Changes in the Political Voice of American Literature
Since the beginning of American literature, one can see how the written works evolved over time. Because the authors had come mostly from the Old World, the earlier works were closely related to an Old World or English style. It is interesting to see how the American culture was created and then changed over time in these works. The political voice was one method of representing the lives, events, beliefs, and ideas of the times. The political voice was used in these three sample works: “Of Plymouth Plantation,” by William Bradford, “The Way to Wealth,” by Benjamin Franklin, and “Rip Van Winkle,” by Washington Irving. These literary pieces demonstrate how the literary world changed since …show more content…
After Rip awoke from his deep sleep, he admitted that he was not a politician. Rip did not hide the fact that “the changes of states and empires made but little impression on him; but there was one species of despotism under which he had long groaned, and that was—petticoat government” (Irving 481). The story alluded to the new found freedom, referred to as a democracy, as making men more feminine and compared them to the way he viewed Dame Van Winkle (Downes 157). Rip was glad to be free from his wife and what he perceived as control, and he longed to go back to his lifestyle of hanging out with his male friends. Irving pointed out that “it is a common wish of all henpecked husbands in the neighborhood, when life hangs heavy on their hands, that they might have a quieting draught out of Rip Van Winkle’s flagon” (482). The male counterparts in this story retreated to the mountains or nature as their source of wisdom (Downes 163). Depending on whether the reader was English or American, the characters could be seen as representing either side; the story appealed to both the English and the Americans and did not offend either. Through the political voice and symbolism in this work, the author demonstrated literary changes to show more separatism from the Old World than earlier periods, but still valued the Old
Since the beginning of American literature, one can see how the written works evolved over time. Because the authors had come mostly from the Old World, the earlier works were closely related to an Old World or English style. It is interesting to see how the American culture was created and then changed over time in these works. The political voice was one method of representing the lives, events, beliefs, and ideas of the times. The political voice was used in these three sample works: “Of Plymouth Plantation,” by William Bradford, “The Way to Wealth,” by Benjamin Franklin, and “Rip Van Winkle,” by Washington Irving. These literary pieces demonstrate how the literary world changed since …show more content…
After Rip awoke from his deep sleep, he admitted that he was not a politician. Rip did not hide the fact that “the changes of states and empires made but little impression on him; but there was one species of despotism under which he had long groaned, and that was—petticoat government” (Irving 481). The story alluded to the new found freedom, referred to as a democracy, as making men more feminine and compared them to the way he viewed Dame Van Winkle (Downes 157). Rip was glad to be free from his wife and what he perceived as control, and he longed to go back to his lifestyle of hanging out with his male friends. Irving pointed out that “it is a common wish of all henpecked husbands in the neighborhood, when life hangs heavy on their hands, that they might have a quieting draught out of Rip Van Winkle’s flagon” (482). The male counterparts in this story retreated to the mountains or nature as their source of wisdom (Downes 163). Depending on whether the reader was English or American, the characters could be seen as representing either side; the story appealed to both the English and the Americans and did not offend either. Through the political voice and symbolism in this work, the author demonstrated literary changes to show more separatism from the Old World than earlier periods, but still valued the Old