American Literature Essay Example for Free

American Literature Essay Characteristics The literature is as diverse as the cultures that created it, but there are often common elements such as stories explaining creation or natural forces. Major Writers or Works Oral narratives: Myths; legends; songs; creation stories from groups such as the Zuni, Aztec, Navajo, Lakota, Seneca, Tlingit, Cherokee, Blackfoot, Cree, Inuit, and many more. †¢Exploration Period, 1492-1607 Characteristics The first European writings about North America are written in this period. European writings describe the explorers travels and impressions of the continent and its Native  people. Major Writers or Works Prose: Christopher Columbus, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Thomas Harriot, and Samuel de Champlain. Oral narratives: Seneca legend How America was discovered. †¢Colonial Period, 1607-c. 1765 Characteristics The Colonial period was dominated by Puritan beliefs and thus literature of this period is usually historical, religious, or didactic. The most common genres were tracts, polemics, journals, narratives, sermons, and some poetry. The first slave narratives were written at this time. Imaginative literature was rare; in some colonies, it was banned for being immoral. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Michael Wigglesworth, Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor. Prose: John Smith, Roger Williams, Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Benjamin Franklins Poor Richards Almanacks. Narratives: Mary Rowlandsons A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. †¢Revolutionary Period, 1765-1790 Characteristics This period begins with the passing of the Stamp Act in England and ends in 1790. The Revolutionary period usually refers to writings that are politically motivated, either in support of British rule, in support of American patriotism and independence, or relating to the Constitution. Major Writers or Works Prose: Thomas Jeffersons Autobiography, Declaration by the Represent-atives of the United States of America, Thomas Paines Common Sense, Alexander Hamilton and James Madisons Federalist Papers. Drama: Royall Tylers The Contrast. Verse and Ballads: Yankee Doodle, The Liberty Song. †¢Early National Period, 1775-1828 Characteristics. During this period, a body of distinctly American imaginative literature began to emerge. As with the novel, poetry, essays, and sketches also began to flourish. The publishing world and readership in America also began to grow. Slave narratives were published with increasing frequency. This period is sometimes called the Federalist period after the conservative federalists in power at the time. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Phillip Freneau, William Cullen Bryant, Phillis Wheatley. Prose: Judith Sargent Murray, Mercy Otis Warren, Washington Irving, Lydia Maria Child. Narratives: Olaudah Equianos The Interesting Narrative of the Lfe of Olaudah Equiano. Novels: Hannah Webster Fosters The Coquette. †¢Romantic Period, 1828-1865 Characteristics The Romantic period covers the period between Jacksonian democracy to the end of the Civil War. This period was the first major explosion of a distinctly American body of literature; for this reason, this period is also referred to as the American Renaissance. Many of American literatures most well-known writers emerged during this time. Readership increased significantly and the 1850s saw a number of immensely popular novels. Issues and subjects addressed in the literature of this time ranged from the American identity, to the slavery debate, to historical narratives, to poems and narratives inspired by romanticism, to prose works examining national unity. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Lydia Sigourney, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitmans Leaves of Grass, Emily Dickinson. Prose: Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Rebecca Harding Davis, William Lloyd Garrison. Narratives: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Novels: James Fenimore Cooper, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Herman Melville, Susan Warner, Maria Susanna Cummins The Lamplighter, Harriet Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin, William Wells Brown, Harriet E. Wilson. Drama: George Aikens play, Uncle Toms Cabin, based on Stowes novel. †¢The Age of Transcendentalism, 1836-1860 Characteristics Transcendentalism, though varied, investigated the relationship between nature, humanity, society, and the divine. Major Writers or Works Prose: Ralph Waldo Emersons Nature, Self-Reliance, and The American Scholar, Margaret. Fullers Woman in the Nineteenth Century, Henry David Thoreaus Walden, Bronson Alcott. †¢Realism, 1865-1900 Characteristics The post-Civil War period was an era of increased industrialization and urbanization as the nation attempted to recover emotionally, culturally, and politically from the aftermath of the war. Though there were still elements of romanticism, this period was considered realistic in its emphasis on unidealized and truthful depictions. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Walt Whitman, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Emily Dickinsons poems published posthumously. Prose: Sarah Orne Jewett, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Zitkala-Sa, Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper, George Washington Cable, Kate Chopin. Novels: Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, William Dean Howells, Bret Harte, Louisa May Alcotts Little Women, Henry James, Helen Hunt Jacksons Ramona, Frances E. W. Harpers Iola Leroy. †¢Naturalism, 1900-1914 Characteristics An offshoot of realism, naturalism claimed to give an even more realistic and unflinching depiction of contemporary life. Naturalism was characterized by a pessimistic view of humanity and human existence. Major Writers or Works. Prose: Frank Norris, Jack London, Stephen Crane, Hamlin Garland. Novels: Frank Norris McTeague, Theodore Dreisers Sister Carrie, Jack Londons The Sea-Wolf, Stephen Cranes Maggie: a Girl of the Streets. †¢Modern Period, 1914-1939 Characteristics A period in British and American literature spanning the years between WWI and WWII. Works in this period reflect the changing social, political, and cultural climate and are diverse, experimental, and nontraditional. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, T. S. Eliot, Edna St. Vincent Millay, e.e. cummings, H. D. Novels: Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, Sherwood Anderson, John Dos Passos, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Sinclair Lewis, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway. Drama: Eugene ONeills. The Emperor Jones, Susan Glaspells, Trifles, Clifford Odets. †¢Harlem Renaissance, 1920s and 1930s Characteristics The Harlem Renaissance was the first major burgeoning of visual, literary, and performing arts by African Americans concerned with African-American life, art, culture, and politics. The influence of the Harlem Renaissance remained strong for the remainder of the 20th century. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay. Prose: W. E. B DuBois, Jean Toomer. Novels: Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, Passing, Jessie Redmon Fauset, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay. Drama: Randolph Edmonds, Langston Hughes. †¢Lost Generation, 1920s Characteristics After WWI, a group of American writers grew increasingly disillusioned by, and resistant to, what they saw as hypocrisy in dominant American ideology and culture. Many of these writers left America in search of a more artistic life in London or Paris. Major Writers or Works. Poetry: Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot. Prose: Gertrude Stein, T. S. Eliot. Novels: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingways The Sun Also Rises. †¢Beat Writers, 1950s Characteristics Beat Writers writing was generally anti-traditional, anti-establishment, and anti-intellectual. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Allen Ginsbergs Howl, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Prose: Gertrude Stein, T. S. Eliot. Novels: William Burroughs, Jack Kerouacs On the Road. †¢Postmodern or Contemporary, 1940-present Characteristics In British and American literature, the postmodern period refers to literature written after WWII. The postmodern period reflects anxieties concerning, and reactions to life in the 20th century. Postmodern works are often highly experimental and anti-conventional. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Sylvia Plath, Marianne Moore, Robert Penn Warren, Anne Sexton, Gwendolyn Brooks, Adrienne Rich, Philip Larkin. Prose: Eudora Welty, Raymond Carver, John Cheever, Alice Walker. Novels: Saul Bellow, Ralph Ellison, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. , Richard Wright, Thomas Pynchon, E. L Doctorow, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison. Drama: Edward Albee, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, David Mamet.

