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Overview of American Literature

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1 Overview of American Literature
Literary Movements

2 Major themes in American Literature
American individualism Also known as the self-made man Celebration of ambition and achievement Original colonists came for religious freedom Later colonists came looking to make their fortune with opportunities not available in class- based European societies.

3 Major themes in American Literature
The American Dream Closely linked to American individualism The idea that anyone can become whatever he or she wants to become through hard work, determination, and perseverance

4 Major themes in American Literature
Cultural diversity A society that welcomes legal immigrants of diverse backgrounds The melting pot theory—Immigrants assimilate into our culture and become Americans The salad bowl theory—immigrants retain their separate identities while making up part of the whole and adopt a hyphenated American name (Chinese-Americans, for example)

5 Major themes in American Literature
Tolerance Religious tolerance was one of the first principles in American life. More recent issues have included race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

6 The Native American Period
(pre-1620)

7 Native American Period (pre-1620)
Oral tradition of song and stories Original authors unknown Written accounts come after colonization Includes: creation stories, myths, totems Archetypes: trickster and conjurer Focuses on: The natural world as sacred Importance of land and place

8 Native American Period (pre-1620)
Myth – an anonymous oral story Relies on the supernatural to explore a natural phenomenon, human behavior, or mystery Explain why the world is the way it is/they help make sense of the world

9 Native American Period (pre-1620)
Notable Works: “The Earth on the Turtle’s Back” “When Grizzlies Walked Upright” “Grandmother Spider Steals the Sun” “Creation by Women”

10 The Colonial Period ( )

11 Colonial Period (1620-1750) Historical Context
When colonists arrived in the new land, they created villages and towns and established new governments (while protesting the old ways in Europe) French, Swedes, Dutch, German, Scots-Irish, Spanish, Africans (mostly slaves) Did not consider themselves “Americans” until mid-1700s Enormous displacement of Native-American civilizations

12 Colonial Period (1620-1750) Historical Context
Literature of the period was dominated by the Puritans and their religious influence Emphasis on faith in one’s daily life Predestination- A person’s fate is determined by God Original Sin- All are corrupt and need a Savior Puritan work ethic—belief in hard work and simple, no frills living Theocracy—government ruled by Bible/church

13 Colonial Period (1620-1750) Characteristics Types of Writing
Writing Style Sermons Diaries Personal Narratives Writing is Utilitarian not professional writers Writing in instructive Puritan Plain Style Simple and direct

14 Colonial Period (1620-1750) Important Authors Representative Authors:
William Bradford (journal) Anne Bradstreet (poetry) Jonathan Edwards (sermon) Mary Rowlandson (captivity narrative) Phillis Wheatley (poetry) Olaudah Equiano (slave narrative) Though not written during Puritan times, The Crucible by Author Miller & The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne depict life during the time when Puritan theocracy prevailed.

15 Art Colonial Period ( )

16 Art Colonial Period ( ) American Progress John Gast

17 Revolutionary Period ( )

18 Revolutionary Period (1750-1815)
Historical Context Revolutionary Period ( ) Occurred during/after the Revolutionary War Writers focused on explaining and justifying the American Revolution Writers pondered what it really means to be an American After the War of 1812 (when last British troops were removed from North America) there was an even greater focus on nationalism, patriotism, and American Identity

19 Revolutionary Period (1750-1815)
Characteristics Revolutionary Period ( ) Emphasis on reason as opposed to faith alone; this was a reaction to the Puritan way of life Shift to a more print-based culture; literacy seen as a sign of status Instructive in values, highly ornate writing style; highly political and patriotic

20 Revolutionary Period (1750-1815)
Important Authors Revolutionary Period ( ) Representative authors: Benjamin Franklin (biography, common sense aphorisms) Patrick Henry (speech) Thomas Paine (pamphlet) Thomas Jefferson (political documents) Abigail Adams (letters)

