POE

      Edgar Allen Poe was an American poet who's works are best known for the Gothic and supernatural. Poe had a challenging life that was full of family deaths left and right. His father left the family and a year later, his mother died. Also, his uncle,  William Galt died and left his wealth with Poe. Along with his uncle came his wife, Virginia Clemm, who was also his cousin. It's hard for anyone to go through family deaths, but these deaths are what some believe to have inspired his Gothic writing.

      Poe went through many sad events (mainly deaths) in his life and his writing kind of shows the tragedy he has been through. Most of his poems and stories usually have deaths involved in them such as the House of Usher and Legeia. In both these pieces, the main character either has gone through someone's death or has a friend or acquaintance who has gone through it. Poe used his life sadness to create the plot and basis of these books. His works have contributed to the modern genre of supernatural and horror. 

What is an American?

     In my opinion, an American isn't someone who was born in America, whose parents are citizens, or someone whose great-grandfathers were from America. An American is someone who isn't prejudice, narrow minded, or exclusive.      If a U.S. born person is asked whether they are an American, they would probably say yes. However, that isn't necessarily true. As most history and social studies classes have thought us, the first Americans came from other places such as Europe. Of course, we also know that the Native Indians were literally the first Americans since they were in the U.S. prior to any Europeans. In any sense, most of the Europeans, if not all, wanted to be freed from religious persecutions. That is why they came to the Americas. They hoped for more freedom and acceptance of their believes. Freedom is one major thing the an American must consider. Because someone isn't the same race, religion, or has the same mindset as you, that doesn't mean you should treat them differently or look down on them. Don't exclude them from occasions or events because of these features. Instead, be curious to find out more of this person's culture, believes, and background. By acknowledging these thing, it will be easier to see the world from their view, thus making it easier to communicate better.      A true American has nothing to do with that person's roots or ancestry. It all depends on their openness and lack to be prejudice. If an American was defined by who was born in America, then none of us (except maybe the Native Indians) would be Americans. All of us were brought from different continents and somehow came to be in the place we are now. That is why an American should be viewed as someone who is impartial, open, inclusive, as well as not assuming things because if if really comes down to it, the unfairness people might show to "non-Americans" is basically the same as doing it to themselves.