ipl-logo

American Literature: Literature Changed Over Time

1749 Words7 Pages

Payton Lehnerz English B CP Final Essay American Literature: How it Changed Over Time Literature has been a constant expression of artistic emotion throughout history. Over the course of the years, Literature has developed and changed due to America’s evolution. These changing time periods can be classified into 9 eras: Colonial, Revolutionary, Romantic, Transcendental, Realism, Modern, Harlem Renaissance, Beat Generation, and Postmodern. Throughout the changing history, new literary eras have begun in response to previous eras and events. American Literature has changed over time by adapting previous values, beliefs, and literary characteristics when a new era presents itself; this progression is due to changing societal views in …show more content…

Throughout this time period American literature shifts from American foundation into American development. Following the Revolutionary War, America saw a huge population increase; migration westward; and many technological advances. These events thus initiate the Romantic Era. Within this era society held the values of individual importance; close association with nature; and humanism. In the romanticism poem The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls the reader can obtain a glimpse of these nature focused beliefs. In this poem Henry Longfellow describes a seaside scene in which dawn overcomes darkness, thus relating to the rising of society after the hardships of battle. The reader can also see feelings, emotions, and imagination take priority over logic and facts. Bridging the Romantic Era and the Realism Era is the Transcendental Era. This era is unusual due to it’s overlapping of both the Romantic and Realism Era. Due to its coexistence in two eras, this division serves as a platform for authors to attempt to establish a new literary culture aside from the rest of the world. Encompassing the Transcendental Era are the beliefs of ideality, establishment of a utopia, skepticism of religion, and the arrival of knowledge through intuition. The reader can see a demonstration of these beliefs in the short story To Build a Fire. In this story, London depicts …show more content…

Within this time period resides the Modern, Harlem Renaissance, Beat Generation, and Postmodern Eras. Attributing to the start of the Modern era are the historical events of WWI, the Great Depression, and the Great Migration of the US. Associated with this era are the desires of fast paced city life; achievement of wealth and success; disillusionment; and shifting away from religion. The Great Gatsby is a great example of these values due to Gatsby, the protagonist, constant desire for success but ultimately disillusioned by Daisy and the chaotic life she brings. (Fitzgerald). In this novel the reader can see the inner turmoil within literature and its characters. There is a major shift present from supernatural and religious happiness, into individual driven happiness. Due to this newly valued individual independence, social boundaries in race and gender started to appear, thus causing the transition into the Harlem Renaissance, a movement that celebrated African American culture through artwork, literature, and music. Throughout this era elements of new identity, political challenging, and gender and racial improvements were all addressed and examined in the associated literature. The poem Legal Alien is a good example of the ideals encompassed in the era. This poem is about a Mexican-American speaker informing the reader about the struggles in which people from different ethnic backgrounds

Show More
Related
610 Words | 3 Pages

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece of literature “The Great Gatsby”, the eponymous character is shown to be an eccentric man with a shrouded past, which only becomes revealed to the reader in the final third portion of the book. Through his past, and many other subtleties laced into the book by Fitzgerald, it is heavily hinted at that Gatsby himself is African-American, being pale enough to pass as a white man in West Egg. The inklings of this idea are planted through this novel, both overt and symbolic, such as the geography laid out by Fitzgerald and characters’ placement in that, character interactions between Gatsby and harsh racists like Tom Buchanan, and Gatsby’s past that got him to West Egg and found him his fortune. Gatsby being black was a very hidden yet powerful statement by Fitzgerald on the upward mobility of African-Americans during the 1920’s when racism and racial violence were becoming extremely prevalent, and the lengths these people had to go to to achieve that mobility, with no guaranteed success.

Read More
1578 Words | 7 Pages

“Oranges,” “The Seventieth Year,” and “Avocado Lake,” showcase Soto’s ability to move a reader using an emotional story without the use of rhyme or rhythm. Through Soto’s poetry, he indicates the traits that define Mexican-American community

Read More
567 Words | 3 Pages

However, the purpose of the poem may also be to spread the frustrations and hardships that Mexicans

Read More
117 Words | 1 Pages

Prior to the civil war american s had illusions of innocence and isolation from the forces of history. After studying literature from the period known as realism, we know that these writers used their words to portray realistically america’s various social issues and struggles such as states rights, slavery, and death. These writers portrayed social issues and the struggles of ordinary people. No longer did the literature contain the supernatural of the romantic period. On the contrary, works such as “Follow the Drinking Gourd”, “War is Kind” and “ Letter to Son” changed america’s idea of innocence and isolation from the horrors of history because the civil war was the only war where every death was American.

Read More
1103 Words | 5 Pages

The text is important because not many people know the difficulties of being Mexican-American, especially when it comes to being themselves or the inner turmoil that comes with it; being Mexican-American means following traditions and speaking perfect Spanish, while at the same time having a grasp on American traditions and

Read More
802 Words | 4 Pages

The Harlem Renaissance was a period in American history, which occurred in the 1920s in Harlem, New York. The cultural movement was an opportunity for African Americans to celebrate their heritage through intellectual and artistic works. Langston Hughes, a famous poet, was a product of the Harlem Renaissance. One notable piece of literature by Hughes is “Dream Deferred”. However, the discussion of African American culture isn’t limited to the 1920s.

