AMERICAN LITERATURE TIMELINE

The First American Literature: Native Americans

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Communicated orally Myths and legends Focus on nature; creation stories

ENLIGHTENMENT (1607-1800)
(TWO phases: ilgrims!religion " atriots!politics#

The Age of Faith (1607-1750)

$% &istorical Conte't

A% uritans and ilgrims (% separated )rom the Anglican church o) *ngland +% religion dominated their lives and ,ritings -% Wor. ethic / 0elie) in hard ,or. and simple1 no/)rills living $$% 2enre!3tyle A% sermons1 diaries1 personal narratives1 slave narratives -% instructive C% plain style $$$% Ma4or ,riters A. Anne B a!"t eet (161#-167#) (% )irst pu0lished American poet +% 5To My 6ear and Loving &us0and5 B. E!$a ! Ta%&o (16'5-17#() (% Minister; considered the )inest uritan poet +% 5&us,i)ery5 C. )onathan E!$a !" (% Minister +% 53inners in the &ands o) an Angry 2od5 The Age of Rea"on (1750-1*00) $% &istorical conte't A% American 7evolution; gro,th o) patriotism -% 6evelopment o) American character!democracy C% 8se o) reason as opposed to )aith alone $$% 2enre!3tyle A% political pamphlets1 essays1 travel ,riting1 speeches1 documents -% instructive in values; highly ornate ,riting style

$$$% Ma4or ,riters A. Ben F an+&in (% Auto0iography " oor 7ichard9s Almanac +% 3ym0ol o) success gained 0y hard ,or. and common sense B. Tho,a" )effe "on (% Declaration of Independence +% Considered the )inest ,riter o) the era C. Tho,a" -aine (% amphleteer +% 5The American Crisis5 helped propel us into ,ar :% 7emains a model o) e))ective propaganda ;% 5These are the times that try men9s souls%5 ROMANTICISM (1800-1855) $% &istorical conte't A% *'pansion o) 0oo. pu0lishing1 maga<ines1 ne,spapers -% $ndustrial 7evolution C% A0olitionist movement $$% 2enre!3tyle A% 3hort stories1 novels1 poetry1 -% $magination over reason; intuition over )act C% Focused on the )antastic o) human e'perience 6% Writing that can 0e interpreted + ,ays: sur)ace and in depth *% Focus on inner )eelings F% 2othic literature (su0/genre o) 7omanticism# (% 8se o) the supernatural +% Characters ,ith 0oth evil and good characteristics :% 6ar. landscapes; depressed characters $$$% Ma4or ,riters A. .a"hington I /ing (17*(-1*51) (% )irst )amous American ,riter; called 5)ather o) American Lit5 +% ,rote short stories1 travel 0oo.s1 satires :% Legend of Sleepy Hollow: terri)ied generations o) children ;% Rip Van Winkle: created success )rom )ailure; the antihero =% 56evil and Tom Wal.er5: an encounter/,ith/the/devil tale B. Nathanie& 0a$tho ne (1*0'-1*6') (% ,rote a0out sin and guilt; conse>uences o) pride1 sel)ishness1 etc% +% The Scarlet Letter :% 3hort stories (5The Minister9s -lac. ?eil5#

C. E!ga A&&en -oe (1*0(-1*'() (% lousy childhood; su0stance a0use pro0lems +% created the modern short story and detective story 6. 0e ,an Me&/i&&e (1*1(-1*(1) (% ran.ed as one o) America9s top novelists1 0ut recogni<ed 0y )e, in his o,n time +% Moby Dick a% didn9t sell: only his )riend N& li.ed it; not reprinted )or @A yrs% 0% no, considered America9s greatest prose epic The T an"1en!enta&i"t" (1*'0-1*55) 1. T an"1en!enta&i",: stressed individualism1 intuition1 nature1 sel)/reliance #. Ra&2h .a&!o E,e "on (1*03-1**#) a% his ,ritings helped esta0lish the philosophy o) individualism1 an idea deeply em0edded in American culture 0% 5Nature5 3. 0en % 4a/i! Tho ea5 (1*17-1*6#) a% resisted materialism; chose simplicity1 individualism 0% Walden (% lived on Walden ond )or +B years +% a guide0oo. )or li)e1 sho,ing ho, to live ,isely in a ,orld designed to ma.e ,ise living impossi0le

REALISM (1865-1915)
$% &istorical conte't A% Civil War 0rings demand )or a 5truer5 type o) literature that doesn9t ideali<e people or places -% eople in society de)ined 0y 5class5; materialism C% 7e)lect ideas o) 6ar,in (survival o) the )ittest# and Mar' (ho, money and class structure control a nation# $$% 2enre!3tyle A% Rea&i", (% a reaction against romanticism; told it li.e it ,as +% )ocus on lives o) ordinary people; re4ected heroic and adventurous :% anti/materialism; re4ected the ne, 5class5 system ;% vie, o) nature as a po,er)ul and indi))erent )orce 0eyond man9s control -% Nat5 a&i", (su0/genre o) 7ealism# (% li.e 7ealism 0ut a dar.er vie, o) the ,orld +% the universe is unpredicta0le; )ate is determined 0y chance; )ree ,ill is an illusion

:% characters9 lives shaped 0y )orces they can9t understand or control C% Novels1 short stories 6% O)ten aims to change a speci)ic social pro0lem *% 6ominant themes: survival1 )ate1 violence1 nature as an indi))erent )orce $$$% Ma4or ,riters A. The Ci/i& .a (1*55-1*65) (% &arriet -eecher 3to,e ((C((/(CD@# a% The most )amous ,oman o) her day 0% ncle To!"s #abin ((#% most in)luential 0oo. o) the (Dth Century; (st to sell ( mil% copies (+#% one o) the most e))ective documents o) propaganda; helped )uel the Civil War +% Frederic. 6ouglas ((C(E/(CD=# a% an escaped slave; one o) the most e))ective orators o) his day 0% in)luential ne,spaper ,riter; militant a0olitionist; diplomat c% auto0iography an instant and enduring classic o) courage B. The F ontie (1*65-1(15) (% Mar. T,ain ((C:=/(D(A# a% 3amuel Langhorne Clemens is ,idely thought to 0e the greatest American humorist and one o) our greatest novelists 0% used vernacular1 e'aggeration1 deadpan narrator to create humor c% FCele0rated Gumping Frog o) Calaveras CountyH (tall tale# d$ %d&ent'res of To! Sawyer e% %d&ent'res of H'ckleberry Finn (one o) America9s most in)luential novels# )% Li)e on the Mississippi (a memoir# +% Gac. London a% pushed Naturalism to its limits 0% #all of the Wild (tame dog )orced to revert to his original primitive state# c% FTo -uild a FireH (survival o) the )ittest# :% The Local Colorists ((C@=/(D:A# a% 7egional ,riters tried to capture the essence o) a particular area1 or its 5local color5