made to work longer. This is a bit of a sweeping generalization. She goes on to ask how American adolescents would be different than their cultural peers, if it could be proved that adolescence is no more difficult in a girls' life than any other time. She then jumps to the conclusion that is must have been all but proved, simply because, "Proved it is if we can find any society in which that is..." (Page 201) Again, another sweeping generalization.

Meade doesn't show us a lot of empirical data to support her conclusions. She relies on the weight of her own opinions because she is 'worldly' and that should be enough for the reader. But it isn't enough.

To be a good persuasion piece, Meade would need to appeal to the emotion, which she does try to do on page 203 when Meade paints an illustration of generational differences in discipline. "While the less thoughtful receives her worst blows in the discovery that father thinks is good, grandfather thinks is bad, and things that are permitted at home are banned at school..."

While all Americans can relate to times of family discord, this illustration does not serve an especial purpose in furthering Meade's emotional point- intellectually we the reader know that her arguments are probably sound, simply because of her experience - emotionally, we the reader are seeking something more, something that we personally can identify with in that other culture. This is something Meade does not provide.

The remainder of Meade's article talks about such things as American society, religion, upbringing, and home life (the first part of her article, you will note, described such things of the Samoa culture). However one cannot find any specific examples where Meade is attempting to convince on an emotional level. Though the reader may decided simply through Meade's article that what she says is true, the reader is less likely to remember it than something with a bit more individual meaning.

Individual meaning is what makes the memoir style of writing so persuasive. It is, in a way, as though the author is talking directly to you, the reader. Whittaker Chambers's "Witness" is a good example of a persuasive article written memoir style. "Witness" starts with the author writing a letter to his children, explaining his actions as a spy during the 1930s. He opens his article with "Beloved Children," something which draws the reader's attention specifically because it is the sort of American nostalgia that most people enjoy- reading old letters to get a truer history of this nation and the people who shaped its major events. Much in the same way you might find letters from Grandpa in the attic, Chambers invites us into his 'attic' and tells us a story. "It is a terrible book. It is terrible in what it tells about men..." (Page 274 paragraph 2)