American Literature Essays

In 1883 the Southern states of the United States passed new laws which created several rules for the segregation of white and black people. Many of these laws, which are also called “Jim Crow Laws,” said, for example, that black people could not have the same rights and opportunities as whites in schools and jobs. […]

There are no specific rules or guidelines for categorizing certain stories as American Literature. Thus, the question arises: what qualifies a story as American Literature? An exemplary illustration of American Literature is found in Washington Irving’s profound short story, “Rip Van Winkle.” This story depicts the protagonist, Rip Van Winkle, who falls into a deep […]

The Harlem Renaissance and its Effect on African American Literature Thesis: The literary movement during the Harlem Renaissance was a raging fire that brought about new life for the African American writer; its flame still burns today through the writings of contemporary African American writers. The Harlem Renaissance- Its Beginning and Development The Major Writers […]

First, American literature reflects beliefs and traditions that come from the nation’s frontier days. The pioneer ideals of self – reliance and independence appear again and again in American writings. American authors have great respects for the value and importance of the individual. They tend to reject authority and to emphasize democracy and the equality […]

Nobel Prize-winning American author. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, his reputation is based on his novels, novellas and short stories. However, he was also a published poet and an occasional screenwriter. Most of Faulkner’s works are set in his native state of Mississippi, and he is considered one of the […]

The history of American Literature starts good before this land was even called America. It has been a great development to come from tribal symbols and drawings to today’s Stephen King and Danielle Steele. Literature has gone through many stages and was impacted by great events and thoughts in American history. The earliest signifier of […]

Doty, born in Maryville, Tennessee, obtained his Bachelor of Humanistic disciplines from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and his Maestro of Fine Arts from Goddard College in Vermont. Following his spouse’s HIV diagnosis in 1989, Doty’s writing was tremendously impacted, especially in his memoir Atlantis and Heaven’s Coast, which deals with the topic and […]

In America, a country with bright soil that sparkles and where money falls like rain, people believe that anyone can succeed. This belief is shared by those who choose to move to America. It is a popular idea, the well-known myth of going from poverty to wealth, and authors like Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass […]

Racial and class identities bear a tremendous influence on how literature is written and read. The influence of racial and class identity on literature is exemplified in the works of authors Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen, two prominent poets during the Harlem Renaissance.

As American Literature progresses, numerous changes took place in response to the similarly progressing and ever-changing American society. Each American literary piece is a representation of an author’s reaction to a particular time in history; therefore, the changes are either towards a particular school of thought or movement. The progression of American Literature roots its […]

The term naturalism describes a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings. Unlike realism, which focuses on literary technique, naturalism implies a philosophical position: for naturalistic writers, since human beings are, in Emile Zola’s phrase, “human beasts,” characters can be studied through their […]

In this paper I’m going to explore the difference between realism and Naturalism in the American literature using specific textual examples. My decision was to concentrate my attentions on the following works: W. E. B. Du Bois, “The Souls of Black Folk”, Stephen Crane, “The Open Boat”, Kate Chopin, “Desiree’s Baby”, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, […]

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer and translator. Murakami is known for his works as a contemporary writer. As a novelist, Murakami is known for his unique style of using the cultural influences from his Japanese roots with strong Western influences particularly in music and literature. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Murakami credits his love for […]

Although Columbus did not discover the World in 1492, his arrival in the New World was a significant moment. This event initiated an era of unparalleled European exploration, including the colonization of the Americas. Throughout this period, European explorers were motivated by the search for trade routes, overseas wealth, and thrilling adventures. Technological advancements played […]

African-American literature is an essential part of American cultural heritage as it represents the vibrant culture and oral traditions of African writers. It sheds light on the sorrowful stories and hardships endured by the enslaved nation, depicting the Afro-American community’s life in the United States from slavery to present times. This literature primarily focuses on […]

American Romanticism emerged in Germany during the 1770s and subsequently gained popularity in both Europe and America by the 1820s (Hampson, par. 1). The Romantic period played a crucial role in shaping a national literary tradition in America, especially as there was no extensive literary history compared to Europe. This significance is evident from the […]

It is important to read and discuss Mukherjee’s “A Wife’s Story” as an integral part of twentieth-century American literature and not as an “exotic” short story by a foreign writer. As the essay accompanying “A Wife’s Story” points out, Mukherjee identifies herself very strongly as an American writer writing about twentieth-century Americans. Although most of […]

Women of this world are known to be the definition of beauty as their bodies are sculpted by God and show his work in all its entirety. The bodies of women cause them to be vulnerable, as the evils of this world only see them as bodies to be taken advantage of. Even worse is […]

Let me show you a way to know and describe who you truly are. In a world that offers you many options to choose who you can be, it is a high calling to be sure of your identity. It is a higher calling to live it without inhibition or fear. In this world people […]