Abstract
The evolution of literature in America has been an extraordinary process, where its development from humble descriptions of exploration to extraordinary works of fiction demonstrates a comparable form of development within the American people. This paper explores the concept of "American Literature" in respect to its evolution from the Columbian period through the Ante- Bellum period.

Tags:evolution, american, literature

Abstract
This paper gives an in-depth exploration on the use of symbolism as a common device in American literature. According to the paper, American literature, born as it is out of the country's colonial past and Wild West mentality, often seeks to insert symbolic presence within the text where authors in other national literary types might be content to let the story stand on its own.

From the Paper
"Symbolism is a common device in most types of literature but for American literature in particular it seems to have an especially inviting home. American literature, born as it is out of the country's colonial past and Wild West mentality, often seeks to insert symbolic presence within the text where authors in other national literary types might be content to let the story stand on its own, so to speak. A representative sample of this type of ad hoc symbolism, so to speak, can be found within Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter where other researchers have noted just how blatant the symbolism of his characters is..."

Tags:symbolism, american, literature

Abstract
This paper examines the nature of American literature. The paper explains that American literature, like many other nationalistic literary bodies has had an evolution that marks changing attitudes with regard to what is to be included in the voice of literature. The paper then looks at how the representation of both women and African-American writers is not the only body of inclusion, as contemporary movements have made significant strides toward the inclusion of almost every immigrant group into the canon of American literature and into the body of publishing in general in history and contemporary works. The paper also points out that the defining characteristics of what qualifies as American Literature is simply that it is a written form, poetry, prose or drama that conveys any point of view of the American experience of growth and change. The writer states that frequently some of the most fundamentally expressive forms of American literature are immigrant literature that explores the real and fictional development of the self, from an immigrant outsider to someone who feels as if they are an American, regardless of the outside view of themselves as a foreigner. The paper concludes that American literature should continue to be inclusive and representative of personal nationalistic growth, as a standard bearer for other forms of nationalistic literature.

From the Paper
"In all representations of immigrant literature there is a clear sense that at almost any given time in America there was a dominant or subjugated immigrant group that was struggling to be accepted by those who had immigrated one, two or three generations before them. America is a nation of immigrants and American literature is finally beginning to express this, without as much of the exclusionary literary academic influences. The transition of an immigrant into and "American" in the self is frequently one of the most important and influential expression of literature, from Latino American literature, to Asian American immigrant expressions."

Tags:immigrant, expression, influences, nationalistic

Abstract
This paper explains that Asian-American literature, which has grown considerably over the last several decades, is considered one of the subdivisions of multicultural literature. The author points out that scholarly and popular interest in Asian-American literature is of recent vintage, having found its direct roots in student activism at San Francisco State and the University of California, Berkeley in the late 1960s, which resulted in the creation of interdisciplinary ethnic studies programs; today, courses in Asian-American literature are common throughout U.S. higher education. The paper relates that Asian-American literature is an oft-contested field due to the wide variety of cultures and backgrounds in the Asian-Americans culture; however, this variety of backgrounds has given rise to writings reflective of cross-generational concerns and styles.

Table of Contents
Introduction
History
Course Outline
Course Abstract
Fiction
Group Project
Single Project
Survey
Conclusion

From the Paper
"When considering the history of Asian-American literature, it is necessary to also look at the history of those who came to the United States since its formation. In reviewing the Asian-American literature, it is also important to note the history of Asian immigration to the United States. The Chinese first started immigrating to the United States during the mid- to late-1860s, as part of the gold rush. They provided cheap labor for farms and the transcontinental railroad. Other Asian groups joined them during this same time to work in the Hawaiian sugar plantations or California farm fields. The Asians were recognized as second-class citizens from their very first days in the country. However, they still had to contribute 50 percent of the taxes collected in California between 1850 and 1870 because of the Foreign Miners Tax of 1850. Other discriminatory events included the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1885, which initiated a ban on Chinese immigration."

Tags:poem, immigration, goal, presentations, culture

Abstract
This paper discusses the importance of African-American literature, in order to come to a true understanding of how influential and important this particular literature is. The paper claims that this literature has made an impact in many ways, including social, economic, environmental, cultural and historical.

Contents:
Introduction
The importance of African American Literature
The Implications of African American Literature
Social
Economic
Environmental
Cultural
Historical
How African-American Literature Has Changed -- Across the Genres
Slave Narratives and Biographies
Novels
Conclusion
Works Cited

From the Paper
"The changes in African-American literature are also very important. At least two genres will be discussed, one being slaved narratives and biographies and the other being novels, in order to understand how African-American literature has changed. It has not stayed the same over the course of time, and often it has evolved as history has evolved, changing and reshaping itself in order to fit the times that it finds itself in. Occasionally, however, a particular work of African-American literature will simply break away from what society considers as the norm for that time period, and the author will go off on his or her own to write something that he or she feels is vitally important."

