American Literature in 60 Minutes.ppt

American Literature in 60 Minutes “In the four quarters of the globe, who reads an American book? or goes to an American play?” – Sidney Smith, 1820 “Some thinkers may object to this essay, that we are about to write of that which has, as yet, no existence.” –Margaret Fuller, in her 1846 essay “American Literature” “Ah, yes, American Literature. I must take an afternoon and read it some time.”—Allan Carroll, former University of Tennessee English Dept. Chair and terminal Brithead Tale of Two Smithies John Smith’s 1608 “A True Relation” Promotional Literature Smith as 1st-person master negotiator Indians: Savage but can be worked with No Pocahontas Rescue story! John Smith’s 1624 “Generall Historie” Captivity Narrative Smith as swashbuckling, 3rd-person hero Indians: Savage but subduable Pocahontas: Forest Fever Other Promotional Lit Drayton’s “Ode”: “To get the pearl and gold/And ours to hold/Virginia,/Earth’s only Paradise.” Point: to get settlers over to work the land and make it profitable for joint-stock companies Promotional Literature begins long tradition of projecting on the idea of “America” whatever dreams/aspirations/desires an immigrant can imagine. Other Captivity Narratives Mary Rowlandson’s Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration… (1682) – basis, with Smith, of nearly all Indian captivity narratives to follow Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative (1789) Susanna Rowson’s Slaves in Algiers (1794) Herman Melville’s Typee (1842) Frederick Douglass’ Narrative (1845…) Mocked in Huckleberry Finn (1880) Captivity narratives Gave an illicit peek at the “other” without fear of contamination Helped establish racial categories and, later, attitudes toward slavery The most popular type of adventure fiction in U.S. popular culture Puritans Ed Ward, on Boston, from A Trip to New England, 1699: “The buildings, like their Women, being Neat and Handsome. And their Streets, like the Hearts of the Male Inhabitants, are Paved with Pebble.” “A Captain of a Ship