Pre- 19 th Century American Literature

1. Pre- 19th Century American Literature Mrs. Winchester

2. Info about the Time Period • This time period was highly focused on the puritan ideal. • During this time, religion was a huge focus in the literature. Many authors wrote about bringing the people to the church, and about how to make it into heaven. • Another focus of literature during this time was colonization; the bringing together of people and building a new beginning.

3. 2 Major Authors of this time period • Jonathan Edwards: • Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) was a preacher. • Edwards played a very critical role in shaping the First Great Awakening, and oversaw some of the first fires of revival in 1733–1735 at his church in Northampton, Massachusetts.Edwards delivered the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", a classic of early American literature. • Edwards died from smallpox.

4. “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” • This text can be summed up by its title. The sermon focused on the wrong-doings of people. Edwards used vivid imagery in his descriptions of hell in order to lure his congregation into staying on the correct path. Edwards focused on 9 major points about God: • God controls who goes to hell and he will do it at any time. • People who sin and do wrong will go to hell, they cannot be redeemed. • The wrong-doers are already in hell now. • People who do wrong are feeling God’s wrath every day. • God controls Satan, and he will tell Satan when to come after the people who do wrong. • God is the only thing preventing the sinners to come out of hell. • The wrong-doers should never feel safe. • No one is safe from God’s wrath, we are under constant watch. • You must accept Christ into your life or you will go to hell.

5. Benjamin Franklin • Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and the glass ‘harmonica'. • Franklin was foundational in defining the American ethos as a marriage of the practical and democratic values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit, and self-governing institutions. • He became wealthy by publishing Poor Richard's Almanacand The Pennsylvania Gazette. • Toward the end of his life, he freed his slaves and became one of the most prominent abolitionists.

6. Poor Richard’s Almanac • The Almanack contained the calendar, weather, poems, sayings, and astronomical and astrological information that a typical almanac of the period would contain. Franklin also included the occasional mathematical exercise. • In the spaces that occurred between noted calendar days, Franklin included proverbial sentences about industry and frugality(saving money).

7. Sample from the Text 1734 Would you live with ease, Do what you ought, and not what you please. Principiisobsta.[Latin: Resist the first advances] Better slip with foot than tongue. You cannot pluck roses without fear of thorns, Nor enjoy a fair wife without danger of horns. Without justice, courage is weak. Many dishes many diseases, Many medicines few cures. Where carcasses are, eagles will gather, And where good laws are, much people flock thither. Hot things, sharp things, sweet things, cold things All rot the teeth, and make them look like old things. Blame-all and Praise-all are two blockheads. Be temperate in wine, in eating, girls, & sloth; Or the Gout will seize you and plague you both. No man e’er was glorious, who was not laborious. What pains our Justice takes his faults to hide, With half that pains sure he might cure ’em quite. In success be moderate. Take this remark from Richard poor and lame, Whate’er’sbegun in anger ends in shame. What one relishes, nourishes. Fools multiply folly.

8. 5 Questions: • What does the literature in your assigned time period say about Americans then compared to Americans now? • EDWARDS: One of the major focuses on America during the Puritan age was religion and forming America BASED on that religion. It was extremely important to Americans that God be a foundation in what men built their country on. Now, this is a little different from our world today. We now have laws separating church and state. The puritans would be very displeased. • FRANKLIN: Also, this time period was about building the nation with certain ideals. That is why Franklin had the ways to live by in his almanac. • Who is the intended audience for this piece of literature? Why? • E: The average American Christian. They were meant to hear and fear. Edwards believed that if people feared hell then they would not sin. • F: The average American, they were meant to learn from his writings, they were meant to learn and then live by what he said. He wrote about everyday things and then he also focused on more abstract proverbial ways that Americans could live by.

9. What is the author’s purpose? • E: To spark fear into his congregation and to keep them on the correct path of Christianity. If they followed the ways of the lord, they will be safe from hell. • F: To teach the ways of the world. To inform the average American about the world in which they live. Franklin believed in respect and learning to live happily with one another. • How do place and time shape an author's work(s), and our understanding of them? • Because this work was placed in the building of a new nation, it was incredibly important to instill values and rules. Making the focus on a religious aspect seemed to be the best way to keep the people sturdy and in agreement. Understanding WHY people wrote and said what they did makes it easier for us to grasp our own world now and learn about our history. • What characteristics of the literary works you read make it influential over time? • We now know where our societal values come from. We also know why vivid imagery is so important in making people believe your argument. After reading this piece, we can also see where some of the rebellious nature came from and why people would shy away from religion. We also know how influential these authors were to shaping our nation, especially Franklin.