Americans Literature has an immense amount if history with in it. There are many lessons that we have learned from reading and reviewing the history along with Americans Literature. There are many questions asking what is American Ethnic Literature, and this literature centers on the voices that govern out country. These voices work hard be heard, and will continue to struggle to be heard at all.
There is much importance that is carried with in the American ethnic literature. There is a legacy that is there in which we can still. American Ethnic literatures is the use of literature about racial groups that are socially different among those who live in the United Stated, most of the time the way people live in America are defined in the
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The civil rights have made up of a large expansion from which literature came from. Audre Lorde had written many passages through her writing about her experiences with woman previously quieted or who were voiceless in literature. Audre Lorde was African American, she wanted t o give voice to the women in general who have tried to raise their own voices over men. She incorporated in her poetry “ a war against the tyrannies of silence, its not the difference that immobilizes us but silence.” She said this because she seen how there was always something in the way of African American women, through the violence and fear they carried; they were unable to speak their minds. In the time of slavery, these people would desire to be free; they wanted to live a free life but also had the fear of speaking out loud. Audre Lorde wanted to find her place in America, at the time of her existence she wanted to find her voice in life and open the …show more content…
There was also an author by the name of Sherman Alexie he wrote about how there was much discrimination that was established within Native Americans. In his writing, he found a way to use some humor when speaking about stereotyping. Sherman seen that there was a lot of stereotypes with in the society, he had even wrote a story that was titles “Do Not Go Gentle”, this story pointed out the death will come to all no matter what race or skin type you where.
Ethnic writers focus on the disputes of parity in one-way or the other. Although there are many ethnic American writers, each writer represents a different gender in their community and culture. The Native Americans speak to the there culture, and do the Asian Americans. Having different background speak about their past and present living experiences can help people today to apprehend how things use to be. Through poems, tales and novels, we are able to recall the American literature that these authors have written
Judy Fong Bates’ Midnight at the Dragon Café and Robert Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy” use the representation of the Café to place focus on the hardships of immigration. Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy” “is a thank you poem” (Kroetsch 321), which focuses not only on the life events the narrator is thankful for experiencing in Charlie’s café, but also the isolation and alienation Charlie experienced in that “prairie town” (Kroetsch 321). Much like Charlie in Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy,” the Chens, specifically Su-Jen’s parents and Lee-Kung, also experience alienation and isolation in the town of Irvine. Bates’ Midnight at the Dragon Café and Kroetsch’s “Elegy for Wong Toy” are both works that use their respective cafés in order to represent the struggles of identity, the discovery of self, and the hardships and sacrifices of immigration.
The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnics Literature of the United States. Spring 2000
Two authors, in particular, will help explore this idea that an immigrant or minority experiencing the trauma of bigotry must in some way attempt to reconcile their own cultural heritage with the demands of a new society that objects to their very cultural difference. James Baldwin and Richard Rodriguez experienced this type of immigrant and minority angst regarding their own ties to their cultural and racial backgrounds. Baldwin struggled with the desire to be a writer, not just a black writer, amidst the chaos and protests of the 1960's political movement and Richard Rodriguez battled between the pull of assimilation and the success it promised and his own feelings of familial betrayal...
The concept of America changes through these authors poems and short stories . They all portray American society in different manners, and reveal their opinions on issues through various literary methods. Although they all analyze and write about different issues, they are all intertwined by the concept of society in America.
“American Crisis.” The American Tradition in Literature, 12th ed. New York: McGraw Hill 2009. Print
Asian American writers have become more influential as education continues to expand and students become introduced to cultures other than their own. According to a book written by Harold Bloom, more journals and magazines "have provided space for South Asian American writers" (Bloom, 14), which brings attention to many major issues. Although issues such as race and language barriers may be at the forefront of discussions, the issue of pride is also among great concern for these authors. Maxine Kingston, Gish Jen, Gail Miyasaki, and Amy Tran highlight numerous instances where pride becomes affected, instilling a variety of emotions; shame or joy become evoked by the speaker or a family member(s) in these instances.
