Middle America is contrasted with the more culturally
progressive,
urban areas of the country, particularly, those of the
East and
West Coasts. The conservative values considered typical of Middle America (often called "
family values" in American politics) are often called "Middle American values". The plots of such American films as
Sweet Home Alabama and
The Judge center on the contrast between big city life and that of a typical "Middle America" small town; in both, a
protagonist with a successful big city career is drawn back to an old hometown. Similarly, the protagonist of
John Grisham's novel
The Associate leaves a well-paid job at a giant Wall Street law firm and goes to work with his lawyer father in his hometown,
York, Pennsylvania. The contrast between "Middle America" and big city America is evident in the life of the fictional superhero
Superman – growing up as
Superboy in the archetypal
Smallville and as an adult moving to the equally archetypal
Metropolis. The depiction of
Ron Kovic's childhood in the early parts of
Born on the Fourth of July also fits the cultural perceptions of "Middle America" (though Kovic's hometown,
Massapequa, is physically located on
Long Island). The same applies to the episode of
Ayn Rand's novel
The Fountainhead which is set in
Clayton, Ohio and which depicts that town as the archetype of "Middle America", the polar opposite of the cosmopolitan
New York City where most of the novel's plot takes place. Recently, there has been a diversification in the demographics traditionally attributed to Middle America. Individuals and families of various ethnic backgrounds, including Asians and Hispanics, have started to reside in small towns in various interior states, including, but not limited to, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Ohio. == Economy ==