Main Street is both a physical place and an idea that has been developed and passed down from one generation to the next and into many cultural, political and social spaces of other societies in the world. In the book Main Street and Empire: The Fictional Small Town in the Age of Globalization that is written by Ryan Poll, the United States is the Main Street of the world because its political, cultural and social values have been adapted throughout the world while those of other nations have been discarded. According to Poll, he takes up a Marxist perception and criticism of the United States because of its role in transforming the world while demeaning all other cultures at least not literary but practically. He uses the ‘small town’ as his object of study so as to show the transformation of the previous order of operation because as it turns out, there is an oppressor and the oppressed in this arrangement, the United States passes for the oppressor while the rest of the world is the oppressed.
Throughout the book, it emerges that the small town is emerging as a phenomenal force in the United States and around the world. Several people are in agreement with the values of Main Street, the ethos of the small town because of their living that seems to embrace communalism. But unfortunately, many have become too engrossed in these values projected by the small town. The result is that they become oppressed without them knowing that they are having problems that are as a result of the small towns. Several societies from around the globe only see the brighter side of things; many of them are told but ignore the repercussions of their becoming too involved with the cultural values of the United States. They yearn for globalization that makes them feel part of the western world but at the expense of their values that might be much more superior to those of the United States. Every society has its cultural and moral belief system that has existed for centuries, but that is getting lost in the second without anyone thinking about their identity.
Poll does use illusions of Walmart as a force that is projected as the best business entity. Thanks to it; people can shop in its hypermarkets, grocery stores and even discounted department stores. But the one thing that the world is never told about it is that it is highly exploitative and hides all the negativities that come with capitalism. Capitalism has been engineered by the United States and has spread throughout the world. The small towns have been projected as perfect, but everyone knows the United States is the hotbed of racism and practices that draw boundaries among different social groups. It is amazing at how much Poll uses the reference to the towns to show the new perfect image of the American society when indeed there is moral rot all over the place. These near perfect small towns too, make it hard for anyone to notice the imperialist nature of the United States, not forgetting its fascism (Poll, 72). In reality, the United States is not as perfect as it is projected
Poll also talks about a few Americans who have been bold enough to tell the rest of the world that it is never all merry in small town. He presents how there was and still is a revolt from the inside of small town. Himself, he presents a different picture of small town to the world. His book can be termed as an attack on the American cultural heritage that makes the country feel superior that any other on the land. The city that has stands in for small town because it wants to embrace modernity that remains admirable. Who does not want to admire the world super power! Small town or city remains a thorn in the flesh of the world; one wonders how the situation could have been different if it was not as dominant as it is. But again, this is the fame the United States wants because it is the world superpower, nobody could expect the least! Main Street might project the national values of the United States, but the impact that has on the rest of the world is as devastating.
Something worth noting is the fact that Americans themselves have been blinded by their superiority and do not seem to realize that their capitalism is crippling the world. Poll embraces a Marxist approach to criticizing small town, and he makes it known to the readers that he is doing exactly that. The good thing about his way of looking at issues is that he moves outside of the United States and looks at the whole situation as an outsider does, funnily, he embraces a communist way of criticism, and that offers him an opportunity to present his findings like an outsider. More importantly, he goes on to look into writings of other authors, and that offers good background information on his findings. Above all, globalization is presented as a good idea, but it is not doing other cultures enough justice as it is doing the United States.
It is no doubt that small town is a celebrated iconic representation of American culture, politics, and the typical American living. Poll’s analysis of it is a critical one that offers insights into how small town has brought forth the image of Main Street and how that is turning out to be an empire. The United States has never acknowledged itself as an empire because of all the negative connotations that are associated with the term. But truth be told, it is a colossal empire that targeted the whole world and had achieved immense attention like never seen in the past. All that goes on in America has been cast in the global arena, and the impact of that is being felt far and wide. But again, one wonders whether that is the true picture of America. No, it is not just like Poll point out. The notion of America being all perfect has been cast to immense criticism, thanks to this book.
A fascinating thing about the authorship of this book is the fact that it dwells more on the implications or effects the United States has had on the wider world. The small town is an analogy that represents the American popular culture. Unfortunately, Poll does not offer reasons why that is the case. For instance, the book does not give insights into the reason the rest of the world is hell-bent on copying what is happening in the United States and not other western countries such and the United Kingdom, Australia, and even Canada. As it turns out, everyone has been cultured to value and desire small town. The communalism projected to the rest of the world, the glory, achievement and success depicted by it are what makes it likable. But one has to get into mainstream American society to know how poverty, drugs and guns have left many ‘ideal’ American homes and families desolate.
Work Cited
Poll, Ryan. Main Street and Empire: The Fictional Small Town in the Age of Globalization. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2012. Print
