EARLY AMERICAN LITERATURE

A FRIEND OF THE INDIANS,

BY JOSEPH BRUCHAC A man who was known as a friend of the Indians spoke to Red Jacket the Senecas enjoyed one day about the good treatment from their white neighbors.

Red Jacket walked with him beside the river, then suggested they should sit together on a log next to the stream.

They both sat down.

Then Red Jacket slid closer to the man and said, “Move Over.”

The man moved over, but when he did Red Jacket again slid closer.

“Move Over,” he said.

Three times this happened until the man had reached the end of the log near the water then, once more, he was told, “Move Over.”

“But if I move further I shall fall in the water,” the man pleaded, teetering on the edge.

Red Jacket replied, “And even so you whites tell us to move on when no place is left to go.”

1500-1820 NATIVE AMERICAN & EXPLORER LITERATURE

 This period of American literature focuses on a combination of aboriginal literature (the Native Americans) and the literature of the Western explorers like Columbus, La Salle, etc. After the first landing of Western ships on North American soil, explorers such as Columbus noted the richness, friendliness and generosity of the Native Americans.

NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE

 Primarily Oral/Songs about N. A. cultures  Myths  Legends  Tales  lyrics

CHARACTERISTICS OF N. A. LITERATURE

 Strong use of nature as central images in written and oral literature  Strong use of metaphor ( natural images )  Repetition of key ideas

 No written literature from over 500 N.A. tribe  Very diverse literature  Variations in the tribes’ oral literature is evident due to a variety of governing systems and religions.

N. A. LITERATURE GENERALIZATIONS

 A love and respect of nature—as a spiritual and physical mother  Nature is alive—has spiritual forces  Main characters in the stories may be animals, plants, or totems  Emerson’s “over-soul”—closest to the N. A. idea of holiness

THEMES IN N. A. LITERATURE

 Man is "connected" to the land  When man demonstrates respect for land, he also exhibits respect for himself  In Nature there is God. The earth and sky are holy and are to be treated with great respect. To abuse the land is a sacrilege.

 Motifs (recurring theme)  Nature  Symbols  Trees  The Sky  Water ( rain, lakes and oceans )

TRICKSTER TALES

 Coyote and the Rolling Rock

ORAL GENRE

 Numerous examples include lyrics and chants  Creation stories were very popular  The Indian name for America—”Turtle Island”  Songs & Poetry  Repetitive and short  Poem songs and vision songs  Short and appear in dreams or visions

N. A. INFLUENCE TODAY

 Hundreds of Indian words in the English language

THE WALAM OLUM

NATIVE AMERICAN POETRY

 When reading these poems, consider the following literary choices:  1. Pronouns  2. Figurative Language (Literary Terms)  3. Main ideas

SONG OF THE SKY LOOM

THIS NEWLY CREATED WORLD, BY WINNEBAGO INDIAN

Pleasant it looked, this newly created world.

Along the entire length and breadth of the earth, our grandmother, extended the green reflection of her covering and the escaping odors were pleasant to inhale.

I WENT TO KILL THE DEER, BY TAOS PUEBLO INDIAN

I went to kill the deer Deep in the forest where The heart of the mountain beats For all who live there.

An eagle saw me coming and Flew down to the home of the deer And told him that A hunter came to kill.

The deer went with the eagle Into the heart of the mountain Safe from me who did not hear The heart of the mountain beating .

I HAVE KILLED THE DEER, BY TAOS PUEBLO INDIAN

I have killed the deer, I have crushed the grasshopper And the plants he feeds upon.

I have cut through the heart Of trees growing old and straight.

I have taken fish from water And birds from the sky.

In my life I have needed death So that my life can be.

When I die I must give life To what has nourished me.

The earth receives my body And gives it to the plants And to the caterpillars To the birds And to the coyotes Each in its own turn so that The circle of life is never broken.

NOW I AM LEFT, ALGONKIN

Now I am left on this lonely island to die— No one to hear the sound of my voice.

Who will bury me when I die?

Who will sing my death-song for me?

My false friends leave me here to die alone; Like a wild beast, I am left on this island to die.

I wish the wind spirit would carry my cry to my love!

My love is as swift as the deer; he would speed through the forest to find me; Now I am left on this lonely island to die.

I wish the spirit of air would carry my breath to my love.

My love’s canoe, like the sunlight, would shoot through the water to my side, But I am left on this lonely island to die, with no one to pity me but the little birds.

My love is brave and strong; but, when he hears my fate, his stout heart will break; And I am on this lonely island to die.

