The Pursuit of American Character

by Rupert Wilkinson

This book is about the various interpretations of American character that have appeared from the 1940s to the present. How have they changed and why? What do they have in common? Have Americans changed as much as they suggest they have? Why have Americans always been so interested in identifying their national character, and what does this tell us about American character and culture in general?

In answering these questions, Rupert Wilkinson argues that four historic fears have been major influences: the fear of being owned and controlled by others; the fear of collapsing (personally as well as nationally) into chaos and fragmentation; the fear of failing a past state of virtue and promise; and the fear of losing dynamism and momentum.

Wilkinson illustrates each fear with examples from popular culture and public rhetoric, and then shows how they have combined in different ways from the 17th century to the present.

"A lucid inquiry into the psyche of Americans."
-- Fred I. Greenstein, Princeton University

"A splendidly concise and stimulating inquiry into national character--why Americans have for so long been so concerned to know what they are like and how they are perceived."
-- Marcus Cunliffe, American Studies International

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988