Dharshini Karthikeyan - Week 5 - Hamilton and Patriotism
A lot of people think different things when they hear the word “America.” Some people think of hot dogs and football while others think of the American dream. When I hear the word “America,” I think of the musical Hamilton.
Hamilton came out in 2015, and to the surprise of many critics, broke an endless amount of records and won countless awards, including the famed Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The rise of Hamilton’s fame is interesting because who would expect a historical musical about one of America’s founding fathers to reach such a high level of fame? When I watched Hamilton for the first time, I was skeptical about what the hype was about— after all, if I wanted to learn more about the American Revolution I could just read a book about it. After watching the musical, I realized that Hamiton did not become extremely successful and popular because of its historical content, but by the patriotism the musical exhibits.
The musical is structured in a way that not only highlights Hamilton’s accomplishments, but the struggle and hardships he faced to become the prominent figure he is considered as today. The musical was not only factual and informational, but it was able to relate to modern Americans by portraying the struggle of perseverance and determination with musical numbers such as “My Shot.” During the musical’s prime and time of immense popularity, Hamilton was able to bring Americans together by embellishing the value of freedom and the sacrifices that went into winning the American Revolution. Hamilton was able to make a considerably non patriotic, young American population revere their history by portraying how emotionally connected Hamiton and other characters in the musical were to their goals, much like ambitious people today.
Hamilton is a strong example of how American patriotism is based on emotions such as gaining freedom and individuality rather than conforming to established traditions. I wouldn’t consider myself a patriotic person, but I was able to empathize with Hamilton’s struggle for freedom, which was highlighted in the play. Fighting for freedom has always been a prominent topic in American history, and the fact that this musical gained immense popularity despite being a genre that doesn’t often do well on Broadway proves that people still identify with the fight for freedom and individuality.
article: https://www.broadwayinbound.com/blog/why-the-themes-of-hamilton-resonate-with-audiences-everywhere#:~:text=The%20story%20of%20Alexander%20Hamilton,perseverance%20resonate%20deeply%20with%20audiences.
Hi Dharshini! I really liked how you explored how Hamilton’s popular success stemmed not from the information presented but from the emotions that showed patriotism. Your conclusion of how Hamilton spread reverence for American history among a young audience made me think about how different forms of patriotism have evolved over time. Looking back, patriotic posters and pamphlets come across as silly and their blatant purpose is off-putting to me. Modern audiences now appreciate these items not for the message they represent but for their age. On the other hand, you pointed out how Hamilton strongly connects with the audience, using emotions and values within the characters not to tell, but to show the audience a patriotic message. Hamilton uses universally accepted notions of “good” and associates that with the American spirit. I think this reflects the development of mass culture, as the audience over time requires more nuanced storytelling to be impacted by the message. Entertainment and powerful writing become necessary in capturing the attention of an increasingly needier audience. Even if people like you and I do not consider ourselves patriotic, we can still connect with the other aspects of Hamilton. This shows how Hamilton was made in consideration of a wide audience. Still, it’s interesting how you considered the musical as a modern example of patriotism.
ReplyDeleteHi Dharshini! I really liked your commentary about the musical Hamilton and its significance to American culture. I discovered the Hamilton pirated on YouTube several years ago while looking for studying music, and grew obsessed with it, but then forgot all about it until you mentioned it in this blog, which brought back a lot of memories. I think that your comparison between Hamilton and the modern American spirit of perseverance and hard work was very interesting. I think that Hamilton was the epitome of the "American Dream." He was born impoverished, but then raised enough money to immigrate to America, where he became one of America's founding fathers, and established many famous entities such as the New York Post. Although some people may consider Hamilton as being disrespectful to history, through its dramatization and artistic portrayal, I think that Hamilton was the opposite. In a time when patriotism was, and still, on the decline, I think that Hamilton brought a large portion of the younger American generations to appreciate American history and the spirit of the American dream.
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