"Poe"

Background:

                Edgar Allan Poe was born to travelling actors in 1809, and his parents died two years later.  Poe then went to live with a merchant named John Allan and his wife Frances Allan.  John Allan wanted Poe to be a merchant like him, but Poe wanted to be a writer.  In 1826, Poe went to college and gained considerable debt.  John Allan sent Poe to college with less than one third of what he needed to pay.  This debt caused Poe to become a drunk in college.  Poe eventually dropped out of college and returned to Virginia, only to realize his  fiancée had gotten engaged to another man. Poe then went back to live with Allan until they had a falling out.  Poe then published his first book and enlisted in the U.S. Military.  After two years in the military, Poe gets word that Frances Allan is dying, and he rushed back to see her but she is buried before he gets back.  John Allan remarries without telling Poe, and when Allan dies, he leaves Poe out of his will.  For some strange reason, Poe later decides to marry his thirteen year old cousin.  In 1845, Poe published "The Raven," making him famous.  Poe died in 1809, and the cause of his death is still a mystery.

Poe:
            Edgar Allan Poe today is widely regarded as the first mystery writer.  I feel think that Poe often writes in a depressed, Gothic manner because of the early death of his biological parents, and because of the falling out with John Allan, and the failure to see Frances Allan before her death, whom was the only person he really considered a mother.  I also think the early death of his wife contributes to this, and I feel he never recovered from her death properly.  Also, Poe's death is a lot like his stories.  Nobody really knows the true reason for his death, and there is none that is widely accepted as to why he died.  His whole death is surrounded in mystery, just like his stories. 
               Overall, I feel that maybe even though Poe is a great author, he was a weird man in his life.   Poe introduced new radical ideas into his writings, and the fact that he really started the mystery genre is what make shim widely known today.

"What Is An American?"

               "What is An American?"  Hundreds of people could be asked, and many of them would have differing answers to this question.  When asking someone "What are you?", they assume that the question is asking what nations your ancestors came from.  When asking someone in America, they might answer, "Oh, I'm Italian, Polish, and Irish".  If someone else is asked they might say, "I'm African-American", or , "I'm Asian-American".
            If you went to another country such as Germany, one would answer, "I'm German."  If you went to England, all answers would be, "I'm English."  The point of the matter is, in America, people rarely answer, "I'm American."  Even if they are born in America, they wouldn't answer, "I'm American."  I believe that this is because America is filled of people that are not originally from America other than those called "Native-Americans."   Those that live in America are unified because they live in America, but also not united at the same time because of all the different cultures their ancestors come from and because all of the beliefs that they still continue to follow.
               If you are not born in another country, I don't feel that there is really a point in saying, "I am a _________ American."  It only serves to not unify our country farther, and break us apart.  To answer the original question of  "What is an American?", I would say that an American is someone that comes to call America home.  You do not necessarily need to be born in a country to call it home, but be proud of the country you now live in and are a part of.  An American is someone that believes in liberty and justice, and is willing to fight to keep it.  This is an American.