Post by Darcy on Aug 28, 2010 23:25:23 GMT 1
Country: United States of America
Real name: Alfred F. Jones
Personality:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
--Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus"
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
--Emma Lazarus, "The New Colossus"
America is still young, having been thrust fast onto the world stage to play hardball with the older, more experienced nations, yet within his short time has managed to rise to global prominence, and then further to dominance. And, these days, it shows. His boyish softness and gangly, coltish limbs have hardened to make way for a broader, stronger, taller build -- at 6’1”, his height is now a match even for Russia -- belying all the power that his economy, culture, and politics have granted him in terms of global influence. To look at him is to think that, seemingly overnight, America has left adolescence behind and become a man. He exercises a great deal of sway in the goings-on of the world, and possesses huge responsibility because of it. However, as stated, he is young, and his vast power and success have given him a bit of a big head, as well as the belief that he must be doing something ‘right’ in order to have advanced so rapidly. In spite of this conceit, he is an energetic, optimistic, friendly, forward-thinking person, with a ready smile and an easy laugh.
First and foremost though, America is a hero. At least, that’s what he thinks. He’s the ‘Land of the Free’. The ‘Home of the Brave’. With such ringing endorsements as those, it’s got to be true, right? He certainly tries to live up to them. After all, he’s done so well, he figures that he has a duty to help out others too. Whether or not they actually want or need it. America tends to think of himself as a guide, or someone who has the right to be one. Really now; why wouldn’t everyone want to be more like him?
The truth is a little less grandiose than that. America’s country has numerous troubles, both internal and external, which have recently manifested themselves in the form of an odd, dry cough that never seems to fully go away. (It is very mild, but, regardless, he has been careful to conceal it from others.) Although his nation is presumably unified in its diversity, the reality is that schisms do exist, and the only thing that stops America’s mental state from becoming as erratic and tangled as the relations among his people is the fact that they trust him -- trust America, as a political institution -- to be fundamentally stable. They believe, regardless of what might happen, that their system of government will always pull through, and that they are, at heart, Americans before they are anything else. It is this notion which allows America’s country -- and, therefore, his mind -- to remain cohesive rather than splitting apart along factional lines. He encompasses many aspects of his people and culture which are contradictory, or at least antagonistic, and, while all of them represent facets of his personality, none are allowed to dominate him completely. It is, after all, the ‘American way’ to seek a balanced middle ground, rather than to simultaneously embrace opposite extremes.
Even so, America possesses several noteworthy characteristics which, to many, might appear to be completely at odds with each other. The prime example of this regards the obsession that America seems to have with wealth and business. He tends to judge progress or success by material gain, and pays little attention, if any, to spiritual wellbeing. Visitors to his country have stated that it is this preoccupation with and pursuit of wealth that contributes the most to the ‘American’ character, as evidenced by the hurried manner, business-mindedness, and even the supposedly loose morals of the American people. Some have found this commitment to hard, constant work to be admirable, while others have accused America of spiritual bankruptcy as a result of materialism.
However, there are those who would suggest that America’s preoccupation with money is not so much greed, but rather is a remnant of an attitude carried over from his religious roots. Traditionally, the will to work hard is considered a virtue, and it is a basic point of America’s founding principles that all citizens have equal opportunity to better themselves and pursue their desires. Therefore, because it is possible for Americans to achieve greater than what they are born with, without being restricted by rigid class systems, it is perhaps only natural that they should strive to gain. Because of this cultural belief, America tends to measure his own success by his booming, influential economy and the ‘quality of life’ shared among his citizens. It is their very equality which essentially allows them to forge their own destiny. This also is the basis for America’s oftentimes overwhelming informality when it comes to socializing.
The way he sees things, nobody is inherently better than anyone else, since American culture emphasizes the individual’s ability to change their societal position. All people are viewed as fundamentally equal. America means no disrespect by his relaxed posture and mannerisms -- he simply sees no point in artificial decorum. Why should he have to put on an act for anybody? He scoffs at the stiff formality and false pretenses of older nations, preferring instead to treat everyone with the same jovial, casual manner. So, in spite of his seeming fixation upon worldly gain, America is also known for his strange brand of frank, dependable, honest kindness. He does not always manage to do the right thing -- even if he thinks he does -- but he is most certainly a sincere, well-meaning kind of guy, and he feels that that should at least count for something.