Tags:black, slavery, novel, ethic, society, influence

Abstract
The paper discusses the first period of the American literature that was influenced by a sense of religiousness and then shows how American literature changed from a religious-based philosophy to a political-based one, with the works of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. The paper looks at the literature trends in the period of the American Revolution and during the Civil War. The paper concludes that the theme "a new start" in American literature represented an important step in the establishment of the national identity of the American people in each of its important moments.

From the Paper
"The history of the American literature can be considered to be in deep contact with the history of the American nation itself. It represents a close mirror image of the way in which the United States came into being. This is largely due to the fact that one of the few means of manifestation for the early colonists that came in America to manifest themselves was the literary field. At the same time though, literature was largely used to express the feelings and emotions of the beginning of the nation. This is why, from this point of view, it is important to consider the history of the American literature as part of the wider attempt to construct the cultural identity of a nation."

Tags:colonists, writers, religion, civil, war, revolution

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that the more broadly, deeply, objectively and honestly one reflects on the question of what is; or is not American literature, the more complex the issue becomes. The writer then provides a definition of literature before examining the issue of American literature. The writer concludes that aspects of American life and character that often, although not always, get left out of literary works often have to do with politics and/or political processes perhaps because their bad effects, while known, are probably hard to describe in terms of tangible effects on an individual hero or life situation.

From the Paper
"The question of what it means to be an American is an even more complex one; and it brings my cynicism to the surface. When I read Walt Whitman's gigantic, beautiful, exuberant ode to America these days that was first published in 1855, when being an American was obviously a whole different experience than it is for Americans today, I wish I could feel half as enthusiastic about being an American today as he obviously did back then. Nowadays, I think that to be an American (in general) just means to be an overly materialistic; chronically-shallow thinker; who is (therefore) gullible to bad political influences and the wrong kinds of "peer pressure" (e.g., to smoke; to drink; to deface public property with graffiti); and whose only real religion is materialism and whose main reason for even being alive is just to buy more and more material stuff, and to be entertained (mindlessly) mostly by television."

Tags:literary, creativity, thinking, written

Abstract
The paper discusses how, as the political and social climate has changed, American literature has evolved to include previously disenfranchised voices, such as Native-Americans, women, African-Americans and disenfranchised immigrants from many nations of origin. The paper then explores how we define an American writer and American literature.

From the Paper
"The representation of both women and African American writers is not the only body of inclusion. Contemporary movements have made significant strides toward the inclusion of almost every immigrant group into the canon of American literature and into the body of publishing in general in history and contemporary works. These groups include Asian immigrants, Eastern European Jews, Germans, Italians and of coarse Native Americans who have a rich tradition of their own. Yet, we must remember that this is a relatively new experience and that for the majority of the development of "American Literature" the system was one of elitism that preferred almost exclusively the point of view of the Western white male."

Tags:immigrants, diversity, exclusion, inclusion

Abstract
This paper analyzes the deeper significance of Irvng's story "Rip Van Winkle" and shows in what ways the story epitomizes the American artistic sensibility, and at the same time anticipates the general character of American literature that was to follow it. The paper also examines Irving's particular blend of neo-classicism and Romanticism, through which he forges a distinctive character for American literature.

From the Paper
"The satire falls on politics in general, and we realize that Irving's sympathies lie elsewhere. As a young man Rip had no interest in home life, and he has equally no interest in the partisan politics of the new republic. However, a great change has been effected in the meantime, and we sense that the change is for good. We may not discover the good in the political sphere, but it nevertheless exists. Rip finds peace at last living in the company of his married children and his grandchildren. The means through which he has attained this peace is his trip to the Catskill Mountains. This is where the Romantic element enters the story, and leaves its stamp finally. All the good has come about due to his foray into the mountains, his mingling with the strange forest dwellers, his drinking from the flagon, and his twenty years of sleep under a tree. The episode in the Catskill Mountains is in complete contrast to everything else in the story. "

Tags:Catskill, Mountains, sleepy, hollow

Abstract
This paper discusses literature in the African-American community and the significance it holds. It provides a brief history of African-American literature and about the prejudices that authors faced to have their works recognized. The paper also provides examples of noted African-American authors from before America gained its independence until the present day.

From the Paper
"Since African Americans were first brought to America as slaves, they have been the victims of repression and cruelty. This began with slavery, continued on to segregation, and even continues on today through various forms of racism. Throughout this entire situation, African Americans have produced many different forms of literature, which has a great significance in history. Through African American literature, it is possible to follow the struggles of African Americans from their own points of view. It is also possible to see the different ideologies that shaped the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement, among other things. African Americans were brought to the United States as slaves, and they have been treated as second class citizens ever since. At first, their literature was not taken seriously as it should have been, and it also was often thought to be unoriginal. Over the years, African American authors slowly began making progress in society. This began with them getting the proper recognition for their work. Next, they began to enter into mainstream society and be recognized as legitimate artists. Finally, they achieved complete integration into mainstream literature, but the importance of the early African American literature remains as large as ever. Through the various social movements that have occurred over the years, African American authors have been able to gain national and international recognition for their contributions to the arts."

Tags:segregation, struggles, recognition