Diary Of A Murder: American Exceptionalism In The United States

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Many people move to the United States for the “American Dream” where people believe this is where freedom and opportunity exist. Compared to other nations, especially third-world countries, the United States can be seen as a place of opportunity with its resilient economy, industrial innovations, prominent universities, and high living standards for some. Below this surface-level perception of the United States lay internal struggles and growing issues of school shootings, racial hate crimes, murders/suicides, costs of health care, unequal wealth, and political corruption. Even with such issues, many people still immigrate to the United States in hopes of a better future and education. This appearance of American exceptionalism focuses on the …show more content…

Even the world's most prestigious university, Harvard, which is known for its high education, influence, and reputation, is not as “exceptional” as one may assume. With the focus on its high academic standing that teaches students to become well-rounded individuals who will make a difference in the world, we overlook the issues that might occur specifically concerning the mental health and well-being of students. Melanie Thernstrom’s, “Diary of a Murder,” reveals the dark side of Harvard and its “culture of exceptionalism” as it tells the tragic story of a young woman, Sinedu Tadesse, who murdered her roommate, Trang Ho, then committed suicide. Sinedu Tadesse was a foreign student from Ethiopia who was suffering from poor mental health and adjusting to American college life, while Trang Ho was a refugee from Vietnam who valued her family and friends. The two met in a science class and then became roommates. Tadesse had high expectations of her friendship with Ho, but it did not last long because of their differences and this further triggered Tadesse’s loneliness and homicidal/suicidal …show more content…

Harvard has been a prestigious, well-known (and well-off) university since 1636 in the United States and, later, worldwide. Even with how much this university makes (had an endowment of $4.8 billion in the 1990s and now more than $50 billion present day), they somehow lacked the money to spend on mental health services to support students thus leading to the death of Sinedu Tadesse and consequently, Trang Ho. Many wonder if Harvard would have provided more access to mental health services if this tragedy had never happened, though Thernstrom states that “mental-health services at Harvard, however, are limited. Students often complain that appointments are hard to get, and long-term, open-ended therapy is unavailable. Students who need such therapy are referred outside—at which point, intimidated by cost and lack of transportation, many give up” (Thernstrom). Though Harvard is the richest university in the world, it did not account for the academic stress and personal issues students face on campus to provide them with mental health

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