American literature timline

American literature, the body of written works produced in the English language in
the United States. Like other national literatures, American literature was shaped by the
history of the country that produced it. For almost a century and a half, America was merely a
group of colonies scattered along the eastern seaboard of the North American continent. By
the end of the 19th century, it had taken its place among the powers of the world.
The history of American literature stretches across more than 400 years. It can be
divided into five major periods, each of which has unique characteristics, notable authors, and
representative works.
This history of American literature begins with the arrival of English-speaking Europeans in
what would become the United States. At first American literature was naturally a colonial
literature, by authors who were Englishmen and who thought and wrote as such. John Smith,
a soldier of fortune, is credited with initiating American literature.
name time characteristics
1. Oral literature: epic narratives, creation
myths, stories, poems, songs
2. Use stories to teach lessons and convey
Native 40,000 - 20,000
practical information about the natural world
americans BC
3. Deep respect for nature and animals
4. Cyclical world view.
5. Figurative language/ parallelism
1. Wrote mostly diaries and histories, which
expressed the connections between God and
Puritanism1 their everyday lives.
(The Puritan 1650-1750 2. Saw religion as a personal, inner experience.
Time) 3. Believed in original sin and “elect” who
would be saved
5. Used a plain sytle of writing
The Colonial
1600’s - 1740’s
Period
The Neoclassical
1750 - 1820
Time Period
1. Mostly comprised of philosophers, scientists,
writing speecges and pamphlets.
The
2. Human beings can arrive at truth (God’s
Revolutionary 1765-1790
rules) by using deductive reasoning, rather than
Age
relying on the authority of the past, on religious
faith, or intuition.
The Early
1775 - 1828
National Period
The Romantic
1830 - 1865
Period
Realism
Modernism
The common tendency of American literature is to be focused on politics, economics, and
social status. Satire, sarcasm, and cynicism can be also often find their way into the works of
American authors.
1
the belief that it is important to work hard and control yourself, and that pleasure is wrong or unnecessary
By examining literary texts, their stories and their messages, we can increase in our
understanding of how to live life. We learn how to discern what is healthy and destructive in
the world, and we are challenged with injustice and its consequences.
THE ROMANTIC PERIOD IN AMERICAN LITERATURE (1830 - 1865)
Often considered the first period of
American creativity, the Romantic
period is placed within the historical
context of westward expansion, the
increasingly heated nature of the
slavery question, and strained relations
between the opposing desires for reform
and separation found in the North and
the South.
Historically, this period of tensions
resulted in the Civil War. Within the
literature, however, the opposing views of life were able to co-exist relatively peacefully
The European Romantic movement reached
America during the early 19th
century. Like the Europeans, the American
Romantics demonstrated a high level of moral
enthusiasm, commitment to individualism and
the unfolding of the self, an emphasis on
intuitive perception, and the assumption that the
natural world was inherently good while
human society was filled with corruption.
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 the early settlement period. The Romantics rejected
rationalism2 and religious intellect. It appealed especially to opponents of Calvinism3, a
Protestant sect that believes the destiny of each individual is preordained by God.
RELATION TO TRANSCENDENTALISM
The Romantic Movement gave rise to New
England transcendentalism, which portrayed a
less restrictive relationship between God and
the universe. The new philosophy presented the
individual with a more personal relationship
with God. Transcendentalism and Romanticism
appealed to Americans in a similar fashion; both
privileged feeling over reason and individual
freedom of expression over the restraints of tradition and custom. Romanticism often
involved a rapturous response to nature and promised a new blossoming of American culture.

2
the belief or principle that actions and opinions should be based on reason rather than on emotion or religion
3
the Christian ideas and teachings of John Calvin, especially the belief that God controls what happens on
earth
ROMANTIC THEMES
America's preoccupation with freedom became a great source of motivation for Romantic
writers, as many were delighted in free expression and emotion without fear of ridicule and
controversy.
They also put more effort into the psychological development of their characters, and the
main characters typically displayed extremes of sensitivity and excitement.
The works of the Romantic Era also differed from preceding works in that they spoke to a
wider audience, partly reflecting the greater distribution of books as costs came down and
literacy rose during the period. The Romantic period also saw an increase in female authors
and readers.
PROMINENT ROMANTIC WRITERS
Romanticism in American Literature brought us some of the world’s greatest writers: Edgar
Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Washington
Irving and Henry David Thoreau.
THE RISE OF REALISM (1865-1914)
Americans only have fought one civil war, but that tragedy cut deep into
the heart of the nation. Reactions to the grim casualties of the war as well
as to the rapid urban expansion inspired writers to abandon their
romantic ideals. After the Civil War, realistic writers sought to accurately
portray real life without filtering it through Romanticism. A new
movement was created, called realism

