The Last American Man

I think that Elizabeth Gilbert wrote this book to bring attention to the fact that America was based on specific principles of which a man should be a flawless creature that can provide for his family and that can survive with nothing but the wilderness but that in our society today we have almost none of these men left. She praises Eustace because she believes he has become the "last American man". She wants us to understand that Eustace is how the rest of the world should be. While Gilbert does admit he has faults, she constantly stands up for the things that he does which are wrong she does this many times by claiming that he is a true American man like those of the men in the story books. Gilbert constantly compares Eustace to American heroes like Paul Bunyan, Davie Crockett, and Daniel Boone  (One example is found on page 128). By doing this she is trying to convince her readers that Eustace is a man who should not only be praised for choosing to be a true 'American' man but she is claiming that the rest of the world should follow him so that we can get back to the true customs and beliefs of the American people.