The Powerful Voice of Kurtz in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay

The Powerful Voice of Kurtz in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Many times, words by themselves do not convey an idea wholly or conceal it altogether. Instead, the voice carrying the words conveys the idea, lending shape and new meaning to the familiar syllables. Words resonate with prescribed meanings, whereas voice creates its own meaning and identity. In Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, voice comprises the primitive component of language, with words existing only as a secondary function of voice. Glimpsing a â€Å"primitive truth,† Kurtz’s voice and soul unite so that his knowledge speaks through his voice, rather than through his words. Alternately draining words of their meaning and filling them with new meaning, Kurtz’s voice contains the power to define his own words. Strip Kurtz of his common syllables, and what remains is a terse note in a margin of seventeen eloquent pages, a frightening voice shaped by unfamiliar words. Marlow first hears of Kurtz as a word repeatedly spoken by others. As Marlow navigates down th e river, traveling farther from civilization, Kurtz’s voice amplifies, ultimately consuming the name and the man himself. The voice of Kurtz is heard and realized not in the familiar words of others, but in the journey down the river into the unknown. People’s inability to pronounce Kurtz’s name suggests the authenticity of Kurtz’s own voice and the weakness of the words used to describe him. When describing Kurtz, familiar vocabulary fails altogether; Kurtz remains a word with little meaning. Marlow first hears of Kurtz from the Company’s chief accountant at Outer Station. When asked who Kurtz is, the accountant responds, â€Å"He is a very remarkable person† (37).* The accountant does not mention his name without adding t... ...r. The structure of words and the report are unable to contain his voice. Like Kurtz’s last words, these simultaneously drain all meaning from words and add their own new meaning, highlighting only lies. In German â€Å"kurtz† means short. What Kurtz actually says is plain and terse, but appalling. It is not hidden behind words, but revealed within Kurtz’s own voice and scribbled in margins. However, it is the voiceless words, the written words, the lies, and not the note scribbled by his own voice that Kurtz asks Marlow to preserve. By wanting to preserve his report, Kurtz acknowledges the power of written words. He knows that besides Marlow’s memory, writing is the only thing that can begin to immortalize him. But, perhaps, Kurtz’s knowledge is meant to die along with his voice. Works Cited * Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness (London: Penguin Books, 1995).

