American Literature

American literature is a rich and varied literary tradition that encompasses stories, novels, poetry, drama, essays, and other forms of expression. It has been shaped by the experiences of many different people from all walks of life throughout the history of America. From Native Americans to African Americans to immigrants from around the world, American literature reflects their unique perspectives on life in America. This diverse range has produced some truly remarkable works over time.


The earliest examples of American literature date back to before European settlers arrived in what is now known as the United States. The oral traditions practiced by various native tribes have left an indelible mark on early American writing, with tales such as "Coyote Tricks Badger" being passed down through generations until they were recorded for posterity. Early explorers also documented their travels across this new land with diaries and letters, which offer insight into how these brave adventurers viewed their surroundings at that time period.


As colonization began to take shape in earnest during colonial times, written works become more prolific than ever before within America's borders, including everything from religious texts used to spread Christianity amongst natives to political treatises advocating for independence against Britain's rule over its colonies. These documents set forth a foundation upon which authors could begin building their own voices for expressing ideas about religion, politics, society, culture, etc. William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation stands out among these foundational texts due to its vivid depiction of his journey aboard the Mayflower, while John Smith's A Description of New England offers readers an equally captivating glimpse into life along America's eastern seaboard. As colonization continued, more authors emerged who sought out ways to express themselves creatively rather than record factual accounts; Anne Bradstreet became one such author when she published her first collection of poems, "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America," in 1650.


In addition, the 19th century saw the rise of several distinct movements of writers exploring social issues ranging from slavery to civil rights to racial injustice, women's suffrage, environment, justice, poverty, and immigration, etc. Though each movement was distinctly separate thematically, there was a common thread running between them—namely, the desire to create change and better the country. Despite the diversity, opinions, and shared writings, the unified purpose is to reshape a future nation. Through powerful words like those found in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom Cabin (1852) or Frederick Douglass's Narrative Life Slave (1845), abolitionists spoke the truth about injustices inflicted upon marginalized populations, which still today stand testament to the strength and courage of individuals fighting oppressive forces. With the advent of industrialization came a shift in focus from material gain to technological advancement instead of moral progress. Works such as Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass (1855), and Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter (1850) addressed topics of corruption, hypocrisy, greed, and false idolatry; these themes remain relevant even today.


At the same time, the 20th century brought a wave of experimentation in innovative styles in both fiction and nonfiction genres. Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Ellison, Hughes, Steinbeck, Wilder, Walker, Miller, Hurston, and Ginsberg all pushed the boundaries of the traditional narrative structure while simultaneously tackling complex subject matter spanning race, gender, identity, sexuality, colonialism, class struggle, etc. Together, these groundbreaking efforts helped redefine the scope of possibilities within the art form, leading to modern-day postmodernism, magical realism, metafiction, stream consciousness, black humor, satire, and much more. While it is difficult to summarize the entire breadth and depth of the field, it is clear that with the contributions of the aforementioned writers, the world has a plethora of masterful pieces to study and admire since then. Additionally, an inspiring legacy continues to influence the current generation of storytellers looking to tell the next great tale. Continue the timeless tradition of excellence established centuries ago.


East of Eden

East of Eden is a novel by John Steinbeck, first published in 1952. It is set in the Salinas Valley region of California during the 1910s and 1920s. The story follows two families, the Trasks and Hamiltons, as they struggle with moral issues related to envy, jealousy, revenge, and forgiveness. At its core, it examines themes of good versus evil within individuals' lives as well as those that exist between generations. In this way, it can be seen as an exploration of human nature itself—how humans interact with each other on both an individual level and collectively throughout history.

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a piece of American literature that has stood the test of time. Set during the Roaring Twenties in New York City and Long Island, it tells the story of Jay Gatsby's pursuit of wealth and power as he strives to win back his former love, Daisy Buchanan. It also serves as an exploration of America's culture at the time, with themes such as materialism, class struggle, idealism versus reality, and ambition, among others.

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is an iconic novel written by Harper Lee, published in 1960. It has been widely praised for its vivid and powerful exploration of racism and injustice in the American Deep South during the 1930s. The story follows Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and their father Atticus as they confront bigotry in their small Alabama town of Maycomb. Through Atticus' moral courage to defend Tom Robinson—a black man accused of raping a white woman—Lee explores themes such as prejudice, social class divisions, courage, empathy, morality, and justice.

Related MicroTopics
Related Essays
The Importance Of The American Dream In Literature

all the literature we have read there is one thing in common. A dream. The dream of making their life better. The dream that shapes people into who they are today. My dream is to have a job that I can work outside. Taking a look into the history of literature and seeing that the American dream is evident in the literature. Most authors throughout history have had a dream. Their dreams weren’t all the same, but they all had one thing in common and it was the American dream. The American dream has

Show More
american literature

Romantic literature is such that an author writes in an attempt to convey his feelings on what the world should be like. It is unrealistic, unreasoning, and imaginative writing. William Cullen Bryant and Edgar Allen Poe are two examples of romantic writers. Though Poe fits the mold of a romantic writer it is obvious that his writings do not mirror those of Bryant or many other known romantic authors. His works share a uniqueness that is not found amongst the other writers, it is this uniqueness that

Show More
Mark Twain's Impact On American Literature

All throughout the history of American literature there has been a lot of remarkable authors that have made a great impact in today's literature, one of them being Samuel L. Clemens or better known as Mark Twain. Twain was born into a family of 7 in Florida, Missouri on November 30, 1835. The Clemens later moved to a small town Called Hannibal. Having 6 kids, his parents, Jane and John Clemens often found it difficult to keep up economically. John Clemens worked as a storekeeper, lawyer, judge and

Show More
American Literature Ethos

What really is American Literature? For some, American Literature is Literature of America and that’s all it is. But for me, American Literature is my history and my past. It represents where my ancestor and I came from. But it also shows what America is and how we are as a country. To me, a good piece of American Literature is the feeling it gives someone when they read it. It gives them an idea of our voice in the country and how powerful just words can be. I, myself, get strength and power, reading

Show More
Mark Twain's Influence on American Literature

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by the pseudonym Mark Twain, has been central to American literature for over a century. His seemingly effortless diction accurately exemplified America’s southern culture. From his early experiences in journalism to his most famous fictional works, Twain has remained relevant to American writing as well as pop culture. His iconic works are timeless and have given inspiration the youth of America for decades. He distanced himself from formal writing and

Show More
Ernest Hemingway's Influence On American Literature

The New World Encyclopedia summaries Hemingway influence on American literature as far-reaching and long lasting. “Hemingway affected writers within his modernist literary circle.” Writers influenced by Hemingway’s style include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, Douglas Coupland and many Generation X writers, as well

Show More