American Short Stories
Question 1: The evolution of American Short Stories
Like some other things in society, literature has revolutionized through different periods. During this period, the authors applied distinct styles in their literary presentations. The various methods include neoclassicism, nationalism, American romanticism, American transcendentalism, realism modernism, and many others. Between the years 1660- 1798, literature experienced neoclassical movement that was based on satire, classical ideal, and uncertainty. The authors of this period were Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope (Pacht 3). During this time, the irony was used to entertain people and caution them against certain behaviors in the community. As a result, the essay explores the changes in the American short story since the time of Washington Irving and Nathaniel Hawthorne until now.
First of all, unlike the previous literary movements, the 20th-century American authors modified and extended the short story evolution to express controversial and subversive ideas without endangering their reputation in the literature market and without isolating the readers. Both Washington Irving and Nathaniel Hawthorne have spanned the American literary tradition. The two of the earliest American short stories include Hawthorne’s The Legends of the Prince-House and Washington Irving’s The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. The short narrative evolution structure allows Hawthorne and Irving to simultaneously acknowledge Britain as America’s influential predecessor and express the intentions of the original colonies to establish themselves as a nation (Pacht 9). Due to too much scorn that the Americans were experiencing in the 1800s, Irving decided to venture into short story writing to change the attitude on the American writers from both sides of Atlantic by creating short stories that would impress everyone (Pacht 10).
On the other hand, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Legends of the Province-House combined four of his stories that provide vision into his accurate perception of conflict through which America gained liberation. Besides, the use of the word “Legend” portrays the author’s relationship to fiction and facts (Pacht 11). Therefore, both Irving and Hawthorne derived their works from the British literary worked. During the period between 1830 and 1870, romantic movements emerged. Romantics adopted different thinking that values the individual over a group, personal instead of objective, and explored an individual’s emotional experience over reason. Besides, the movement also values the desolation of nature over human-made demand.
On the other hand, realism emerged between 1865 and 1914. The realist developed an interest in everyday life. For instance, most of their works explore real-life experiences such as poverty, immorality, and social relationships. The Vcan be related to the realist, except that they incorporate numerous styles and reacts on the current scientific and technological issues in the society. For instance, James Baldwin’s Sonny Blues is an example of a realist novel that explores the real experience of the American Society. “For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard” (p. 34)
Question Sonny Blues by James Baldwin
James Baldwin’s Sonny Blues is an African American novel published in 1957, during the rise of the civil war. It was published three years after Brown V. Board of Education lawsuit. During this period, African Americans were fighting against segregation and discrimination in schools, buses, and other public places. The narrative is nonlinear because it is written in an out of order plot. Out of order plot means that the regular events of a novel or plot are disrupted. For instance, the first page of the narrative with the narrator is reading a newspaper about his brother’s arrest for using and selling heroin. As a result, the essay explores how the opening and closing passages create meaning and satisfaction to the reader.
First of all, the out of order plot increases suspense on the reader to want to read more. The arrest on the narrator’s brother has been used as a hook in introducing some of the main themes of civil rights and the violation of others. “I read about it in the paper in the subway on my way to work” (Baldwin 17). The sad news also changes the reader’s perception of the novel. When the reader encounters the title of the story for the first time, it will be
for the reader to be able to understand immediately what the novel is about.
Finally, out of order plot also changes the mood and attitude of the reader into sad and sympathetic. However, the readers will have to read the entire novel to understand what precedes the current events. Besides, it creates an emotional appeal for empathy and sympathy and makes the narrator a lovable character. In one of the passages, the narrator quotes that “For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard” (pg 31). The quote shows that pain and suffering are not a new thing or experience for African Americans.
Works Cited
Baldwin, James. Sonny’s Blues. Ernst Klett Sprachen, 2009.
Irving, Washington. The sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.,(Washington Irving). Vol. 2. Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1880.
Pacht, Michelle. The subversive storyteller: The short story cycle and the politics of identity in America. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009.