American literature

«Who reads an American book?» asked the Brilish critic Sydney Smith in 1820. «Literature the Americans have none...it is all im­ported». But nearly 150 years later, American literature had devel­oped to the point that the British critic Julian Mitchell asked: «Why is it that American novelists seem to write so very much better than wc do?»

It took Americans many years to develop a national literature. The settlers who arri ved in the 1600's had little time to write books. They were too busy clearing the wilderness and conquering the land. Gradually, as the nation grew, a rich and imaginative litera­ture began to appear. By the mid-1800's, only 30 years after Sydney Smith's scornful remark, America was the home of many major literary achievements. Such authors as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Wall Whitman had produced masterpieces that ranked with the great works of litera­ture.

Today, American authors are recognized throughout the world for their important contributions to all forms of literature. Wash­ington Irving and Edgar Allan Рое helped make the short story a major literary form. The free verse of Whitman, the short poems of Emily Dickinson, and the literary theories of Henry James created new paths in poetry and fiction. In drama, Eugene O'Neill influ­enced playwrights everywhere with his bold techniques and daring new themes.

American literature has been translated into almost every lan­guage. Russians study Mark Twain, French people quote Henry David Thoreau, and Italians discuss Ernest Hemingway. American authors no longer wonder whether anyone will read their work. Instead, they face the challenge of producing enough works of qual­ity to satisfy worldwide interest.

The United States has such a large and varied literature that we can make no true generalizations about it. But three characteristics seem to stand out and give it a flavor all its own.

First, American literature reflects beliefs and traditions that come from the nation's frontier days. The pioneer ideals of self-reliance and independence appear again and again in American writings. American authors have great respect for the value and importance of the individual. They tend to reject authority and to emphasize democracy and the equality of people. They often celebrate nature and a sense of boundless space.

Second, American writers have always had a strong tendency to break with literary tradition and to strike out in their own direc­tions. Writers of other countries seem to absorb their national liter­ary traditions. But many American authors have rejected the old in order to create something new.

Third, a lively streak of humor runs through American litera­ture from earliest limes to the present. In many cases, a dash of salty humor saves a serious theme from becoming too sentimental. American humor tends to be exaggerated rather than subtle. It re­flects the people's ability to laugh at themselves even during the most difficult times. People everywhere would probably still agree with the Scottish author Andrew Lang. In 1892, Lang wrote: «If you see the tears running down from the eyes of a fellow country­man..., if he be writhing with mirth too powerful for expression, the odds are he has got hold of a Yankee book».