My attempt at pre-reading American History related literature...

[Sunshine State Sue]

Help?

 

I believe that the only book I read for high school English that I enjoyed was To Kill a Mockingbird. Ds and I covered that in 8th grade, so I am not particularly looking forward to high school literature.

 

We're using LLfLOTR (my favorite book of all time) this year, and I'm loving it, but we watched Teaching the Classics and I wanted to attempt to use it monthly on books related to American History, since ds is studying that this year (and he could use a few extra hours Carnegie unit wise here).

 

So far, I've read:

Scarlett Letter

Uncle Tom's Cabin (liked this best so far)

Great Gatsby (audio on a weekend trip)

The Crucible

and I'm slogging through Last of the Mohicans - must I finish?

 

Blech. Every one of them is depressing. I thought about working through:

Red Badge of Courage

The Jungle

Grapes of Wrath

Of Mice and Men

...more depressing stories

 

Is this what classic literature is? Any suggestions for less depressing material?

 

Thanks and sorry for the whine.

[LibraryLover]

LOL Can't help you. You've dissed several of my most fav novels. :tongue_smilie:

[Stacy in NJ]

No Twain?

 

A must read is Huckleberry Finn.

 

A couple other suggestions: All Quiet on the Western Front (instead of the Red Badge)

 

Grapes of Wrath is really a wonderful book, as is East of Eden

 

Skip the Jungle, just not worth the slog through.

 

I'd also suggest For Whom the Bell Tolls - another really moving book.

[AngieW in Texas]

Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is fun.

 

I actually liked Scarlet Letter, but I didn't like any of the others that you listed.

 

The only American literature novels I've had my dd read so far have been: Call of the Wild, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

 

I have to say that there aren't a lot of really great American literature books. I'm having my dd read American short stories this year along with a few novels. We'll do world lit next year.

 

There are a lot of great American short stories. I just don't like most of the novels.

[Lori D.]

Long Answer: We did American Lit. last year. And no, most is amazingly dark in theme -- ironically so, given the tremendous immigrant optimism and idea that "you can become whatever you want in America". BUT -- I think that is one of the reasons WHY Amer. Lit. themes are often so bleak -- showing the fallen nature, the underbelly and dark side of that bright optimistic dream, and the ugliness of persistent racism.

 

My opinion: a person REALLY needs good lit. guides to guide them through American Literature -- AND, JMO, it's best to do American Lit. LATER in the high school years (gr. 11 or 12), when students are really "getting" and have a lot of practice of how to read and analyze literature, because American Lit. classics are NOT easy works -- and it really helps to see what was going on in American history to help with themes. For example: The Great Gatsby is a sad, but absolutely beautifully written novel, which makes SO much more sense when you understand what happened to all those young people's dreams in WW1 (read the VERY depressing All Quiet on the Western Front by German author Remarque first).

 

 

Some lighter works to consider -- and like another poster said, they are usually short stories instead of the novels (and even so, there is often a dark thread that runs through even the lighter American works):

 

novels

- Tom Sawyer (Twain)

- Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (Twain)

- Huckleberry Finn (Twain) -- does not have the comic moments of Tom Sawyer, and does reveal the dark side of racism, but the "big classic" from Twain, and the first half is adventure-oriented

- Penrod (Tarkington) -- turn of the century comic sketches

- To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee) -- serious and heavy themes, but some hilariious comic moments, too -- a big favorite here

- Call of the Wild (London) -- not "fun" or "light" -- but a fast read and DSs enjoyed the dog and the wilderness adventure aspects

- Earthsea trilogy by Ursula LeGuin (Wizard of Earthsea; Tombs of Atuan; Farthest Shore) -- not a traditional classic, but a wonderfully-written fantasy trilogy

- Farenheit 451 (Bradbury) -- people either really like or really hate his style (DSs like his style) -- but 451 is not light

- Something Wicked This Way Comes (Bradbury) -- not a traditional classic, but a great "supernatural" thriller suspense tale

- My Antonia (Cather)

- Black Like Me (Griffith) -- NOT light, but a fascinating look at 1950s deep South and racism -- PREVIEW

 

 

novellas -- NONE are traditional "classic literature"

- I Heard the Owl Call My Name (Craven) -- lovely, inspiring, sad book (I enjoyed it more than DSs)

- The Day They Came to Arrest the Book (teen fiction work on censorship, with arguments pro and con on banning Huckleberry Finn from a school's library -- DSs really enjoyed this one in tandem with Huck Finn)

- I remember Mama (Forbes) -- fast read and humorous all the way through

- The Great Brain (Fitzgerald) -- young adult; series of humorous sketches of rural town boy hijinks

- Cheaper By the Dozen (Gilbraith) -- humorous all the way through

- Summer of the Monkeys (Rawls) -- young adult

- Little Britches (Moody)

 

 

short stories

- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Irving)

- Rip Van Winkle (Irving)

- something by Edgar Allen Poe -- all his short stories are weird and spooky -- how can DSs not like that?!?

