Vicky Lay
Due 3/30/2009
Writing 105
Essay #1
American Literature is Not Just Word but the Meaning Behind It
Language is a tool we use in our daily life through out the world. Literature is a document that we gather the history and culture of a country or expression, stories and imaginations of people. The definition for American literature is literary work produced in the area of the United States and Colonial America. American literatures can represent the condition during the period of time. The strong and meaningful literatures were often written during the wars or to describe one's personal experiences and thoughts.
African American writers often use racism as their topic to tell their stories. Many African Americans in the past had the worst living condition and very less rights were given in America in nineteenth century. The trans-Atlantic slave trade brought the Africans to America to work for white people since the colonial days.1 They did not have any freedom and rights till after the Civil War that freed the African slaves. Elizabeth Keckley was born a slave and purchased her freedom at age 30. She was the personal maid and seamstress to Mary Todd Lincoln during the Civil War.2 These two women became best friends. Her most famous publication, “Thirty Years a Slave, and four years in the White House” describes they everyday lives of the Lincolns in the White House, also the living conditions of southern blacks who fled to Washing D.C. During the war.3 “Dialect Tales” by Sherwood Booner, was a book that telling a story during the civil war.4 “Now, each one of those Africans would have sold for fifteen hundred dollars. What do you do in the way of sport? A negro chase perhaps you would call it. You see, our jail is such a ram-shackle affair that it is next to impossible to keep a prisoner in bonds, if he has any get-up-and-get in his make-up. The rascals break out and take to the hills. And when the humor takes us we hunt them down," from Dialect Tales.4 From this conversation in the book, racism was a deep root in everyone's mind. The literatures written during the slavery often described the hardships that African slaves had been though, and the rights they fought for.
American Literature can also bring people imaginations or dreams like fairy tales. Children literatures often describe the impossible stories for children to image, it helps to rich children's imaginations. Something we get out of the stories are most about being a good person, be kind to people, mean and evil are not acceptable, or good people have happy ending and bad people end up with punishments. Children literatures help educate little children knowing what is good and what is bad, but also give them some common sense of the life. A fairy tale called “The Girl Who Owned a Bear” by Rick Walton, was about a girl who got a book.5 A bear came out of the book magically. The bear was going to eat the little girl. The little told the bear that she owns it. The bear was her property. “This story should teach us to think quickly and clearly upon all occasions; for had Jane Gladys not remembered that she owned the bear he probably would have eaten her before the bell rang.”5 There are many books written to tell history, culture, story and imagination, but there are some other way to learn about American literature.
The quotes are also a way to express American literature. “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!” by Patrick Henry. The quote was talking about the situation between the colonists and the British in the Civil War. The colonists were hoping the be independent from the Great Britain. They did not want to be control by the Great Britain anymore. This quote as a symbol represented the Civil War. Quotes can also express a person's thought.
We can often see quotes from articles, commercial or even someone's status. “I really can't deny it, I am who I am. I'm pretty normal. I'm not that smooth type of girl. I run into things, I trip, I spell food. I say stupid things... I really don't have it all together.” by Katie Holmes, an American actress.6 Katie Holmes is trying to tell people that she is a normal person. She is not 100 percent perfect. She doesn't want people to her as someone that she is not. This quote tells an aspect of human. We often see those pretty or handsome idols as prefect people. They have good looking faces, hot bodies and the great popularity. How about little girls? “What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice, and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of.”7 This is a quote by an unknown author. The quote actually states the reality of what little girls are. Most of the little girls do like fairy tales, princess, Barbe, candy and pretty dresses. There are quotes expressed in a sense of humor. “ We are all pencils in the hand of God.” by Mother Teresa of Calcutta.8 “All of us are guinea pigs in the laboratory of God. Humanity is just a work in progress.” by Tennessee Williams.8 These two quotes are about religion that god is above us. God knows everything and we are under god's control. This quote describes the what the followers believe in.
The definition for American literature is literary work produced in the area of the United States and Colonial America. American literature is not just a writing work, it also represents the history and culture of American, and expression, story and imagination of people who live in America. There are meaningful writings created during the Civil War. There are personal stories shared in the writings. There are writings describe the reality of society and religion. American literature is not just some words, but the meanings and stories behind the word.
References:
1. "Slavery." 2004. Brooklyn Public Library.
3. "Elizabeth Keckley." WOMEN IN HISTORY.
4. Bonner, Sherwood. Dialect Tales. New York: Harper & Brothers, Franklin Square, 1883. 15.<
5. Walton, Rick. "The Girl Who Owned a Bear." Rick Walton's Books.
6. ThinkExist.com. http://en.thinkexist.com/quotations/girls/
7. ThinkExist.com. http://en.thinkexist.com/quotations/girls/
8. ThinkExist.com. http://en.thinkexist.com/quotation/what_are_little_girls_made_of-sugar_and_spice-and/177994.html
9. ThinkExist.com.
http://en.thinkexist.com/search/searchquotation.asp?search=god
http://en.thinkexist.com/search/searchquotation.asp?search=god
10. "American Literature." Wikipedia.org. <1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/american_literature>.
