The American Mind The E. T. Earl Lectures

Bliss Perry’s The American Mind, based on the 1912 E. T. Earl Lectures, offers a thoughtful examination of the complex forces that have shaped American identity and its literary expression. Rather than presenting a simple or fixed definition of what constitutes the 'American mind,' Perry traces the interplay of geography, race, history, and culture that resist easy categorization.

The work opens by questioning deterministic theories that link climate, race, or environment straightforwardly to literary character. Perry notes exceptions like Keats and Poe, whose works seem insulated from their immediate surroundings, and acknowledges the difficulty of capturing a national or racial character through literature alone. He highlights the particular challenge in America, given its vast territory, racial mixture, and lack of a centralized literary tradition. Instead, he points to three historical periods—New England Puritanism, the Virginians’ era, and the national feeling epoch (1830-1865)—as key moments reflecting evolving national traits, while also recognizing the profound influence of immigrant cultures and international connections.

Central to Perry’s analysis is the political origin of the phrase 'the American mind,' emerging during the Stamp Act agitation as a symbol of colonial unity. He describes the American temperament as marked by quick mental agility, curiosity, adaptability, and a blend of radicalism with moral and political conservatism. Individualism stands out as a defining trait, emphasizing personal character and self-reliance, yet balanced by a strong public spirit and fellowship. This tension permeates American life and literature, where idealism often expresses itself through symbols like the Bible, meeting-house, school-house, and town-meeting.

American literature, shaped by Puritan restraint and Victorian reticence, tends toward sentimentality and idealization of purity, home, women, children, and labor. Perry observes a certain 'thinness' or lack of physical vitality compared to European literature, with a dominant mode of sentimental oratory and popular fiction. The literature of labor, once celebratory, has evolved toward drama and tragedy, reflecting changing social realities.

The lectures also explore the transformation of local and sectional loyalties into a broader nationalism, especially evident in Civil War poetry and political verse. Perry distinguishes natural liberty (license) from civil or moral liberty, emphasizing the practical and historical roots of American political ideals. Romance, as a subset of idealism, is portrayed as a youthful, imaginative, and daring spirit found in early settlers and immigrants, persisting in various forms including nature, business, and war. Yet, this romantic enthusiasm is tempered by humor, satire, and a strong sense of fact, producing cycles of idealism and reaction.

Humor receives detailed attention as a solemn and complex social function. Perry discusses its roots in incongruity, social correction, and a sense of superiority, illustrating American humor’s blend of urbane restraint and moral earnestness through figures like Josh Billings, Petroleum V. Nasby, Artemus Ward, and Mark Twain. Humor serves as a necessary response to modern pressures, embodying optimism and faith in ultimate salvation. The lectures also reflect on American individualism, emphasizing self-reliance and solitude as championed by Emerson and Thoreau, while acknowledging the limits of individualism and the evolving need for fellowship.

Finally, Perry considers the American West as a vital cultural force embodying hopefulness, confidence, democracy, and social solidarity. He contrasts idealistic but vague calls for universal fellowship, exemplified by Tolstoi, with the practical achievements of social workers like Jane Addams and Booker Washington. The work warns of dangers in democracy such as tyranny of the majority and loss of individual responsibility, while envisioning a mature society where literature and art become unconscious expressions of civilization’s inner life.

Throughout, Perry’s tone is reflective, balanced, and occasionally wry, inviting readers to appreciate the complexity and contradictions of the American experience. The lectures do not offer definitive answers but encourage nuanced understanding of how history, culture, and literature intertwine to shape the American mind.