A Leader Essay

Leaders can be seen in a variety of ways such as a president, a soldier, an athlete. But does a lieutenant only lead his men into combat? Or does a president just send the military off to war in one command? Leadership has a far different meaning than one man giving orders. Being a leader, one must understand that you cannot carry every single thing upon your hands. Sometimes, even a leader can find themselves tied up in a knot and not realizing what they’ve done or are doing. Therefore, in a leadership position there must always contain a group so that way the leader will not rule over everything and actually be seen as an inspiring person; one who sacrifices themselves for others, and one who searches for the best outcome. Throughout my life of experience, I have come across â€Å"leaders and leadership†. There also have been many leaders way before my time came about. For example, somebody like John. F. Kennedy. This man was seen as very inspiring to the American peo ple at the time. His speeches and commitment drove not only the people in the right path but the country as well. Currently, our country is being run by Barak Obama which is actually really good. He is a great example of a leader. He has helped our country in the past few years get a lot out of this huge dept we have and are actually still having. He’s also has helped us with this welfare and also is giving a bit more benefits for illegal immigrants. In addition, the outcome of his work shall inspire the people of America. Currently my most favorable experience of leadership is actually taking place as we speak. I came across a book by the one and only great baseball player Josh Hamilton. It is called â€Å"Beyond Belief†. Josh Hamilton is a great example as a leader and is a man who inspires many ball players. Although he was drug tested and came out positive for cocaine and also suspended from the major leagues, he fought his way back to where he belonged in the majors. From a very young age he we always seen upon as the leader of the team. At the age of only six years old he obtained the skills to play with the older kids. Even then he was better than the older kids. He was always leading his teams in hits, average, and home runs. He carried this through high school. Although he was doing all these great things at once, being that type of leader is far different from being a leader for the team. He  would always care for his teammates as if they were brothers and always lightened up situati ons when they would be down a couple of runs or lost a game. He would sacrifice himself when needed and was always one for helping out his team before powering his skills onto the field. He was not a selfish person at all and never bragged about anything he did. He did it for the love of the game that he cherished so much. That’s what really defines a true leader. When one does not become selfish and truly believes in the good of things whether it is an athlete or a president. Therefore, the outcome will not only inspire teammates or the people of America, but maybe even inspire them self to do more and be greater. A leader always does what is best for the outcome. Overall for the country, or for their teammate. Within a leader, there is always something unique about them. There are reasons, facts, and details on why they seem so inspiring to many people and that is why they are chosen to be the leader or even simply be seen as a leader. Although a leader may have the drive to do something right it is not always the right or best thing. Groups will play an important role for the leader and back them up with opinions of their own. Furthermore, a leader must play along or they will not be seen as a one who sacrifices or inspires anything. Overall, the true greatness of a leader will only show when one is tested. It really can be at any moment. Josh Hamilton was tested for drugs and came out positive unfortunately. But the real test was whether he would be able to get back on his feet from this. Which in the end he did and fought his way all the way back to the top. Leaders do not vary simply off of how many people know them, how many votes, or how many home runs are hit. They’re leadership shows when they are in the toughest moments that seem they cannot get across but actually can. As long as there is a contained group within leadership, more often than not everything will be fine. Things will not turn into a dictatorship and one man will not lead his team to the world series. Therefore, the group within will help their leader realize what they are doing and they will in fact sacrifice, inspire, and search for the best outcome.

