Uzbek state world languages university

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Theme 1: American literature of Enlightenment. Benjamin Franklin. Theme 2: Romanticism in American literature.

Theme 3: Literature of Abolitionism.

Theme 4: Realism in American literature of the 19^th century. Theme 5: American literature of the 20^th century (1^st half).

Theme 6: Literature of the “Lost Generation”.

Theme 7: John Steinbeck, Langston Hughes, Erskine Caldwell. Theme 8: American literature after the Second World War.

THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN LITERATURE

INTORDUCTION

Christopher Columbus found the coastline of the new world in 1492, but only in the beginning of the 17^th century Europeans began to explore the new land. During the 17^th century English colonies were planted in America. The first state was Virginia (1607), the last - a state of George (1753). The process of the formation of the American culture has some peculiarities. People who inhabited these colonies were puritans. They left England because they were in opposition to the English monarchy and after the restoration of Stewart dynasty they were persecuted. Their psychology has influenced the American literature. On one hand they reflected the spirit of revolution, of insurrection, but on the other hand they propagated the most reactionary religious theory. The fact is that the puritans were rather contradictory. In the 17^th century Negroes were brought to America as slaves. Their specific folklore also influenced the American literature and art.

That period in America was the epoch of theocracy (the domination of priesthood including all spheres of literature, art). Religious psalms, disputes, essays represented the American belle-letters in those far off days. It was the epoch of talents. But the end of the late years of the 17^th century was the colorless, not a single notable book appeared, not a single writer emerged on those days.