While America’s laid-back, personable attitude might seem like the sort of thing that would make him a popular figure, the truth is that it is actually quite difficult to become close to him. Honestly though, there are not many who would care to even try. America does not actively seek to hold the world at arm’s-length, but rather does so inadvertently, due to how unconsciously heavy-handed he can be in his dealings. He has good intentions, but is often so convinced that he is absolutely right that he refuses to acknowledge the feelings or dissent of others. This is not heartlessness -- he has a great deal of heart (perhaps too much), and he thinks therefore that it is for their own good, and that they will appreciate his efforts in the end. In addition to this, his presence can be downright smothering at times, and others can become annoyed by his informality, which they might view as carelessness. America doesn’t mean to be brash or blasé, but he genuinely doesn’t understand why his help is so often shunned, or why his actions are so often criticized. He tries to help, he really does, but winds up always sticking his nose into everyone else’s business, which causes him to have a hard time making friends. It hurts, sometimes, but he won’t tell that to anyone. Ever.
In spite of his numerous rough edges, irksome habits, and ungainly methods, one ultimately cannot forget that America possesses a passionate heart, and -- though he is rather arrogant in regard to his own nation -- is capable of committing great, self-sacrificing deeds for no apparent reason or gain. That is simply what heroes do. There are some who hate America for his assumption that the rest of the world needs saving, but there are perhaps some who understand such gestures for what they are. They are America’s way of proving his worth to nations vastly older than himself; his way of establishing his own identity and carving out a place for himself. He is something new in a world which reveres the old. And he is trying to come to terms with that, and figure out what it means for him. Rather than let himself be discouraged though, this ‘mission’ only serves to drive him forward -- to go farther and reach higher. To strike out for horizons he can’t see in the name of finding a better tomorrow, for everyone. This is his personal ‘American Dream’.
Likes:
- Freedom, equality, liberty, democracy, justice, and so forth
The things that make America...well, America. It is not geography or other concrete, easy-to-identify characteristics that define him. This is a nation born from an idea, and even if he can't always explain it, he knows exactly what he stands for. To say "America" is to do more than simply identify a location in the world. After all, the name has become synonymous with the principles upon which the country itself was founded. America does not wholly know himself -- he is rather young for a nation, and still has much to learn, even if he tends to forget that -- but he does know that these ideas are the things which define his 'shape', much like a skeleton, or perhaps a line drawing waiting to be colored in.
[/li][li] The 'American Dream'[/color]
The fundamental basis of this national ethos is rooted within the second line of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." America is, for better or for worse, a highly individualistic country, and believes with all his heart that every single person in the world has both the ability and the right to pursue their dreams. This is the dream that America himself pursues, even if he doesn't quite know what it is these days.
[/li][li] Food[/color]
America loves food, especially junk food. He’ll try anything -- …well, most things -- at least once, and can stomach some admittedly strange things, due to the time he spent in his youth under England’s rule. (One could say that he has inherited England’s sense of taste, for better or for worse.) However, America is somewhat sensitive regarding his size. He has gained height and considerable muscle mass over the years -- particularly since World War II, due to his country’s rising population, economic power, global influence, etc. -- which has led to him developing a solid, robust physique. He fails to take these changes into account though, and has therefore become somewhat paranoid about his weight.
[/li][li] Sports[/color]
America is quite lively, and is almost always up for a bit of friendly competition. He doesn’t do anything “half-assed”, as he likes to say, and will always strive to win, so anyone who wants to play against him had better be ready for a good fight. Even so, he thinks that games should ultimately be played for fun, and can generally be counted upon to be a good sport and leave any rivalry behind on the field as soon as the match is over.
[/li][li] Being the leader[/color]
Because he is strong, because he is influential, because he is young, because he is energetic and resourceful and powerful and a plethora of other things -- and, hell, because he is America -- America tends to think that he is the person best-suited to lead. Always. And he likes leading. Not because he likes controlling people, but because he obviously has the best ideas, methods, and ability. America is a bit of a hypocrite -- not that he himself notices -- because, on one hand, he believes that no one person should have unquestioned power over others, but, on the other hand, he believes that it is his duty and ‘right’ to be a leader, and dislikes being challenged.
