John Winthrop

John Winthrop, first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, gave what has become one of the most famous and influential speeches of American history--right up there with the Gettysburg Address and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech from his march on Washington. Phrases from this speech have established the bedrock of our country, been invoked by great Presidents, and misapplied out of context. Read A Model of Christian Charity (sorry for the archaic English). What do you conclude Winthrop's intention to be? Do you think modern leaders have been right to apply the "city on a hill" concept to America's role in the world? What about the role of religious freedom or tolerance?

Photo: John Winthrop, Encyclopaedia Brittanica

New World Women

Photo: Phyllis Wheatley, Poetry Foundation

Photo: Anne Bradstreet, Poetry Foundation

Anne Bradsreet and Phyllis Wheatley lived almost a century apart, but are both notable "firsts" in American literature as well as exhibiting many similarities as poets. Bradstreet, a Puritan housewife and early colonist, has the distinction of being America's first published female poet. Wheatley was brought to the colonies from West Africa as a slave, but the family who bought her noticed her brightness and gift. Although she remained a slave, learned to read and write and eventaully was published. She is the first published African-American author. Both women write about their Christian religion and are heavily influenced by Classical thought and forms. However, they offer different cultural perspectives and write from vastly different personal experience. 

The Scarlet Letter: Chapter I

Image: "Standing on the Miserable Eminence" from Project Gutenberg.
For more on Marry Hallock Footes illustrations of The Scarlet Letter, click here.

Have you ever been publicly embarrassed? What about made to feel bad for something you've done, even privately? None of us may ever be put up on a platform to be shamed in front of our whole town, but that's the situation Hester Prynne finds herself in when we meet her in the first chapter of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. After reading Chapters I and II, respond by discussing how you think Hester might be feeling during this scene. What descriptors and clues does Hawthorne give the reader to tell you what kind of person she is? Have you or a friend (no names) ever experienced something that felt like this, even if it was this extreme? 

The Star Spangled Banner

 

What do you think of when you hear the national anthem? Watch these two videos from the Super Bowl; Whitney Houston (1991) and Demi Lovato (2020).

Before we begin a discussion of American literature and the stories that have shaped or been shaped by our culture, we must consider the idea of national identity. What does it mean to be an American? Since American culture as we know and experience it has never been ethnically homogeneous, what heritage defines us?

Our country's national anthem is a good place to start. For many, it inspires feelings of pride, nationalism, patriotism, and unity. It has also been the arena for political protest and cultural awareness. How does it make you feel? Do you have memories connected to this song, Independence Day, or some other American symbol? What do you believe it means to be an American? Discuss below.