American literature

Give the names of some well known American writers and put them in cultural and historical context.
Choose one or two to talk about them and their work in detail.
Present a book / books you read and say whether you liked it or not and give the reasons. Would you recommend it / them to someone?
Give the names of some Nobel Prize winners. Are there any other prizes awarded to writers?

American literature

At the beginning I’d like to describe how the literature in USA has evolved..
Before the 19th century, America didn’t produce much of traditional literature. The Founding fathers wrote actively in the 18th century, but most philosophical or political works.
Washington Irving may be considered as the real founder of American literature. The literature written during the period of the War of Independence was mostly of political character - such as a pamphlet of Thomas Paine demanding complete independence. The Independence was proclaimed on July 4th 1776 in the Declaration of Independence, the main author of which was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson spoke also about terrible problems of slavery.

Romanticism in American literature
The first literary works after independence are represented by books of James Fennimore Cooper - they talk about American wilderness (The last of the Mohicans, The Pioneers...) Coopers novels are still widely read by young people.

Herman Melville was the great symbolist among American writers. On his travels he met and some time lived with a cannibal tribe, went to Japan, his experiences at sea were the basis for the books Teepee, Omoo - they talk about the advantures of two young Americans who were caught by the canibals. These they found more honest than civilized people. His best novel Moby Dick is a narrative about the fight between a big white whale Moby Dick and captain Ahab. Once this whale had crippled him, he lost his leg. Ahab doesn?t want to be defeated by this whale - he follows her with another ship and crew. Ahas is killed, the ship smashed. Moby-Dick represents a mighty natural power - the only survivor of Ahab?s ships is Ishmael who tells the story.

Jack London became very popular with readers all over the world. Born in San Francisco, was a successful sailor, tramp and gold-miner before he took to writing. His most popular stories are those connected with Alaska at the time of gold rush, such as The Call of the Wild. The book is about Buck, a sledge dog, who loves its master. After its master is killed by the Indians, it becomes a leader of a wolf pack.

H. D. Thoreau – philosopher, wanted to live without money

Symbolism
Walt Whitman
-poet of democracy, freedom, sexual love
-Leaves of Grass

Edgar Allan Poe
- a poet and short stories writer, founder of psychological horror
- The Raven (the most famous poet), The Black Cat, The Hole and Pendulum
Realism
Many people prefer the works of Mark Twain. He successfully wrote for both children and adults. In our country he is known for his works The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain based these on his boyhood and early adult experiences of life and friendships in Mississipi. In other books, Twain drew on his vast travel experiences, his understanding of human nature, and his appreciation of comedy in life. On other hand, he was often gloomy in his outlook, which is also reflected in his writings.


Upton Sinclair became famous with his novel ?The Jungle? which talks about the disorder and poor working conditions in the slaughter-houses and meat-packing industries in Chicago where there is no hygiene and the bodies of dead rats are tinned together with meat. Sinclair is the author of many historical novels.

Theodor Dreiser is the chief representative of the naturalistic school in America. All his works are biographical, reflecting his life, the conflicts between his parents, sisters and brothers and his own experiences. His master-piece is the novel The American Tragedy - its hero, Clyde Griffiths, a poor boy, understands that the only possible success in life is financial success. Everything standing in his way he overcomes ruthlessly. Instead of marrying a poor girl whom he made pregnant, he plans to murder her. However, when he is with her in a boat on lonely lake, he cannot act and it is only by chance that the boat is overturned. He is executed for a crime he has not committed. He is only guilty not saving his girl.

