Don't Just Roll with the Waves

 

In The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Sarah Vowell creates a skeptical tone in order to demonstrate her theme that a person’s degree of patriotism should not be affected by popular events, but rather should remain at a constant level that a particular individual has thoughtfully set.  One way she creates a skeptical tone is by dissecting the movie, The Patriot, rather than fully-heartedly praising it like her fellow Americans.  Vowell presents a more critical view of the film’s character, Benjamin Martin, by reading deeper into his internal conflict of not wanting to fight the British because “he still feels bad about chopping up some Cherokee into little pieces during the French and Indian War.”  She goes on to develop this negative perspective on the beloved main character by foreseeing the inevitable future circumstances that accompany any white male residing in the pre-civil war south.   She bleakly predicts that Benjamin Martin’s newborn son will grow up to “rape their slaves and vote to be the first state to secede from the Union”.  This unpopular take on this patriotic movie demonstrates Vowell’s bold, independent nature and her refusal to blindly conform to societal trends, thus setting an example for her audience.  Vowell wants to instruct young voters to be conscientious of their patriotism. She advises them to not get caught up in the moment and blindly support their leaders.  Vowell’s “ideal picture of citizenship will always be an argument, not a sing-along,” because she will never sit back and let her leaders dictate her life; Vowell will always exercise her right to choose on every subject, even her right to choose whether or not to place a mini American flag on her front lawn.  Therefore, she wants young people to exercise that same right and to never stop thinking for themselves.  Vowell’s skeptical tone is effective in demonstrating her theme to her audience.