- "The Raven" -- poem by Edgar Allen Poe -- a must; everyone alludes to or parodies this

- Bride Comes to Yellow Sky (Crane) -- funny/poignant

- Luck of Roaring Camp (Harte) -- funny/poignant

- Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (Bierce) -- first short story ever to use this type of surprise ending

- The Lady or the Tiger (Stockton) -- short/exciting

- Gift of the Magi (Henry) -- ironic/funny/poignant

- Ransom of Red Chief (Henry) -- straight up humor

- A Harlam Tragedy (Henry) -- ironic/funny

- The Most Dangerous Game (Connell) -- exciting/adventure

- Thank You, Ma'am (Hughes) -- funny/poignant

- The Catbird Seat (Thurber) -- funny

 

 

- WW2 newspaper columns by Ernie Pyle (often inspiring)

 

 

continues next post...

Edited September 3, 2010 by Lori D.

[Lori D.]

PART 2

 

Maybe consider doing a big unit on Sci-Fi? Not usually "light" or "funny", but sci-fi can be quite interesting in theme and many of the classic sci-fi works are by American authors:

- Farenheit 451 (Bradbury)

- Martian Chronicles (Bradbury) -- loosely connected short stories

- A Canticle for Leibowitz (Miller)

- Left Hand of Darkness (LeGuin) -- preview

- Eye of the Heron (LeGuin) -- preview

- The Giver (Lowry) -- classic young adult work; utopia/dystopia

 

Not considered classic literature, but here are some great "thinking" sci-fi works by American authors:

- I Robot (Asimov)

- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Dick) -- preview

- Ender's Game (Card)

- Dune (Herbert)

- Jurassic Park (Crichton)

- Flowers for Algernon (Keyes) -- preview

- Starship Troopers (Heinlein)

- House of Stairs (Sleater) -- fast read, teen book; it's the concept, not the writing, that make this one discussion-worthy

 

 

Ideas to make classic American Lit less bleak:

 

- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Substitute several short stories for The Scarlet Letter (Young Goodman Brown -- OR -- The Minister's Black Veil are very similarly-themed; or. Rappachini's Daughter has a tragic twist ending); some people prefer his novel "The House of Seven Gables"

 

- Herman Melville

Do yourself a favor and avoid Moby Dick (a novel the size of the title character); also avoid Billy Budd (novella); DSs HATED Melville -- I think this is the only author they have been so vehement towards; if you must do Melville, get it over with in a short story: Bartleby the Scrivener -- it's short and odd (almost a precursor in theme to nihilism)

 

- Stephen Crane

Avoid Red Badge of Courage unless DS loves war/battle works; instead keep it short (and fairly painless) with a short story: "Bride Comes to Yellow Sky" (funny/poignant), or "The Open Boat" (serious/existential theme)

 

- John Steinbeck

Instead of Grapes of Wrath (GAA! Like watching the Donner party in slo-mo!!), substitute the much shorter novella (thus lessening the length of pain) "The Pearl"; Biblical themes and symbolism

 

- Ernest Hemingway

Just me, but I can't get into Hemingway's bleak existential worldview; we went with his novella "The Old Man and The Sea" -- fast read, short, and DSs liked the sea adventure aspect

 

- just WATCH some classic plays -- maybe discuss the day after with a few questions from Sparknotes

 

- Flannery O'Conner

Okay, either people like or hate Flannery O'Conner; DSs and myself found the funny moments in her short stories to be hilarious -- which really then contrasts with the tragic aspects. Since most of her works are short stories, you can read one in an hour and move on if she's not your "cup of tea"; we read these 3 in this order (they get more complex as you go) and really enjoyed our journey into "Southern Grotesque" -- but it's not for the faint of heart:

- A Good Man is Hard to Find

- Revelation

- Everything That Rises Must Converge

 

 

We did these 3 short stories (two sci-fi, one "horror") in one week and had a great time discussing/comparing their worldviews:

- There Will Come Soft Rains (Bradbury) -- great, tragic sci-fi story

- The Lottery (Jackson) -- chilling

- The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas (LeGuin) -- also chilling

Edited September 3, 2010 by Lori D.

