What is American individualism? Do we really know? Explaining individualism can seem impossible given that it relies solely on your opinion on the subject itself. Individualism and collectivism are two key points in our society. Are we individuals because we have our own bodies, our own minds, and our own lives, or are we simply individuals who surround ourselves with individuals as a group? For everyone, there are pros and cons to both, and everyone has their own opinion on what constitutes the “ideal” American citizen and what they consider themselves to be. For most people, individualism is great. It is one of the greatest qualities a person can possess. To be true to themselves, to dominate and to be exactly who they are, an individual. Many people have to deal with the obstacles that life throws at you while you are an individual and rely on yourself because that is what seems to stay. Edgar Allen Poe is a great example of a person who practices individualism. He is a man of great power and many things have broken him just to get back up. He is a legend in his time and very much in ours. In Masque of the Red Death, Poe wrote about his own life through the disease of tuberculosis and the impossibility for people to overcome or escape this disease. For example, this mysterious character, illness, haunts the people at the party as everyone passes through each room and hallway. “And one by one they let the revelers fall into the blood-stained halls of their feast, and each died in the desperate posture of his fall” (Poe 461). Many of his family members died of tuberculosis, leaving him deeply devastated. He had to live and be outside the individual world. Being alone and having no one to lean on. He took advantage of this to find... middle of paper ... collectivism has many different meanings regarding many different people and how they feel about both. To this day, many people don't know where they belong, as it has become confusing as the world has changed. The more we evolve, the more we need each other's strength to be able to be individuals and hold the title of individualism. Works Cited The Masque of the Red Death. "The Language of Literature. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2006 455-61. Print.The Raven." The language of literature. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2006. 467-70. Print.André, Claire and Manuel Velasquez. “American Society and Individualism.” American society and individualism. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, 2010. Web. December 15, 2013. Ryan, V. “Characteristics of a Good Citizen.” Characteristics of a good citizen. Technology Student, 2006. Web. December 18. 2013.