American Literature

  • Native American/Creation:1600 and Before

    The World on the Turtle's Back: A woman fell from the sky world to the dark ocean below. She created a life for herself on a turle's back, had a daughter, who died when giving birth to twins. The left handed killed her by crawling out her armpit. The twins fought throughout the years, created creature and things, which helped keep the world balanced with good and evil.
  • Native American/Creation:1600 and Before

    The Newly Created World This poem talked of a green place that was created by mother nature and is new.
    I Have Killed the Deer

    This poem spoke of a creature who would kill other creatures, like the deer, and take stuff from this world, but in the end, geve back to this world.
  • Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

    By Jonathan Edwards + Summary The purpose of this sermon by Jonathan Edwards was to scare non-believers into believing in God. He was basically inferring that God hates people and could strike us down at any time, like he could squash us like bugs. He used many metaphors to scare the audience.
  • Poor Richard's Almanack

    It was a list of phrases that were meant to have a meaning and teach a moral lesson in a witty and funny way.
  • Speech in the Virginia Convention: Patrick Henry

    Patrick Henry speech to the 2nd Virginia Convention. Purpose was to persuade Congress to create a military to stand up to the English Crown. Famous words, "Give me liberty of give me death!"
  • The Crisis: Thomas Paine

    "These are the times that try men's souls." This was a pep speech to rally the colonists during a tuff winter fight. Written for people of all education level to understand.
  • Olaudah Equiano: 1789

    The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano This was the a slave of the name of Olaudah and what he endured when traveling to the new world. He experienced many things he never thought was possible, torture he had never experienced in his life. He was shackled to other slaves, beatened when he didn't eat and saw many others die before him.
  • The Autobiography of Ben Franklin

    His autobiography talked about his 13 virtues and how he plans to attain those values and master them.
  • Fireside Poets: Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

    Read Old Ironsides and The Chambered Nautilus
    Writing summary of Old Ironsides
    Holmes, Sr. was paying tribute the warship USS Constitution thay fought in the War of 1812. He was upset that the ship was being decomminished in a disrespectful way.
  • Emerson: Self-Reliance(1888) & Nature(1836)

    Selt Reliance--- Emerson believes that you must know things for yourself, you must think for yourself. His motto is trust thyself and do not cave to other's opinions.
    Nature--- Emerson believes the only way adults can understand and see how beautiful nature is is by being alone in nature. This essay shows the concept of trescendentalism, where Emerson is alone in the woods and feels God around him.
  • Edgar Allen Poe: The Fall of the House of Usher

    The narrator goes to the house of his friend, Fredrick Usher, to help him because he hi mourning the coming death of his twin sister. Both Fredrick and the narrator fall into a state of insanity and the sister comes back to life and kills Frederick.
  • Edgar Allen Poe:The Raven

    A Raven comes and distubrs the narrator in his chamber and the narrator is confused at the reason for the raven's appearance. But when the Raven croaks, "Nevermore" it bring back memories of his lost love Lenore.
  • Thoreau: Walden (1854) & Civil Disobedience (1849)

    Walden--- Thoreau wanted to live a simple life away from society, so he spent time alone at Walden Pond. He wanted to experience what nature had to teach him.
    Civil Disobedience--- In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau wrote about his dislike of slavery. He also wrote about his hatred of the American gov't and urged people to follow their conscience and appose things like war and taxes.
  • Gettysburg Address

    Lincoln's speech that is a memorium for the soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The first paragraph talks about America's past, the second paragraph talks about America's present, and the third paragraph was about America's future.
  • Ambrose Bierce: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

    Bierce wrote about a man in Alabama named Peyton Farquhar who was hanged for being a witness of a crime comitted by a gang-like group. Right when he was hanged, he broke loose and escaped down the river. He ran home to his wife, but then the twist was he was just imagining it and he actuall died.
  • The Crucible

    In the Crucible, there is a conflict with witches in Salem. They are believed to be chanting in the woods and casting spells on certain people in Salem. The leader of the witches is Abigail Williams, who had an affair with John Proctor. She want his wife Elizabeth gone and frames her with a poppet. Proctor tries to free her and eventually gets sentenced to hang. People of Salem want him to confess to live, but he refuses and doesn't want to be remembered as bad person.
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    This book show the growth and maturity of a kid and his journey to free the slave Jim. He encounters many conflicts, such as searching families to con artist who are following them. The story ends with the freedom of Jim and there new ideas of traveling to Oklahoma.