American Literature

1
American Literature

• The Beginning of the World to
• The Belle of Amherst

2
How do we define American?

• North/South/Central America?
• The United States of America?
• American writers
• Others?

3
How do we define literature?

• Main Entry literaturePronunciation
  'li-t-r-"chur, 'li-tr-"chur, 'li-t(r)-"chur,
  -chr, -"tyur, -"turFunction nounEtymology
  Middle English, from Latin litteratura writing,
  grammar, learning, from litteratusDate 14th
  century1 archaic literary culture2 the
  production of literary work especially as an
  occupation3 a (1) writings in prose or verse
  especially writings having excellence of form
  or expression and expressing ideas of permanent
  or universal interest (2) an example of such
  writings ltwhat came out, though rarely
  literature, was always a roaring good story --
  Peoplegt b the body of written works produced in
  a particular language, country, or age c the
  body of writings on a particular subject
  ltscientific literaturegt d printed matter (as
  leaflets or circulars) ltcampaign literaturegt

4
Expectations

• What pieces of literature might someone expect to
  study in a course known as American Literature I?

5
Plan of Study

• Literature to 1700
• American Literature 1700-1820
• American Literature 1820-1865

6
New World

• Columbus did not discover a new world he
  established contact between two worlds, both
  already old.
• J. H. Perry, The Spanish Seaborne Empire (1966)

7
Plan of Study Unit I

• Native American Oral Literature
• Voyages of Discovery
• Literary Consequences of 1492
• Pilgrim and Puritan
• Writing in Tongues
• American Literature in 1700

8
Assigned Readings Include

• Stories of the Beginning of the World
• Cabeza de Vaca
• Excerpts from Columbus letters
• From John Smiths History
• Anne Bradstreets poetry
• From Mary Rowlensons Narrative
• Cotton Mather

9
Sources

• http/www2.merriam-webster.com

Norton Anthology of American Literature Shorter
Sixth Edition Nina Baym (General Editor),
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, et
al. 2003