21 Revolutionary Period (1750-1815)
Art Revolutionary Period ( )

22 Revolutionary Period (1750-1815)
Art Revolutionary Period ( )

23 Romanticism ( )

24 Romanticism (1800-1865) Historical Context
A reaction to the previous decades in which reason and rational thought dominated Period of invention, Manifest Destiny, abolition movement, and the “birth” of truly American Literature Growth of urban population in Northeast Growth of newspapers, lectures, debates Revolution in transportation and science Industrial revolution made “old ways” of doing things irrelevant

25 Romanticism (1800-1865) Characteristics Writers celebrated:
Individualism Nature Imagination Creativity Emotions Types of writing: Short Stories Novels Poetry Interest in fantasy and supernatural Writing can be interpreted two ways—surface and depth Good triumphs over evil Imagination over reason Intuition over fact

26 Romanticism (1800-1865) Important Authors Early Romantics Authors
Authors began the tradition of creating imaginative literature that was distinctly American Washington Irving (folktales) William Cullen Bryant (poetry) James Fenimore Cooper (novels)

27 Romanticism (1800-1865) Important Authors Fireside Poets Poets
The most popular poets of the time were read in the home by the fireside Poetry contained strong family values and patriotism Taught in elementary schools for memorization Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Oliver Wendell Holmes James Russell Lowell John Greanleaf Whittier

28 Romanticism (1800-1865) Important Authors Transcendentalists Authors
Hippies of the Romanticism Belief that man’s nature is inherently good; “divine spark” or “inner light” Man and society are perfectible (utopia) Stress individualism, self-reliance, intuition Ralph Waldo Emerson (essays, poetry) Henry David Thoreau (essays)

29 Romanticism (1800-1865) Dark Romantics Poets Characteristics/Authors
AKA—Gothic or Anti-Transcendentalism Man’s nature is inherently evil Use of supernatural Strong use of symbolism Dark landscapes, depressed characters Nathaniel Hawthorne (novels, short stories) Herman Melville (novels, short stories, poetry) Edgar Allan Poe (short stories, poetry, literary criticism)

30 Art Romanticism ( )

31 Realism ( )

32 Realism (1850-1900) Historical Context
The Realistic Period includes the Civil War, significant industrial inventions, and extensive westward expansion Rejection of Romantic view of life as too idealistic Writers write about real-life issues and complex events of the time rather than idealized people or places Objective narrator

33 Realism (1850-1900) Characteristics
Realistic authors convey the reality of life, however harsh Characters reflect ordinary people in everyday life: determined yet flawed, struggling to overcome the difficulties of war, family, natural disasters, and human weaknesses Good doesn’t always triumph over evil Nature is a powerful force beyond man’s control Racism persisted beyond slavery—Reconstruction, Jim Crow, KKK, etc.

34 Realism (1850-1900) Transitional Writers Authors Walt Whitman (poetry)
Characteristics/Authors Realism ( ) Transitional Writers Authors Transition from Romanticism to Realism Express Transcendental ideas in poetry, with realistic detail Experimented with new poetic techniques such as free verse and slant rhyme Walt Whitman (poetry) Emily Dickinson (poetry)

35 Realism (1850-1900) Civil War Writers Authors
Characteristics/Authors Realism ( ) Civil War Writers Authors Primarily concerned with: The war Slavery Women’s suffrage (right to vote) Abraham Lincoln Robert E. Lee Mary Chesnut Sojourner Truth Harriet Beecher Stowe Frederick Douglass

36 Realism (1850-1900) Authors Local Color Writers (Regionalists)
Characteristics/Authors Realism ( ) Local Color Writers (Regionalists) Authors Focused on a particular region of the country Seeking to represent accurately the culture and beliefs of that area Emphasized: Physical landscape Habits Occupations Speech (dialect) of the area’s people Mark Twain (Mississippi River valley) Kate Chopin (the South, particularly Louisiana) Willa Cather (the Midwest, particularly Nebraska)

37 Naturalism ( )

38 Naturalism (1880-1940) Historical Context
Realism turned to Naturalism when literary writers were exposed to the views of three scientific/political works Charles Darwin—biological determinism Sigmund Freud—psychological determinism Karl Marx—socio-economic determinism Determinism—the belief that humans cannot be held morally responsible for their actions due to circumstances beyond their control.

