Native American
What is a creation myth and its significance in NA literature?
Explains how human lives are created
Explains the workings of the natural world
Supports and validates social customs
Tries to explain some mystery of the universe
What are the basic beliefs of the Puritans?
Total Depravity
Predestination
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Sanctification
The Bible is the supreme authority on earth
Theocracy
What is the common thought of the Realist period?
“by using reason, humans can manage themselves and society without relying on tradition or authority”
What are the 3 types of Romanticism?
Renaissance, Dark Romantics, Transcendentalists
Give me the 2 names for the 1920's
The Roaring 20's, the Jazz Age
What were the main emphases of the NA literature?
The relationship between creator, humanity, and the natural world
god and hard work come first
idleness - a sin and a crime
strict conformity
simple clothes
no dancing/games
belief in witches and witchcraft is a crime
not attending church is a punishable crime
fear of outsiders/nonconformity/Hell
moral purity down to the smallest detail
Satan is behind every evil deed
science, ethics, government, NO RELIGION
The Scarlet Letter, The Tell-Tale Heart
What 3 men influenced the Modern age?
Darwin, Marx, and Freud
What are 2 creation myths that we read from Native American literature?
Analyze the characteristics of Puritan writing and its influence on American lit
The Bible = model for writing
Puritans look for direct connections between biblical events and events in their own lives
diaries and histories were most common forms of literary expression
avoided complicated figures of speech
What were the emphases of the Realist era?
Reason over imagination
Social over personal
Common over individual
Social evils can be corrected
Superstition and ignorance can end
The general quality of life can improve
Explain the characteristics of Romanticism and how they differ from Realism
Values feeling and intuition over reason
Shuns the artificiality of civilization and seeks unspoiled nature
prefers youthful innocence to educated sophistication
Champions individual freedom and the worth of the individual
Places faith in inner experience and the power of the imagination
Looks backward to the wisdom of the past/distrusts progress
Finds beauty and truth in exotic locals, the supernatural realm, and the inner world of the imagination
Sees poetry as the highest expression of the imagination
Finds inspiration in myth, legend, and folk culture
Contemplates nature’s beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development
Discuss the characteristics of Modernist Literature and its departure from traditional themes.
Called for bold experimentation and an extensive rejection of traditional themes and styles.
Trend of thought that affirms the power of human beings to create, improve, and reshape their environment
Progressive and optimistic
Encouraged the re-examination of every aspect of existence
Goal: find which was “holding back” progress and replace it with new, progressive ways
World view: the new = the good, the true, and the beautiful
What are the common motifs of NA literature?
Humans have a connection with nature
Conflict between ancient customs and modern life (past and present)
Storytelling is important
Life is a circle
Fire is an important symbol
What 2 key texts did we read involving Puritanism?
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God - Jonathan Edwards
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Who were the typical realist writers?
Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Jefferson
Jean de Crevocoeur
Discuss the significance of myth, legend, and folk culture in Romanticism
most of Romantic Literature was based on myth, legend, and folk culture
Explain the concept of the American Dream in the context of Modernism
answers may vary
Why is storytelling considered essential in NA culture?
It is the main method of passing down traditions and myths
What are the common motifs/symbols of Puritan literature?
Fire
Light
Ornamentation
iron
How did Realism reflect the social changes of the time?
Answers may vary.
Describe the role of nature and individual freedom in Romantic literature.
Answers may vary
Define these three things:
1. Stream of Consciousness
2. Disjointed Timeline
3. Metanarrative
1. The continuous thoughts of the narrator
2. Timelines that are not chronological
3. A story within a story