SURVEY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE INTRODUCTION

The similarities and differences between English literature and American literature
continues to be a subject of continuous debate.
Aside from historical differences, English literature and American literature differ in
style, grammar, and language. Let us explore each of these (and even more) differences
below.

HISTORY
National literature is connected with national history. As we all know, English
literature emerged earlier than American literature, since America was a British colony.
Therefore, while American literature’s history dates back to the 17th century, English
literature emerged in the 10th century. The English style is therefore considered richer in
this respect.

WRITERS
When discussing this issue, many experts conclude that English literature is deeper;
however, it is not always true.
There are many globally known US writers like J. F. Cooper, J.D. Salinger, Jack
London, E.A. Poe, Mark Twain, Scott Fitzgerald, W. Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Ernest
Hemmingway, and Stephen King, to name a few. Many people are familiar with their works.
Many generations enjoy reading their stories.
English literature offers an even wider list of well-known writers, such as
Shakespeare, Bronte, Lord Byron, Kipling, Dickens, Austin, Rowling, Woolf, Tolkien, Orwell,
and Collins.

NARRATION
Differences in language are evident when reading novels by English writers and
American writers. British writers tend to use classical British English; their vocabulary is
richer.
On the contrary, the language of an American writer is simultaneously simpler and
more accessible. This language is more modern than original British English.

STYLE
The common tendency of American literature is to be focused on politics, economics,
and social status. Satire, sarcasm, and cynicism can be also often finding their way into the
works of American authors. For example, language functions as a vehicle of protest in “The
Catcher in the Rye” and “The Great Gatsby.”

On the contrary, British literature of the same period mostly invokes romance,
human values, ideals, and manners, although class differences are often discussed or
referenced in some meaningful way. There is a common thought that British writers’ works
come “from the heart,” while American writers are more cool-headed and cynical.

At the same time, there is much diversity within the wells of both British writers and
American writers, and this diversity should be acknowledged. In general, it is perhaps most
useful to compare two novels within English literature or American literature that date
back to the same period or a stage of country development.

Otherwise, such a comparison does not make sense.

GENRES & TOPICS

English writers mostly emphasize their culture and manners, while American writers
discuss American history and social issues. As well as early writings in the UK, early
American works involve topics related to religion and politics.
 American writers of the 17th century invoked Puritanical morals. In the 18th
century, revolutionary topics prevailed in American style.

Also, American writers often described events that took place during the development
of the country. For example, the American Civil War is described in “Gone with the Wind”
by Margaret Mitchell, and theme of Slavery in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by
Mark Twain.

It is impossible to imagine English literature without William Shakespeare, who wrote

historical plays (Julius Caesar, Richard II, Antony & Cleopatra), tragedies (Macbeth,
Hamlet, Othello), and comedies (A Midsummer Night’s Dream). The Romanticism Period
gave the world Robert Burns (Halloween, The Jolly Beggars) and George Byron (Childe
Harold’s Pilgrimage, Manfred).

Later, the historical novel emerged as a genre, with Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe. English
writers’ contribution to literature for children is prominent: “Alice’s Adventure in
Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling are known in
each and every corner of the world.

GRAMMAR
The English language is considered classic. In American literature, English is more
modern. Americans adopted the English language for their literature. However, there are
certain differences in grammar.

The following linguistic elements differ between American literature and English
literature:

US writers tend to simplify the English language by removing letters from words: they
write “color” instead of “colour” or “neighbor” instead of “neighbour.”
Concerning irregular verbs, Americans simplify again. Disregard the rules; they form Past
Simple Tense by adding –ed. In British English, the suffix –t is added.
Americans use the end –iz rather than –is: “capitalize” instead of “capitalise” or
“summarize” instead of “summarise.”
A singular conjugation is used in American literature, while British creators mostly pair up
collective nouns with plural verbs. This should be taken into account when writing for
different audiences.
These linguistic choices reflect not only American literature, but their way of living. The
tendency to shorten or abbreviate words is common in American style. Also, the writers,
especially modern, tend to simplify the language.

On the contrary, English creators follow classical, sometimes conventional traditions

paths in writing, but this doesn’t make English literature less interesting.

PUNCTUATION
Like grammar, punctuation is a critical technical aspect of English literature and
American literature. For example, using comma in listings is typical for American literature,
but can be rarely met in classic British literature.

Also, classical writers prefer to leave quotation marks outside, while the other ones
place them inside. Besides, in the UK, writers use single quotation marks rather than
double marks used by Americans. These are minor differences, but they still exist.