[elegantlion]

Thanks, Lori. Wow!

[1Togo]

I agree with the suggestion to wait until 11th or 12th grade for in-depth study of American literature. The themes are mature, and if you have a student who immerses himself in the "world" of the book, he could be overwhelmed by the darkness. The emotional impact is intense because many of these works are beautifully written. I reread "A Good Man is Hard to Find" two years ago and still get shivers thinking about that story. Frightening. You can buy Great American Short Stores for $10 from B&N. It includes a good sample of the lighter fare from major American authors.

 

The issue of dark and mature themes is something I am dealing with in our home. Dd is a strong reader with good comprehension skills, but she has an innocent and girlish heart. I am constantly looking for books that are challenging, but not too heavy. At 14 (birthday today!), she struggles with understanding and seeing the world through the lens of new maturity but wanting to hold on to childhood. This is a precious and challenging time.

 

Bonita

[Mommyfaithe]

I agree with the suggestion to wait until 11th or 12th grade for in-depth study of American literature. The themes are mature, and if you have a student who immerses himself in the "world" of the book, he could be overwhelmed by the darkness. The emotional impact is intense because many of these works are beautifully written. I reread "A Good Man is Hard to Find" two years ago and still get shivers thinking about that story. Frightening. You can buy Great American Short Stores for $10 from B&N. It includes a good sample of the lighter fare from major American authors.

 

The issue of dark and mature themes is something I am dealing with in our home. Dd is a strong reader with good comprehension skills, but she has an innocent and girlish heart. I am constantly looking for books that are challenging, but not too heavy. At 14 (birthday today!), she struggles with understanding and seeing the world through the lens of new maturity but wanting to hold on to childhood. This is a precious and challenging time.

 

Bonita

 

:iagree: We did 20th century lit...much of it American in 9th grade and my poor ds (13 at the time) took months to detox. It was awful! We had to read lots of fun, silly and comedic books for the entire next year. Be careful...some kids can handle dark lit early, some can not. I thought my ds would handle it just fine...but between illness, puberty and plain ol' growing pangs it proved a terrible combination.

 

Faithe

[lakerks]

Great suggestions, Lori D. Thanks!

 

:bigear:

[JennW in SoCal]

Sue -- we did the same thing. The year that my ds did American history we used LLftLotR. I remember thinking we should have been reading American Lit with the history, but instead we only touched on a few titles and have saved the heavy, darker material for this year. The intervening 2 years let him be better prepared for those titles.

 

Some "fun" suggestions (and I'm drawing a blank on what my ds read besides Red Badge and a play):

 

For early American Lit, read some of Poe's short stories and poetry.

 

For the Civil War, how about Across Five Aprils or even Gone With the Wind? I also recommend Tom Sawyer and Connecticut Yankee, but Huck Finn is darker -- you might hold off on that until senior year. Little Women is another good novel from this period.

 

David McCullough has many readable books on different periods of American History. A friend of mine recently read and recommended the book on the Johnstown flood.

 

Steinbeck's Cannery Row is supposed to be a very accurate portrayal of the sardine canneries in Monterey. At the Monterey Aquarium there is an exhibit devoted to the canneries and the ties to that book.

 

How about poetry? Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson?

 

I have to defend Moby Dick! My ds and I are listening to an excellent audio version. It is huge and not exactly action packed, but the details on whaling are fascinating and the writing is extraordinary. I don't think we would have gotten as much out of it if we hadn't read so many classics ahead of it as the literary allusions and elements would be lost on us.

 

But Last of the Mohicans is a slog. I far preferred watching Daniel Day Lewis in the movie!!!

[vonfirmath]

I remember loving Last of the Mohicans when I read it

 

Johnny Tremain?

Gone with the Wind?

[swimmermom3]

What about Alibi Ike or You Know Me Al by Ring Lardner? Several of his bitingly funny short stories have to do with the sports world. In defense of Melville, I have to mention yet one more time my love for White Jacket. Now that is a funny book in spite of all the descriptions of it's political agenda regarding American naval life. It's all of that and so much more.

[Lori D.]

What about Alibi Ike or You Know Me Al by Ring Lardner? Several of his bitingly funny short stories have to do with the sports world. In defense of Melville, I have to mention yet one more time my love for White Jacket. Now that is a funny book in spite of all the descriptions of it's political agenda regarding American naval life. It's all of that and so much more.