39 Naturalism (1880-1940) Characteristics Life is meaningless
Focused on grim reality Observed characters like scientists observe lab animals Viewed nature and the universe as indifferent, even hostile, to man Universe is godless, cold, and indifferent Life is meaningless Fate=Chance (no free will) Characters are helpless victims—trapped by nature, the environment, or their own heritage

40 Naturalism (1880-1940) Important Authors
Jack London (novels, short stories) Stephen Crane (novels, short stories, poetry) Edwin Arlington Robinson (poetry) Ambrose Bierce (short stories)

41 Modernism ( )

42 Modernism (1900-1950) Historical Context Writers affected by:
World War I, World War II, fear of communism, beginning of the Cold War Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, commercialism Increased population from immigration Lingering racial tensions Technological changes Fear of eroding traditions

43 Modernism (1900-1950) Characteristics Modern writers are known for:
Themes of alienation and disconnectedness Frequent use of irony and understatement Experimentation with new literary techniques in fiction and poetry Stream of consciousness Interior dialogue Fragments Creating a unique style Rise of ethnic female writers

44 Modernism (1900-1950) Important Writers Writers T.S. Eliot (poetry)
The Lost Generation Writers A group of writers who chose to live in Paris after WWI Themes of alienation and change Confronted people’s fears, despair, and disillusionment T.S. Eliot (poetry) F. Scott Fitzgerald (fiction) Ernest Hemingway (fiction)

45 Modernism (1900-1950) Important Writers Writers Harlem Renaissance
Flourishing of African-American authors Included music and art Two goals: Write about African- American experience Create literature by African- Americans that could rival anything created by anyone else Langston Hughes (poetry) Zora Neale Hurston (fiction) Claude McKay (poetru)

46 Modernism (1900-1950) Important Writers Southern Renaissance Writers
Follow in the footsteps of earlier local color writers, in that they focus on the South Margaret Mitchell William Faulkner Flannery O’Connor

47 Modernism (1900-1950) Important Writers Traditional Poets
Experimental Poets Carl Sandburg Robert Frost e.e. cummings Modern dramatists Arthur Miller Tennessee Williams

48 Postmodernism (1950-present)

49 Postmodernism (1950-present)
Historical Context Postmodernism (1950-present) unprecedented prosperity global conflict Korean War, Vietnam War, the end of the Cold War, the rise of terrorism, Gulf War, 9/11, Iraqi War. War in Afganistan social protest the civil rights movement, the women’s rights movement, the gay rights movement mass culture and consumerism; media saturation rise of technology and space exploration the digital revolution

50 Postmodernism (1950-present)
Characteristics Postmodernism (1950-present) Eclectic—a collection of a little bit of everything Create traditional works without traditional structure Address social issues related to gender/race/youthful rebellion Questions traditional values Often critical and ironic No heroes/anti-heroes are common Detached, unemotional Individuals are isolated

51 Postmodernism (1950-present)
Popular Authors Postmodernism (1950-present) The Beat Poets Confessional Poets Pre-hippies, highly intellectual, exuberant language and behavior Jack Kerouac William S. Burroughs Allen Ginsberg Used anguish of their own lives to reveal hidden despair Sylvia Plath Anne Sexton Robert Lowell

52 Postmodernism (1950-present)
Popular Authors Postmodernism (1950-present) American Authors Multicultural Literature J.D. Salinger James Thurber John Updike Truman Capote Stephen King Joyce Carol Oates Jewish Elie Wiesel African-American Ralph Ellison, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker Latino-American Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros Asian-American Amy Tan, Maxine Hong Kingston

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