Eine Zusammenfassung in Stichpunkten zur Klausurvorbereitung im Fach "American Literary History 1". Aus dem Inhalt: Major turning points in US-American History, Colonial period 1607-1760s, Colonial Literature, Revolutionary Period (1760s-80s), Literature of the Early Republic (1790s-1820s)/ Early American Drama, Transcendentalism 1830s-150s, American Renaissance 1850s-70s, Early African American Novelists, Female Poets, Realism 1870s-1918, Naturalism 1890s-1900, Pre-Modernism/ Early Modernism 1900-1918, (...)
Table of Contents
1. Colonial Period
1.1 Colonial Literature
1.2 John Smith “The General History of Virginia” (1624)
1.3 Mary Rowlandson “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration” (1682)
2. Revolutionary Period
2.1 18th century American Literature
3. Literature of the Early Republic / Early American Drama
4. Transcendentalism
4.1 Henry David Thoreau “Resistance to Civil Government”
5. Early American Short Story
5.1 Edgar Allan Poe
5.1.1 “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839)
5.1.2 “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1835)
6. American Renaissance
6.1 The early US-American novel
6.1.1 Sentimental novel
6.1.2 Picaresque novel
6.1.3 Gothic novel
6.1.4 Historical novel
6.2 Harriet Beecher Stowe “Uncle Tom's Cabin” (1852)
6.3 Early Feminist Novel
6.4 Slave Narratives
6.4.1 Development of slavery
6.4.2 Slave narratives
6.5 Harriet Jacobs “Incidents in the Life of a Slave girl” (1861)
6.6 Early African American Novelists
6.7 Walt Whitman “Song of Myself” (1855)
6.8 Female Poets
6.9 Emily Dickinson poems
6.10 Herman Melville “Bartleby, the Scrivener” (1853)
7. 1861-65 Civil War
8. Realism
8.1 Henry James “The Real Thing” (1892)
9. Local Color Writing / Literary Regionalism
10. Native American Literature
10.1 S. Alice Callaham “Wynema” (1891)
11. Literature by Immigrants
12. Naturalism
12.1 Transformations of cities
12.2 Theodore Dreiser “Sister Carrie” (1900)
13. Pre-Modernism / Early Modernism
13.1 Charlotte Perkins Gilman “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892)
13.2 W.E.B. Du Bois “The Souls of Black Folk” (1903)
Objectives and Topics
This work provides an extensive historical and thematic analysis of American literary history, tracing the development from the Colonial period through the early 20th century. It examines how literature has mirrored the evolution of national identity, social structures, and political movements in the United States.
- Evolution of literary genres (e.g., slave narratives, sentimental novels, transcendentalist essays).
- Representation and construction of cultural identity, including Native American and African American perspectives.
- The impact of socio-political milestones such as the Civil War and the Enlightenment on literary output.
- Mechanisms of propaganda and ideology within canonical and non-canonical texts.
- The transition from Romanticism to Realism and Naturalism.
Excerpt from the Book
Edgar Allan Poe
theory about short stories
poetry and short story: aesthetic, emotional, not about truth/facts
repetitions/variation of application
to achieve unity of a text, it should be possible to read it in one session
should be characterized by economy (every word, sentence has a function)
climatic conclusion at the end
totality or unity of effect → all parts of text contribute to unity
air of consequence or causation
composition comparable to a mathematical problem
Summary of Chapters
Colonial Period: Covers the early encounters in North America and the emergence of literature produced by Puritans and early settlers such as John Smith and Mary Rowlandson.
Revolutionary Period: Analyzes the 18th-century literary landscape shaped by Enlightenment philosophy and the push for independence.
Literature of the Early Republic / Early American Drama: Discusses the focus on defining a new national identity and the rise of melodrama in early theatre.
Transcendentalism: Explores the philosophical movement emphasizing individualism, nature, and a spiritual understanding of the world.
Early American Short Story: Details the theoretical definition and emergence of the short story genre, particularly through the work of Edgar Allan Poe.
American Renaissance: Examines diverse forms like the sentimental novel, slave narratives, and the works of Whitman and Dickinson during the mid-19th century.
1861-65 Civil War: Briefly outlines the socio-historical aftermath of the war and its impact on the American landscape.
Realism: Describes the shift toward empirical observation and detailed representation of everyday life.
Local Color Writing / Literary Regionalism: Focuses on the attention to specific regional dialects and social settings within the broader context of realism.
Native American Literature: Discusses the documentation of oral traditions and the assimilationist themes in works like S. Alice Callaham's Wynema.
Literature by Immigrants: Touches upon the role of ethnic diversity and the experiences of immigrant writers.
Naturalism: Analyzes the late 19th-century focus on social forces, heredity, and environmental determination.
Pre-Modernism / Early Modernism: Investigates the onset of modern social complexities through works by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and W.E.B. Du Bois.
Keywords
American Literature, Colonial Period, Transcendentalism, Realism, Naturalism, Slave Narratives, National Identity, Enlightenment, Gothic, Sentimental Novel, Civil War, African American Literature, Native American Literature, Modernism, Individualism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this text?
The text provides a structured overview of American literary history from the 17th century to the early 20th century, categorizing major periods, authors, and thematic trends.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The main themes include the construction of national identity, the shift from colonial reliance to independence, the critique of social institutions, and the representation of marginalized groups.
What is the core objective of the work?
The objective is to analyze how historical and social contexts influenced the development of American literary forms and how these texts simultaneously shaped American culture.
Which scientific method is applied?
The work employs a historical-comparative analysis, examining literary movements alongside their socio-political contexts such as the Civil War or the Enlightenment.
What is covered in the main section?
The main section covers chronologically ordered chapters, starting with Colonial Literature and progressing through Realism, Naturalism, and the dawn of Modernism.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include American Literature, Transcendentalism, Realism, Naturalism, Slave Narratives, and National Identity.
How does the author interpret the role of the "Pocahontas myth" in John Smith’s writing?
The text interprets the myth as a form of colonial propaganda intended to glorify colonial policy and justify the marriage to native women as a means to claim territory.
What does "double-consciousness" signify in W.E.B. Du Bois’s work?
It refers to the unique psychological position of being both African American and American, highlighting the duality of self-perception versus societal perception.
Why is the "sentimental novel" described as a political tool?
Because it used empathy, compassion, and the mobilization of tears to advocate for social changes like the abolition of slavery by targeting the emotions of white readers.
What defines the Naturalist perspective on reality?
Naturalism is defined by a biological and environmental determination where individuals are seen as being controlled by their social milieu, heredity, and external forces.
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- Lea Lorena Jerns (Autor:in), 2013, American Literary History 1, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/278071