Read More
955 Words | 4 Pages

Even though most people believe that the majority of poems express only emotions such as love, fear, and death, there are also poems from poets that exhort their voices through the poetry of protest who object against various social-political issues that took place during their generation (Ann & Charters, 1052). For example, Pat Mora is one person that speaks up about the issues that Latinos confront in the United States. For instance, in her poem of “Elena,” Mora mentions the difficulties that a monolingual person has to deal with when they have language barriers. In “Elena” Pat Mora describes a story of Elena, a mother, who feels that her Spanish is not sufficient.

Read More
529 Words | 3 Pages

The Roaring Twenties, known as the decade of the 1920s in the Western World, consists of dramatic changes in social values. The cultural differences between the 1920s and the Victorian era changes people's behavior, where they become more free-will, youthful and carefree, despite of being more conservative before. People are more open-minded and found satisfaction through the “open pursuit of sex, money, and booze” (Berman 53) as they suggest their wealth and status in the society. New York City had become one of the cities where materialistic wealth has become the key of happiness and the standard to judge people's success, further leading Americans to pursue each other in a negative, acquisitive way. Through the different scenes and characters of the famous novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores how the society twisted the original idea of

Read More
164 Words | 1 Pages

Truman Capote has helped to diversify and enhance American literature. By being among the first to break away from standard newspaper journalist approaches, he was able to have a hand in developing the non-fiction novel as we know it today. Writing about such an involved topic, Capote didn’t take the situation or opportunity lightly; neither did his counterparts who covered even larger events happening throughout the country. By enhancing the realistic fiction and nonfiction genres, Capote played a large role in opening a new avenue of literature that attracted more readers due to their ability to relate with the topic. The blurred line of reality that those people created has allowed readers of all ages to escape their everyday lives for

Read More
1450 Words | 6 Pages

The theme of self delusion is followed closely when in relation to The American Jazz Age. An era of economic success and the composition of the American dream promoted a social hierarchy and affinity for wealth. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald follows the life of Jay Gatsby, an affluent bootlegger with the single goal of creating a life so attractive to the woman he loves, she will leave hers behind. Passing by Nella Larsen explores the life of Clare Kendry, a woman born to a black mother, living as a white aristocrat. Ignorance of reality is explored by both Fitzgerald and Larsen; living within a delusion is presented as dangerous, making the truth difficult to accept.

Read More
1335 Words | 6 Pages

The Roaring Twenties, so they call it, was a period of economic prosperity marked by lavish parties, daring ventures, and urban frenzy, seemingly appearing as the pinnacle of American opportunity. However, with the people’s growing confidence in achieving economic success, the American Dream was distorted into a primarily materialistic achievement, rather than an individualistic one. In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald explores the effects of the deteriorating morality of the 1920’s through the life of an ambitious young man by the name Jay Gatsby. The employment of colors to symbolize purity, romanticism, and corruption delineates the conflicting aspects within Jay Gatsby’s American Dream. Despite chasing a wholesome, white

Read More
136 Words | 1 Pages

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots” - Marcus Garvey. The Harlem Renaissance was a period of time in which racial pride and culture were thrust away in favor of a more traditional style of art. However, during this time, racial pride was best expressed through folk art via the means of relatable structure, understandable word choice and everyday subject matter. Common poets of the time chose not to imitate the formal and restrictive style of the European influenced “high art” and instead believed in a more down-to-earth, conversational style of writing. In these choices, poets began to shape a new form of art called “folk art” that gave readers content inspired by daily life

Read More
702 Words | 3 Pages

F.Scott Fitzgerald is an American novelist and a short story writer. He is the author of the famous novel “ The Great Gatsby”, which is written in the 1920’s. The period of the 1920’s is well known as the roaring twenties due to lack of morales and the lowering of standards and expectations, people intended just to have a good time not caring about the outcomes of their and how they will effect their lives. Fitzgerald wants to prove in his novel the death of “The American Dream” it’s just a myth. The author of this novel shows the death of the american dream through the events surrounding Gatsby, and Daisy.

Read More
667 Words | 3 Pages

Reading classic literature is something typically done in high school and is known and admired by people all over the world. Writing from the Romantic period is known for authors writing about their own personal experiences. During the Romantic period, American people imported books from Europe for casual reading. For example, James Fenimore Cooper was a Romantic author who wrote multiple books based on his childhood experiences living on the frontier. Cooper’s experiences eventually allowed him to become the prevalent novelist he was, especially since he was raised in New York making him especially susceptible to Native American tales and frontier life.

Read More
722 Words | 3 Pages

The twentieth century saw an influx of writers that assisted in creating the literary world that modern society lives in. Their stories and novels touched upon subjects that were once taboo in American culture. Instead of recounting dreamy landscapes and the idea of utopia, they focused on the realities of life. Their writings aided in delving deeper into the human psyche and its inner workings; they sought to understand the world around them. With the introduction of these pioneering authors, literature expanded greatly and covered topics that were once thought of as untouchable or inappropriate for discussion.

Read More

More about American Literature: Literature Changed Over Time

Open Document