American Literature - Essay Example

American Literature American Literature Introduction American Literature has undergone a rigorous development in a period of 150 years. Many critics have argued that American Literature should adopt specific themes that reflect the main ideologies in the American Society. The role of literature is to promote social ideologies, values, and outstanding issues in the society. Therefore, many literary works have often reflected the societal attitudes that defined their era. It would be wrong to negatively criticize American literature because many writers have exhibited their expertise to explore different social themes either in a direct or subtle way.

However, the literature should change as societies advance. For this reason, the future of American literature has been critically analyzed. Globalization has introduced new realities of a global culture and many writers are depicting the global culture in order to attract readers from across the globe. This paper will discuss critical aspects of the American literature. Body In the past, American authors have explored issues that are of critical significance to the society. Many authors have focused on exposing the existing racist attitudes towards the African Americans and other people of color in the American society.

Many literary works have exposed the white privilege and the lack of opportunities experienced by people of color in the American society. The issue of racism has proven to be a social problem causing inequalities and denying the people of color opportunities of advancing themselves (Alexie, 2013). With the efforts of inclusion, many authors have explored the challenges involved in inclusion. The subject of racism is not likely to fade from the American literature easily. In the modern day, institutionalized racism in American schools and the justice system have become a center of focus.

Therefore, many authors are likely to explore such issues in the future. In works such as The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Flight Patterns and Everyday Use, the theme of racism as well as the disadvantage of people of color in the American society are evident (Walker & Christian, 1994). In the twentieth century, many authors reflected some of the postmodernist changes in the society such as the emerging technology, the spreading of the popular culture, the first and second world wars, as well as the financial crises occurring in the twentieth century and their effects.

These themes occurring in different literary works reflected the main issues that defined the twentieth-century society. The twenty-first-century American society is not very different. Therefore, authors will continue to explore these issues in their works, highlighting the most evident effects of issues such as technology and financial crises in the twenty-first century. Globalization has caused an evident interconnectivity of societies from different parts of the globe. Therefore, there has been a cultural exchange of ideas with people embracing the popular culture and adopting new ideologies.

Globalization has created a global culture comprising of different cultural aspects. It is possible that many American authors will need to reach a wider audience. For this reason, they may depict a global cultural setting, which is different from the American culture. There is a salient need for writers to use their works to promote global interconnectivity (Walker & Christian, 1994). The twenty-first-century writers are more likely to adopt this approach. However, such works are yet to be seen.

Worth noting is the fact that the American society defines the popular culture in numerous ways. Therefore, writers who seek to depict the global culture will promote the acceptance of the Western lifestyle, a common aspect in the United States in other parts of the globe.There is a salient need for American literature to promote positive moral values in the future. In the twentieth century, many authors explored sexual themes, a factor that reflects the degraded moral values in the American society.

Literature is supposed to criticize the ways of life of a society. For this reason, writers should focus on depicting more positive moral values in the future literature. Other authors should also depict the importance of a national vision and knowledge in the society. In works such as Good Country People, such themes were explored in the twentieth century. Such works promoted positive aspects of rural life amidst the rush for urbanization. Future literature should also give attention to the global threat of terrorism, an issue that has emerged in the twenty-first century (OConnor, 2002).

Conclusion Without a doubt, American literature has been successful in highlighting some of the outstanding social issues and ideologies. Many writers have given attention to historical events, political events, and social problems such as racism, emerging technology, and the formation of the class system. These themes have specifically defined the American Society over the years. For this reason, it is expected that future writers will depict the outstanding social issues in the twenty-first century.

There is a possibility that many writers will choose to depict a global culture rather capitalizing on depicting the American culture.ReferencesAlexie, S. (2013). Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in heaven. New York, NY : Open Road, Integrated Media.OConnor, F. (2002). Good country people. (Literature online.) Cambridge: ProQuest Information and Learning. Cambridge : ProQuest Information and Learning.Walker, A., & Christian, B. (1994). Everyday use. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press.