Clint Eastwood: American Icon?

Question: Clint Eastwood clearly has certain themes that are present in the many films he directed. Looking at the three films- "High Plains Drifter," "Unforgiven" and "Gran Torino," we can see themes of individualism and the man not conforming to society. We can also see a theme of justice. Now, I am doing a paper on how Clint Eastwood's films HE DIRECTED reflect upon American themes relating to the time. For example, if I was doing Bob Dylan, I could talk about patriotic themes and the American mood at the time. Any ideas would be great. Links to articles on this would be incredible. So basically, we know he's an American icon, but what themes that related to America were present in his films he directed? Thanks!