Unit I – Early America Literary Introduction Adapted by Mr. Valentine from Elements of Literature – Fifth Course by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston – as well as other sources.

An Overview of Important Literary Movements, Figures, and Concepts Herein, we will touch on the basic concepts and highlights of literature in Early America. Notable authors and movements will be given special attention.

Native American Literature The Native Americans had many stories, most of which were transmitted orally for many years before being written down. These stories often involve the creation of the world, mythical figures, anthropomorphized animal figures, animism (the belief that all things are alive and have a spirit), etc.

Founding Documents Much of the writings of early America include political writings (i.e. the founding documents). These are mostly non-fictional pieces about American politics, independence, “the way things should be” or “should work,” etc. These documents include the following: The Declaration of Independence The United States Constitution and Bill of Rights Common Sense Famous authors in this genre include the following: Thomas Jefferson Thomas Paine Benjamin Franklin

Religious Writings Religion was a very big part of people’s lives in early America; thus, much of their writings, speeches, novels, poems, etc., pertained to religious matters. One very famous work is “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards

Social Issues Many times people take up their pens to inform others about the injustices in society (or encourage their change). Some writings in early America pertain to such things as political issues, human rights issues (i.e. slavery, women’s rights, etc), etc. Big-name authors and orators in this genre include the following: Frederick Douglass Olaudah Equiano

Realism and Naturalism Movements in thought and culture post-Civil War included realism and naturalism. Realism – Literature focusing on the lives of ordinary people and events happening as they are (not sugar-coated). Naturalism – Rising out of psychology / sociology, the belief that human behavior is determined by forces beyond the individual’s power, including biology and environment.

Romantic and Gothic In continuation of the literary movement in England and the rest of Europe, the Romantic movement began in rebellion to the Age of Reason’s emphasis on science, logic, satire, and the industrial revolution’s impact on city life. Romanticism focused on beauty, feeling, nature, and imagination. The Gothic, a movement born of Romanticism, focuses on the darker feelings, such as fear, sorrow, and helplessness; dark and supernatural settings and creatures, etc. Notable American authors in this movement include Nathaniel Hawthorne, Washington Irving, and Edgar Allan Poe. This movement will be focused on in Unit II. Don’t worry about it too much right now.

Transcendentalism A literary movement in which every individual can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition, which transcends reason and sensory experience. Herein, God is present in all aspects of nature, including the human being. Everyone is capable of apprehending God through intuition. All of nature is symbolic of the human spirit. The worldview is optimistic, but does not necessarily believe in good and evil. Notable authors of this movement include the following: Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau

Historical Drama Drama – A composition in prose or verse presenting, through action and dialogue, a narrative involving conflict between a character or characters and some external force, usually for stage plays, radio, or television. Historical Drama – Such a work set in a past time period.

Novels vs. Short Stories Much of America’s literature is written in the form of novels. Novel – A fictitious prose narrative of book length, typically representing character and action through a connected sequence of events. Short Stories – Same thing, but shorter. Unfortunately, answers vary as to the differences in length of a novel vs. a short story. Some sources say a short story is up to 20000 words; a novella (or small novel), 20000-60000; and a novel, more than 60000.

Westerns Western – a literary genre usually set in the American west during the 1800s. Often, the conflict is between the law and lawlessness. The dramatic climax often takes the form of a gunfight.

Break-Out Session with Short Readings Now that we've introduced and defined the popular forms of literature in Early America, it's time to read some examples. All students should "break-out" into six groups of roughly-equal size. Each group should choose a spokesperson to represent their group (a minor job -- all you'll be doing is getting the assigned reading and bringing it back to your group, as well as turning them back in at the end if the readings are hard copies). The readings for this activity are as follows: 1 – “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards (Pgs 44 and 46-48) 2 – Excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass (Pgs 397 and 399-403) 3 – “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce (Pgs 422 and 424-430) 4 – “Here Follow Some Verses” by Anne Bradstreet (Pgs 27 and 29) 5 – Native American Oral Traditions (Pgs 20-25) 6 – Excerpt from The Crisis, No. 1 by Thomas Paine (Pgs 85 and 87-91) Once time is called, each group will share what their reading was about, their thoughts and reactions, etc.