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LITR 4326 Early American Literature Model Assignments |
Final Exam Essays 2016 Sample answers
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Melissa Holesovsky
9 May
2016
Creation and Origin: The Connection Continues
Throughout this semester, there has been a significant amount of learning
for me in Early American Literature, and not just through new readings, but also
through the class objectives. With the explanation of the Creation and Origin
Stories objective offered through Dr. White’s homepage, I have been able to make
connections all semester between readings that looked as though they were polar
opposites of one another. This was a theme of focus in my midterm, but it was
also (unknowingly) a focus of my research posts. Using these assignments as a
foundation, I have been able to make additional connections between the readings
of the last half of the semester with those of the first.
For
my midterm Essay 1, “A Matter of Origin,” I looked at Native American creation
and origin stories as well as the book of
Genesis and the “Declaration of Independence” and how they all fit under the
distinction of Creation and Origin Stories in Early American Literature. What
drew me to this theme was the flexibility in definition of creation and/or
origin. Creation and Origin stories don’t only have to be about the origins of
the earth and human life, but can also be about the founding of a country, like
“Declaration,” or even the origin of an idea. This flexibility is what allows
such diverse readings to be categorized under the umbrella of creation and/or
origin.
While
I was able to successfully unite the chosen readings for my midterm essay one,
there was a bigger concern that I seemed to miss. In Dr. White’s comments on my
midterm, he encouraged me to re-examine the “Which America to Teach” objective
and see how my writing was somewhat one-sided. With his encouragement of all
that was right with my submission, I did, in fact, take a closer look at my
writing in regards to this additional objective and found that, indeed, I had
overemphasized the multicultural teachings over that of the dominant. These
closer looks lead me to the conclusion that, while it is very necessary to
include all cultures in the history of America, this most definitely must be
balanced with the dominant culture because of the foundations of the country.
While we may want to take a multicultural approach more often than not, both the
dominant and multicultural stories appear in American history, and, to teach it
accurately, both must be included.
I did
not realize this was a connection that continued through my research posts. In
examining the scientific mind and contributions of Thomas Jefferson, I again was
looking at an origin story. My first post focused on the archaeological work
done by Jefferson and my second post focused on his legacy through his
Notes of the State of Virginia.
Because this book has been so important to the field of archaeology and the
understanding of native peoples in the Virginia area, Jefferson’s
Notes are an origin story much like
the ones examined in my midterm. The book doesn’t just display Jefferson’s very
rational, enlightenment ways of thinking, but also depicts the beginning of
scientific study and recording of remains, artifacts and sites as left behind by
early inhabitants of the country.
There
was still more connection between readings and the creation/origin stories
objective after the midterm with the cultural origin story written by Olaudah
Equiano. In his The Interesting Narrative
of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, . . . the African, Equiano recounts his
birth and life in Africa and his subsequent kidnapping and sale into slavery.
Equiano chronicles his experiences from his time on slave ships to the hardships
of slave life and being bought and sold repeatedly. Once a free man, he lives
out his days in England and ends his narrative with a reflection of slavery and
how he hopes it will come to an end. In this slave narrative, there is the
origin, or partial origin, of African-American culture in Early American
history. While not all African-Americans came to be in this country via the
slave trade, many did and here again is a presentation of the origin of a
people. Though this is not a pleasant look at American history, it is American
history the same and must be included in the America that is taught in Early
American Literature.
In
reading the early novels Charlotte Temple
(1791) and Edgar Huntly (1799), I
found, though loosely, another origin story. While the storylines differ
greatly, both novels were written early in American history and offer a
foundation for the American novel.
Charlotte Temple is more a foundation for the romance or seduction genre
because of Charlotte’s fall to desire and subsequent social ruin, while
Edgar Huntly has a gothic presence
and fascination with the psychological manifestation of desires through
somnambulism. Because both are
early examples of American novels and have served as inspiration for later
writers, they can both be considered part of the origin of the American novel
and part of genre creation in literature.
Coming into Early American Literature, I thought I had a solid understanding of
what influenced literature in this country, but I learned quickly there was more
to it than once believed. In school, American history covers Native Americans,
Founding Fathers, and their periphery, but to consider them as part of
literature was not a concept I had prior to this class. With the help of the
creation/origin stories and dominant vs. multicultural approach objectives, what
was once familiar has taken on a new purpose. Overall, many of the reading
included this semester have a background meaning of beginning and serve to lend
an accurate representation of America to the reader, or in this case, learner.
This class and the respective readings have lent a broader sense of Early
America to my thinking and will helpful as I enter the classroom as teacher
rather than student.
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