literature in America Essay - 916 Words

When I think of America, I think of freedom. We live in a country where we can do what we choose. We can express our opinions and live our own lives. Individuals can form their own individual beliefs and they can do what they want and pursue what they wish. They can play basketball, go to school, get a job, have a family, buy a house, or go to church. We are free. We have opportunity to be whatever we want to make ourselves. When you ask, what is an American? I find it no different to ask, what is freedom? America and freedom are intertwined and this relationship is evident in American literature. The notion of freedom and everything relating to freedom unites all of the American literature we have read. In Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Huck†¦show more content†¦In Self Reliance, Emerson explains that our freedom to choose and our ability to think what we want to think define what America is. I believe it is characteristic of Americans to strive for what they think is right. In Poe’s the House of Usher, Usher decided to bury his sister alive. I think this story can relate to us today. Many people would say that America is known for persevering through rough times. I’d say the last few years have been a rough time for America, from 9/11 to now--the war in Iraq. Sometimes situations may seem unbeatable, like being trapped in a coffin, but if you fight hard enough, like we are against the terrorists and in Iraq, you can overcome anything. American’s can overcome anything. Usher’s sister was buried alive and finally broke from the coffin aft er a week of struggle. Also, many of the authors we have studied describe nature in riveting detail. To them and to me, our beautiful nature represents something more then just what you see with your eye—it represents America’s freedom. In Emerson’s Nature, Thorpe’s The Big Bear of Arkansas, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, Bryant’s Thanatopsis, and Edwards’ Shadows of Divine Things, we see an apparent love and lust of nature by the authors. The great aspects of nature represent the great aspects of America—freedom. The mountains and trees scatter in nature in pure harmony just like the American people live freely in America. The authors had a fascinationShow MoreRelatedHistory of America Mirrored in American Literature751 Words   |  3 PagesThe history of America is mirrored in American Literature. The American dream, the idea of equality and being able to achieve anything you wanted, meant that millions of immigrants moved to Ame rica. America claims to be a country which enables everyone to have equality and freedom however in the texts we can see it is rather a Capitalist and individualist country. The paradox of America can be seen through the fact that the Statue called freedom was built by slaves. The inequality can also be seenRead MoreRomantic Period of Literature in America Essay949 Words   |  4 Pages This movement in literature has many influences, themes, and writing styles that can be highlighted with important works and authors. A promising frontier, new cultures brought by immigration, and a search for spiritual answers were all key influences in bringing about the romantic movement. Themes of the romantic period include nature as a refuge, high imagination, and emotional intensity. All of these influences and themes culminate in many different forms of literature including poem, shortRead MoreRacial Issues Throughout The Literature Of Colonial America960 Words   |  4 Pages Racial is sues today are rooted in the literature of colonial America. Slaveholders sought to drive a wedge between the free white class and enslaved blacks. The immorality of slavery was at odds with the economic power of free labor that sustained the colonies’ increasing agricultural production. In an attempt to stifle social concern over slavery, slaveholders differentiated blacks and whites to project blacks as inferior. Language was an effective medium for diminishing the humanity of enslavedRead MoreNathaniel Hawthornes Literature During Early America1560 Words   |  7 PagesNathaniel Hawthornes literature exhibits the influence of many factors. Much of his literature addresses Puritan culture in early America, commonly focusing on the shortcomings and hypocrisies that became apparent during the numerous witch hunts. Many of his works are allegorical, using the Puritan setting to portray his own ideas about ancestry, history, and religion. While The Scarlet Letter and House of the Seven Gables are among Hawthornes most known works, he produced a large sum of workRead MoreCaptivity Of North America And Continued As A Significant Genre Of American Literature Essay1406 Words   |  6 PagesCaptivity narratives began with the settlement of North America and continued as a significant genre in American literature until the end of the nineteenth century. The first captivity narratives are believed to have been created by Native Americans who were captured by early Spanish explorers. However, the genre commonly refers to the accounts written by European settlers who were abducted by Native Americans. European settlers were fleeing to the â€Å"new land† in order to escape religious persecutionsRead MoreAmerican Ethnic Literature Differs From American Literature1378 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican ethnic literature differs from American literature. The author’s background is considered to determine which category is fitting. American ethnic au thors include immigrants who have arrived in the United States and become a citizen or first-generation Americans. American ethnic authors write in English, but sometimes use original language and speech. American ethnic literature often depicts life before America, as well life after arriving. American ethnic literature is important becauseRead MoreAsian Philosophy and Literature Essay examples1266 Words   |  6 PagesAsian Philosophy and Literature Paper Sonya Dowell ENG/301 August 13, 2012 Marc Bonnani INTRODUCTION The Asian Culture has faith in that there are a series of beliefs and principled forms in the Asian literature that follows in the ethnic steadiness and a thoughtful of collaboration that resulted in the mutual understanding of Asian literature development, but the Asian literature views comes from a diverse ethnic upbringings, no single meaning of the word exists, but characteristicallyRead MoreThe Importance Of Literature In American Literature714 Words   |  3 PagesThe United States of America is a country constantly in a state of transition, whether it be our leaders, our ideals, or our laws. America before the Civil War very much resembled change due to the building of a nation, but also of the ideals of a nation. Somehow along the way these ideals converged, leading to conflict. However, one thing that has remained constant is American literature, and the popularity of literature in America. American Literature is a reflection of the fundamental right ofRead MoreEssay o n Modernism at Its Finest in Literature756 Words   |  4 Pagesthe twentieth century, literature changed and focused on breaking away from the typical and predicate patterns of normal literature. Poets at this time took full advantage and stretched the idea of the mind’s conscience on how the world, mind, and language interact and contradict. Many authors, such as Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Twain, used the pain and anguish in first hand experiences to create and depict a new type of literature, modernism. In this time era, literature and art became a largerRead MoreThe Historical Perspectives and Trends of Childrens Literature1594 Words   |  7 Pages Since the 18th century children’s literature has been held responsible for bringing entertainment to children of all ages across the world. But, when you actually think about it, what is children’s literature? The term seems easy enough to define, it is literature intended for children, but what is the defin ition of literature? According to Charlotte Huck (2010), literature is an imaginative shaping of life and thought into the forms and structures of language. This, in my opinion, is an excellent