American Literature

During the later part of the ninetieth century and up until 1912, immigration to the United States was a major trend that serves as an important part of both the countrys history and individual histories of those making the moves. Individuals moved to the United States from all over the world, leaving their home countries in favor of better opportunities and a new life. Some were running from something in their home country, whether that was an economic problem or a sociological issue. Others came because of the tremendous opportunities afforded to individuals by the American system. Whatever the case, immigration to America was such a powerful force that it could not be ignored. These historical phenomenon also applies to certain values held in literature at that time. As people moved to America and crossed over important national lines, literature reflected this change. The world became a small place, so literature during that time became more global and inclusive in nature. Additionally, the growing and enduring sense of opportunity and excitement brought about by the American immigration is something that powers much of the literature of that time period. The impact is legitimate and it cannot be ignored, just as any historically significant phenomenon would have an impact on how writers view the world around them.

In literature from that time period, one can not help but notice some seriously significant themes. For one, authors tend to write about certain political issues that pervaded international society at that point in time. These things were mostly religious in nature, as many European nations were undergoing religious political changes as time went along. Especially in the last 1800s, immigration in the United States was powered by people from Ireland, Germany, and other developed European countries. These people were looking to take advantage of one specific part of the American dream. They wanted the freedom from persecution that came along with living in the United States. Books published during this time indicated this struggle for freedom that individuals experienced, and many of those books carried along religious themes of some sort.

Likewise, one must take a hard look at the single defining theme of literature in the last 1800s and early 1900s. Prior to the Civil War, literature had been highly steeped in romanticism, with floral writing being the order of the day. Authors had used archaic comparisons with faulty examples being prevalent. This was true in both fiction and non-fiction works. What this created was a type of literature in America where none of the characters in the book represented anything real in society. After the Civil War, things started to shift, as writers began taking a more realistic approach. All of a sudden, stories began to represent the struggle that people went through on a day to day basis. The American immigration movement was an important part of this. The individuals who made up the immigration base had their own stories and they often struggled to make it. These were highly complicated people who combined human traits like bravery and struggle. While earlier literature may have painted the picture of a perfect life, new literature reflected the things that people like this might have experienced. The focus on realism is an important development for American literature during that time, and it is something that added more depth to the works. One of the most important literary devices in all of American literature was implemented in greater substance during that time. That idea was naturalism, and it highlighted the things that had control over peoples actions and thoughts in an overriding nature. All of a sudden, literary figures were pitted against the larger world and authors began to concede that life presents some grim challenges at times. A host of writers did this, and they all did it in different ways. In Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, for instance, characters are put up against the forces of nature in a symbolic way. Other authors of that time used nature as the overriding force to illustrate just how difficult life was for certain people during that time.

Much in the same way, immigrants to the United States saw an America and a world that was difficult to live in. Almost more than being difficult, the world was a frontier where individuals had to be willing to act and adjust to various changes. Literature during the time presents this world view, and paints the world as much more grim than in previous texts. The romantic texts of the preceding period illustrated a world that was probably unrealistic. It was, instead, a world where individuals were treated fairly and life went ahead with few mix-ups. As characters and immigrants to the United States found out, the struggle to make a better life too often came with some bumps along the way. At the very least, there were twists and turns that had to be navigated. Likewise, this periods literature presents the world as a place where people need the help of other people if they are going to be successful. Immigration in itself is about embracing other cultures and the possibilities presented by others. Authors of that period speak to this fact, as this is a change taking place in the world during that time period.

One thing taking place in the world during that time is a decreased importance placed on nationalism and cultural identity. The United States itself was being reconstructed after a terrible war, and it was shaping its new identity. Though many historians have noted the ways in which the South changed in reconstruction, a major player in the new American identity was the large immigrant population that came through the major Eastern cities. These individuals all brought with them cultures and distinct ideas of what it meant to be free, which helped the country move forward to what it is today. The world was smaller in that regard, and the mixing of different cultures was something that became evident. Though most individuals see race relations as a black and white issue, this time in American history provided many racial situations that were mostly shades of gray. African Americans were being funneled into normal society and they were thrust into the workforce alongside new Irish-Americans. These social dynamics challenged the conceptions of pride and cultural identity that people had long held through most of the nineteenth century. This became something of a geopolitical issue, as well, since different areas around the nation tended to house different immigrant cultures. The struggle to maintain culture identity, while also integrating into a new American life was one of the challenges faced by these individuals, and it was also something that authors chose to write about during that time period.

Authors in the late 1800s seemed to embrace the differences in culture, and many works speak to these differences. They paint characters as being highly unique on the basis of things like language and dialect. Whether talking about a former slave maintaining the broken English that was practiced in the fields or indicating the think Irish tones of a person off of the boat in Ellis Island, literary works of that time portrayed dialect differences as being a part of the cultural challenges faced by new immigrants. Over time, new questions of social status and cultural superiority would persist, but much of the literature reflects the brave new world mentality that came along with American immigration during that time. It was such a large movement and so many different cultures were meshed that almost everyone was from somewhere different. These people came together to form American society, all the while carving out their own little cultural identities in the various cities.

In terms of pure literary technique, the writing of the late 1800s and early 1900s was some straight forward and simple. While it was poetic and floral in the time leading up to the Civil War, new writings got to the point after the war ended. This might have had something to do with the hard-nosed nature of the time period. People coming to the United States via immigration ports were quite obviously tough, and the world became a more practical place. People were going back to work, and the nation was embracing a large amount of industrial spirit. Writing reflected this point, and metaphors became much more literal in all types of writing across the board.

In all, immigration to American was something that brought about huge changes to both the country and to the individuals coming into the nation. The world got smaller, and cultures started to come together. This meshing of cultures is well represented in literature of the time, as are themes like religious persecution and the chase of the American dream. One thing to note is the fact that the world was becoming a more dangerous and a more challenging place. Many authors took the initiative of pitting characters against tough, natural forces, leaving them with hard decisions and difficult choices. This was a very real take on literature, as some characters overcame challenges, while others simply could not. This was something that stood in direct opposition of earlier literature, which featured a more floral, romantic approach to fiction. Overall, authors of this time period seemed to understand the changes going on in the world around them, and they especially seemed to understand the ways in which immigration to America was shifting the countrys cultural and industrial direction for the foreseeable future.