THE LOST GENERATION AND ERNEST HEMINGWAY

The twenties in American literature were characterized by an econemic boom after World War I and by the Jazz Age, the wild marry life of the young, and their desillusionment and pessismism; the Lost generation, best expressed by the prose writer.
The best known writers of the first half of the 20th century are Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck. Ernest Hemingway is one of American's best known writers. He was born there in 1899. His native city is Illinois. He did not stay there all his life, however. Cuba and Paris became his adopted homes. Of course he lived in USA as well. Apart from this he traveled a lot in Africa where he hunted wild animals.
Ernest Hemingway worked as a newspaper reporter. That is also why he was interested in public affairs.
During the First World War he served in a hospital unit. During the Spanish Civil War he remained in Spain as a war correspondent. His life was interesting and full of adventures.
Ernest Hemingway belongs to the group of writers and artist group that called themselves the lost generation?. Hemingway's work includes a social critique and the atmosphere of public life. He tended to naturalism. He used brief, understandable and literary language. His books include frequent monologues.
Ernest loved adventure and danger, hunting, bullfighting and fishing. His life was varied and wild. His books reflect that.
He is the author of a Farewell to Arms, For whom the Bell Talls, The Green Hills of Africa. In his short novel The Old Man and the Sea for which he was awarded the Nobel prize, Hemingway shows the fight between the man and nature, which man must lose if he fights alone. The settings of this novel is in Cuba in the city called Havana, and later on the sea in the Gulf of Mexico. The action covers a very short period. The author pointed out the human dependence on nature and their mutual permanent struggle. According to E. Hemingway it is not possible gain mastery over nature.
All this symbolized by the positions of the little boy and the old man, the difference berween generations and finding and searching for something new. Man carries victory hidden inside him.
For Whom The Bell Tolls ? he reacted to the Spanish Civil War by celebrating mankind. He showed the danger that threatens all people. He described three days of American volunteer Jordan and his relation to the Spanish girl Maria.


Francis Scott Fitzgerald
he loved the wild life of the rich youth and at the same time, rebelled against the American dream of success. His short stories were highly fashionable and made him lots of money (Tales of the Jazz Age, All the Sad Young Man, etc.). During the economic depression of the 30's his success came to a sudden end together with the Jazz Age.John Steinbeck - another Nobel prize winner, is the author of many novels - his masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath, one of the best American novels reflecting the deep Depression which followed after the crisis of 1929. The Pearl, The Wayward Bus, Cannary Row, Sweet Thursday...

The 30's were most progressive in prose as a result of the Black Friday and the rise of Fascism in Europe. The new critisism in the social field represented by John Steinbeck, the struggle against Fascism by Ernest Hemingway, and the deeply felt radical problem of the U.S.A. by William Faulkner.

William Faulkner
himself a Southerner, wrote cycles of novels dealing with the deepest problems of the South and of its racial tensions. The perversities and cruelties of his novels are partly symbolic.
some of his novels - The Wild Palms, The Reivers, Roses for Emily.
John Stainbeck
experienced in person of the life of poor workers, especially of agricultural labourers. His best works - Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, Travels with Charley. In the last two works a second line in his work - romantic stories of
inrresponsible happy poor people - appears.
Eugene O'Neill
was sailor, then actor and the greatest american dramatist. He is the only American dramatist to be awared the Nobel Prize. His dramas - Agatha Christie, Desire under the Elms, Mouring becomes Electra, etc.
The American literature is very rich in really great authors. Let us mention only some outstanding literary personalities : Jerome David Salinger, John Updike (Rabbit...), Arthur Miller, Walt Whitman, Joseph Heller, Alex Halley, John Styron, Rob. Graves, James Clavell etc.
I think it would be pitty not mention a very important tendency in American literature in 20th century -

Beat generation
Next very important generation of 20th century was Beat generation. Beat generation is a term for group of American writers and artist. The members of the Beat Generation are called Beatniks. The main representatives are Allan Gingsberg, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, Charles Bukowski and others. They practised free life and behaviour. Their life was nonconforming. They were opposed to traditional literature. They searched own style. Beatniks often described their facts of life – tramping, happenings, drugs, alcohol, sex etc. Authors were influenced by the philosophy, especially by Zen Buddhism. The adjective beat means “tired“ and “down and out“, but also “positive“ and “beatific“. Beat was about freedom and living.

My favourite Beatniks are Jack Kerouac and Charles Bukowski.
JACK KEROUAC wrote the Bible of Beat Group, names On the Road. It is autobiographical work based on the spontaneous road trips. His novel The Dharma Bums influenced many young people, including also Hippies.
CHARLES BUKOWSKI was poet and novelist. His writing style is very gross. He hated people and Beatniks and he loved alcohol, bitches, racing and classic music. I think that his best book is All the Assholes in the World and Mine. "

Mario Gianluigi Puzo (October 15, 1920 – July 2, 1999) was a two time Academy Award-winning Italian American author and screenwriter, known for his novels about the Mafia, especially The Godfather (1969), which he later co-adapted into a film with Francis Ford Coppola.