[/li][/ul]
Dislikes:
- Reading the atmosphere
It is not that America can't be sensitive to the subtleties of given situations, so much as that he often chooses not to. While many would say that he is oblivious, this is not necessarily true. Rather, he simply tends to address issues in ways that others don’t always appreciate. America likes frank, straight-forward communication, and doesn't have much patience for carefully navigating the unspoken social cues of others. He just doesn’t get it. He would rather face a problem up-front than beat around the bush, and he doesn't understand why other people don't seem to work that way. His problem is not that he is unaware, but that he can be unintentionally overbearing in his desire to help. On a slightly different note though, being serious all the time is also the quickest way to ruin a good time, in his book.
[/li][li] Silence[/color]
Following the same vein as his dislike for ‘reading the atmosphere’, America does not much appreciate silence either. He likes loud music and talking and laughter. Of course he knows that one doesn’t always feel like talking -- believe it or not, he has days like this too -- but he doesn’t fully understand how being quiet helps anyone or shows that people are close to each other. To him, the silence of others is usually oppressive or uncomfortable, and he generally will seek to break it. Unless he is deeply depressed -- which is not very often -- he can’t sit still or be totally quiet for long without fidgeting terribly.
[/li][li] His own youth[/color]
If there is one thing that America is insecure about, it is that he had no history of his own before being adopted by England, and that what history he does have is still quite brief in comparison to that of other countries. He hates it when older nations blame his actions or mistakes on the fact that he is young, or dismiss him for his lack of experience. It is this complex which has driven America to pursue his country’s growth so doggedly. He feels that he must ‘catch up’ to the rest of the world, and prove to them that he can -- and will -- be the best at everything. Maybe it’s just his youth that makes him think this way, but he genuinely believes that he is the breath of fresh air that the world needs. They’ll realize it eventually…right?
[/li][li] Communism[/color]
In all honesty, America does not hate or fear Communism -- or Russia -- the way he once did. After all, the Cold War is over, and...well, we all know how that ended. (The fall of the USSR, and the emergence of America as the world’s sole remaining superpower. Ah~, good times.) Having spent nearly half a century locked in a mad, paranoia-fueled arms race with the Soviet Union, America has not yet fully renounced his country's anti-red propaganda, and still purports to despise Communism, though it is more out of a sense of tradition than any real, lingering negative feelings. So, even though America still likes to throw around the "dirty commie" jab on occasion, he doesn't really mean it. Actually, he kind of thinks it’s funny, now that the whole “mutually assured destruction” thing is over with.
[/li][/ul]
History:
-- 1492 - Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Hispaniola, discovering the New World for 15th century Europe
-- 1497 - John Cabot lands in Newfoundland, beginning the British colonial presence in North America
-- 1764 - The Sugar Act (April 5) and the Currency Act (September 1) are passed by Parliament during the economic slump following the French and Indian War, leading to resentment and protest
-- 1765 - Parliament enacts (March 22) the Stamp Act, and the Quartering Act (March 24), requiring the Colonies to provide housing, food, and other provisions to British troops
-- 1766 - The British Parliament repeals (March 18) the unpopular Stamp Act of the previous year, but, in the simultaneous Declaratory Act, asserts its "full power and authority to make laws and statutes ... to bind the colonies and people of America ... in all cases whatsoever".
-- 1773 - Parliament passes the Tea Act (May 10); Boston Tea Party (December 16)
-- 1774 - British pass Intolerable Acts
-- 1775 - The Revolutionary War officially begins with the Battles of Lexington and Concord
-- 1776 - The Second Continental Congress enacts (July 2) a resolution declaring independence from the British Empire, and then approves (July 4) the written Declaration of Independence
-- 1777 - Articles of Confederation adopted by the Second Continental Congress (November 15), ratified in 1781
-- 1782 - The British government officially, yet informally, recognizes American independence
-- 1783 - The Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolutionary War (September 3)
-- 1788 - The Constitution goes into effect
-- 1791 - Bill of Rights ratified
-- 1803 - Louisiana Purchase
-- 1812 – U.S. declares war on Britain (War of 1812); ends in 1814
-- 1838-1839 - The Trail of Tears
-- 1846 - Mexican War begins; ends in 1848
-- 1849 - California Gold Rush begins
-- 1861 - Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and Georgia secede from the Union; Confederate States of America established; American Civil War begins
-- 1865 - American Civil War ends as the last elements of the Confederacy surrender
-- 1898 - Spanish-American War
-- 1917 - U.S. enters World War I
-- 1919 - Treaty of Versailles ends World War I; U.S. Senate rejects Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations
-- 1929 - New York Stock Market crashes; Great Depression begins
-- 1934 - Dust Bowl begins
-- 1941 - U.S. enters World War II following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
-- 1945 - Germany surrenders, ending World War II in Europe; Japan surrenders, ending World War II; United Nations founded
-- 1946 - Churchill makes his “iron curtain” speech; beginning of the Cold War
-- 1957 - Soviets launch Sputnik; "space race" begins
-- 1961 - Vietnam War officially begins
-- 1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis
-- 1972 - Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with USSR
-- 1989 - Berlin Wall falls in Germany
-- 1991 - Cold War ends as the USSR dissolves; treaty officially ending the Cold War is signed by U.S. and Russia in 1992
-- 2001 - September 11th terrorist attacks
-- 2005 - Hurricane Katrina devastates the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama coastlines killing at least 1,836 people and causing $81 billion in damage
-- 2007 - Recession officially begins in December
-- 2008 - Global financial crisis begins as the stock market crashes
-- 2009 - President Barack Obama obtains Congressional approval of a $787 billion stimulus package
Role Play Example: [More of a hasty writing sample than a roleplay example, for which I apologize. In a roleplay situation, I obviously would not take control of another person’s character.]
