Partisan
Review
~ Anvil
APRIL
1936
What Is
Americanism?
A SYMPOSIUM ON
MARXISM AND THE
AMERICAN TRADITION
In the belief that the problem of defining Amer-
icanism in relation to M arxismand revolutionary
literature is of the greatest importance for the un-
derstanding of all these forces,
the editors have
asked a number of writers of diverse shades of
opinion to reply to a ques tiannaire on the subject.
They were asked to shape their replies in essay form,
and it was suggested that a discussion on and around
the questions, rather than direct answers, would be
preferred.
In forthcoming issues the discussion will
be continued,
though not in symposium form.
The
ques tionnaire follows:
"IPhat is your conception of Americanism? Do
you think of it as separate and opposed to the cul-
tural tradition of IP estern Europe? Do you think
of it as identical with, or opposed to, or inclusive of
the distinct native revolutionary heritage of the early
Iacobins like Tom Paine, the populist movements of
later days and the radicalism of the Knights of
Labor, Albert Parsons, Gene Debs, Bill Haywood,
etc.? Should the values of this American tradition
be continued and defended or do they symbolize the
brutal struggle for individual
riches which some
writers (a,s, for example,
certain expatriates and
European critics like Georges Duhamel)
have in-
terpreted as the essence of
.Ii
mericanism? Does your
conception of Americanism postulate its continuity
from colonial days to the present age or do you
place it within definite historical limits?
"In your opinion, what is the relationship between
the A mcrical1 tradition and Marxism as an ideolog-
ical force in tlte United Stc.tes, with particular refer-
ence to the growth of 1-evolutionary literature in this
country? Do you think that our revolutionary litera-
ture reflects and integrates the American spirit or
is it in conflict with it? If this conflict exists, do you
think this is a fa,ilure on the part of revolutionary
writers or do the very premises of revolutionary
writing prevent the organic integratiof! of the two?"
THEODORE DREISER
AMERICANISM,
as I see it, is an illusion of na-
tional individuality,
held by the great mass of our
people in more or less emotional form, through which
ideas of reform, of government,
of social systems, of
art, etc., can be focussed; essentially, it is the emotion-
al, intangible, and often unconscious frame of refer-
ence with which most Americans compare whatever
ideas they have or come into contact with. American-
ism involves the associated illusions of such words as:
individualism,
the land of the free and the home of
the brave, liberty, self-made man, pioneers,
this is
the best country in the world and you ought to be
proud you were born here, the stars and stripes,
etc. As I think of it, it is these deeply rooted, power-
ful associations,
close to the very essence of feeling,
and as such a positive force. It grew out of the cul-
tural conditions of vVestern Europe, and is opposed
to it in the same way that an acorn is opposed to
an oak.
Because I think of it this way, I am inclined to be-
lieve that in questions and problems of bringing
about a social revolution,
the most practical thing is
to enlist this feeling, if possible, in the cause of re-
form and revolution.
As I see it, the reforms and
revolutions,
the changes from capitalism to social-
ism and communism,
are inevitable and inherent in
the very nature of things; and if identifying these
changes with this powerful emotional force of Amer-
icanism will make these changes and processes of ad-
justment easier for the great mass of people, and
correspondingly easier to bring about, then s~rely
the American radical movement should make Itself
as far as possible free of European associations,
and as American as possible in terminology,
leader-
ship, and general form. If this American tradition is
said to be only a symbolization of the brutal strug-
gle to obtain individual
riches-what
then? Com-
munism itself is best defended on the very same
grounds. Individual riches is nothing but a relative
illusion.
Although it is certainly clear that American cul-
tural traditions have very obvious Western Euro-
pean roots,
and that there has never been any
change of importance here in America that was not
preceded by a change of the same kind in Europe,
it is a part of Americanism to resent any present
influence and connection with Europe. And it is for
just this reason that Marxian ideology would do