Minority writers like W.EB. DuBois, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Sherman Alexie, have endeavored to vocalize the unheard voices of their people through literature. Their poems, short stories and novels echo sentiments of inequalities, prejudices, and the struggles of living as a minority in America. They also courageously share their perspectives on how the conflicts between their respective native cultures and the majority shape their lives and the world around them. These authors through their stories provide deeper insights on the concept of diversity. Authors from differing minority backgrounds have shown the variety of lenses in which diversity can be viewed and understood. Their writings show the evolution of diversity through time. Although
Colonialism was when Europe took over most of Africa and Asia, and then Post-Colonialism followed. During Post-Colonialism people from Europe began to question the way European literature talked about people of color (Africans, Asians). This lens allows people to see the racism behind what they are reading, that it be intentional or unintentional. It questions poetic ideas like (darkness = evil) and (light = goodness, purity). It all gives you a different perspective on parts of the book to realize what is happening. OMAN tells the story of two friends during the Great Depression who go to a farm to fulfill their wish of owning a farm. Lennie has makes the whole dream harder because he must always watch out to make sure he doesn’t get in trouble. He has already gotten in to trouble in the past, and now he is too in this new farm.
James Baldwin’s “Notes for A Hypothetical Novel” is part of a collection of essays entitled, Nobody Knows My Name. James Baldwin opens “Notes for a Hypothetical Novel” by stating that he wishes to write a novel about where and with whom he grew up (Baldwin 222). James Baldwin believes a novel should contain two important components. First, a novel should note that the events occurring locally reflect events occurring nationally or globally. For example, James Baldwin witnessed the transition from championing African Americans in the arts during the Harlem Renaissance to condemning them following the Great Depression (Baldwin 223). James Baldwin believes the evolution of the African American image in the 1920s is a micro event that was influenced by macro events that were occurring nationally (Baldwin 223). In addition to the connection of micro and macro events, James Baldwin believes that a novel should describe reality, not a romanticized situation. Both of these components are difficult to attain in a novel, because of the innate ability of Americans to avoid certain truths, resulting in an incoherent American identity. There is a discrepancy between the true American identity and what American perceives.
...n American Literature. By Henry Louis. Gates and Nellie Y. McKay. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2004. 387-452. Print.
Raya’s essay is an informative account of life for a multicultural American, because it is told from an actual multicultural author’s viewpoint. It gives the reader a sense that the information is accurate. It would be harder to accept the viewpoint if the author were for example, a white male writing about how a Mexican, Puerto Rican woman feels. As Connie Young Yu points out, information retold by someone who didn’t live the experiences is most often falsely perceived. Yu uses the example of white American historians writing about the lives of Chinese immigrants. Yu says that there is no accurate account for the lives of the immigrants, because they didn’t document their lives themselves. The little information that there is in history books only tells about their obvious accomplishments. There is no official understanding of their personal lives or feelings (Yu 30).
History, current events, and social events have really influenced American Literature. Authors have been influenced by the world around them and that has reflected in their works. This can be seen throughout the many eras studied in this class. It can also be seen in all types of literature such as playwrights, fiction, non-fiction, and poems. It can also be seen in all of the different writing styles such as, realism, modernism, and post modernism. It is important that American Literature has been influenced this way because Authors have shown us their personal views and insight to situations one would not get out of a history textbook.
Americanah, written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, centers around the journey of the protagonist, Ifemelu, a Nigerian woman living in America. In addition, it details how this development in her character translates into her life when she returns to Nigeria. Ifemelu’s internal strife about assimilating into American culture, as captured by her perception of beauty standards and use of language, illuminates the challenges of immigration.
The post World War II period had an enormous impact on American society and literature. Many important events occurred and affected directly to the movement of American literature. During this period, American Literature reflected the movement of disillusionment, and portrayed the lost generation. Many WWII writers adapted new approaches and philosophies in writing their novels. They portrayed the lost generation, anti-war perspective and explored the true meaning of “war hero”. Among them, the pioneers are Bernard Malamud, Ken Kesey and Joseph Heller, who wrote the Natural, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Catch-22.