Both English literature and American literature offers a lot of interesting differences
for consideration. One can insightfully apply these differences to an exploration of the
history and culture of these two countries by reading the writing by their writers. Styles,
narration, and topics may differ, but one can recognize unmistakable habits and customs
typical for both English and American writers.
Common Genres of English- American Literature

o Literary Fiction
 Literary Fiction novels are considered works with artistic value and literary
merit. They often include political criticism, social commentary, and
reflections on humanity.
 “This Side of Paradise” F. Scoot Fitzgerald
 “The Open Boat” Stephen Crane
 “The Known World” Edward Jones
o Mystery
 Mystery novels, also called detective fiction, follow a detective solving a case
from start to finish. They drop clues and slowly reveal information, turning
the reader into a detective trying to solve the case.
 “The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes” A. Conan Doyle
 “The Cipher” Nina Guerrera
 “Death on the Nile” Hercule Poirot
o Thriller
 Thriller novels are dark, mysterious, and suspenseful plot- driven stories.
They very seldom include comedic elements, but what they lack in humor,
they make up for in suspense.
 “Bird Box” by Josh Malerman
 “7th Heaven” by James Patterson
 “Dead or Alive” Tom Clancy and Grant Blackwood
o Horror
 Horror movies are meant to scare, startle, shock, and even repulse readers.
Generally focusing on themes of death, demons, evil spirits, and the afterlife,
they prey on fears with scary beings like ghosts, vampires, werewolves,
witches, and monsters.
 “Frankenstein” Mary Shelley
 “Dracula” Bram Stoker
 “The Monkey’s Paw” W.W Jacobs
o Historical
 Historical fiction novels take place in the past. Written with a careful balance
of research and creativity, they transport readers to another time and place-
which can be real, imagined, or a combination of both.
 “Wilderness at Dawn” Ted Morgan
 “The Story of American Freedom” Eric Foner
 “This Republic of Suffering” Drew Gilpin Faust
o Romance
 Romantic Fiction centers around love stories between two people. They’re
lighthearted, optimistic, and have an emotionally satisfying ending.
 “Romeo and Juliet” William Shakespeare
 “Gone With The Wind” Margaret Mitchell
 “Pride and Prejudice” Jane Austen
o Western
 Western novels tell the stories of cowboys, settlers, and outlaws exploring the
western frontier and taming the American Old West. They’re shaped
specifically by their genre-specific elements and rely on them in ways that
novels in other fiction genres don’t.
 “The Ox-Bow Incident” Walter Van and Tilburg Clark
 “Hondo” Louis L’ Amour
 “The Time It Never Rained” Elmer Kelton
o Bildungsroman
 Bildungsroman is a literary genre of stories about a character growing
psychologically and morally from their youth into adulthood. Literally
translated, a bildungsroman is “a novel of education” or “a novel of
formation.”
 “To Kill a Mockingbird” Harper Lee
 “Great Expectations” Charles Dickens
 “The Catcher in the Rye” J.B. Salinger
o Speculative Fiction
 Speculative fiction is a super genre that encompasses a number of different
types of fiction, from science fiction to fantasy to dystopian. The stories take
place in a world different from our own.
 “United States of Japan” Peter Tieryas
 “Zero Sum Game” S.L. Huang
 “The Paper Menagerie” Ken Liu
o Science Fiction
 Sci-fi novels are speculative stories with imagined elements that don’t exist
in the real world. Common elements of sci-fi novels include time travel, space
exploration, and futuristic societies.
 “The Lord of the Rings” J.R.R. Tolkiens
 “Watchmen” Alan Moore
 “Frankenstein” Mary Shelley
o Fantasy
 Fantasy novels are speculative fiction stories with imaginary characters set
in imaginary universes. They’re inspired by mythology and folklore and often
include elements of magic. The genre attracts both children and adults; well-
known titles include Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and
the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
 “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” Lewis Carroll
 “Harry Potter” J.K. Rowling
 “Hobbit” J.R.R. Tolkien
o Dystopian
 Dystopian novels are a genre of science fiction. They’re set in societies
viewed as worse than the one in which we live.
 “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” Philip K. Dick
 “The Time Machine” H.G. Wells
 “Giver” Lois Lowry
o Magical Realism
 Magical realism novels depict the world truthfully, plus add magical
elements. The fantastical elements aren’t viewed as odd or unique; they’re
considered normal in the world in which the story takes place.
 “One Hundred Years of Solitude” Gabriel Garcia Marquez
 “Eva Luna” Isabel Allende
 “Dreaming in Cuban” Cristina Garcia
o Realist Literature
 Realist fiction novels are set in a time and place that could actually happen
in the real world. They depict real people, places, and stories in order to be
as truthful as possible.
 “Me Before You” Jojo Moyes
 “Dear John” Nicholas Sparks
 “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” Jenny Han