Now the night comes on, and all is silent but the owl.

He sings a mournful song to his mate, in pity for me.

I will try to sleep.

I wish the night spirit to hear my song; he will tell my love of my fate; and when I awake, I shall see the one I love.

I am on this lonely island to die.

THOMAS HARIOT'S

A BRIEFE AND TRUE REPORT OF THE NEW-FOUND LAND OF VIRGINIA

 A direct link to Hariot's famous accounts and illustrations of Roanoke A Modernization of the Text

EARLIEST EXPLORERS

• • • Norsemen—Leif Erickson came 400 years before 1492 Columbus—his journal tells of drama, terror of men, and fear 1 st – – Colonies 1585 Roanoke on N. C. coast • • Colonists disappeared Blue-eyed croatan Indians 1607 Jamestown

EARLY WRITTEN LITERATURE

 Paints American in “glowing colors”  Jamestown’s main records were writings of John Smith  Romantic embellishments  Pochantas

17

TH

CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE

 Diaries, letters, travel journals, ships logs, reports to financial backers  England was still in control

COLONIAL PERIOD

 Puritans  Self-made & self educated  Their writing focused on the importance of worshiping God and the spiritual dangers the soul faces on earth

1500-1820 PURITAN LITERATURE

 In the early 1600s there was a large immigration to "The New Land" by people fleeing religious persecution.  The Puritans, a conservative, superstitious religious group fled England due to heavy persecution at the hands of Charles I and his father, James.  Religious colonies were established near or next to commercial land.  Their writing predominately reflected their religious views, some of which can still be seen today in American culture.

PURITANS LITERARY THEMES

 Life is a test  Failure leads to eternal damnation and hell fire  Battle between the forces of God and Satan  Felt life was an expression of the divine will

THEMES

 The devil is an active enemy of mankind  Confession of sin required to be free  Adultery is considered one of the worst sins (lechery- indulgence of sexual desires)  Man vs. Self , Man vs. Environment  Idealism - both religious and political.  Pragmaticism - practicality and purposiveness.

BASIC PURITAN BELIEFS

 1. Total Depravity - through Adam's fall, every human is born sinful - concept of Original Sin.  2. Unconditional Election - God "saves" those he wishes - only a few are selected for salvation - concept of predestination.  3. Limited Atonement - Jesus died for the chosen only, not for everyone.

 4. Irresistible Grace - God's grace is freely given, it cannot be earned or denied. Grace is defined as the saving and transfiguring power of God.  5. Perseverance of the "saints" - those elected by God have full power to interpret the will of God, and to live uprightly. If anyone rejects grace after feeling its power in his life, he will be going against the will of God - something impossible in Puritanism.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PURITAN WRITING

• The Bible provided a model for Puritan writing – a conception of each individual life as a journey to salvation – saw direct connections between Biblical events and their own lives.

• • Used writing to explore their inner and outer lives for signs of the workings of God.

• Diaries and histories were the most common forms of expression because they directly expressed the workings of God.

Favored a plain style, similar to that of the Geneva Bible – Stressed clarity of expression and avoided complicated figures of speech.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PURITAN LITERATURE CIRCA 1600

 Pedagogical  Strong use of personification, alliteration, repetition and simile/metaphor (conceits)  Biblical allusions  Concerned with the presence of the devil and sin  The existence of diametrically opposed absolutes (God vs. devil, good vs. evil)

THE FUNCTION OF PURITAN WRITERS

 1. To transform a mysterious God - mysterious because he is separate from the world.  2. To make him more relevant to the universe.  3. To glorify God.

THE STYLE OF PURITAN WRITING

 1. Protestant - against ornateness; reverence for the Bible.  2. Purposiveness - there was a purpose to Puritan writing - described in Part II above.  3. Puritan writing reflected the character and scope of the reading public, which was literate and well-grounded in religion.

REASONS FOR PURITAN LITERARY DOMINANCE OVER THE VIRGINIANS

 1. Puritans were basically middle class and fairly well-educated.  2. Virginians were tradesmen and separated from English writing.  3. Puritans were children of the covenant; gave them a drive and a purpose to write.

TWO IMPORTANT NEW ENGLAND SETTLEMENTS

• The Plymouth Colony *Flagship Mayflower arrives - 1620 *Leader - William Bradford *Settlers known as Pilgrim Fathers *The Mayflower Compact provides for social, religious, and economic freedom, while still maintaining ties to Great Britain.

*The Separatists - Pilgrims

 The Massachusetts Bay Colony Flagship Arbella arrives - 1630 Leader - John Winthrop Settlers are mostly Puritans The Arbella Covenant clearly establishes a religious and theocratic settlement, free of ties to Great Britain.

