1 2

An Outline of American Literature:

Preface:
This course gives a glimpse of the rise and development of
American literature since its beginnings in the seventeenth century until
its modernist phase during and after First World War. The Introduction
An Outline of to this book presents a very quick survey of the main periods of
American literature. It gives a hint at the historical context of each stage,

American each stage’s main characteristics, and its founding figures.

As it is impossible to cover all the stages in detail throughout the

Literature course, this course focuses only on two stages that are related to the texts
that are to be examined: Puritanism and Harlem Renaissance. Puritanism
as a cultural and religious movement will be examined in the light of the
(Third-Year Students)
short story “Young Goodman Brown” (1835) by American writer
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864). Moreover, a glimpse of Harlem
Renaissance will be studied in relation to the one-act play Color Struck
(1926) by Black American writer Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960). In
addition, students will know more about Black American literature from

Prepared and Edited by: the lens of the Black American novelist and Nobel Prize winner Toni
Morrison by studying her first novel The Bluest Eye (1970).
Dr Sara AbdElSabour Rady Khalil
PhD Durham University, England
 3 4
Contents
Preface ................................................................................................. 2
Introduction ........................................................................................ 9
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) .................................................. 51
“Young Goodman Brown” .............................................................................................................. 54
................................................................................................................................................................. 55
Plot Overview ............................................................................................................................... 75
Character Analysis....................................................................................................................... 78
Historical Context ........................................................................................................................ 82
Themes ......................................................................................................................................... 83
Motifs ........................................................................................................................................... 85
Symbols ........................................................................................................................................ 86
Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) .................................................... 88
Color Struck: A Play in Four Scenes ................................................................................................ 92
Plot summary ............................................................................................................................. 123
Themes ....................................................................................................................................... 124
Glossary of Some Literary Terms Used Throughout the Course:131
Literary Analysis of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye ................. 140
Table of Contents ........................................................................... 141
In a Nutshell/Overview ................................................................. 142
Why Should I Care? ...................................................................... 143
What's Up With the Title?............................................................ 144
What's Up With the Ending? ....................................................... 145
Literary Devices - Table of Contents ........................................... 147
Writing Style .................................................................................. 148
Lyrical and Featuring Multiple Perspectives................................................................................. 148
Tone ................................................................................................. 149
Sympathetic, Poetic, Philosophical ................................................................................................ 149
Narrator Point of View ................................................................. 150
First Person (Central Narrator) and Third Person (Omniscient) ................................................. 150
Symbols, Imagery, Allegory ......................................................... 151
Blue Eyes/Vision ............................................................................................................................ 151
Houses ........................................................................................................................................... 151
Setting.............................................................................................. 153
Lorain, Ohio in 1941; the Rural South in the Early 20th Century................................................ 153
Tough-o-Meter................................................................................ 154
(6) Tree Line ............................................................................................................................ 154
Genre ............................................................................................... 155
African-American Modernist Fiction ............................................................................................ 155
Book Summary/Plot Overview .................................................... 156
Chapter Summaries - Table of Contents .................................... 158
Prologue, Part 1 ............................................................................. 159
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 159
Prologue, Part 2 ............................................................................. 160
Characters Involved ...................................................................................................................... 160
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 160
Autumn, Chapter 1........................................................................ 161
Characters Involved ...................................................................................................................... 161
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 161
Autumn, Chapter 2........................................................................ 163
Characters Involved ...................................................................................................................... 163
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 163
Autumn, Chapter 3........................................................................ 164
Characters Involved ...................................................................................................................... 164
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 164
Winter, Chapter 4 .......................................................................... 166
Characters Involved ...................................................................................................................... 166
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 166
 5 6
Winter, Chapter 5 .......................................................................... 168
Spring, Chapter 6 .......................................................................... 170
Characters Involved....................................................................................................................... 170
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 170
Spring, Chapter 7 .......................................................................... 172
Characters Involved....................................................................................................................... 172
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 172
Spring, Chapter 8 .......................................................................... 174
Characters Involved....................................................................................................................... 174
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 174
Spring, Chapter 9 .......................................................................... 176
Characters Involved....................................................................................................................... 176
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 176
Summer, Chapter 10...................................................................... 178
Summer, Chapter 11...................................................................... 179
Characters Involved....................................................................................................................... 179
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 179
Plot Analysis - Table of Contents ................................................. 180
Classic Plot Analysis ...................................................................... 181
Initial Situation .............................................................................................................................. 181
Conflict .......................................................................................................................................... 181
Complication .................................................................................................................................. 181
Climax............................................................................................................................................ 181
Suspense......................................................................................................................................... 182
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 182
Booker's Seven Basic Plots Analysis: Tragedy .......................... 183
Anticipation Stage.......................................................................................................................... 183
Dream Stage................................................................................................................................... 183
Frustration Stage ........................................................................................................................... 183
Nightmare Stage ............................................................................................................................ 183
Destruction..................................................................................................................................... 184
Three Act Plot Analysis ................................................................ 185
Act I ............................................................................................................................................... 185
Act II ............................................................................................................................................. 185
Act III ............................................................................................................................................ 185
Character Analysis - Table of Contents ...................................... 186
Character Analysis: Pecola Breedlove ........................................ 187
Aka (also known as) ...................................................................................................................... 187
Character Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 187
Character Timeline ....................................................................................................................... 188
Character Analysis: Claudia MacTeer ....................................... 190
Aka (also known as) ...................................................................................................................... 190
Character Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 190
Character Timeline ....................................................................................................................... 190
Character Analysis: Cholly Breedlove........................................ 192
Aka (also known as) ...................................................................................................................... 192
Character Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 192
Character Analysis: Pauline Breedlove ...................................... 193
Aka (also known as) ...................................................................................................................... 193
Character Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 193
Character Analysis: Frieda MacTeer ......................................... 194
Aka (also known as) ...................................................................................................................... 194
Character Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 194
Character Analysis: Maureen Peal ............................................. 195
Aka (also known as) ...................................................................................................................... 195
Character Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 195
Character Analysis: Miss Marie .................................................. 196
Aka (also known as) ...................................................................................................................... 196
Character Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 196
Character Analysis: Soaphead Church ...................................... 197
Aka (also known as) ...................................................................................................................... 197
Character Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 197
 7 8