REALISM IN AMERICAN LITERATURE

American Realism began as a reaction to and a rejection of Romanticism, with its emphasis
on emotion, imagination, and the individual.
The movement began as early as the 1830's but reached prominence and held sway from the
end of the Civil War to around the end of the nineteenth century. The movement was centered
in fiction, particularly the novel.
It attempted fidelity to real life, or "actuality," in its representation. The realist concerns
himself with the here and now, centering his work in his own time, dealing with
common-place everyday events and people, and with the sociopolitical climate of his
day.
REGIONALISM AND REALISM IN 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE
In century America the Civil War and westward expansion created numerous changes in
society and politics. American artists turned to realism and regionalism to comment on the
new concerns of the time period such as the ongoing struggle of the working class as well as
the societal elevation of the middle class.
Mark Twain and Kate Chopin were experts at creating regionalist works. Regionalism refers
to texts that concentrate heavily on specific, unique features of a certain region including
dialect, customs, tradition, topography, history, and characters.
Samuel Clemens was the early pioneer of Realism. Writing under the pen name Mark Twain,
he was noteworthy for his faithful reproduction of vernacular speech patterns and vocabulary.
He more or less gave birth to “local color” a sub-genre of the novel that still enjoys wide
appeal today.
Replicating natural speech required not just great listening skills, but a sense of how the
written version sounds to the imagination. In addition to the use of vernacular, Twain was an
innovator in focusing on middle and lower class characters. Previously, novels had
concentrated on the experiences of the elite. Presumably, the upper crust enjoyed seeing their
lives of privilege reflected back to them in art, while salt of the earth readers had something
to aspire to and fantasize about. It was a revolutionary concept to incorporate unremarkable
characters into an art form as serious as the novel. In a development that continues to
bewilder, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most frequently banned books in
the public school system. One imagines that certain language is indeed offensive; however,
Twain was doing nothing other than representing honest speech. Huck Finn was in all reality
an astonishing leap forward in racial awareness – Jim, the freed slave, is as fully realized a
character as Tom.
AMERICAN MODERNISM (1914 – 1945)
American modernism is an artistic and cultural movement in the United States beginning at
the turn of the 20th century, with a core period between World War I and World War II.
The Modernist American movement is a reflection of American life in the 20th century. In
this quickly industrializing world and hastened pace of life, it is easy for the individual to be
swallowed up by the vastness of things; left wandering, devoid of purpose. Social
boundaries in race, class, sex, wealth, and religion are all being challenged.
EMERGENCE OF MODERNISM IN LITERATURE
While America continued to evolve and change (the 19th amendment gave women the right
to vote, and the stock market crash of 1929 changed everything), modernism in American
literature continued to reflect varying experiences with change from 1914-1945.
Around the turn of the century, this country saw a shift as a result of industrialization. Cities
began to grow and technology suddenly had the power to change everything. This is when
realism in literature began, which, in basic terms, was a literary movement that produced (for
the first time) writing that reflected the very real lives of the working class. In that sense,
literature was already beginning to change.
It was 1914, however, that marked a very important change - something began that ultimately
sent the world into a tailspin. It was World War I - the first war of mass destruction - a war in
which many nations saw their best and brightest young men die. Although U.S. involvement
in battle was limited to just over a year, the country mobilized itself for true worldwide
conflict, raised money and whatever else would help, supported allied powers and prepared
over four million personnel for battle.
The problem with World War I: Technology led to a new kind of war. With advancements in
weapon development (like widespread use of automatic weaponry), war became about mass
casualties - a change that many felt was inhumane and just downright evil. Others saw the
results of World War I (over 9 million deaths) and felt that it was further proof in the
necessity of a strong national defense (armed forces, etc.).
Divided and confused, the only fact that was decidedly clear was that the U.S. had just been
catapulted into modern warfare in a very modern world.
Dazed from the war, many of the younger generation no longer felt patriotic, content or safe.
This generation became known as the 'Lost Generation.' A youth culture emerged - one in
which free expression and a deliberate break from tradition became defining
characteristics.
CHARACTERISTICS
Modernist literature is characterized chiefly by a rejection of 19th-century traditions.
Clearly, breaking from tradition was a big part of the literary movement. This was evident in
the choice to break from traditional forms. So now, literature could look like anything, even a
sentence that went on for 157 words. There was quite a bit of fragmentation, as well as
experimentation with point of view in writing - just another way to create a unique style.
Some stories were thoughtful and self-reflective, while others had an overwhelming sense of
alienation, as a result of differing ways of processing the changing times.
Readers can see an experimentation with gender roles, an introduction of racial issues and an
inclusion of pop culture in many works. While some stories showed the wealth of the middle
and upper classes (through materialism and lack of limits), others illustrated the bleakness of
rural life.
There was something interesting that contributed to the tone of many works of the time -
psychology. For the first time, psychology became a truly popular subject to debate,
specifically Sigmund Freud and his new ideas. This included the implication that we were, in
fact, godless. Any faith religion or belief in a higher power was challenged by this. Many
were left feeling even more lost. This sentiment pervades works of modern literature in the
US.
Major writers
The lost generations
F. Scoot Fitzgerald
John Steinback
Ernest Hemingway
William Faulkner