 

 

Apologies about Melville... I really need to amend my comments. ;) Really, it was DSs who absolutely despised Melville for his vocabulary and complex sentence structure (they had to stop me every other paragraph all the way through Billy Budd asking "What just happened??" -- and DSs are no slouch at listening/reading/understanding classic lit.). But they especially hated Melville for all his "long rambling pointless asides" (direct quote from DSs).

 

I, on the other hand, actually found Melville's writing in Billy Budd to be rich, complex, dense with allusion -- much more interesting now that I'm 40-something, than when I first read Billy Budd at age 20 in a college Amer. Lit. class (at that first reading, I didn't despise him -- but I did think he could have done with some serious editing to stay on point -- LOL!).

 

I think Melville has become for a specific example of what SWB has mentioned about the students in her college classes -- there are a lot of classic works that should NOT be attempted in high school or college because they really require life experience -- sometimes many YEARS of life experience -- to be able to connect with or appreciate the work. And it's a shame to "ruin" a work for someone by trying it too soon and then they hate ever after...

 

SWB's thoughts give me the freedom to wait on some classics for our DC so they can discover them on their own later in life at the right time. It also gives me permission to keep reading on my own; to go back and re-try some works I didn't "get" years ago, and to try ones I never had time for previously. (Hence the "self-education" portion of this board's title, I guess. :))

 

Cheers! Lori

[cathmom]

I found Young Goodman Brown a horrifying story - I'd rather read Scarlet Letter any day!

[Sunshine State Sue]

Thanks, everyone! I've added a few to my list and crossed a few others off. If/when ds takes another stroll through American History, it will likely be at CC where they also have American Literature. So, I'll be off the hook. :D

[swimmermom3]

Thanks, everyone! I've added a few to my list and crossed a few others off. If/when ds takes another stroll through American History, it will likely be at CC where they also have American Literature. So, I'll be off the hook. :D

 

Sue, this isn't classic work but it is classic Americana. Your son is 9th grade, right? Check out some of Joan Bauer's books. Many of her heroines are female but Stand Tall and Sticks are books my son enjoyed in 8th grade. If you haven't read any of Bauer's books, she is a Newberry award winner who takes slices of teenage Americana with some of the angst and a heck of a lot of hope. Her teens work the kinds of jobs kid really work. They are kids who have problems but are firmly grounded. If you are reading doom and gloom American lit, you might give your son one of these as a counter-balance.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I think a couple factors are at play. First is that these books weren't written for young adult audiences. Nor was most of what is considered classic literature. I wonder at our insistence on having a teen read books that might better wait until they have some life under their belts.

 

DH just reread 1984 (which he'd read and enjoyed a couple times before). He was commenting on how much darker he perceived it now as a more experienced adult.

 

The other thing that I ask occasionally is what qualities has designated something as a "classic". Some books are on reading lists because they show a progression in the art of the novel. But they aren't necessarily engaging reads now (Moll Flanders for example). Or the reading public has been so spoiled by movie treatments that we find it difficult to read the original (Last of the Mohicans). And then there are books that are acclaimed to be "great" but that I just don't see the point of (Ullysess is an example of a book I think critics were afraid to say was disjointed and not so great.)

 

And it's worth asking why a book was written and why it struck a chord. Something that just comes off as depressing now may have been read as an brutally honest look at life when it was published. Or it might have been more than a little muckracking. Or attempting to make a point by shocking the reader.

 

I would suggest more short stories. And moving beyond what makes it onto "great books" lists unless the idea is to get ready for an AP exam, where a familiarity with certain titles is going to be assumed.

 

Rip Van Winkle and The Headless Horseman by Irving

Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge

O. Henry like The Gift of the Magi,

Edgar Allen Poe - there are tons of interesting stories here, many of which were ground breaking. The Cask of Amantillado or The Purloined Letter or The Tell-Tale Heart.

Twain - not just Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn but also Connecticut Yankee or the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Jack London

Edith Wharton - I've read several books, but I especially love her short stories. Xingu is a favorite.

Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath, but also Cannery Row and Tortilla Flats

World War II produced some good work. The Caine Mutiny and Mr. Roberts for example show both selflessness and the grind of military service.

The Lady or the Tiger by Frank Stockton

[Carol in Cal.]

 

So far, I've read:

Scarlett Letter

Uncle Tom's Cabin (liked this best so far)

Great Gatsby (audio on a weekend trip)

The Crucible

and I'm slogging through Last of the Mohicans - must I finish?

