المناقشات
1
The Early National Period of American Literature saw the beginnings of literature that could be truly identified as “American." In a paragraph, comment on the beginnings of American literature and its topics
The writers of this new American literature wrote in the English style, but the settings, themes, and characters were authentically American. In addition, poets of this time wrote poetry that was relatively independent of English precursors. Three of the most recognized writers of this time are Washington Irving, James Cooper, and Edgar Allan Poe.
2
The Puritans did not feel that literature was for entertainment. Novels and plays were frowned upon. Discuss this theme in the early American Colonial Literature .
It was largely influenced by British writers and was created to inform people about Puritans’ life, religious disputes, and settlement issues.
Many of the characteristics of Colonial American literature can be found in the poems, journals, letters, narratives, histories and teaching materials written by settlers, religious figures and historical icons of the period.The puritans did not feel that literature was for entertainment, novels and plays were frowned upon, due to a perceived lack of practical religious value.
3
Discuss the characteristics of Romanticism as an American literary movement
Romanticism became popular in American politics, philosophy and art. The movement appealed to the revolutionary spirit of America as well as to those longing to break free of the strict religious traditions of early settlement. The Romantics rejected rationalism and religious intellect. The Romantic movement gave rise to New England Transcendentalism which portrayed a less restrictive relationship between God and Universe. both privileged feeling over reason, individual freedom of expression over the restraints of tradition and custom. It often involved a rapturous response to nature. It encouraged the rejection of harsh, rigid Calvinism, and promised a new blossoming of American culture.
4
Discuss the definition of Realism and its main themes and topics
Broadly defined as "the faithful representation of reality" or "verisimilitude," realism is a literary technique practiced by many schools of writing. Although strictly speaking, realism is a technique, it also denotes a particular kind of subject matter, especially the representation of middle-class life. A reaction against romanticism, an interest in scientific method, the systematizing of the study of documentary history, and the influence of rational philosophy all affected the rise of realism. Pragmatism ,literature of the common-place , attempts to represent real life , ordinary people--poor and middle class , ordinary speech in dialect--use of vernacular , recent or contemporary life subject matter presented in an unidealized ,unsentimentalizedway ,democratic function of literature ,social criticism--effect on audience is key, presents indigenous American life ,importance of place--regionalism, "local color" ,sociology and psychology
5
The "brute within" each individual, composed of strong and often warring emotions: passions, such as lust, greed, or the desire for dominance or pleasure. This theme is prevalent in American Naturalism. Discuss this theme in more detail.
The brute within each individual, composed of strong and often warring emotions: passions, such as lust, greed, or the desire for dominance or pleasure; and the fight for survival in an amoral, indifferent universe- The conflict in naturalistic novels is often man against nature" or "man against himself" as characters struggle to retain a "veneer of civilization" despite external pressures that threaten to release the "brute within
6
Fragmentation is a theme that is common in American modern writings. Discuss this theme in more detail.
Related to the theme of destruction is the theme of fragmentation. Fragmenting modernist literature is thematic, as well as formal-Plot, characters, theme, images and narrative form itself are broken, take for instance .T.S. Eliot's the wasteland, which depicts a modern wasteland of crumbled cities, the poem itself is fragmented, consisting of broken stanzas and sentence that resemble the cultural debris and detritus which the speaker
7
Give the names of three novels with their summaries as examples on Harlem Renaissance Literature.
1-There is Confusion. 2- Not Without Laughter. 3- Quicksand
8
In Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’, Mrs. Mallard “had loved him [her husband]—sometimes. Often she did not.” If she was “often” not in love with him, why did she marry him? Give at least five possible reasons.
She married him for the money or because her parents made her marry him. She probably didn't have a choice or maybe that her marriage was arranged for her
9
Give one example of an American literary work i.e. a poem or an excerpt from a fictional or nonfictional work. Which movement does this work represent? What is the significance of the excerpt you selected?
Because I Could Not Stop for Death A Poem by Emily Dickinson .. 1. My labor, and my leisure too… Alliteration , 2.We passed the fields of gazing grain, We passed the setting sun… Anaphora , 3.We passed the setting sun. Or rather, he passed us Personification
10
Discuss the differences between Realism and Naturalism in American Literature. Give at least three differences on each movement.
1-Neutralism more pessimistic than Realism, primarily, 2-It depicts real people in real situations like realism, but believed that forces larger than the individual –nature, fate–shaped individual destiny,3-the two movements are differentiated by the fact that naturalism is connected to the doctrine of biological, economic, and social determinism
11
Discuss the differences between Colonial Literature and Harlem Renaissance in literature
The Harlem Renaissance was a transformable period in time when poetry changed a nation of African-Americans to an incredible level. Langston Hughes was one of the leading black writers in that time period, and wrote many different types of literature. He wrote, and created a new literary art form called jazz poetry.
'American literature'. is literature written or produced in the United States and its preceding colonies (for specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States). ... The American literary tradition thus began as part of the broader tradition of English literature.
12
William Dean Howells is a prominent figure in Realism. Discuss briefly his views on writing
William Dean Howells was an American realist novelist, dramatist, poet, critic, journalist, editor of Atlantic monthly., Nicknamed " the father of American Realism"
In Howell's view, writing should be simple, natural, and honest and should not delve into romantic exaggeration. He wrote The Rise of Silas Laphame is a novel written about materialistic rise of Silas Lapham from rags to riches.
13
The Harlem Renaissance was a literary, artistic, cultural, intellectual movement that began in Harlem. Discuss the history of the movement in three paragraphs.
The Harlem Renaissance was a phase of a larger New Negro movement that had emerged in the early 20th century and in some ways us herd in the civil rights movement ( 1955-1968) .The social foundation of this movement included the Great Migration of African Americans from rural to urban spaces and from south to North dramatically rising levels of literacy the creation of national organizations dedicated to pressing African American civil right uplifting the race and opening socioeconomic
14
What are some of the major themes of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain? Give at least three examples with explanation.
Freedom All human beings are free, independent, and equal members of society. The Primacy of the Moral Law The moral law supersedes government law. By protecting the black slave Jim, Huck breaks man-made law and feels guilty. A Child Shall Lead A little child shall lead them. Huck is portrayed as a boy who had a better grasp of morality than the often corrupt civilization around him—a boy worth imitating for his virtues.