While many may enjoy pigeonholing America into the quasi-theocratic category of government, given that numerous federal bodies have been infused with a healthy dose of Christianity, this It may surprise John Q. Public to learn that many of our founding fathers did not foresee such a state. Just take Thomas Jefferson's Second Inaugural Address in which he clearly states that: “In matters of religion, I have considered the free exercise thereof to be established by the Constitution independently of the powers of the general government. Therefore I have not undertaken on any occasion to prescribe the religious exercises suitable for it", effectively crushing this idea of ​​a morally founded union. Instead, Jefferson, like Steinbeck, places his faith in the capitalist system and the general freedom it creates for citizens, while warning against the risks of unbridled consumerism: “I place economics among the first and foremost virtues , and public debt as the greatest danger." Considering that America is founded on capitalism's self-conflicting ideals of “mutual selfishness” and simultaneous freedom and security, it would seem logical that we have evolved into a land of paradoxes. A nation full of immigrants who demand equal treatment, but wish to maintain their native identity. A country where mocking the “fat cats of Washington” is a national pastime, but which still beats its chest soundly when simply criticized by an outsider. But, more importantly, a society that advocates fiscal moderation, as Jefferson did, but then turns around and binges on frivolity. And so, in this light, John Steinbeck portrays the American way of life not as the pinnacle of human civilization or the righteous "city on a hill," as many tend to ... middle of paper ... .embodying the old truism “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” America – however you choose to define it – is truly greater than these little squabbles and scuffles because America represents something greater: freedom. This notion of the human will triumphing over any superficial man-made institutions is ultimately what defines the American way of life. Minorities have the freedom to believe they have dual citizenship, voters have the freedom to be two-faced, and all Americans have the right to delude themselves about their tax policies because it is these idiosyncrasies – these curiously human traits – that make the America what it is. AND. And so, after a final reflection on the American way of life, it would seem that, despite all our hypocrisies and paradoxes, the freedom we are granted is the key to unlocking the American dream and thriving in the future..