 

Blech. Every one of them is depressing. I thought about working through:

Red Badge of Courage

The Jungle

Grapes of Wrath

Of Mice and Men

 

 

I personally never have gotten through "The Last of the Mohicans" or "Moby Dick" and I would not require them of a ninth grader unless he really, really wanted to read them. Go ahead and stop now!

 

"So Big" is light and still literary, and a great novel about the Midwest. "Oh Pioneers" and "Giants in the Earth" are two pioneer novels that I think would be wonderful to study in high school. If you want 'non-depressing' Hawthorne, I think your only option is "The House of the Seven Gables" and that is not as literary as his other works. I would not recommend it. I think that "The Scarlett Letter" is a good one to force yourself through--you could couple it with Edmond Morgan's "The Puritan Dilemma" to contrast what the Puritans started out to do with where they ended up socially and religiously. I would not bother with "The Jungle"--it's not great literature, and it's not all that enjoyable to read.

 

I don't think that "Red Badge of Courage" is essential. Basically its main point is that war is not all that glorious after all, and if you've already covered any of the epics you have probably done that to death already. I will go out on a limb and say that I don't think it is superbly well-written, either. And, yes, it is depressing. If you just want historical fiction reflecting a war experience, I suggest "The Moon is Down" by Steinbeck--this under-read book gives you a ton to talk about regarding what is and isn't called for in an occupied nation, as well as raising the question of fascist/totalitarian vs. democratic forms of government and the strengths and weaknesses of each of them. It is very well-written and engaging, and somewhat hopeful.

 

If you do want to study "Huckleberry Finn", why not start with "Tom Sawyer" which is SO funny, and then segue into it that way? Then also read "Uncle Tom's Cabin" at the same time.

 

For the post-Civil War period, "An Old-Fashioned Girl" might be good, although it is really two books, the first of which is pretty childish. The second one, though, puts a lot of of post-war churn and reform movements on the table, and it's very interesting from that perspective. It also has a moral tone that is really uplifting--taking up questions about what makes a good or bad person, how you show character or don't in adversity, what it means to stand by someone, what a good spouse does for their family and how they balance family and outside moral obligations. Again, this is sort of generally uplifting.

 

"Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Belles on Their Toes" do cover the twenties decently well from a social standpoint, and are very funny. But I don't think that there is anything to talk about there from a literary standpoint, and not all that much from a 'life and times' standpoint either. For a little light reading they are great, but I would not recommend them for literature. Do not miss "To Kill A Mockingbird"!!! It is SO well-written and gives you so much to talk about.

 

For other depression-era twentieth century literature, I really do love Steinbeck but there are many other choices available. The Marrin books "Hitler" and "Stalin" document the European history surrounding the Russian Revolution and WWII very well, and even cover the Depression to a large extent. They are not literature, but are wonderful ancillary history books for that period. "Animal Farm" pairs well with "Stalin." "The Screwtape Letters" pair very well with WWII--not literature, really, but well-written and leaving lots to talk about.

 

For the post-WWII period, I recommend "That Hideous Strength" by C. S. Lewis. This is one of my favorite books that he has ever written, and it shows the rise of the 'company man' extremely well. Lots to notice and discuss there, on a world-view level. Good writing, too.

 

So these last few paragraphs are recommending European books, it's true, but that is where a lot of this stuff was actually happening, and the culture in the US was similar in many ways to that in England, so the C. S. Lewis works apply either way. They are just the best of that period, IMO, and link you back to the American experience.

 

For later, I think that everyone should read a significant feminist work--"The Feminine Mystique" might be good. "Sisterhood is Powerful" would be a good anthology/survey. "An Invisible Man" is well-written, but depressing, but should be studied, I think. Likewise "Native Son." "The Berkeley Student Revolt" is not literature, but it's a great collection of original source material about the Free Speech Movement in 1964--I can't possibly recommend it highly enough. Thinking through when and under what circumstances you might or might not join a social movement, and then under what circumstances you might leave one that you have already joined is an essential exercise before being faced with that decision. TBSR, IMO, shows a group that had some right on its side at first, and went WAY too far into the wrong later on. The issue of exactly when that happened, and how and when one would have needed to extricate oneself from it is not so easy to determine and articulate.

 

Following that, the Marrin book about the war in Vietnam would be another essential source history book.

