Influences that Have Shaped American Literature
There have been a number of influences that have shaped American literature. From the time that Western Europeans founded the country to the inclusion of Native American lore to the contributions of such literary giants as Mark Twain and Carol Sandburg, the composition of American Literature has been both constant and ever changing. In deed as much as America, itself, is a melting pot of diversity within a cultural concern, so too is this considerable diversity a significant aspect of its emerging literature.
Grantland S. Rice, author of The Transformation of Authorship in America, contends that the ultimate composition of American literature is fundamentally based upon a combination of efforts involving gender, class, period and application. What is particualy, interesting about Rice’s observations is the manner in which he applies his theories to literary considerations. According to Rice, there were a great many influences that constructed American literature up through modern times; as much as writers were “increasingly forced by social, political and economic changes” (Rice 159), it was because of these modifications that the literary experience gained in substance. In their attempts to uphold civic virtue, early writers “no doubt turned to the audience through whom they
felt they could still effect significant cultural changes” (Rice 159). It is this very determination and knowledge of craft that eventually aided in the efforts of countless writers -- both men and women -- to establish American literature as it has come to be known:
The story I till here is thus far from the usual
one of the ‘progress’ or ‘rise’ of American
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...trive for literary expression” (Halio, Siegal 30). Indeed, the innumerable contributions to American literature stand out as considerable and for-reaching. By assessing the various factors each component has brought to the overall composition, it is easily arguable that American literature is a compilation of many foreign entities that ultimately embrace and represent the American way
WorksCited
Bibliography:
Halio, Jay L., and Ben. Siegel. Daughters of Valor:
Contemporary Jewish American Women Writers. GreenBay:
Jackson-Elliot, 1997.
Rice, Grantland S. The Transformation of Authorship in
America. Chicago: Braxton, 1997.
Sandburg, Carl. Chicago Poems. New York: Henry Holt, 1916.
Smith, Joan. “Lessons of Huck Finn.” San Francisco Examiner
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Philadelphia:
Courage Books, 1990.
20th Century American Literature: A Soviet View. Translated by Ronald Vroon, p. 78. Progress Publishers. 1976. The. 241-260.
Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000
The authors’ literary works had a way of communicating and expressing their way of life by their own writing styles. The authors I will discuss shared their experience adapting into American culture. The authors I chosen to discuss is Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatley, and Thomas Paine who are distinctly different people who share a common background, but overcome different obstacles living in America. The criteria I have to share about their life experiences is their own writings and documented information from credible resources. The analyses and interpretations in the authors writings gives us idea about who they are because of their hardships in America, a new government, and their new culture.
[1] Chang Yao letter "A Brief History of American Literature" [M] Tianjin: Nankai University Press, 1999.
Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907–21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000
Heritage of American Literature. Ed. James E. Miller. 2 ed. Austin: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991.1274.print.
While all of these short stories and poems have the same main idea of America, and the societies that make it up, the authors all put their twist and opinion in their writing. Through different methods they can all place a heavy view on America, and therefore get 3 very distinctive points of view that connect to help the reader understand these
When a writer starts his work, most often than not, they think of ways they can catch their reader’s attention, but more importantly, how to awake emotions within them. They want to stand out from the rest and to do so, they must swim against the social trend that marks a specific society. That will make them significant; the way they write, how they make a reader feel, the specific way they write, and the devotion they have for their work. Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgard Allan Poe influenced significantly the American literary canon with their styles, themes, and forms, making them three important writers in America.
In addition, authors frequently lack originality and simply take the reader on all-too-familiar voyages into politics, morals, or religion. Successful writers are those who risk and go on to write about topics that many times others have been less willing to address. The product of these extraordinary efforts is compositions richly enhanced by human feelings and real problems that we encounter and relate to our everyday lives…thought-provoking discussions about religion, philosophy, or politics. These pioneering authors are not afraid to write about evil, the perverse aspects of man, or even sexuality… Their true voices have risen from behind the words taking shape in the minds of the readers. Few have done this, but in the 19th Century two remarkable Americans produced compositions of unequal quality. Their styles and the way they approach the reader are different from t...
How does American literature shape American culture? America, a baby nation compared to many other countries, has shaped itself into one of the most politically and technically advanced places in the world. The definition of American Literature is any literary work written in, or about The United States. The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, The Narrative of the Life of Fredric Douglass and various other works of literature are all pieces of American literature that have helped shape American society.
Perkins, Geroge, and Barbara Perkins. The American Tradition in Literature. 12th ed. Vol. 2. New York: McGraw Hill, 2009. Print
Perkins George, Barbara. The American Tradition in Literature, 12th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2009. Print
Works Cited “American Literature 1865-1914.” Baym 1271. Baym, Nina et al. Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature.
Between the years of 1865 and 1914, American literature was mainly comprised of three writing styles: realism, regionalism, and naturalism. Realism aims to portray life realistically. Though realism...
The emergence of black women writers on the American literary scene was not a sudden or a fortuitous event.Their bursting on to the scene was a result of the new found consciousness of black American women.They were increasingly becoming conscious of the racist and patriarchal oppression that they were being subjected to in America.By the 1970's the black women had the knowledge that both-The Civil Rights Movement and The Feminist Movement were neglecting the issues relating to black women.Despite being active participants in both the move...