The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter Seventh Edition, One-Volume Paperback Book

Good Anthology

Needs more Poe

The editors chosen poets and writers of 1914-1945 shaped the depressing, radical, self-loathing underbelly of American youth of that generation. The biographies favor the atheists, agnostics, promiscuous, womanizing, socialists, communists, traitors (Mussolini-supporter Ezra Pound went to trial, found insane, institutionalized for a decade), feminists, lesbians and black racists in preference to the very few - and shorter - biographies of those who were more conservative and traditionalist. What The editors chosen poets and writers of 1914-1945 shaped the depressing, radical, self-loathing underbelly of American youth of that generation. The biographies favor the atheists, agnostics, promiscuous, womanizing, socialists, communists, traitors (Mussolini-supporter Ezra Pound went to trial, found insane, institutionalized for a decade), feminists, lesbians and black racists in preference to the very few - and shorter - biographies of those who were more conservative and traditionalist. What a shame. The collection and works may be worth a read considering the historical significance but because the editors are blatantly biased and most of the anti-American American writers presented are self-proclaimed socialists, I hate it and find this bulk of "American" literature garbage.

These volumes were my required texts for American Literature II, and they definitely served as an interesting companion to the class. I actually loved almost every author I read from these books, and came out of reading them a lot more informed about the literature of the mid-to-late 19th century in the United States and how it affected later literature coming into modernism. These volumes were even so compelling as to make me resist selling them back to the student store from which I purchased

I love American Literature and this is nice compilation to become familiar with some of the more well-known pieces and authors (and some that also deserve attention but haven't hit the spotlight yet).

I actually use the 7th edition now, but they didn't have that one listed. This is the source. More than I ever thought it would be. But you've got to give credit to Norton, they do the anthology thing quite well. I actually use the 7th edition now, but they didn't have that one listed. This is the source. More than I ever thought it would be. But you've got to give credit to Norton, they do the anthology thing quite well.

Of course my first review is a textbook. I love anthologies though. Typical biography followed by a few works format. No new invention of the wheel, but a good beginning representation of early American lit that wasn't ridiculously expensive as a textbook. Of course my first review is a textbook. I love anthologies though. Typical biography followed by a few works format. No new invention of the wheel, but a good beginning representation of early American lit that wasn't ridiculously expensive as a textbook.

Loved all the books from A to E! I had to read them for my American Literature class and I enjoyed most if not all of the stories in the books. Some are very thought-provoking stories. Simply a must read!

OF EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE STUDIED IN MY FIELD, THIS BY FAR IS MY FAVORITE NORTON OF ALL TIME!!! I could eat the pages! I love(d) studying this particular Norton!

Eh. I have the third edition, hardback, but this was all I could find on here.

I can't say I have read this whole thing, and I don't think anyone has, after all. But this anthology has been (and hopefully will continue to be) most helpful for my studies in American literature. I can't say I have read this whole thing, and I don't think anyone has, after all. But this anthology has been (and hopefully will continue to be) most helpful for my studies in American literature.

Emerson, Thorough: man is one with nature/universe; if we're true to ourselves everything will be wonderful

Hawthorne, Melville: Reflect Calvinist thread in American lit-man is horrifying, darkness in souls

These 2 lines of thinking create American thought



Transcendentalism: Starts in Unitarian church (Emerson); all this stuff about the Eucharist, baptism, trinity,....the church has it wrong; he believed Christianity was a set of rules that puts inspirational side of Jesus in a box; Emerson left th Emerson, Thorough: man is one with nature/universe; if we're true to ourselves everything will be wonderful

Hawthorne, Melville: Reflect Calvinist thread in American lit-man is horrifying, darkness in souls

These 2 lines of thinking create American thought



Transcendentalism: Starts in Unitarian church (Emerson); all this stuff about the Eucharist, baptism, trinity,....the church has it wrong; he believed Christianity was a set of rules that puts inspirational side of Jesus in a box; Emerson left the church-Jesus understood the greatness in himself and in you (he was one with the force and you can be too).

-Over-soul (called this by Emerson): an ancient idea, in Hinduism (Atman, Brahman)-there's one universal life force; all of us are connected in universal human spirit (Atman-part of nature), so all of life is interconnected. So if you want to know yourself, go out in nature.

-expansive and contractive tendencies: we want to reach out to the over-soul, but also want to stick with things we know and understand; Emerson says we need to find a balance between these two tendencies; spend time in contemplation and in contact with oversoul; we find good by being one with the oversoul; man is basically good

-emphasis on intuition: we achieve connection with oversoul through imagination, intuitive thought

-nature as symbol or living mystery: we need to live the natural life to get in touch with oversoul

-the inner light (Quakers say we all have this light-all have a little bit of God inside of us and need to cultivate that)

-fundamental problem: what if we like torturing puppies? There's no grounds for saying this is wrong.



19th century: :heyday of American utopian colonies; idealist time; represent transcendentalist thought-we're going to have perfect society, dedicated to transcendentalist goals. Ex: Brook Farm (1841-57): personal affinity determines job assignments (do whatever inspires you; if you love plowing, go plow; but nobody wants to do the hard work); opposed to profit-exploitative-but what about if the crops fail-there's nothing set aside to help; it failed



Emerson: Heart and mouthpiece of Transcendentalists

American Scholar, Emerson, 1837:

Self-Reliance, Emerson, 1841: Reflects Emerson's deep mistrust of institutions, society. He promotes radical independence-this is what self-reliance means, not just puritan work ethic, it's not just growing your own carrots; it's being true to yourself spiritually and physically and understanding the spark of divinity inside you; be original; society to him means a set of rules-they are against our original thought; follow your whim.