 

I'm having a hard time thinking of which literature to study for the last 30-40 years or so. There are so many possibilities, but nothing that seems to be an obvious standout. Hmmm...

Edited September 4, 2010 by Carol in Cal.

[Susan C.]

Whoa, this is a lot.....

 

We started school last month, and the subject that is giving dd and I trouble is American Lit. Probably the depressing and/or too adult thing like others have written. She reads on her own, so likes it, but isn't the fastest reader on the planet. She is begging for whole books. I see some in this thread she could do. It will take some courage to pull her from the traditional ones...... but ds is an English major, and guess what, he read a lot of the traditional texts at college, lots of Hemingway (teacher is a Hemingway scholar), Great Gatsby, Native Son, three Norton's on American Lit. so far. I'm hoping some of the short stories mentioned are in the Nortons...

 

So, I can ditch the so so American Lit. book and let her read??? I need something to go with it. I bought Windows to the World, that would probably help, but I'm feeling I need something else to tie it all together??? I don't mean to hijack the thread, but this kind of goes with it...

[Lori D.]

I need something to go with [our American Lit. choices]... I need something else to tie it all together??? ...

 

 

You might find Excellence in Literature: American Lit. as a helpful program already all pulled together for you. The Learning Language Arts Through Literature: Gold: American Literature covers (in brief) 3 short works (Red Badge of Courage, The Pearl, The Old Man and the Sea); 10 short stories; and 10 poets. The most helpful part -- though too brief -- was the section on the poets.

 

Or, check out the American Lit. class notes/handouts by Rolf Gunnar, online and with author's permission for use by educators. We were doing American History the same year we did our own American Lit., and that alone seemed to help give context to the Lit. Or, using most of the same brand of lit. guides to cover most of your works can help give continuity, as they are usually from a similar point of view -- Progeny Press; or the free online guides at Sparknotes, Cliff's Notes, or Glencoe Literature Library.

 

 

 

I bought Windows to the World, that would probably help...

 

Windows to the World is a great resource for teaching annotation and clear, specific instruction on how to write a literary analysis. I believe only 2 of the 6 short stories covered are American works.

 

 

 

I'm hoping some of the short stories mentioned are in the Nortons...

 

 

We did almost 2 dozen short stories in our American Lit. year; most everything published before 1950 was available for reading online at free websites. Just a few of the post 1950 stories were available free online. To do a google search, enter as your subject the title of the short story, a comma, then the words full text. Example: "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, full text" -- came up with several sites:

Full Books

The Literature Page

Project Gutenberg

Ambrose Bierce website (includes annotations)

 

 

And in case it is of any use, here were our American favorites:

 

novels:

- To Kill a Mockingbird

- Farenheit 451

- Tom Sawyer

- Hucklebery Finn

- Call of the Wild

- The Great Gatsby

 

novellas:

- I Heard the Owl Call My Name

- The Old Man and the Sea

- The Pearl

 

short stories:

- Rip Van Winkle

- Legend of Sleepy Hollow

- Fall of the House of Usher

- The Lady or the Tiger

- Gift of the Magi

- Ransom of Red Chief

- The Most Dangerous Game

- Thank You Ma'am

- The Catbird Seat

- There Will Come Soft Rains

- The Lottery

 

Do some poets:

- Anne Bradford

- Phyllis Wheatly

- Emily Dickinson

- "The Raven" by Poe

- Walt Whitman

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

- Carl Sandburg

- Robert Frost

- William Carlos Williams

- E.E. Cummings

 

Do watch some plays on DVD:

- Our Town

- You Can't Take It With You

- A Raisin in the Sun

- West Side Story

- Twelve Angry Men

- Sunday in the Park with George (about French painter Seurat, but written by an American)

 

 

 

BEST of luck, and ENJOY your American Lit. adventures! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Lori D.

[flyingiguana]

The ending of My Antonia is not as depressing as one might imagine based on how things go in the beginning. It might be a good one.

 

You could also try something written a little more recently. They may not have achieved "classic" status, but they do have things to say about the U.S. A few choices might be:

The Chosen

The Woman Warrior

The Kitchen God's Wife (or The Joy Luck Club)

something by Tillie Olson

The Poisonwood Bible (I know, it's set in Africa, but what makes it interesting is the contrast to US culture)

something by Toni Morrison

Native Son

Their Eyes were Watching God (whether this is depressing or uplifting will depend on your state of mind)

Catch-22

The Handmaid's Tale

 

Some of these may not be appropriate for younger ages, so I'd suggest pre-reading.