Flashcards on Early American Literature and Its Origins
Early American Literature and Its Origins: A Student's Guide
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Early American literature
24 cards
Card 1
Question: What are the main cultural roots of early American literature?
Answer: Native American cultures, English literature, religion (especially Protestantism), and colonial life.
Card 2
Question: Which religious influence strongly shaped early American literature?
Answer: Puritanism and Protestant religion.
Card 3
Question: How was Native American literature transmitted before Europeans arrived?
Answer: Orally from generation to generation through myths, legends, chants, songs, and rituals.
Card 4
Question: What subjects did Native American oral stories typically explain?
Answer: The origin of people, animals, nature, and the universe.
Card 5
Question: List the types of writings produced by European colonists in early America.
Answer: Travel books, diaries, biographies, journals, histories, poetry, and religious writings.
Card 6
Question: What belief did Puritans hold about America?
Answer: They believed America was the “Promised Land” chosen by God.
Card 7
Question: Give examples of works or genres that represent early American literature.
Answer: Native American myths and legends; Of Plymouth Plantation; The General History of Virginia; sermons by Jonathan Edwards; poetry by Anne Bradstreet.
Card 8
Question: Define a myth as used in early American storytelling.
Answer: A traditional symbolic story passed orally from generation to generation.
Card 9
Question: What phrases indicate a myth is set in mythical time?
Answer: Formulas like “When Coyote was a man…”, “Before the people came…”, “When the Earth was still young…”, and “In the ancient days…”.
Card 10
Question: What is the key difference between Pilgrims and Puritans regarding the Church of England?
Answer: Pilgrims were separatists who left the Church completely; Puritans stayed in the Church and wanted to purify it.