History of American Literature Classes

Colonial Period 1

Of Plymouth Plantation; William Bradford

Colonial Period 2

Verses upon the Burning of our House; Anne Bradstreet

Colonial Period 3

Upon a Spider Catching a Fly & Huswifery; Edward Taylor

The Age of Reason

Poor Richard’s Almanack & The Autobiography; Benjamin Franklin

Revolutionary and Early National Period

Rip Van Winkle; Washington Irving

Transcendentalism 1

The American Scholar; Ralph Waldo Emerson

Transcendentalism 2

Resistance to Civil Government; Henry David Thoreau

Romanticism 1

The Scarlet Letter; Nathaniel Hawthorne

Romanticism 2

Moby-Dick & Bartleby, the Scrivener; Herman Melville

Dark Romanticism

The Philosophy of Composition, The Raven, Annabel Lee, The Fall of the House of Usher; Edgar Allan Poe

Mid 19th century

Preface to Leaves of Grass, Song of Myself; Walt Whitman

Emily Dickinson

Alabaster Chambers, After great pain, Much Madness, Slant of light

Naturalism

Sister Carrie; Theodore Dreiser

Anne Bradstreet

the first published American poet

Upon a Spider Catching a Fly characters and their meaning

spider = Satan, fly = ordinary, unredeemed humans, wasp = the elect/Puritans

What Anne Bradstreet’s poem and 2 of Taylor’s have in common?

deeply religious, didactic, show Puritan belief system

3 examples of providence in Bradford’s work

sailor who mocked died suddenly, cracked beam on the ship repaired, young man who fell overboard survived

Benjamin Franklin was

not a fiction writer, but created fictional personas like Silence Dogood, narrator in Poor Richard’s Almanack

Franklin’s 13 virtues

silence, order, frugality, justice, cleanliness, sincerity, moderation, chastity

5 things that make Benjamin Franklin the spirit of the enlightenment

science/reason, education, civil engagement, political progress, secular ethics

5 features of Rip Van Winkle

kind but lazy, avoids work, helps everyone, has a nagging wife, mysterious 20y sleep

7 Romantic Elements in Rip

nationalism/patriotism, nature’s beauty, supernatural element, legends/folklore, escapism, focus on common man, mystery/wonder

Why The American Scholar was written and what was its purpose?

Speech in 1837 at Harvard. To inspire Americans to think for themselves and not blindly follow European traditions.

Who is a Man-Thinking?

A person who thinks for themselves, learns from nature, uses books wisely and acts independently.

How do nature, books, and action become sources of knowledge for the American Scholar?

nature - universal truths, books - to inspire thought, action/experience - engaging with life not just reading

What are the qualities of the Man-Thinking?

independent, self-reliant, active, balanced, creative and original

Why does Thoreau say that the best government is the one which governs not at all?

People should think and act for themselves. Individual freedom, gov often gets in the way of justice.

What are the 3 groups in American society, and what are they based on?

majority – follow law without thinking, politicians/officers - serve state with body, thinkers – follow their conscience no matter what

What conclusion does Thoreau draw from his stay in prison?

Thoreau went to jail for refusing to pay taxes. The government can lock up his body, but not his mind or conscience. He was more free inside the jail because he stayed close to his beliefs.

What’s the true meaning of the story The Scarlet Letter?

harshness of Puritan society, guilt/shame, redemption, complexity of human morality

Characteristics of Hester. Find 5 adjectives describing her.

strong, compassionate, independent, intelligent, courageous

The Scarlet Letter - Symbolism of the Letter "A"

Reflects Hester’s journey and complexities of her identity.

Meanings of the "A"

adultery, angel, able, ashamed, authority, Adam(a), America, artist

Things That Come in Threes

scaffold scenes, main locations, love triangle, hester’s transformation/journey

Differences Between Roger Chillingworth and Hester Prynne

old young, man woman, hatred love, private public identity, calculations emotions, doctor artist

Romantic Themes in Moby Dick

appreciation of nature, reverence for the sea

Bartleby 3 characters as different aspects of consumption-based society

Turkey - physical needs, Nippers - impatient energy of youth, Ginger Nut - innocent worker/no personal growth

Meaning of The Last Words “Oh Bartleby, oh Humanity”

Lament for both Bartleby and humanity. Deep sorrow for Bartleby’s fate and for the human condition as a whole.

Why is Bartleby Placed Among Romantic Texts?

individual isolation, rejection of societal norms, alienation of modern life

What main ideas / principles Poe composed in The Philosophy of Composition (1846)?

effect, unity of effect, length, melancholy, beauty & sadness, death of a beautiful woman, logical construction, speaker = mourner, repetition, sound & music, enclosed space

7 Elements from Philosophy of Composition in The Raven

unity of effect, melancholy, woman’s death, repetition, enclosed space, musicality, length

5 Elements from Philosophy of Composition in The House of Usher

enclosed space, melancholy, unity of effect, length, repetition

Doubles in The House of Usher

Roderick & Madeline, House of Usher = bloodline and building, appearance & reality

Walt Whitman known as

blue-collar poet, poet of liberation, poet of equality, national bard, prophet of American democracy, the Great American poet

Symbol of Grass in Whitman

grass = the most democratic plant, goes everywhere, individuals & unity, America & American diverse society

White Lady of American Literature

Emily Dickinson because she wore mostly white.

Why is Sister Carrie a Naturalist novel? 10 things

lack of free will, cities shape character, focus on social status/class, realism, pessimism, desire drives action, moral ambiguity, social Darwinism, detached narration, scientific influence