Two souls within the human breast -- The revolutionary -- The frontiersman -- Contemporary heroic idealism -- The commercialism of America's heroic ideal -- Heroic mania -- The imitation of heroism -- Heroic tunnel vision -- The escape from heroism -- The metaphor of depth -- The historical roots of American innocence -- Jefferson's bastards -- The land of the overrated child -- The metaphor of the eternally young hero -- The explosion of innocence -- The metaphor of America's darkness -- The implosion of innocence -- The sacrifice of innocence -- America in the third millennium
Summary
The Fate of America examines the national character of the United States against the backdrop of its history, popular culture, and media. Michael Gellert suggests that the deterioration of America's "heroic ideal," the heart of its national character, is responsible for the country's deepening social ills and the erosion of its vital institutions. He calls for a spiritual and intellectual renaissance and a renewed sense of national purpose in order to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century
