American Myths

English W130

24 September 2012

Word Count 1440

American Myths

Colombo and Dalton think about “cultural myths” (3) in many different ways. In some ways they would agree with each other and in some ways they would disagree with each other. Gary Colombo’s essay “Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths” is about cultural myths and critical thinking. A cultural myth involves a “shared set of customs, values, ideas, and beliefs” (3). “Critical thinking” (2) is analyzing something in a very complex way. It is when you look into something with deep thought. Harlon L. Daltons essay “Horatio Alger” is about the Alger myth. The “Alger myth” (272) is as follows “ (1) each of us are judged solely on his or her own merits; (2) we each have a fair opportunity to develop those merits; (3) and ultimately, merit will out” (272) (273). There thinking varies in there essays Colombo believes cultural myths selectively blinds us. Colombo suggests everyone should have critical thinking skills. Dalton states the Alger myth is untrue and destructive. In their essays I found two ways there thoughts are similar. Colombo believes cultural myths limit our complex thinking. Dalton would agree we oversimplify things. Also there are similarities in both of there essays about the American dream of success.

Colombo believes cultural myths “selectively blinds us” (3). Cultural myths limit our ability to see other perspectives. For example when Colombo argues cultural myths “gain such enormous power over us by insinuating themselves into our thinking before we’re aware of them” (4). Shown in paragraph ten about gender roles. We don’t even have to think twice about how a male is to be “strong, responsible, competitive, and heterosexual” (4). It just comes natural to us as to what we think is normal. And to us when it comes to gender roles we believe it is normal for a male to have all of these traits. This is an example of cultural myths blinding us because they “shape the way we...