American American LiteratureLiterature

Lecture Notes!!Lecture Notes!!

FYIFYI~Genre(s)= Type of ~Genre(s)= Type of

ClassificationClassification

~Look at Historical Genres~Look at Historical Genres

~8 Genres (or historical ~8 Genres (or historical periods)periods)

I. Colonial Period I. Colonial Period (1620-1732)(1620-1732)

Puritan-Calvinist writingPuritan-Calvinist writing(Religious)(Religious)

a. John Winthropa. John WinthropWinthrop’s JournalWinthrop’s Journal (1649) (1649)

b. Ben Franklin (1732) Begins b. Ben Franklin (1732) Begins publishing publishing Poor Richard’s AlmanackPoor Richard’s Almanack

--Autobiography of Ben FranklinAutobiography of Ben Franklin-orders his day according to a -orders his day according to a

strict disciplinestrict discipline-Manage time efficiently-Manage time efficiently-Set Goals-Set Goals

II. II. Revolutionary Period Revolutionary Period (1760’s-1787)(1760’s-1787)

~ 1776-Independence Day~ 1776-Independence Day

~ 1787-Constitution adopted~ 1787-Constitution adopted

Writing switches from religious to political Writing switches from religious to political (1765)(1765)

a. Thomas Painea. Thomas Paine

Pamphlet “Common Sense” (1775)Pamphlet “Common Sense” (1775)

-American Independence-American Independence

b. 1776- “Declaration of Independence”-b. 1776- “Declaration of Independence”-Thomas Thomas JeffersonJefferson

-Started University of Virginia-Started University of Virginia

-believed in creating an intellectual -believed in creating an intellectual eliteelite

III. III. Early National PeriodEarly National Period(1800-1830)(1800-1830)

A. Washington IrvingA. Washington Irving

1.“Rip Van Winkle”-1819-18201.“Rip Van Winkle”-1819-1820

2.“Legend of Sleepy Hollow”-1819-2.“Legend of Sleepy Hollow”-1819-18201820

B. Noah Webster (1828)B. Noah Webster (1828)

-1-1STST. American Language Dictionary. American Language Dictionary

C. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow- poetC. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow- poet

“ “Paul Revere’s Ride”Paul Revere’s Ride”

IV. IV. American RenaissanceAmerican Renaissance(1830-1860)(1830-1860)

~ A. Ralph Waldo Emerson~ A. Ralph Waldo Emerson - Poet/prose writer- Poet/prose writer “ “Transcendentalist”Transcendentalist” NatureNature (1836) (1836)~ B. Henry David Thoreau~ B. Henry David Thoreau (1) (1) WaldenWalden (1854) (1854) (2) “Civil Disobedience”(2) “Civil Disobedience”~ C. Emily Dickinson~ C. Emily Dickinson Wrote 1400 poems-1850-1860Wrote 1400 poems-1850-1860

IV. IV. American RenaissanceAmerican Renaissance (1830-1860) Cont.(1830-1860) Cont.

Death was a focus of her poems. Ex: “I heard a fly Death was a focus of her poems. Ex: “I heard a fly buzz…”buzz…”

D. Edgar Allan PoeD. Edgar Allan Poe

1830’s-1840’s creator of “Gothic 1830’s-1840’s creator of “Gothic Horror”Horror”

““The Tell-Tale Heart”The Tell-Tale Heart”

E. Nathaniel HawthorneE. Nathaniel Hawthorne

(1850) (1850) Scarlet LetterScarlet Letter

F. Herman MelvilleF. Herman Melville

(1851) (1851) Moby-DickMoby-Dick

G. Walt WhitmanG. Walt Whitman

(1855) (1855) Leaves of GrassLeaves of Grass

H. Harriet Beecher StoweH. Harriet Beecher Stowe

(1850) (1850) Uncle Tom’s CabinUncle Tom’s Cabin

V. Post Civil War V. Post Civil War Literature (1865-1910)Literature (1865-1910)

Writing switches from romantic to realismWriting switches from romantic to realisma. a. Mark TwainMark Twain

- Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)- Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)- Adventures of Huck Finn(1884)- Adventures of Huck Finn(1884)b. b. Henry JamesHenry James (elitist, wealthy) (elitist, wealthy)-dual citizenship in England and the United States. -dual citizenship in England and the United States. --Turn of the ScrewTurn of the Screw--Portrait of a LadyPortrait of a Ladyc. c. Regional WritersRegional Writers (1880’s-1900) (1880’s-1900)-Laura Ingals Wilder (KS)-Laura Ingals Wilder (KS)--Little House on the PrairieLittle House on the Prairie-Willa Cather (NE)-Willa Cather (NE)-“Wagner Matinee”-“Wagner Matinee”--My AntoniaMy Antonia-Kate Chopin (LA)-1-Kate Chopin (LA)-1stst feminist feminist-“A pair of Silk Stockings”-“A pair of Silk Stockings”AwakeningAwakening=her novel=her novel-Jack London- Novels--Jack London- Novels-Call of the WildCall of the Wild, , White White Fang Fang (Yukon (Yukon Territory)Territory)d. d. Stephen CraneStephen Crane (1895-1905) (1895-1905) The Red Badge of CourageThe Red Badge of CourageRealism, Naturalism, and French ImpressionismRealism, Naturalism, and French Impressionism

VI. Post WWI LiteratureVI. Post WWI Literature(1920’s-1930’s)(1920’s-1930’s)

RealismRealism Disillusionment Disillusionment A. A. PoetsPoets -T.S. Eliot “The Waste Land”-T.S. Eliot “The Waste Land” -Robert Frost, ee cumings-Robert Frost, ee cumings B. B. NovelistsNovelists

1.Ernest Hemingway 1.Ernest Hemingway A Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to Arms 2.William Faulkner- wrote in dialect 2.William Faulkner- wrote in dialect

“The Stream of Consciousness”“The Stream of Consciousness” - -The Sound And The FuryThe Sound And The Fury (1929) (1929)

3. F. Scott Fitzgerald, 3. F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great The Great Gatsby (1925)Gatsby (1925)

C. 30’s- DepressionC. 30’s- Depression -John Steinbeck, -John Steinbeck, The Grapes of WrathThe Grapes of Wrath

(1939)(1939)

VII. Post WWII Period VII. Post WWII Period (1940s-Present)(1940s-Present)

A. PlaywrightsA. Playwrights

~Tennessee Williams~Tennessee Williams

Glass MenagerieGlass Menagerie (1944) (1944)

Streetcar Named DesireStreetcar Named Desire (1947) (1947)

~Arthur Miller (1940’s)~Arthur Miller (1940’s)

The CrucibleThe Crucible

Death of A SalesmanDeath of A Salesman

B. B. Other NovelistsOther Novelists

1. Ralph Ellison, 1. Ralph Ellison, Invisible ManInvisible Man (1952) (1952)

2. Truman Capote (1965) 2. Truman Capote (1965) In Cold BloodIn Cold Blood

C. C. PoetsPoets

1. 1. FeministsFeminists

~ Elizabeth Bishop~ Elizabeth Bishop

~Sylvia Plath~Sylvia Plath

~Anne Sexton~Anne Sexton

VII. VII. Post WWII PeriodPost WWII Period (1940’s-present) Cont.(1940’s-present) Cont.

2. African American2. African American

~Gwendolyn Brooks ~Gwendolyn Brooks (50’s-on)(50’s-on)

~Maya Angelou~Maya Angelou

~Lucille Clifton~Lucille Clifton

~Alice Walker~Alice Walker

~Toni Morrison~Toni Morrison

VIII. Science Fiction VIII. Science Fiction (1940’s-present)(1940’s-present)

(acknowledge two forerunners to SF: Jules (acknowledge two forerunners to SF: Jules Verne (French) and H.G. Wells (British)Verne (French) and H.G. Wells (British)

4 American Founding Fathers4 American Founding Fathers1. Isaac Asimov1. Isaac Asimov2. Robert Heinlein2. Robert Heinlein3. Arthur C. Clarke 2001: A Space 3. Arthur C. Clarke 2001: A Space OdysseyOdyssey4. Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 4514. Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451

3 Types of Science Fiction3 Types of Science Fiction1. Altered past-time travel machine1. Altered past-time travel machine2. Intruded upon present2. Intruded upon present3. Extrapolated future3. Extrapolated future