Influences Of American Literature On Modern Day Pop Culture

Nicole Glaser

Mrs. Barris

American Literature

19 April 2023

The Influences of American Literature on Modern Day Pop Culture Throughout American history, as the country has grown and changed, so has its literature. The different literary movements are inspired by the values and beliefs of people, technology, and language evolving over time. Characteristics of American literary movements, such as Indigenous Oral Tradition, Realism, and the Harlem Renaissance are still prevalent today and can be seen in pop-culture including the 2016 Disney film Moana, Harry Bradbeer’s 2022 film Enola Holmes 2, and Angie Thomas’s 2017 novel, The Hate U Give. One example of an American literary movement in pop-culture is Indigenous Oral Tradition in the movie

Realism is “a style of writing that attempts to depict everyday people, their thoughts and behaviors accurately without romanticizing it” (Barris “Realism”). This literary movement began in 1850 and was popular until 1899 (Barris “Realism”). Some characteristics of Realism included social class struggles, avoiding romanticism with realistic characters and events, rejecting the larger-than-life hero, depicting complex ethical choices, and themes of perseverance, justice, and unity (Barris “Realism”). This movement is different from others because it focuses on realistic aspects instead of idealizing and romanticizing them. Netflix’s 2022 film, Enola Holmes 2, directed by Harry Bradbeer is a mystery with action and adventure. It features Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister, Enola, becoming her own detective and helping a young orphan find her activist sister, as well as depicting the Matchgirls' strike of 1888 (Enola Holmes 2). Enola Holmes 2 connects to some characteristics of realism, such as rejecting the larger-than-life hero, focusing on lives and living conditions of characters representing the working class, and themes of perseverance, justice, and unity. Enola Holmes displays the characteristic of rejecting the larger-than-life hero because she is a flawed young girl who doesn’t fit the role her society pushes on her. She also indicates the theme of perseverance because despite

The Harlem Renaissance began in 1914 and ended in 1930 (Barris “The Harlem Renaissance”). It was “a movement that focused on the African American identity through literature, art, and music” (Barris “The Harlem Renaissance”). This movement was characterized by uplifting Black Americans with cultural and racial pride, brought awareness to the struggles of Black Americans, brought attention to the inequality of the American Dream, emulated Black culture through art and music, and mixed “high” and “low” culture. It also explored the complex issues of heritage vs Americanness, racial identity, prejudice, equality, and intersectionality (Barris “The Harlem Renaissance”). The 2017 novel, The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, is a young adult urban fiction that focuses on the struggles of a young Black girl named Starr. Starr lives in a poor community, but goes to a fancy prep school, and throughout the book, the reader can see her struggle to keep the two separate. This becomes difficult for her after she witnesses her childhood best friend Khalil die because of a white police officer and she has to overcome her fear of speaking up about it (Thomas). Characteristics of The Harlem Renaissance such as bringing awareness to the struggles of Black Americans, the inequality of the American Dream, and the complex issues of racial identity, prejudice, equality, and