Housing Is Categorized Under Basic Commodities - 2127 Words

Housing is categorized under basic commodities. Despite the necessity associated with proper housing, families and individuals all over the world continue to have trouble in affording proper housing facilities. Affordable housing refers to a kind of accommodation that is suitable for the needs of a range of very low to medium income families. Affordable housing should be priced so that these households can be in a position to cater for their other basic living costs such as food, medical care, clothing, education and transport. Housing is a combined product of land and buildings. Accommodation bargain-basement relays to an individuals capability to pay for their housing at a given point in time. It is a multifarious issue brought about by labor markets and local housing as well as larger macro-economic, environmental and social forces. As citizens in Australia continue to experience shortage of affordable housing, economics continue to debate on the necessity of government intervent ion in the issue. Housing affordability may result to stress in situations where people strain to meet the cost of simple yet suitable houses. Naturally, people are supposed to spend a mere 20% of their income on housing. However, people in Australia spend more than 40 percent of their income on housing. This means that people do not retain enough money to cater for other basic needs such as medical, food and clothing. The lack of affordable housing means that people experience poor livingShow MoreRelatedPoverty And Poverty1721 Words   |  7 Pagesoil prices that make food transport pricey and diversion of corn for use as a biofuel all contribute to the price spike† (Clemmitt). The result of globalization has directed poor and unstable countries to â€Å"Abandon domestic food crops in favor of commodity crops for export. The crisis also has sparked international tension over the impact of wealthy nations farm subsidies and meat-heavy diets† (Clemmitt). Due to rising prices, it has bec ome difficult for people from disadvantaged countries to buyRead MoreThe Nature and Forms of Commercial Organization2883 Words   |  12 Pagesorganizations or business enterprises may take the following forms of ownership: * Individual or Sole Proprietorship It is a business owned by one person. This form of ownership is small, requires but little amount of capital, and is readily established under the control of one person. It refers to an individual who owns, manages, assumes all the risks, and derives all the products or profits from a business. Advantages of Sole Proprietorship * Easiest to establish. * Easiest to terminate. *Read MoreThe Situation of Filipino Children and Young People3366 Words   |  14 Pagestask of tilling the ï ¬ elds ceases to be a boy but a labouring farmhand. A 16-year-old who spends most of his time at a wage-factory ceases to be a young adolescent but a breadwinner. A 9-year-old girl made to peddle her body on the streets becomes a commodity. An 8-year-old boy on the street stealing someone’s money for food is a criminal. Boys and girls loitering in the streets sniffing rugby are considered dregs of society. Seldom are their situations seen in the context of poverty and lack of parentalRead MoreHealthcare System Of Kenya As An Example For Future Students And Classes2796 Words   |  12 Pageswith emphasis being placed on ensuring these commodities are accessible and affordable, and they also meet defined standards for quality, efficacy and safety. USAID has contributed to gains already made in this area and has assisted the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency for severa l years. In 2012 USAID signed a direct funding agreement with the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency providing a way for undertaking procurement and distribution of all health commodities. Technology is now used in Kenya to createRead MoreProject Report on Investment Analysis10519 Words   |  43 Pagesmatter for households, firms, or governments. An investment involves the choice by an individual or an organization such as a pension fund, after some analysis or thought, to place or lend money in a vehicle, instrument or asset, such as property, commodity, stock, bond, financial derivatives (e.g. futures or options), or the foreign asset denominated in foreign currency, that has certain level of risk and provides the possibility of generating returns over a period of time. Investment comes with theRead MoreEmilio Jacintos Trading Cooperative19425 Words   |  78 Pagespublication, the Schaars book has served as a basic reference for cooperative members and leaders, cooperative instructors and development specialists, and students of cooperatives throughout the United States and world. It has been translated into several languages. Although the Schaars book has been out of print for some time, the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (UWCC) continues to receive regular requests for copies. Its straightforward, basic information on the organization, structureRead MoreBanking: Comparative Analysis of Public and Private Sector Banks3820 Words   |  16 Pagesmetrics like growth, profitability and non-performing assets (NPAs). A few banks have established an outstanding track record of innovation, growth and value creation. Banking in India was defined under Section 5(A) as any company which transacts banking, business and the purpose of banking business defined under Section 5(B),accepting deposits of money from public for the purpose of lending or investing, repayable on demand through cheque/draft or otherwise. In the process of doing the above-mentionedRead MoreThe Role of Agriculture in the Nigerian Economy8784 Words   |  36 PagesCHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW In this chapter of the research work, the review of related literature is presented under the following heading: ââ€" ¡ Role of Agriculture in an Economy ââ€" ¡ Importance of Agriculture ââ€" ¡ Analysis of Selected Indicators of Agricultural Growth ââ€" ¡ Agricultural Constraints ââ€" ¡ Institutional Reforms ââ€" ¡ Major agricultural policies in Nigeria from 1960-2005 ââ€" ¡ Macro-economic variables affecting economic growth ââ€" ¡ Government expenditure ââ€" ¡ Investment Read MorePublic Fiscal Administration3852 Words   |  16 Pagesactivity. Wherein RPCOPG represents the â€Å"real per capita output of public goods†, RCPI represents â€Å"real per capita income†; and where the numerical values represent an earlier and later period respectively. Wagner believes that social progress is the basic reasons for the relative growth of government in industrialize countries. Because it implies giving importance to distribution issues, and perhaps a desire for a more equitable distribution of resources. Accordingly, an increase in cultural and socialRead MoreCredit Creation2691 Words   |  11 Pagesdivided up into the M1-M3 components. Generally, the types of commercial bank money that tend to be valued at lower amounts are classified in the narrow category of M1 while the types of commercial bank money that tend to exist in larger amounts are categorized in M2 and M3, with M3 having the largest. The Reserve Bank of India defines the monetary aggregates as: †¢ Reserve Money (M0): Currency in circulation + Bankers’ deposits with the RBI + ‘Other’ deposits with the RBI = Net RBI credit to the