American Philosophy of Literature

​American Philosophy

By Kathi Mitchell

Before the Europeans settled in America there were already people here with ideas of their own.

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​Precolonial

Multiple Choice

In "The Earth on Turtle's Back" who carried the sky woman to the earth?

• The turtle

• The muskrat

• The two swans

• Her husband

Multiple Choice

Who kept swimming until she had earth to bring back for the Sky Woman?

• The loon

• The muskrat

• The turtle

• The two swans

Multiple Choice

In the story set in the southwest, what were the first man and first woman made of?

• Earth

• Wind

• Fire

• Corn

Multiple Choice

What happened that caused the daughter of the chief to fly out of their mountain home?

• She stuck her head out to see the sea

• She married one of the bears

• She left Mt. Shasta

• She was alone too often

​When Europeans settled in North America, their philosophy influenced their success.

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The first European influencers

Multiple Choice

What did Puritan's believe?

• God was judgmental

• Hard work was necessary

• People were sinful

• All of these

Multiple Choice

Who wrote "Of Plymouth Plantation"?

• Ann Bradstreet

• William Bradford

• John Smith

• Miles Standish

Multiple Choice

Which of these did Anne Bradstreet write?

• Of Plymouth Plantation

• The Earth on Turtle's Back

• To My Dear and Loving Husband

• All of these

The Enlightenment moved people toward rational thinking and the scientific method.

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​When America was planning a revolution

Multiple Select

Who was an American Revolutionary writer?

• Thomas Jefferson

• Benjamin Franklin

• Abraham Lincoln

• John Adams

Multiple Choice

What was another name for the rationalist era?

• Enlighten-ment

• Romanticism

• Regionalism

• Modernism

When rationalism didn't solve all the problems in the world, a change of philosophy was in order.

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​Romaticism was perfect for Americans

Multiple Choice

Who was the hero for romantic Americans?

• The rich man

• The educated man

• The common man

• The elite man

Multiple Choice

Who wrote gothic stories for romantic Americans?

• Edgar Allen Poe

• Ernest Hemingway

• William Falkner

• Anne Bradstreet

Multiple Choice

Where was the place romantics were in awe of?

• The garden

• The city

• Nature in general

• Outer space

Multiple Choice

Which romantic quality spurred on the pioneers?

• Wandering as a rebel and outcast

• Seeking the faraway

• Seeking forbidden knowledge

• Honoring the common person

Gothic and romantic writing had American writers getting recognition. Philosophy took another turn.

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​Transcendental or Anti-transcendental

Multiple Choice

He believed people were naturally good and could all be connected to each other and God.

• Emerson

• Hawthorne

• Melville

• Poe

Multiple Choice

They believed people were naturally sinful and needed help from God:

• Emerson and Thoreau

• Alcott and Alcott

• Hawthorne and Melville

• Unitarian Pastors

​After the Civil War, no one believed that all people were naturally good. Literature had to change to reflect that reality.

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Regionalism, realism & naturalism

Match

Match the following

• Regional-ism

• Naturalism

• Naturalism and Realism

• Realism

• Gothic

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

To Build a Fire

The Open Boat

Christ-mas Every Day

The Tell Tale Heart

• The Outcasts of Poker Flat

• To Build a Fire

• The Open Boat

• Christ-mas Every Day

• The Tell Tale Heart