Patriotism In American Literature

1109 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The history of American literature

In essence, American literature refers to literature that was written as well as produced, in the United States of America and any other preceding colonies. In the early history of the United States, the country was a series of the many British colonies. In this case, early literary tradition begins with the broader tradition of English literature. However, there have been unique American characteristics as well as the breadth of the production, which has usually made it essential to consider it separately. In essence, New England colonies were involved in early American Literature. In particular, the revolutionary period was characterized by political writings by politicians like Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams. In the era after the War …show more content…

Therefore, most of the writings during the revolution were clamoring for independence, and mostly written at the battlefront making most of the important writings get lost. Patriotism and loyalty was a major factor and theme discussed in these writings, as authors sought to drive opinion towards support for independence and the war against the loyalties. The calls for patriotism are very touching to the soul as well as stirring and moving especially those written when the revolution was beginning (Blanchard, 40). Some of them were calls for arms and for cooperation for everyone to do whatever they could to support the revolution. Encouraging the patriotic people to keep fighting was of great essence, as well as shunning and speaking against the loyalists. Puritans also produced great literature at the moment. The Puritans saw life as a constant moral struggle and attempted to portray this in their writings and represent true life. During the revolution, as well as after it, there were just a few literary works to emerge as most books were reviewed in Britain, revealing just how dependent America was on the British literary model. Finding a true American literary identity was not easy in spite of the great patriotism they portrayed and many writings flopped (Phillips et al,

Show More
Related

  • The Making Of A Patriot Sparknotes

    1181 Words  | 3 Pages

    Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers to the United States, was not a patriot but a mere loyalist to England before the dissolution between England and the colonies occurred. Sheila L. Skemp's The Making of a Patriot explores how Benjamin Franklin tried to stay loyal to the crown while taking interest in the colonies perception and their own representation in Parliament. While Ms. Skemp alludes to Franklin's loyalty, her main illustration is how the attack by Alexander Wedderburn during the Privy Council led to Franklin's disillusionment with the British crown and the greater interest in making the Thirteen Colonies their own nation. Her analysis of Franklin's history in Parliament and what occurred on the night that the council convened proves the change behind Franklin's beliefs and what lead to his involvement in the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Crisis And Patrick Henry's Speech

    372 Words  | 1 Pages

    Revolutionary-era America produced many amazing things such as the swivel chair and the flatboat. But none is greater than Thomas Paine’s The Crisis and Patrick Henry’s speech. These Revolutionary writers are well known for their handiwork and their contribution to the American revolution. Their use of allusions and charged words caused patriotism to swell within the colonies, which in turn, gave rise to the revolt against British tyranny.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Anne Bradstreet And Edwards

    681 Words  | 2 Pages

    Historical Puritan Writing and Poetry 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 convert and loyal to the Puritan culture. Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards are two popular Puritan authors who project different messages and portray 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 believe to be religiously correct or incorrect.

    Read More

  • The Political Upheaval In The Revolutionary Era

    298 Words  | 1 Pages

    During the political upheaval in the Revolutionary era, writers would write mostly about the politics of the war. Although in past times people would mostly write about the troubles they faced during the time, the Revolutionary changed the way writers would persuade others. In the past most times, the authors would strictly use facts or strictly write to the select few but everything changed when the colonist faced a Revolutionary War.

    Read More

  • Religion in Colonial America

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Jacobs & Douglass: An Insight Into The Experience of The American Slave

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...n American Literature. By Henry Louis. Gates and Nellie Y. McKay. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2004. 387-452. Print.

    Read More

  • American Culture and Patriotism after World War Two

    489 Words  | 1 Pages

    As a result of the war, America felt a new patriotism. As the wealth of the country increased the people were inclined to celebrate their success. They also celebrated having a much easier life than in comparison to the hardship and compromises of the war years. This was evident in the products that were designed to save Americans time and effort. There was advertising particularly aimed at women in the home household products. The consumerist beliefs were perpetuated by the mass media, radio, television, cinema and print media. Household objects and celebrities faces were the way to sell these products. Art became visible to greater sections of the population and to lower classes. Because of its positioning, images were seen in conjunction with advertising and printed on clothing and acce...

    Read More

  • Patriotism and The American Flag

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    There is much controversy surrounding the idea of patriotism and the iconography of the American flag in today’s society. Some believe patriotism is simply the act of supporting the decisions of the leaders of the country. Others say, to be patriotic, people should be outspoken and voice their oppositions to what is going on in the government. Opinions also differ on the idea of what the American flag represents. One opinion of the flags representation is that the flag represents our history, and the formerly mentioned idea of patriotism. Others believe the flag also represents our history as a nation, but these beliefs focus much more heavily on the negative aspects of our history; such as slavery and other injustices carried out by our nation. These people often believe we should find a new iconography for our country’s ideas of patriotism. As Barbara Kingsolver states in “And Our Flag Was Still There,” “Patriotism seems to be falling to whoever claims it loudest, and we’re left struggling to find a definition in a clamor of reaction” (Pg. 1). Therefore, every American’s duty is to define patriotism amongst the clamor of reaction, recapture the American flag’s representation, and create a new icon for the flag.

    Read More

  • Abolishing Slavery in America

    1262 Words  | 3 Pages

    American History Through Literature 1820-1870. Ed. Janet Gabler-Hover and Robert Sattelmeyer. Vol. 3.

    Read More

  • How Does Literature Shape American Culture?

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Summary: The Influence Of Rebellion In Literature

    1404 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many patriotic writers use a revolutionary form of literature to manipulate the views of society and culture. Influential writers such as Mark Twain, Arthur Miller, Henry Thoreau and Martin Luther King, use rebellion in a format that changes their readers perspective. Each of these patriotic activists had an enormous influence on our society; they spoke for what they believed in and because of their peaceful disobedience they changed cultural thinking for future generations. True patriots use rebellion to reshape cultural values.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of American Romanticism In Poe's Ligeia

    1505 Words  | 4 Pages

    The American Romantic period was essentially a Renaissance of American literature. “It was a Renaissance in the sense of a flowering, excitement over human possibilities, and a high regard for individual ego” (English). American romantics were influenced by the literary eras that came before them, and their writings were a distinct reaction against the ideology of these previous eras. In this sense, American Romanticism grew from “. . . the rhetoric of salvation, guilt, and providential visions of Puritanism, the wilderness reaches of this continent, and the fiery rhetoric of freedom and equality . . .” as they eagerly developed their own unique style of writing (English). American romantic authors had a strong sense of national identity and

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Thomas Paine And John De Crevecoeur

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    Two of the most important authors of early America are Thomas Paine and St. John de Crevecoeur. De Crevecoeur in his work “Letters from an American Farmer” set forth in simplest terms just exactly what it was that people who were immigrating to the American colonies could expect. His words and thoughts still define how many think of America today even if they don’t know that the words are his. Thomas Paine was a firebrand that wrote perhaps the most important of the pre-Revolution tracts in “Common Sense”. His analytical style in addressing the problems that were obviously there between the thirteen colonies and

    Read More

  • Contrasting Fortinbras and Laertes with Hamlet

    1951 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ward & Trent, et al. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907-21; New York: Bartleby.com, 2000 http://www.bartleby.com/215/0816.html

    Read More

  • The Influence of History on American Literature

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Patriotism In American Literature

Open Document