My favorite ism!

Although The Old Man and the Sea was not one of my favorites, I really enjoy the literature from the modernist era. The stories use vivid imagery, but not words that are so old fashioned that it obscures the plot. The symbolism that modernist literature holds is something that not everyone can necessarily see when they first read it; instead as you read it more, the story reveals extra information that you were not previously aware of. The stream of consciousness also appeals to me, as I also frequently ramble as well; modernist authors do a good job of portraying the human psyche. These new techniques seemed refreshing after the too stiff rigid structures of colonialism or the overflowing transcendentalism. It was like Goldilocks: just right!

The American Dream

America, the land of opportunity! The places where all your dreams come true!
Don't shoot the messenger, but that beautiful beacon of hope has died. Yup, you heard it here first: the grass on the other side of the fence has decayed into a field of brown, essentially suitable for insects and other creatures which I imagine would enjoy digging around in dirt.
Let's be honest: America's been, to say the least, lacking in a couple areas. The main issue would be the economy; while its not quite in the gutter, it's pretty darn close. There seem to be no major signs of improvement coming soon, which means we should bunker down and really start buying those fuel efficient Prius cars so you can laugh at people's faces when oil becomes $100 a barrel (of course, assuming you even have the money to even begin that endeavor.)
Now, businesses, who would normally help the American people out a little bit by providing for those lovely jobs which bring home the bank, have instead run across the seas. Outsourcing has become popular among those big corporate tycoons who want to save a couple of bucks and escape a few regulations. This obviously doesn't help out the people back here at home, and so unemployment soars. The concept of rags to riches no longer applies. The rich get tax breaks, and everyone else must pay up. Social Security will run out in the next ten years, meaning people who have paid for this their entire lives will not be able to reap its benefits.
We're not even liked by a lot of the world, as proven by our stay in Afghanistan and Iraq. We struggle to impose our ideals onto others, and are instead faced with resistance. No longer are we America the great.