Main characters
The Corleone family patriarch is Vito Corleone (The Don), whose surname (Italian for "Lionheart") recalls the town of Corleone, Sicily. Similarly, the maiden name of Corleone's mother is Corigliano, named after the town of Corigliano Calabro, Calabria; an area well known for 'Ndrangheta activity. (Puzo, however, never mentioned the family name Corigliano in the novel.) Vito has four children: Santino "Sonny" Corleone, Frederico "Freddie" Corleone, Michael "Mikey" Corleone, and Constanzia "Connie" Corleone. He also has an informally adopted son, Tom Hagen, who became the Corleones' Consigliere. Vito Corleone is also the godfather of a famous singer and movie star Johnny Fontane. The Godfather referred to in the title is generally taken to be Vito. However, the story's central character is actually Michael, and a central theme of the novel is that it is Michael's destiny, despite his determination to the contrary, to replace his father as the family head.
The Corleone family are in fact a criminal organization with influence in many areas of crime, notably protection, extortion, gambling and the union control. Under the Don is his consigliere who is a 'cutout,' to protect the Don from implication. The book also explains the consigliere position as that of the Don's most trusted advisor and counselor. The operational side of the organization is headed by two 'Caporegime,' or 'Captains,' Peter Clemenza and Sal or Salvatore Tessio, and they are high ranking officials in the family being seemingly joint fourth in power
[edit] Plot
The plot deals with a mob war fought between the Corleone family and the other four of the five families of New York. After Don Vito Corleone is shot by men working for drug dealer Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo, his two sons, Santino and Michael must run the family business with the help of consigliere Tom Hagen and the two Capos Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio. When Sollozzo and an Irish police captain are murdered by Michael, the conflict escalates into a full scale war which results in Santino's death and Michael, despite his wishes, ascending to the head of the family. He slowly becomes more ruthless than his father, even killing his brother-in-law Carlo Rizzi, who played a part in Santino's murder. Also as the story progresses many of the minor characters, such as the Don's godson Johnny Fontane and his friend Nino Valenti, Sonny's former girlfriend Lucy Mancini, and Michael's bodyguard Al Neri, are expanded on and given their own subplots. Many of these subplots are not included in the movie. The novel culminates when Michael has his two main enemies, the novel's main antagonist, Emilio Barzini and a lesser but still severely important antagonist, Philip Tattaglia, assassinated. After the total elimination of the Tattaglia Family and Barzini Family, Michael sells all his business in New York and makes the Corleone Family a legitimate business in Las Vegas.
[edit] The families
The five New York City families are the Straccis, the Tattaglias, the Corleones, the Cuneos, and the Barzinis. Other families, such as the Bocchicchio clan of New York (who act as negotiators/hostages), the Tramontis in New Orleans and the Capones in Chicago are also mentioned. [Note: In what appears to be a consistency mistake within the novel, on more than one occasion the author refers to "the five families” in a context that indicates that the Corleone Family is a fictional, sixth family. The war that is set off by the attempted assassination of Vito Corleone is referred to as being between the Corleone Family and the five families aligned against them. Yet, only four New York family dons show up and are mentioned at the peace parley that Corleone calls in an attempt to end the war after the death of Santino Corleone. Additionally, in what appears to be a research mistake on the part of the author, the Upstate New York family (the Cuneo Family, which apparently is inspired by the Magaddino Family of Buffalo) is included as one of the five families of NYC, which is not the case in reality. All five of the actual five families are based in NYC.]
[edit] Film adaptation
Main article: The Godfather
In 1972, a film adaptation of the novel was released, starring Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Mario Puzo assisted with writing the screenplay and with other production tasks. The film grossed approximately $269 million worldwide and won various awards, including three Academy Awards, five Golden Globes and one Grammy and is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. The sequel, The Godfather Part II won six Oscars, and became the first sequel to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
The film is similar in most places, but leaves out some details, such as extended back stories for some characters. Some of these details were actually filmed, and were included in later versions such as The Godfather Saga. A subplot involving Johnny Fontane in Hollywood was not filmed. The biggest difference was that the novel included a more upbeat ending than the film, in which Kay Corleone found a peaceful acceptance of Michael's decision to take over his father's business. The film, in contrast, ended sharply with Kay's dreadful realization of what Michael had done and his ruthlessness, a theme that would develop in the second and third films, which were largely not based on the original novel. (The Godfather Part II included flashback sequences including scenes about the rise of Vito Corleone that were in the novel.)[citation needed]
The third film also introduces "impossible" characters such as Vincent [Vincenzo] Mancini, inconsistent with the continuity of events from the novel.
 + my feeling about the book ( z hlavy kamo)