American Literary Texts

Admittedly, I am a nineteenth century British Lit head, which means the Brontes, Austen, Eliot, Dickens, James (o.k., he's American and part of the twentieth century as well), and a slew of authors who knew how to write deeply felt characters, commentate on the social mores of the time frame (sometimes in wit, sometimes in irony, sometimes in subtlety that might not be noted via surface reading), and compose with syntax of complex nature, cumulative and periodic, that peppers sophisticated, specific words to detail their milieus.

With that in mind, I still do have a soft spot for American writers, and this blog will look at some of the texts that American Literature has featured in the past, present, and future. While the Puritan writers are something to note (Jonathan Edwards's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" to understand fear-mongering of religion in the Puritan world and Anne Bradstreet's poetry to comprehend a loving, just God part of the daily existence of those struggling to survive), the longer texts of the course are a better focus.

To jump around a bit, let's start with the plays, performance pieces that have become part of our American cultural literacy: The Crucible and A Raisin in the Sun. (You could also do a deep dive into Tennessee Williams's works if you want one of the prolific writers' works into your life.)

The Crucible is one of those texts that have become part of the American high school experience, looking at how pack behavior, false accusations, and sin corrupt a town and its residents, resulting in doubt, vendettas, and death. Arthur Miller wrote this play during the Communist "witch hunts" of the 1950s to show the parallels between McCarthy's drive to stamp out Communists and the Salem Witch Trials. The Witch Trials were a fascinating year (yes, one year) of American History with neighbor turning against neighbor, accusing those of witchcraft in a burst of communal insanity (which may have been caused by Ergot poisoning). Miller has many real-life characters in the play, although he did "age up" Abigail, which if you read the play, you'll see why this was needed to create conflict. If you want to play a bit with your history knowledge, check out Salem Witch Trials Jeopardy I'm sure you'll never forget what a "witchcake" means!

A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, who passed away at a young age before continuing her career providing plays full of characters facing conflicts of personal nature, racial nature, class nature, and American nature, is a fascinating read of the milieu and characters all looking to find a better life, whether that be misguided investments, individual education, or familial homestead. The title, garnered from Langston Hughes' "Harlem" (read his poems - they are wonderful and indicative of how he inspired so many people during the twentieth century), further shows what happens as time weighs on dreams and hopes. My favorite character in the play is Beneatha; she reflects the youthful generational change that differs her from her older brother and her mother.

Poetry-wise, since I already name-dropped Anne Bradstreet & Langston Hughes, the Americans of note would be Longfellow, Whitman, Poe, Dickinson, Toomer, Cullen, McKay, Angelou. Poetry can be intimidating at times, but if you take one line at a time, look at how the words combine and move to the next line, you will see the meaning and connect with timeless messages and ideas. And for those of you shuddering at poetry, the best tip I can give you is that poetry is often inverted in its grammar (such as verb before subject or predicate before verb); if you uninvert the lines, you can find better understanding.

Short-story-wise, Charlotte Perkins-Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a must for any student of American Literature, especially as we do talk about it a lot, referencing its gender roles, its exhibition of how women were treated suffering from any "hysteria" (or in this case, postpartum depression), its symbolism, and its "creeping," which is also something brought up a great deal of how women felt during the turn-of-the-century. And while I do not like Faulkner's novels that much, his short story "A Rose for Emily," is one of those disturbing pieces of fiction that stick with you, whether you like it or not. And one more from Hawthorne - "Rappaccini's Daughter" - which, unlike a lot of his Puritan-laced fiction, deals with what happens when a scientist, working with poisons, happens to make his daughter a poisonous subject.

Lastly, a couple novels that are part of American Literature. First, The Great Gatsby. From the billboard to the yellow car to that green light, the motifs of Gatsby are a huge part of American culture. While the characters are extremely unlikable, they reflect the decadence of the 20s, the selfishness of the rich, the tragedy of those attempting to become the upper class. It's quite quick read, and while you could just watch Leonardo DiCaprio play Gatsby, I recommend the book first so that you don't miss out on the minor descriptions that help explicate Baz Luhrmann's choices in the film.

My favorite text of American Lit is The Scarlet Letter, which I act out every year (with a little added commentary to help show how this story continues to have a part in society and 3 costumes for the main characters). The Scarlet Letter, a novel of symbolism, obviously, revolves around sin and what happens to those who accept sin and punishment and the eventual beautifying of a soul, what happens to those who have a secret sin and let it eat away at his soul, and what happens to those who embrace a life of vengeance and darkness. Hester Prynne, the protagonist, is the wearer of The Scarlet Letter, a punishment given to her by the community for her sin of adultery, even though her young daughter Pearl is the greatest symbol of her past indiscretions, love, and choices in a world of Puritan hypocrisy. Her first steps from the prison (the start of the novel) to the end, still wearing that "A" as part of her identity, indicate a woman of strength and compassion, one not allowing the shallow judgments of those around her to contaminate her spirit. Arthur Dimmesdale, the reverend of such emotive speeches, losing a battle of hope and health, and a bit unaware of those surrounding him, gives the reader a chance to sympathize and find frustration with his actions, especially juxtaposed with Hester and her can-do attitude. Then, of course, is the mysterious "leech" Roger Chillingworth - the name basically tells you all there. While he certainly knew marrying a younger, attractive woman was not a love match, he definitely believes he has the right to avenge himself when things go awry. I love this novel, first reading it during my senior year of high school (which happened to coincide with the film version starring Gary Oldman, with long hair, sign, being released - I do have to warn that this version is not that good and diverges from the novel a lot) and finding fascination with Hester and her Pearl, who are truly the characters in the novel that you should want to pull for. I do want to mention that the syntax and diction on this novel is typical nineteenth century, which I adore for its depth and skill. As many of you are used to modern fiction (which definitely likes more simple sentences and word), you might not have the eye for the novel at first. Keep going! Once you get into the "baby daddy" mystery (that seems really wrong to say, but it's how I have sold it in the past to my classes and what engages many of you when I perform the novel), you'll have a solid want to read and your mind will adjust to the syntax and diction.

While I had my four hour block to clean Room 404 in May, I grabbed The Word Museum from my bookshelf and thought it would be fun to share with you "the most remarkable English words ever forgotten."

Today's forgotten word is "aflunters," which means a state of disorder. Since so many of the texts listed above deal with societies, characters, and conflicts in perpetual problems, aflunters seems an ideal use of diction as a descriptor.

In my upcoming blogs, I will be sharing novels from my own personal bookshelf :)