monolithic terms.Is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony,which includes Turkish marches,a part of Western civilization,or the late nineteenth-and twentieth-century French paintings,whose creators were influenced by Japanese art?And what of the cubists,through whom the influence of African art changed modern painting,or the surrealists,who were so impressed with the art of the Pacific Northwest Indians that,in their map of North America,Alaska dwarfs the lower forty-eight in size? Are the Russians,who are often criticized for their adoption of "Western"ways by Tsarist dissidents in exile,members of Western civilization?And what of the millions of Europeans who have black African and Asian ancestry,black Africans having occupied several countries for hundreds of years?Are these"Europeans"members of Western civilization,or the Hungarians, who originated across the Urals in a place called Greater Hungary,or the Irish,who came from the Iberian Peninsula? Even the notion that North America is part of Western civilization because our "system of government"is derived from Europe is being challenged by native American historians who say that the founding fathers,Benjamin Franklin especially,were actually influenced by the system of government that had been adopted by the Iroquois hundreds of years prior to the arrival of large numbers of Europeans. Western civilization,then,becomes another confusing category like Third World,or Judeo-Christian culture,as man attempts to impose his small-screen view of political and cultural reality upon a complex world.Our most publicized novelist recently said that Western civilization was the greatest achievement of mankind,an attitude that flourishes on the street level as scribbles in public restrooms:“White Power,”Niggers and Spics Suck,”or“Hitler was a prophet,.”the latter being the most telling,for wasn't'Adolph Hitler the archetypal monoculturalist who,in his pigheaded arrogance,believed that one way and one blood was so pure that it had to be protected from alien strains at all costs?Where did such an attitude,which has caused so much misery and depression in our national life,which has tainted even our noblest achievements,begin?An attitude that caused the incarceration of Japanese-American citizens during World War II,the persecution of Chicanos and Chinese-Americans,the near-extermination of the Indians,and the murder and lynchings of thousands of Afro-Americans. Virtuous,hardworking,pious,even though they occasionally would wander off after some fancy clothes,or rendezvous in the woods with the town prostitute,the Puritans are idealized in our schoolbooks as"a hardy band"of no-nonsense patriarchs whose discipline razed the forest and brought order to the New World(a term that annoys Native American historians).Industrious, responsible,it was their "Yankee ingenuity"and practicality that created the work ethic.They were simple folk who produced a number of good poets,and they set the tone for the American writing style,of lean and spare lines,long before Hemingway.They worshipped in churches whose colors blended in with the New England snow,churches with simple structures and ornate lecterns. The Puritans were a daring lot,but they had a mean streak.They hated the theater and banned Christmas.They punished people in a cruel and inhuman manner.They killed children who disobeyed their parents.When they came in contact with those whom they considered heathens or aliens,they behaved in such a bizarre and irrational manner that this chapter in the American history comes down to us as a late-movie horror film.They exterminated the Indians,who taught them how to survive in a world unknown to them,and their encounter with the calypso culture of2 monolithic terms. Is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which includes Turkish marches, a part of Western civilization, or the late nineteenth- and twentieth-century French paintings, whose creators were influenced by Japanese art? And what of the cubists, through whom the influence of African art changed modern painting, or the surrealists, who were so impressed with the art of the Pacific Northwest Indians that, in their map of North America, Alaska dwarfs the lower forty-eight in size? Are the Russians, who are often criticized for their adoption of “Western” ways by Tsarist dissidents in exile, members of Western civilization? And what of the millions of Europeans who have black African and Asian ancestry, black Africans having occupied several countries for hundreds of years? Are these “Europeans” members of Western civilization, or the Hungarians, who originated across the Urals in a place called Greater Hungary, or the Irish, who came from the Iberian Peninsula? Even the notion that North America is part of Western civilization because our “system of government” is derived from Europe is being challenged by native American historians who say that the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin especially, were actually influenced by the system of government that had been adopted by the Iroquois hundreds of years prior to the arrival of large numbers of Europeans. Western civilization, then, becomes another confusing category like Third World, or Judeo-Christian culture, as man attempts to impose his small-screen view of political and cultural reality upon a complex world. Our most publicized novelist recently said that Western civilization was the greatest achievement of mankind, an attitude that flourishes on the street level as scribbles in public restrooms: “White Power,” “Niggers and Spics Suck,” or “Hitler was a prophet,” the latter being the most telling, for wasn’t’ Adolph Hitler the archetypal monoculturalist who, in his pigheaded arrogance, believed that one way and one blood was so pure that it had to be protected from alien strains at all costs? Where did such an attitude, which has caused so much misery and depression in our national life, which has tainted even our noblest achievements, begin? An attitude that caused the incarceration of Japanese-American citizens during World War II, the persecution of Chicanos and Chinese-Americans, the near-extermination of the Indians, and the murder and lynchings of thousands of Afro-Americans. Virtuous, hardworking, pious, even though they occasionally would wander off after some fancy clothes, or rendezvous in the woods with the town prostitute, the Puritans are idealized in our schoolbooks as “a hardy band” of no-nonsense patriarchs whose discipline razed the forest and brought order to the New World (a term that annoys Native American historians). Industrious, responsible, it was their “Yankee ingenuity” and practicality that created the work ethic. They were simple folk who produced a number of good poets, and they set the tone for the American writing style, of lean and spare lines, long before Hemingway. They worshipped in churches whose colors blended in with the New England snow, churches with simple structures and ornate lecterns. The Puritans were a daring lot, but they had a mean streak. They hated the theater and banned Christmas. They punished people in a cruel and inhuman manner. They killed children who disobeyed their parents. When they came in contact with those whom they considered heathens or aliens, they behaved in such a bizarre and irrational manner that this chapter in the American history comes down to us as a late-movie horror film. They exterminated the Indians, who taught them how to survive in a world unknown to them, and their encounter with the calypso culture of