Research Essay Sample on American Apathy

American Apathy is an emotional state of indifference toward American society among American citizens. Many people today show a lack of interest, emotion, and concern towards others including the world around them. Americans are dependent on others to step into situations such as violence in America. This apathetic attitude has evolved over the years and has become a major problem in today's society. The music video titled, “This Is America” and the narrative titled, “Household Words” both express the idea of American Apathy. Both the music video and narrative show how American citizens portray an apathetic attitude toward violence in America, as well as the separation of civilization. Additionally, both the YouTube video titled "THIS IS WATER" and the narrative titled "Paradox and Dream" demonstrate apathy towards society through a lack of awareness and satisfaction.

Gun violence has been an issue throughout America from history to the present day. American citizens have begun to ignore issues relating to gun violence, and have no emotion, as one nation, towards these difficult times. Song artist, Childish Gambino, produced a music video titled “This Is America” in 2018 relating to gun violence throughout history. In “This Is America”, Gambino reflects on gun violence in America, and how America is oblivious to what is going on in the world around American citizens. This music video relates to gun violence by portraying past tragic events such as the Parkland High school shooting, The Charleston church shooting, as well as street gun violence. Gambino repeats the lyrics, “This Is America” after each tragic event to enlighten people to wake up and take action on tragic events happening in today's society. Kingsolver also examines violence in American society in her narrative titled "Household Words.". Kingsolver introduces the narrative with a typical American citizen who witnesses a violent controversy between a homeless man and a woman. The narrator then goes on to explain how she was having regrets for not helping this woman. Kingsolver (2002) states the following, “increasingly they have become a presence among us, ignored by most of us, specifically banned by our laws for certain places where the city council has decided their panhandling will interfere with our commerce”(p.198). Together, both the music video and narrative show how gun violence is ignored throughout society by the definition of American Apathy, and how American citizens are oblivious to what is going on in the world.

American society has become increasingly divided as a result of the separation of civilizations. The United States is gradually separating from civilization, resulting in individuals' apathetic attitudes toward violent issues in America. In “This Is America '' Glover has songwriter Childish Gambino dance with children to represent the people's ignorance of the violence going on around them. Rashi Ranka (2020) states the following:

Glover mocks the sexes for their behavior on social media and their non-seriousness towards grave social issues. To showcase this better, throughout the video Glover distracted the audience through dancing to move them away from what was truly happening in the background which highlights the fact that people are more concerned with the latest dance fad than social issues like racism and gun violence. (What Does Gambino's “This Is America” Mean? para.6).

Americans are becoming too ignorant of the world around them, with their apathetic attitude toward society, which is one of the primary reasons America is becoming uncivilized. Similarly, Kingsolver (2002) states the following:

“But that could not have been true. It was not domestic. Domestic means “of the home,” and these people had no home. That was the problem–theirs, mine, everybody’s. These people were beneath or somehow outside the laws that govern civil behavior between citizens of our country. They were homeless”(p.197).

As a result, Kingsolver's main argument is to point out how Americans use their apathy of ignorance toward homeless people by looking down upon them and ignoring them, making them feel as if they do not belong on the same level as them. Both Ranka and Kingsolver provide similar examples of how Americans use their apathy towards violence in America and how it is gradually tearing our society apart from one another.    

Many American citizens in today's society show apathetic attitudes leading to a lack of awareness of the world around them. Numerous individuals struggle when choosing whether they should be aware of others, or only think about themselves. In the speech, “THIS IS WATER”, David Wallace's main argument is to encourage people to think critically and to be “simply aware” of the world around them. For example, Wallace (2013) states:

“Learning how to think" really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience.

Because if you cannot or will not exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. (Youtube).

Throughout the speech, David Wallace's main argument is to encourage people to think critically and to be “simply aware” of the world around them. Similarly, the narrative titled “Paradox and Dream” by John Steinbeck also shows individuals' apathetic attitudes toward the concern of society. Steinbeck (1966) says, “ Fortunes are spent getting cats out of trees and dogs out of sewer pipes; but a girl screaming for help in the street draws only slammed doors, closed windows, and silence..." (para. 3). In other words, many people choose to show apathy towards concerns of issues that are minor rather than life-threatening issues of another individual. As a result, both narrative and speech highlight the meaning of awareness and how apathetic attitudes indicate a lack of interest in major concerns. 

One of the main factors behind American Apathy that may lead to citizens' apathetic attitude would be dissatisfaction. It is hard for many people to make decisions and be satisfied with them in today's society. To illustrate, David Wallace (2013) states, “If you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough." (Youtube). Wallace uses this example to explain to people that if your goal in life is to be rich, then you will never be satisfied with the world around you. Wallace's example relates to American apathy by stating that if Americans ignore the real meaning of life and focus on themselves, then they will continue to feel unsatisfied with what they have accomplished. Similarly, John Steineck states:

“One of the generalities most often noted about Americans is that we are restless, dissatisfied, and searching people. We bridle and buck under failure, and we go mad with dissatisfaction in the face of success. We spend our time searching for security, and hate it when we get it. For the most part, we are an intemperate people: we eat too much when we can, drink too much, indulge our senses too much" (para. 1).

The above example explains how American citizens, regardless of success, are always unsatisfied with the world around them. Steinbeck explains Americans' apathetic indifference towards society, which leads to dissatisfaction. Both Wallace and Steinbeck provide examples of apathetic indifference, which limits people's motivation to think that they can do better, leading to dissatisfaction.