Real and face to face, often follow disappointment. According to Beauvoir, Sartre returned from the United States as a bit stunned. Of course he liked people and admired Roosevelt; But in the words of Beauvoir, there were many things that shocked him in the civilization of the Western hemisphere, except for the economic system, discrimination and racism - the conservatism of the Americans, the scale of values, the legends, the optimism, the avoidance of all kinds of tragic things.
According to Ian Buruma's "Year Zero: A History of 1945," Simone de Beauvoir describes Jean-Paul Sartre's return from the United States as a disorienting experience. Although he appreciated certain aspects, like his admiration for people and Roosevelt, Sartre was deeply unsettled by various elements of American culture. These included the pervasive conservatism, the prevailing set of values, the fabrications surrounding American identity, and a collective denial of the tragic aspects of existence.
Buruma highlights how Sartre's disillusionment was marked by his observations of widespread discrimination and racism, alongside a critical view of the American economic system. His experience underscores a profound disappointment with the disconnect between the American ideal and the harsh realities that lurked beneath its optimistic surface, ultimately shaping his philosophical outlook.