The Congregational Puritans

PURITANS VS. PILGRIMS

   Puritans wanted to remain as part of the English establishment, working for biblical reform from within. Even as they emigrated to New England, they affirmed their “Englishness” and saw the main purpose of their new colony as being that of a biblical witness, a “city on a hill” which would set an example of biblical righteousness in church and state for Old England and the entire world to see. As deeply committed covenant theologians, they emphasized especially strongly the

corporate

righteousness of their entire community before God.

PURITANS VS. PILGRIMS

 Pilgrims wanted to achieve “reformation without tarrying,” even if it meant separating from their church and their nation.  While they continued to think of themselves ad English, their emphasis was on their new political identity and spiritual identity.  Because of their passionate commitment to the necessity of reformation immediate and without compromise, they emphasized especially strongly

individual

righteousness before God.

 What united Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth, what united both Puritans and Pilgrims was far more significant than what distinguished them.

 All children of the Reformation, they knew that salvation was by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  And they knew this because they took, as their authority, Scripture alone.

 They all believed that to God alone must be the glory and, in their different ways, they sought to bring every though and every action--religious, political, social--captive to the Lordship of Jesus.

PILGRIMS

 First Puritan colonists  Interpreted the bible literally

MARY ROWLANDSON

MARY ROWLANDSON

Mary Rowlandson,

A Narrative of the Captivity, Sufferings and Removes of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson...

Boston: John Boyle, 1773.

"TO MY DEAR AND LOVING HUSBAND" BY

ANNE BRADSTREET If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then thee; If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me, ye women, if you can. I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold Or all the riches that the East doth hold. My love is such that rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense. Thy love is such I can no way repay, The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray. Then while we live, in love let's so persevere That when we live no more, we may live ever.

UPON THE BURNING OF OUR HOUSE

, BY ANNE BRADSTREET

Here followes some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10th, 1666.

Copyed out of a loose Paper. In silent night when rest I took, For sorrow neer I did not look, I waken'd was with thundring nois And Piteous shreiks of dreadfull voice.

That fearfull sound of fire and fire, Let no man know is my Desire. I, starting up, the light did spye, And to my God my heart did cry To strengthen me in my Distresse And not to leave me succourlesse. Then coming out beheld a space, The flame consume my dwelling place.



And, when I could no longer look, I blest his Name that gave and took, That layd my goods now in the dust: Yea so it was, and so 'twas just. It was his own: it was not mine; Far be it that I should repine.

He might of All justly bereft, But yet sufficient for us left. When by the Ruines oft I past, My sorrowing eyes aside did cast, And here and there the places spye Where oft I sate, and long did lye.

Here stood that Trunk, and there that chest There lay that store I counted best: My pleasant things in ashes lye, And them behold no more shall I.

Under thy roof no guest shall sitt, Nor at thy Table eat a bitt.

No pleasant tale shall 'ere be told, Nor things recounted done of old. No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee, Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee. In silence ever shalt thou lye; Adieu, Adeiu; All's vanity.

Then streight I gin my heart to chide, And didst thy wealth on earth abide? Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust, The arm of flesh didst make thy trust? Raise up thy thoughts above the skye That dunghill mists away may flie.

Thou hast an house on high erect Fram'd by that mighty Architect, With glory richly furnished, Stands permanent tho' this bee fled. It's purchased, and paid for too By him who hath enough to doe.

A Prise so vast as is unknown, Yet, by his Gift, is made thine own. Ther's wealth enough, I need no more; Farewell my Pelf, farewell my Store. The world no longer let me Love, My hope and Treasure lyes Above.

Artist’s depictions of Anne Bradstreet

1500-1820 SETTLER LITERATURE

 The literature of the pioneers and settlers served at least two functions, entertainment and advertisement. The literature used the popular writing style of the time, the journal, made popular by British writers like Samuel Pepys, Daniel Defoe, and Jonathan Swift to examine the heroic and dangerous adventures of travelers to "The New Land." The literature also served a key interest of business-- to make money. It was desirable for the companies and governments of this period to urge emigration and produced what were essentially advertisements to entice potential colonists.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PIONEER AND SETTLER LITERATURE CIRCA 1500:

 Strong use of rhetorical questions  Exploitation of hardships (entertainment)  Suppression of hardships (persuasive techniques)

THEMES

 Man must endure physical and mental hardships in order to survive  Man has a desire to improve his economic, and mental/spiritual condition