Oct 6, 2008

The American Novel | The American Novel

Origins

American literature turned to the subject of America after the Revolutionary War, when American authors began the exploration of themes and motifs distinctly American. Continuing the Puritan belief in America as the New Eden, American authors stressed the millennial nature of settlement and progress. Each milestone in improvement and enlargement marked a national movement toward spiritually sanctioned political dominion. Geographic, industrial, and social changes found justification in America’s mythic vision of itself independent of England and free of European...

[The entire page is 5105 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

©2000-2008 Enotes.com Inc.
All Rights Reserved