Thesis: USA is the principle supporter to Human rights issues and working all over the world. At the same time, the dry and materialistic social culture of the state does not give place to morality and sympathy when it comes to social relations. Therefore America is good for some people while bad for others.

Ian Jack is the editor of Granta since 1995. This book consists of 24 essays where the twenty-four writers are related to different countries of the globe. All of them expressed their opinions about the role of America in their lives. For some America brought a positive and pleasant change in their life while others are not happy for what America really is. Therefore, the title “what we think of America”, rightly suits the matter provided in the issue.

How Good Is It?

Therefore, the different corners of the world either belonging to the developing part or developed part, has its own evaluation of America to be good or bd to it. In the essay extracted from Granta 77: “what we think about America”, discuss a few reasons behind the feelings of the world about America, its people and its foreign as well as domestic policies.

This essay is based on the experiences of a novelist “Hanan-al- Shaykh” who was an immigrant in America, the world of dreams for every foreigner. Life at America seems to be something outstanding, out of this world like living in heaven. As expressed in Granta, “My cousin sent America… When he returned… sheep were slaughtered in his honour and he became an overnight celebrity.

Our house was the focus of attention, as if we were all famous”
On the other hand, some people due to their bitter experiences believe America is not good. So at the same time, America is good for some and bad for the other therefore, people impressed by the development and modernization of America desire to get even small things of daily use as gifts from their relatives who come back their home state.

Americans policy is a very well calculated and works on a systematic order. Therefore, it focuses on the national interest of America while does not like to keep any extra population burden on its economy. However, in critical situations, the immigrants have to suffer more then the native, specifically if a person is not enjoying a legal status of immigration.

Therefore, they are not prioritize as achieving the right to work, get loans to rent a house and earn their living as compared to the unskilled and unqualified nationals. At the same time the life at America is so materialistic that even the next door neighbor does not bother to ask what is going on next door.

As presented the case in Granta, if an immigrant is under some debt crises, one cannot look forward for any moral or financial assistance. Although America is the world’s largest social services, health care provider but at times fails to satisfy collateral for these immigrants who are not sure of their legal status living in America.

What we think of America is an essay expressed by the personal experience of the writer living under the status of immigrant in the country. The whole essay criticizes how good America actually is? Basically the materialistic life has made the people ignorant to morality thus some people finds them cruel. This is expressed in the essay of Granta.

Reference

Hanan-al- Shaykh, “Granta 77: What We Think Of America” (ed) Ian Jack. Pp. 11-81.