Toward a Definition of American Literature

1. 8/28/2012 1 Toward a Definition of American Literature English 210: American Literature I (1564 - 1880)

2. 8/28/2012 2 United Statesman / Writer What are the problems inherent in a cultural identity that cannot find a suitable name for itself? Are we, in fact, the bi-continental culture our attribution �American� implies? What makes a Canadian not an American? What makes a naturalized citizen of the U.S. potentially un-American?

3. 8/28/2012 3 Defining �literature� Literature: anacquaintance with letters; Latin littera "an individual written character (letter)"; texts Text: a passage of literature presented in lines; Latin texere "to construct, weave" (as in textile) Line: a line of prose or poetry Latin linea "thread of flax� (linen)

4. 8/28/2012 4 Testing the Limits of Literature Can literature be unwritten or unprinted (i.e., unconnected to the written or drawn use of alphabet)? What expectations (if any) for language use do we have for literature? Is a painting something that we could call "literature"? What about dance? Is a film adaptation a work of literature still a work of literature, itself?

5. 8/28/2012 5 Testing the Limits of �American� Do we have a cultural identity? How different do you think the �American� experience is from that of other countries? If we do not have a homogeneous national tradition--or at least several distinct traditions--how might we ascribe the idea of "nationhood" to ourselves?

6. 8/28/2012 6 Which of the following greater determines our national identity? ? our system of government ? our economic forces ? our language ? our religion ? our predominant skin color ? our geographical location ? our natural resources ? our movies and t.v. programs ? our military history against other countries ? our relationship with neighboring countries ? our Constitution ? our immigration policies ? our writers ? our scholars and scientists ? our presidents ? our pop culture

7. 8/28/2012 7 Putting together a definition of "American Literature" Could a work of American Literature be written in Finnish? Why, or why not? Do the same forces that shape other countries' cultures also shape the �American� culture characterizing its own �American Literature�? Should we still be trying to distinguish ourselves from other world literatures? Is the main goal of American Literature, after more than three centuries, to be iconoclastic? Should we call the canon of �American Literature� a tradition if it flouts all tradition, including the literary tradition of creating a traditional literary sensibility?

8. 8/28/2012 8 What is �American Literature�? Does the same generality of our national identity affect our literature as well? Can it be possible to lay national claim to a literature that, itself, cannot lay claim to a specific cultural identity? Do these concerns make for bad, good or great literature?

9. 8/28/2012 9 To What Extent Do �Literature� and �Life� Overlap? What is the American Experience, or the American Dream? If �American Literature� endeavors to capture and record that experience, then does participation in the experience also mean participation in the literature? Is your life in this country an American literary text?

10. 8/28/2012 10 HomeworkFOR MONDAY JUNE 26 PREPARE A FIVE-MINUTE NARRATIVEDESCRIBING A STORY FREQUENTLY REPEATED IN YOUR FAMILY. You may define �family� in whatever manner you choose. Your story must be real. (Do not just invent something for this exercise.) Your choice of story doesn�t have to be one handed down from generation to generation; it can have occurred within living memory. Choose a story that will introduce you and say something about who you are. Spend some time practicing how you will tell it; make it entertaining and interesting to us. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!