GLS B at Bergische Universität Wuppertal

1492- 1763

- Puritans and Pilgrims 

- Chain of Being 

- God decides everything (sinner or saint) 

- Captivity narrative 

- Autobiographical, Travel report, writing 

1763- 1820 

- God as the clockmaker 

- Faults (not called sins) are acceptable 

- no mediation between humans and god anymore 

- Age of reason and enlightenment 

- Improvement 

- "how to be a good citizen "

1820-1865

- Man thinking 

- Transcendalisism

(Neue Bewegung, Kant, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau)

- Nature is more important (not wild and cruel - Natives/Colonial Era) 

- Flee from Civilization - cultural independence  

1865- 1914

- Realism is honest (trying to show the word as they see it) 

- Settings easy to imagine 

- Nostalgic look back to the times before Civil War 

- Authors were very careful to interpret the word as they see it  

1914 - 1921

- Individualism 

- Fragmentation 

- find solutions, make an Impact 

- Christopher Columbus "Letters"

- Capetian John Smith 

"The general History of Virginia, New England and the Summer Isles"

William Bradford 

"Plymouth Plantation"

Roder Williams 

activist, fought for Freedom and equality for Indians and Englishman 

Anne Bradstreet

"Here follows some Verse upon the Burning House"

- Mary Rowlandson 

"A narrative of the captivity and restoration .."

left England for religious reasons

1643 Mass integration

- don't need a pope to communicate to god 

- Access to god by the bible 

- no fiction writing, only write about real things. 

1) justify  everything with god 

2) Live structured by god and their belief

3) Chain of Being  - God is above everything 

William Bradford 

Travel report 

Religious autobiography 

simple plain text 

- People on ship on their way to America 

- All trust in God, - God's providence/ Predestination 

- Things happen for a reason 

- bad weather but sailors kept going + trust in God 

- Ship arrived in Cape Harbor during winter + cold 

Wilderness

Promised Land 

Turned to God for help 

They didn't know God's Plan

Anne Bradstreet  1650

Poem 

simple + plains style, rhythmic couples 

personal experience 

autobiographical 

wakes up, her house is burned down, 

but she believes God has a plan for her

It's not her house, its god's house 

"The mighty Architect"- God 

Believes God will give her a new house 

1th permanent settlement, Jamestown 

Jamestown was founded by John Smith 

1706 – 1790
“The autobiography”
- scientist
- founding father (one of the 5 man working on declaration of independence)
- self made man → American dream

Test2