Defining "Major American Authors"

Does society shape an author’s writing or does the author’s writing define society—or both? Does enjoyability and popularity deem an author “major” or simply designate them as “great” authors? To be considered a “major American author,” requires writing that encapsulates the pulse of any combination of American culture, religion, society, or politics, and is widely received and influential enough to have made a significant impact and lasting impression upon society. The various works studied throughout the semester capture key aspects of what it means to be “American,” that while unique to the periods these pieces were written, continue their timeless unraveling of our American legacy.

We began the class reading Frederick Douglass’ The Heroic Slave and Herman Melville’s Benito Cereno. Both of these authors provide timely novellas steeped in cultural, societal, and political relevancy to the 19th century. Specifically, we were introduced to the primary issues of their time—the institution of slavery; racial, cultural, and social disparity in the North and South; and tensions in the years leading up to and surrounding the American Civil War. Not only were these themes largely relatable to the readership, featuring identifiable characters; but the moral dilemmas and political agendas critical to America’s eventual civil rights evolution are clearly identifiable undertones. For example, Douglass’ The Heroic Slave was specifically written for the readers of the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society as an example of how the rebellion aboard the Creole “is part of a revolution and therefore fundamentally American” (Douglass, back cover), which emphasizes the historical importance of the anti-slavery movement, as well as, the influence and value of Douglass’ perspective.

Also highly valued for its unique artistic expression crystallizing the “unwritten” American Civil War and capturing the introspective heart of American sentiment is the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, and Walt Whitman. Through her use of the words “autumn; scarlet rain; sprinkles bonnets; and rose,” Dickinson presents a more delicate and universally accepted imagery when describing a bloody battle in “The name – of it – is “Autumn”—” (lines 1, and 8-10). In Melville’s “The Portent” and Whitman’s “A Sight in Camp,” an increase in military references (Melville’s foreshadowed battles of Shenandoah Valley and Whitman’s backdrop of a military camp) are representative of the authors’ closer ties to the repercussions of war and indicative of a more war-versed audience. Additionally, the three poets’ use of religious symbolism throughout their writing highlights the importance placed on American religious beliefs during that time (e.g., Whitman’s introduction of the image of Christ Himself, drawing a direct correlation between sacrificial religious symbols to that of the sacrificed soldiers). Each of these poetic perspectives poignantly captures the essence of our American Civil War lineage.

Buried within the self-explorative avant-garde works of Henry Adams’ The Education of Henry Adams and Gertrude Stein’s The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, are influential and progressive literary pieces that serve as introductions to American industry, technology, philosophy, and art against the relevant political landscapes of their respective times. On point social and political themes also serve as backdrops for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Babylon Revisited, featuring a character’s moral journey after the 1929 stock market crash that led to America’s Great Depression, which parallels Fitzgerald’s own life; as well as, in the search for self-identity amidst racial inequality addressed in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. These works feature both characters and themes still widely applicable to the modern audience.

Greatly influenced by American life, these authors, among many others, have made significant and relevant literary contributions which have stood the test of time; tackling complex moral and social issues of yesterday that still deeply resonate today. Their heritage has been permanently woven into the historical fabric of America, serving as the family albums of our forefathers and blueprints for American legacy. The historical relevancy and sheer magnitude of timeless influence is what defines each of these authors as “major American authors” and is why their work will continue influencing American generations for years to come.