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Was American literature based on religion
Effect of religion on early American literature
Development of american literature
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American Literature has many unique aspects compared to other forms of literature. These characteristics include how women are viewed, its origins, the underlying themes, and the consistency of how American Literature is viewed and etc. However, this essay will primarily cover the relationship between American Literature and the religious ideologies that characterize Early America. American Literature has been influenced by religious ideologies and vice versa. Because religious concepts were not the same for everyone and have developed and changed over time, this dissertation will primarily focus on the relationship between Early American Literature and the primary religious concepts at the moment. Over the course of America’s existence, American …show more content…
Examples of puritan writers are Anne Bradstreet, Michael Wigglesworth, and Edward Taylor and they added to American literature because their writings reflect the religious ideas that come from being a puritan. The concept that surrounded the puritans was the idea that God entrusted them to be the ones to live correctly and serve has an example to everyone else. Therefore, American literature consists of writings that allude to the concepts of Heaven and Hell and/or sin and righteousness. As previously mentioned, Anne Bradstreet is an example of a puritan writer and her writings were about her personal struggles with religion and society; in other words, she wrote about the good (religion) and the bad (society) and how she must juggle being apart of …show more content…
Although, this statement is somewhat true, this does not delete the fact that American literature is based on religious values. For instance, whenever American literature covers themes of nature, there is always a mentioning of a divine creator or power that controls it all. This concept is usually focusing on Native American beliefs; however, their beliefs can be considered as their religion. Furthermore, there is also an idea that the relationship between American literature and religion is detrimental to the American way. In other words, literature uses God’s creation to tell stories; however, the language restricts us because writers are following biblical rules. This is considered against the American way because America prides itself on being the land of the
As America slowly began molding into the creases of different values and cultures, so did its literature. One trait that had always been securing itself within the lines of these literary texts was the protagonists’ naivety. Theses characters typically established an intention to do good things, but eventually fail due to tumbling upon tempting obstacles and falling into the trance of distractions. An example of this situation occurred long ago during the 16th and 17th century. A cult of English Protestants known as Puritans aimed to “purify” the Church of England by excreting all evidence of its descent in the Roman Catholic Church. The Puritans enforced strict religious practices upon its believers and regarded all pleasure and luxury as wicked or sacrilegious. Although their “holy” cond...
Some works show their true colors right away. Gene Edward Veith’s book, Reading Between The Lines, addresses philosophical ideas, literary sub genres, and reader criticisms in order to ascertain a Christian’s role in literature. He also goes through various historical periods and examines their more prominent works and schools of thought. While a select few of his conclusions about Christianity in relation to the arts have merit, others contain more damaging implications. Specifically, his statements regarding television represent inaccurate and offensive thinking.
In the late 1600’s, literature is dissimilar from today’s, such as focusing on being sent into the fiery pits of hell only because one hasn’t converted to Puritanism. There are also different types of writing to display the righteousness and positives of being a converted and loyal to the Puritan culture. Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards are two popular Puritan authors who project different messages and portray a varying energy through a slim number of their pieces. The poems, “To My Dear and Loving Husband” or “Upon the Burning of Our House” by Anne Bradstreet or “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards are fit examples of the Puritan age and what Puritans belive to be religiously
Heritage of American Literature. Ed. James E. Miller. 2 ed. Austin: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1991.1274.print.
Westerkamp, Marilyn J. Women and Religion in Early America, 1600-1850: The Puritan and Evangelical Traditions. London: Routledge, 1999.
Stanley, Julian. “A Look at American Literature.” Their Eyes Are Watching God: A Comparison, 22 Apr. 2010, jas08m.blogspot.com/2010/04/their-eyes-are-watching-god-comparison.html.
Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This paper will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views shaped their literary works, styles, and their historical and political views.
In the mid 1900’s, America experienced many changes, from society and politics to religion and literature. Countries were facing the aftermath of World War II, and authors of the time reflected on how the world was dealing with the changes. Flannery O’Connor, a prominent Catholic writer from the South, was one of the many who examined society and shared their philosophies. O’Connor shocked her twentieth century readers with the haunting style and piercing questions in her short stories and novels, which were centered on a combination of her life experiences, her deep Catholic faith, and the literature of the time.
American History Through Literature 1820-1870. Ed. Janet Gabler-Hover and Robert Sattelmeyer. Vol. 3.
How does American literature shape American culture? America, a baby nation compared to many other countries, has shaped itself into one of the most politically and technically advanced places in the world. The definition of American Literature is any literary work written in, or about The United States. The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, The Narrative of the Life of Fredric Douglass and various other works of literature are all pieces of American literature that have helped shape American society.
The role of religion played a major role in early American literature. Many different authors form a variety of time period's incorporate religious ideas and philosophies into their writings. A few authors from different time periods that did this were Johnathan Edwards, Anne Bradstreet, and Henry David Thoreau.
Perkins, Geroge, and Barbara Perkins. The American Tradition in Literature. 12th ed. Vol. 2. New York: McGraw Hill, 2009. Print
The purpose of this essay is to examine how the two modernist writers depict America in the 1920’s in a state of moral decay and the pursuit for material wealth gradually replaces the purity of conventional moral ideals and beliefs in their ways by comparing and contrasting the two novels.
Works Cited “American Literature 1865-1914.” Baym 1271. Baym, Nina et al. Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature.
In order to see how cultural and historical situations affect literature throughout history, it is important to get a brief history on each era discussed in this paper. The first era we will be reviewing will be writings from 1865-1914. The Civil War was just ending in 1865. America lost over a half of million Americans in the war. The nation was in a state of disorder and the south was devastated. Nevertheless, the country prospered. America became industrialized and saw innovations such as; the railroads, telegraph, telephone, and electricity. The population of the United States had also started to increase due to immigration.