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1400
Coyote and The Buffalo
One of the major literacy works in Native American Literature, with the main message of the story is one should not be greedy in which the coyote learns after he killed the buffalo he was given and loses all the food he could of got from it. This story was originally told thought oral story telling, but was later published in 1885. -
Period: 1400 to
Native American Literature
Before the discovery of America by the Europeans, the one who inhabit the land were the Native Americans and the main beliefs they had were:
*Native American Mythology
*Tribal Religion
*Main focus is nature (Ex:The belief they don't own the land.)
And since this is the Native American Literature period, the main characteristic were:
*Oral Traditions (Ex:Songs and Chants)
*Mythology
*Symbolism (Ex:The use of animals to represent a characteristic in humans)
*Use of culture.(Ex:tribal beliefs) -
1420
The World on The Turtle's Back
This was a story based on the Iroquois mythology of how the earth was developed, This being that the "Sky Woman" was pushed out the sky by her husband and in which the animals in the sea help the woman by placing dirt on the turtle to give the woman land to live on. -
1492
Christopher Columbus Discovery of America
This was one of few documented events that help led in the future the colonization of America. -
1532
The Conquering of the Incas
This event led by Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro, who was searching for the rumor riches that the Incas had, was one of many that cause the massive decline in Native Americans and their culture. -
The Colonization of Plymouth
This was the first Puritan settlement and cause the start of this literature period. -
Period: to
Puritanism
When the puritans left England to colonize America they brought a new period with beliefs such as:
*Independence from Britain
*Oneself is born sinful
*Predestination (Only the "elected" go to heaven) They also brought their writing with characteristics such as:
*Use of religion (Talks about God, the Devil, etc.)
*Themes of humility and simplicity
*Use of Plain writing style (Simple, direct speech) -
Anne Bradsheet
One of the most influential writers of this period due to her use of her experiences and troubles in life to write poems such as "Here Follow Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House" which talks about her despair when her house burned down -
The Salem Witch Trials
This is one of the major events during this period, it was a collection of trial on accused "witches" done by setters, the court of the colony, and the "affected" women who before the trials, did bizarre things such as fortune-telling and spiritual calling. This also enhance the beliefs of many such as:
*The fear of the devil
*The fear of "spiritual craft" and other forms of "witchery" -
The Crucible
A 4 part fictional play about the tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials with character such as the 4 girls who try to hide their attempts to talk to spirit by accusing people in the trials. -
The Treaty of Paris
This was the treaty that end the Revolutionary War, in which in literature, was one of the major influence in writing due to the freedom to write about anything, even things against someone or the government. -
The Great Awakening
This was in a way, a revival of the religion and it literature by the use of emotional sermons such as the ones done by Johnathon Edward. -
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
This was a sermon done by Jonathan Edwards to get people to turn to God to fix and repent their sins. It was also one of the main influences in the Great Awakening. -
American Industrial Revolution
This was the period that develop a fast change in culture such as the development of new technology, new beliefs such as Social Darwinism (The rich prosper and that the government shouldn't interfere with companies), and a shift in literature with the birth of Romanticism and the slow fade of Puritanism. -
Period: to
Romanticism
With the pros and cons of industrial revolution in America, people beliefs changed such as:
*North's anti-slavery
*South's pro-slavery
*Social Darwinism (No government interference with companies)
*Being against the industrial revolution (Usually Romantics)
This also started the use of Romantic Literature with characteristics such as:
*Love of nature
*Hatred of period's modern luxuries (Ex:Machines)
*Belief of natural goodness in people
*Use of heroic outcast
*Emphasis on imagination -
William Cullen Bryant
One of the fathers of American Romanticism in which he started the popularity of this period with his writing such his book "Thanatopsis" -
Edgar Allen Poe
One of the most powerful author in this period and one of the few who redefine romanticism with the start of dark romanticism due to his great use of this sections characteristic such as the poem, "The Tell-Tale Heart" in witch the poems talk about a murder who goes insane by the heart of the man he killed is still beating. -
Period: to
Dark Romanticism
During the Romanticism period, the development of a new section of romanticism was develop in which not only brought a dark side to the writing of romanticism, but also had characteristics to the writing such as:
*Unusual Situations
*Insane character (Ex:Psychopaths, Vampires)
*Brutal events (Ex:Murder) -
Period: to
Transcendentalism
During the Romanticism period, a new section of romantic writing was developed. This type of writing use not only most of Romanticism but also:
*Use one belief in self-reliance
*Stresses freedom
*Promotes optimism -
"Nature"
Nature is an essay written by Emerson while living in his cabin, he talk about in the what he thinks is the true living style, such as his idea that one should live by only the essentials of life and is one of the major writing of the Transcendental section of Romanticism. -
"Self Reliance"
Another one of Emerson essays, This one talk about his encouragement of individualism. This is also another major writing done for Transcendentalism. -
The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter is about a bizarre situation of lovers with one of in jail for adultery. It use characteristic from Dark Romanticism such as bizarre situation such as the A mark on her scarlet for her crime and brutal events such as the death of Arthur when he confessed to his sin. -
Dred Scott Vs Sandford
This was one of the major cases that cause sparks to the civil war and further the separation between the north and south due to the court choice to decline permission to make Dred a free man. This also is a good example of the slow fading writing of Romanticism due to the slow start of the war that would cause a shift in literature. -
Period: to
Realism
After the end of the civil war, many people shifted their own beliefs due to the war such as:
*The desire to rebuild/reunited America.(Reconstruction Era)
*The North helping African Americans.
*The South separation from African Americans (Jim Crow Laws)
This also caused the shift from Romanticism to the new Realism style that uses characteristics such as:
*Emphasis on being close to reality. (Ex: Use of economic/social classes)
*Use of complex characters
*Less focus on fictional side of writing -
Period: to
Modernism
After WW1, Many new beliefs were being followed such as:
*Desire for the "American Dream"
*Massive Patriotism (Love for their country)
*Desire for complete equality (African Americans, Hispanic Americans)
This was also the birth of Modernism which uses characteristics such as:
*Experimentation (Testing their writing in different forms) (Ex:Free Form
*Symbolism (Ex:The use of objects)
*Focus on Individualism (Use of one person versus society) -
The Roaring 20's
After WW1, Many American got to enjoy new luxuries and changes in their lives such as the radio, and the culture of flappers (women in this period clothing and culture). This was also the start of multiple part of modernism literature such as The Harlem Renaissances -
The Great Depression
This was start of a national crisis with many losing jobs, money, homes, etc. This also cause a shift in modernism with a shift of many poems tone turn to despair of the current situation many are in. -
Of Mice and Men
The story of Mice and Men is about the struggles that many have trying to achieve the American Dream during the Great Depression such as the one the two main character try to achieve the house they always wanted.
