USA - by Dos Passos

When reading the Bitter Drink, Architect and Tin Lizzie by Dos Passos I found myself renouncing the text in the way of the great Muhammad Ali, however, we must remember that when reading these powerful stories time has moved on since the beginning of 20th Century. The first story Bitter Drink is about Thorstein Veblen, an exquisitive thinker with an inability to say yes. Veblen, an American Norwegian, was an economist and sociologist known for his witty, non-marxist critique of capitalism. Born into a family of farmers and preachers Veblen had other interests; at his most happiest when reading rather than labouring within the conformed fields of capitalism, he would break the mold of family traditions and become a brilliant unsound eccentric the Carleton College. Veblen would go on to release publications The Theory of Business Enterprise, The Instinct of Workmanship, The Vested Interests and The Common Man, however, Dos Passos appears to suggest that his work was under appreciated which eventually is realised by Veblen’s retreat to solitude, seeing the remainder of days lived within a lonesome shack. Architect Essentially the rise and fall of Frank Lloyd Wright. With Louis Sullivan his mentor and no form of college education FLW would develop his own style of architecture and build suburban dwellings for rich people. The of son a Welsh preacher would become the preacher of blueprints but FLW had bigger plans with his vision for Usonia, a project that envisaged a better future for all. Usonia is never seen to fruition with FLW eventually regressing back to his grandfather's old house in Wisconsin and practicing architecture from a perspective of social care. Again Dos Passos appears to offer his sympathy to a man who gave up himself for the prospect of helping others to only not see his vision materialise and regress to place where he no longer exists. Tin Lizzie The last of the three stories is about Henry Ford and the automobile. Portrayed by Do Passos as Faust the developer is an driven (excuse the pun) individual with a real passion for engines. It's this passion and desire that would lead Ford to develop individually the biggest automobile company in America and revolutionise the way in people travelled. Unlike the previous two texts Dos Passos heavily concentrates on Fords manipulation of the worker and how his greed would be his downfall. But like the other come to same outcome of regression to his farm and living a modest life in comparison to his previous.