Topic > Tracing the Evolution of Early American Literature: Historical Survey

Living in a growth-driven society certainly has its advantages. Today we are fortunate to have the Internet. It's rare that you go to the library to get books and talk to a desk clerk to help you research topics. However, the Internet does not discuss everything that has to do with our history. It does not take into account the fact that writing is a theoretical language in its own right. Literature and writing have been spread for a long time and across various nations and societies. That said, we can certainly see the vast amount of history behind each piece of early "American" literature and the growth of our society as we know it through other people's perspectives. This lesson brought to light many themes that show characteristics of American literature from everything we have read. These characteristics include: aspects of religion, alienation and isolation, relationships with nature and society, social constructs and ideas, and the general focus on freedom (whether it be themes of slavery, sexism, or free thought). These different traits all come together in one main theme of the journey of being an American. Each author is on the path to not only discover themselves, but also to discover the key components of their society, the problems and growth that lie within it in order to achieve the ideals that America strives for. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout history, we have witnessed constant efforts towards improvement (if we examine all the previously stated topics and summarize them), both for the public and for the government. This constant improvement began from the beginning of our great United States. The American "journey" began with the Pilgrims leaving England in 1620. They left their home country in search of greater religious freedom, settled in New England, and engaged in the "first founding of their government in that place." , as reported by William Bradford in his paper entitled Of Plymouth Plantation. The life the Pilgrims sought to build was determined, bold and an attempt at improvement over their previous lives in England; these ideas run throughout Bradford's history of the colony's early years. To stay on the subject of improvement, one 17th century author in particular stands out. Anne Bradstreet bucked the standards of her time by exposing everything she wanted, including individual considerations, reflections, feelings, and occasions. Bradstreet was the first to expound on issues close to home, which is her most important scholarly endeavor in early American writings. This could be seen as an incredible improvement in writing and helped influence the movement and journey taken to make current American works. By examining Bradstreet's work, it is possible to get a reasonable idea of ​​what Mrs. Bradstreet resembled. He stated his conclusion unequivocally towards those who questioned its composition: "I am hateful to every complaining tongue, / Who says my hand better fits a needle." Bradstreet would not give up his energy for composition even if it meant a conflict with the opinions of someone in his province, including religious pioneers. Despite the fact that Bradstreet referred to herself as offensive, her composed works depict a completely unique Bradstreet. He does not seek reward or popularity for his writings: “Give a garland of thyme or parsley, I do not ask for bays.” Even after his work has been published, it ishumble and not looking for much, if any, compensation. He is simply giving his writings to the public. Bradstreet was different from the average writer. It went against the common ideals of the time and most likely created a new era for women, giving birth to the idea of ​​the women's rights movement. Yet another source that serves as an example of America's growth as a people is Benjamin Franklin's Observations on the Savages of North America. Within this essay, Franklin discusses multiple topics and introduces growth to the new American audience while attempting to demonstrate that Native Americans are also civilized. Apparently Benjamin Franklin attempted to open people's eyes and show them that the natives were not savages. He says “perhaps, if we examined the customs of different nations impartially, we would not find any people so rude as not to have some residue of rudeness”. Native Americans were originally described as “savages” or “barbarians” because of their rules and the differences among the “new” American generations. Native Americans exhibited differences in religion, laws, and exceptional amounts of cultural normality within their own common civilized society, which differed from that of normal American culture. The Indians were also for the most part a highly civilized people. Some Natives were even sent to college because Benjamin Franklin helped remove the blinds from the eyes of the “new societies.” For example, he says “if the gentlemen of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons (that is, natives), we will take great care of their education, we will instruct them in everything we know, and we will make MEN of them.” Franklin goes on to say, “The politeness of these savages in conversation is indeed carried to excess, for it does not permit them to contradict or deny the truth of what is stated in their presence.” We can truly see that Benjamin Franklin helped the early growth of society by attempting to show people different cultures and improve our cultural boundaries, making us more diverse as a people. His writings may well have sparked new developments in American civilization as we know it. The last document that seems to particularly highlight America's improvements over time is Emerson's essay entitled Nature. This essay in particular highlights the ideals of uniqueness that can be found in each of us. Emerson attempted to help people transcend their early beliefs in science, social practices, and rational thought. The way he attempted to improve society was through his philosophies based on individual experiences and intuition, which can be found when immersed in nature. Emerson states that to find truth and individual freedom, one must take into account one's thoughts and how they interact with society and nature as a whole. In Nature Emerson writes: "It will not be necessary, when the mind is prepared for study, to seek objects. The invariable sign of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common... We make fables to hide the falsity of fact and conform it, as we say , to the higher law of the mind.” Emerson attempted to show people how to trust themselves and take account of their own adventures. He was a pioneer in discussing the individualistic tendencies that our society had become. Ralph Waldo Emerson was trying to identify people who were basically sheep simply following what they were told and not taking into account individual desires Everyone has different experiences that have created communities of healthy, freer and more accepting people in our everyday society,.