American Literature Blog

📚 Author and Work Overview Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts. His identity was significantly influenced by his hometown. He was especially troubled by his great-grandfather’s involvement as a judge in the 1692 witch trials. Although he spent his early years in Maine and Boston, Salem was his hometown until 1850. Hawthorne married Sophia Peabody in 1842. He spent a short time in Concord with his wife before moving back to Salem to become a Surveyor of the Port at Custom House. He was, however, retrenched in 1849 due to a political change. Following this incident and his mother’s death, a bitter Hawthorne referred to Salem as an "abominable city" and left for good. Hawthorne spent his later years in Lenox and Liverpool as a US Consul under President Franklin Pierce. He died in his sleep on May 18, 1864, while on a trip to New Hampshire. Although he left Salem and referred to it as an "abominable city," Salem was a permanent feature...

📚 Author and Work Overview Hi there! Today, I would like to make known about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which  was a book written by Samuel Langhorne Clemens aka  Mark Twain,  one of the most prominent American writers,  and published in 1884 . Considered as one of the most important novels in American literature and a key example of Realism,  Twain is known due to the evident use of satire and humor as well as regional language and social criticism in all of his works. Specifically in this novel, he portrays life along the Mississippi River and exposes the problems of racism, hypocrisy, and injustice in the 19th-century American society. 🧐 Summary of the Work The story follows a young boy named  Huckleberry Finn  who escaped from his alcoholic and abusive father to running down away to Mississippi River on a raft. While he travels, he meets Jim who is an enslaved black man, also running away in search of freedom. Both Huck and Jim expe...

📚 Author and Work Overview The Old Man and the Sea is a novella written by Ernest Hemingway and published in 1952. It is considered one of his most important works and a clear example of his minimalist writing style. The story reflects universal human experiences such as struggle, perseverance, and dignity. The novella was highly successful and played a key role in Hemingway receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. 🧐 Summary of the Work Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, hasn't caught a fish in eighty-four days Even though he's been having a rough time, he's not ready to throw in the towel and thinks things will turn around for him He sails deep into the gulf Stream and snags a massive marlin Santiago's been wrestling with the fish for a few days, really pushing his limits both physically and mentally After finally landing a big catch, he secures the marlin to his boat and starts heading back home But, sharks go after the marlin and gobble up its meat, le...

📚 Author and Work Overview Hi there! Today, i would like to make known about The Poor Richard’s Almanack , which was a work written by "The First American"  Benjamin Franklin and   published between 1732 and 1758 . For sure it was one of the most popular publications in colonial America. The first intention of Franklin by creating this almanac was to share practical information such as calendars, weather forecasts, and advice about daily life. But over the time, the most important part of the book is its collection of proverbs and sayings related work, money, and personal values, creating a fictional character called “Richard Saunders", a poor and humble astrologer in order to made it seem that the work was created by an ordinary and struggling man to taught people how to live wisely and responsibly without the need of being wealthy intellectual. 🧐 Summary of the Work The main content of Poor Richard’s Almanack was  short phrases and moral lessons that promote val...