An American is someone inside the United States of America that pursues success through freedom. Sometimes Americans use greed to get to be successful. But, a lot of the time Americans pursue success through the idea of egalitarianism: through hard work and dedication. In Poor Richard’s Almanack, Benjamin Franklin wrote many adages. Those adages reflected the wisdom of early American leaders; leaders that came to their power and success under the ideas of egalitarianism. In “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving there was a major theme of the results of greed, the same type of greed for power that some Americans use. In “Oh Captain! My Captain!” Walt Whitman  talked in metaphors about the death of Abraham Lincoln and the emancipation of slavery. These ideas of egalitarianism, the results of greed, and the emancipation of slavery strongly represent the idea of success through freedom. Through the hard work and perhaps the cheatery of the American people of yesterday and today, and through the freedom of change in American society. This America and these Americans were created.
The ideas of egalitarianism led many Americans to success in their lives. “Better slip with foot than tongue.” This is a famous adage written by Benjamin Franklin; it is about the idea that it is better to mess up in other areas than speaking than with your words, because your words will stick with you. The things that you say can be misinterpreted and may cost you later. A big way that this quote comes into effect is with some of America's greatest leaders that have come to success: politicians. Benjamin Franklin, another huge leader of America, wrote these adages because he was very wise. Through egalitarianism, the road to success through hard work, wise leaders like Benjamin Franklin became very successful in America. Some American people went through the route of egalitarianism to get to success, but some people cheated to get there.
Greed is a major way that American people get to success, but where there is cheating there are consequences. “Tom never returned to foreclose the mortgage” is an excerpt from The Devil and Tom Walker. This is in a scene where the devil comes and takes Tom Walker in a result of his greed for money. Many Americans chose the road of greed and cheatery to become successful, like Tom, but very few achieve success without consequences. Many Americans who do pursue that success through greed face the same consequences that Tom did. Tom was not whole, and very many people are not happy or whole because of greed. Happiness and your will to be free and live are some major things that can drive Americans away from that success we all strive for. The reason that people were able to achieve success, whether through cheatery or through hard work, is because Americans are free.
The fact that all Americans are free is the only reason that any Americans is capable of success. “Oh Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done…” is a quote by Walt Whitman. The poem is about the death of Abraham Lincoln and the emancipation of slaves. The “fearful trip” was the Civil War, and it was over. Lincoln had won. The reason that the war even started was because Americans had the freedom to fight for what they thought was right; either the success of industry using slavery, or attempting to make things equal for everybody. Americans still have that freedom today, and that is why Abraham Lincoln was able to have such great success. It is also why any American is able to have success.
An American is a person who pursues success through freedom. Abraham Lincoln used the very same freedom that is available to every American, and led all Americans that use that freedom toward success. That freedom is how Americans can come to their success. Americans come to that success either by egalitarianism or through cheatery. The honorable way to come to that success is through hard work.Greed and cheatery is the lesser of the two ways to become successful because they cause consequences.The idea that Americans can achieve anything that they want because they are free is the greatest reason to be an American. That idea of success through freedom is exactly what makes an American an American.