When at last his car pulls up in front of the embassy building, America has thrown the door open and is clambering out before they have even stopped rolling. It is raining, hard, and he bundles his coat up into a ball against his chest as he runs up the concrete stairs, only remembering halfway to toss a quick, but well-meaning wave over his shoulder to the driver. He's going to look like hell, probably. As he mounts the top of the steps, the glass doors ahead of him open, and he sees England standing there expectantly, watching him approach, eyebrows drawn down and together sternly, but America simply lopes past him into the empty lobby with a sigh and a mumbled 'thanks', nearly skidding on the slick granite floor.
Already, England's voice is rising. Disapproval. Yes, he's late; America knows. And he looks like he just rolled out of bed. He knows that too. Running through a rainstorm likely didn't help his appearance either, but he doesn't bother pointing that out. His glasses have fogged over, and it probably looks ridiculous, but whatever.
"Oh, Jesus; shut up," America groans, though utterly without venom, as he hastily fixes his rumpled, water-spotted shirt. He knows he's late. He knows. "I mean, I'm here, so it's all good, right? Chill." He ignores England’s impatient retort, whatever it is, in favor of leaning over to shake the rain out of his still pillow-mussed hair, and he just knows that England is flailing over him at the absolute ‘lack of decency’ -- or what-the-hell ever -- at such a display. So naturally he makes sure to spray a mist of lukewarm water into England’s face, grinning at the resulting squawk and carding his fingers through his damp bangs in a futile, last-ditch effort to tame the cowlick at his forehead.
But then he scrubs his face with his hands and straightens back up, and, woah, England is suddenly shorter than he thought he was, but almost immediately after that thought crosses America’s mind he remembers that, no, actually he is the one who has grown. And he still isn’t used to that, so for a dim, brief moment, he feels stuffy inside his own skin. ‘You used to be so big,’ America thinks absently, and then wishes he hadn’t because now he’s thinking about that, as well as the fact that England had probably just thought about the exact same thing.
Even if he had, England gives no indication -- he always looks pissed off these days anyway -- and gestures tersely down the hall. “May we, now?” He doesn’t wait for a response, and has already half-turned to start walking when he pauses and does a double-take at America’s sloppily knotted tie, tightening his mouth as though he isn’t quite certain whether to frown or laugh. “Really now, you never did learn how to—“
He reaches out jerkily, too fast, hurrying America along; but America isn’t entirely sure if the man intends to fix it or simply throttle him, so he lilts backwards and around, shrugging into his suit jacket and practically tripping down the hall. “Whatever; leave it,” he says, not unkindly, and the smart ‘tap tap’s of England’s strides fall in behind him a moment later, matching his own easy, rolling gait. “Not like anyone’s gonna notice, you know?”
England grumbles a reply at his shoulder -- he thinks he catches the words ‘hopeless’ and ‘punk-ass’ -- and America smiles at nothing. A few seconds pass, America calculates, and then—
“Hey, by the way, what’s this meeting about again?”
Of course he knows the answer, but England stumbles suddenly behind him and disbelievingly splutters a string of swears that could peel paint, and it is totally worth it.