Character Roles ............................................................................. 198 QUOTE: ......................................................................................................................................... 218

Protagonist ..................................................................................................................................... 198 Theme and Quote Analysis on: Society and Class .................... 222
Antagonist ...................................................................................................................................... 198 Theme Summary ........................................................................................................................... 222
Guide/Mentor ................................................................................................................................ 198 Study Questions............................................................................................................................. 222
Foil ................................................................................................................................................. 198 Sample Thesis Statements ............................................................................................................. 222

Character Clues ............................................................................. 200 Quotes & Thoughts on Society and Class...................................................................................... 222

Actions ........................................................................................................................................... 200
Family Life..................................................................................................................................... 200
Names ............................................................................................................................................ 200
Sex and Love .................................................................................................................................. 201
Speech and Dialogue ...................................................................................................................... 201
Theme and Quote Analysis on: Love .......................................... 226
Theme Summary ........................................................................................................................... 226
Study Questions............................................................................................................................. 226
Sample Thesis Statements ............................................................................................................. 227
Quotes & Thoughts on Love.......................................................................................................... 227

Themes and Quote Analysis - Table of Contents ....................... 202 Theme and Quote Analysis on: Sex............................................. 231
Theme and Quote Analysis on: Appearances ............................ 203 Theme Summary ........................................................................................................................... 231
Study Questions............................................................................................................................. 231
Theme Summary............................................................................................................................ 203
Sample Thesis Statements ............................................................................................................. 232
Study Questions ............................................................................................................................. 203
Quotes & Thoughts on Sex ............................................................................................................ 232
Sample Thesis Statements.............................................................................................................. 204
Quotes & Thoughts on Appearances ............................................................................................. 204 Theme and Quote Analysis on: Innocence ................................. 236
Theme and Quote Analysis on: Race .......................................... 208 Theme Summary ........................................................................................................................... 236
Study Questions............................................................................................................................. 236
Theme Summary............................................................................................................................ 208
Sample Thesis Statements ............................................................................................................. 237
Study Questions ............................................................................................................................. 208
Quotes & Thoughts on Innocence ................................................................................................. 237
Sample Thesis Statements.............................................................................................................. 208
Quotes & Thoughts on Race .......................................................................................................... 209 References: ...................................................................................... 241
Theme and Quote Analysis on: Women and Femininity .......... 213
Theme Summary............................................................................................................................ 213
Study Questions ............................................................................................................................. 213
Sample Thesis Statements.............................................................................................................. 213
Quotes & Thoughts on Women and Femininity ............................................................................ 214

Theme and Quote Analysis on: Jealousy .................................... 217

Theme Summary............................................................................................................................ 217
Study Questions ............................................................................................................................. 217
Sample Thesis Statements.............................................................................................................. 217
Quotes & Thoughts on Jealousy .................................................................................................... 218
 9 10

American Gothic
Transcendentalism 1840-1860
Introduction: Realism 1865-1914
Naturalism 1885-1930
Regionalism 1865-1895
As the world around us changes, so does the way that we see the Modernism 1914-1945
world, and how we express that vision, literature, arts, and philosophy Lost Generation, Jazz Age, 1917-1937
Roaring 20s, the Harlem
evolve to mirror their historic and social context. An appreciation of a Renaissance
particular piece of literature is grounded by an understanding of the Beat Generation 1950-1965
Contemporary or Postmodernism 1939-Present
work’s context. Looking at literary movements helps us articulate the
common approaches to writing, big ideas of each movement, and social
The Colonial Period (1607–1775)
and political influences of the time period. It is important for students of
This period encompasses the founding of Jamestown up to a
American Literature to understand the author and characters’ attitudes;
decade before the Revolutionary War. The majority of writings were
connecting a piece of writing to the ideologies of its time is a significant
historical, practical, or religious in nature. Some writers not to miss from
component in this task.
this period include Phillis Wheatley, Cotton Mather, William Bradford,
American literature does not easily lend itself to classification by
Anne Bradstreet, and John Winthrop. The first Slave Narrative, A
time period. Given the size of the United States and its varied
Narrative of the Uncommon Sufferings, and Surprizing Deliverance of
population, there are often several literary movements happening at the
Briton Hammon, a Negro Man, was published during this period, in
same time. However, this has not stopped literary scholars from making
1760 Boston.
an attempt. Many scholars, such as Richard Gray in his book A Brief
Motivated by a desire to 'purify' the Church of England with the
History of American Literature, agree that American literature comprises
simple worship of God, Puritans left to colonize the New World. As
the following movements:
settlers, they recorded their experiences through diaries and historical
Name(s) of Literary Movements Approx. Dates
Native American Oral Tradition accounts.
Puritanism or Colonial 1620-1750 Puritan Terms and Influences
Revolutionary, Age of Reason, 1750-1800
Enlightenment Predestination: the idea that God knows where each person will
Romanticism, Dark Romanticism, 1800-1865 end up in eternity. The Puritans believed that those who were blessed
Anti-Transcendentalism,
with wealth and prosperous family lives were a part of those “elected” to