Thoreau: interested in freedom (however you get it), not solitude; to live deliberately; do we really need land? to live to glorify God? These are just accepted ideas, very un-Emersonian. He works out ideas of Emerson laid out in Self Reliance. What is true, essential for us? Don't be someone's slave. But a simple life is a wise life. Luxuries life are a hinderance. Get rid of expectations of keeping with with neighbors. Life with rhythm of nature.



Puritans: For Bradford and Winthrop, nature is something to be feared. To build a city on the hill, we need to live in community following the law of mercy. Th & Em: to get to good life, we need to be out in wildness of nature--that's where freedom, truth and peace is found. Nature is probably the domain of the prince of darkness.



Hawthorne/Poe: Speculative Fiction (sci fi (Birthmark), fantasy)

Young Goodman Brown: Woods are wild/scary, the devil is there: here, take my snake; He's going into woods to prove he can stand up to devil; he's bringing his own understanding derived from Calvinist heritage; he's not necessarily saying anything for or against Calvinism; narration is ambiguous (don't really know for sure what's real, what's happening); he's highlighting the depravity of everyone's souls; as holy as we seem, we're all sinners; or: to someone consumed by sin, everything looks evil, like Goodman Brown; two interpretations are possible. A story about doubt and sin. Unlike Emerson who believes in communing with glory of nature. Hawthorne says we're NOT basically good. Same ideas in Ethan Brown and Birthmark. Ethan Brown finds unforgivable sin is his heart, which proves his lack of election. The sin is himself. He's not one of the elected. Birthmark: Georgiana's perfect except for birthmark. Represents a flew which they try to remove, but it's her one connection to the world/people; that makes her like others, so when they try to remove it, she dies. He's trying to create life. So Elmer thinks if he's in touch with nature, he can find life. Black Veil: covers secret sin, and we all have this; it separates us from each other; what makes us human is our brokenness. But we pretend that we're not broken.



Poe: Started detective novel genre; pioneer of realism

Realism: characters not seeing reality for what it is, living for an ideal (Editha, The Beast in the Jungle-he's waiting for something big to happen rather than loving what's right before him). In realism, there's less symbolism (i.e. Moby Dick) , but motifs (runs through the text/images After civil war, people have lost much of their idealism/cynical.



Regionalism: Industrial Revolution/mass migration (people moving around for better economics opportunities cuz life changing/modernizing, esp. the south), life is changing, more uniformity. Regionalists attempt to capture and document certain places/times.



Naturalism: no elements of the supernatural; it's pessimistic, materialistic (only thing that counts is the material world), determinism; man is just an animal that we can study in his surroundings like we study other animals; we are creatures shaped by nature

"The Norton Anthology of American Literature is a compendium of various works by authors of specifically American birth or naturalization, ranging from short poems, pamphlets, and novellas to longer entries such as entire novels and philosophical pieces.



This collection proceeded from a series of other anthologies including English Literature and Poetry. It was first published in 1979 by W. W. Norton & Company..."wiki



It's a great collection and variety, but some of the longer works are only in pa "The Norton Anthology of American Literature is a compendium of various works by authors of specifically American birth or naturalization, ranging from short poems, pamphlets, and novellas to longer entries such as entire novels and philosophical pieces.



This collection proceeded from a series of other anthologies including English Literature and Poetry. It was first published in 1979 by W. W. Norton & Company..."wiki



It's a great collection and variety, but some of the longer works are only in part. Reading it in this format, a super fat paper back with rice paper thin pages, can be annoying--holding it, turning pages or reading a curved page.

Read this for my Survey of American Literature I class, useful information in this book, learn stuff while reading this book. This book was required for the English I had taken at the community college.

All I have to say about this is... I AM DONE! I DID IT!

Read the class texts required.

This book changed my life.

1/17-1/19 Kate Chopin: The Storm

1/19-1/21 Charles W Chesnutt: The Wife of His Youth

1/22-1/24 Susan Glaspell: Trifles

1/24-1/26 Claude McKay: The Harlem Dancer, Harlem Shadows, If We Must Die, Africa, America

1/26-1/28 Hilda Doolittle: Mid-day, Oread, Leda, Fragment, Helen

1/28-1/31 F Scott Fitzgerald: Winter Dreams

1/31-2/2 Zora Neale Hurston: How It Feels to Be Colored Me

2/2-2/4 Ernest Hemingway: The Snows of Kilimanjaro

2/9-2/11 John Steinbeck: The Leader of the People

2/11-2/14 Richard Wright: The Man Who Was Almost a Man

2/14-2/16 Ralph Ellison: Battle Royal from Invisible Man

2/16-2/18 Allen Ginsberg: Howl and A Supermarket in California

2/19-2/21 John Cheever: The Swimmer

2/23-2/25 Theodore Roethke: Cuttings, Cuttings (later), My Papa's Waltz, Elegy for Jane, I Knew a Woman

2/25-2/28 Robert Hayden: Middle Passage, Homage to the Empress of the Blues, Those Winter Sundays

3/1-3/2 Flanner O'Connor: Good Country People

3/2-3/4 Anne Sexton: The Starry Night, Sylvia's Death, Little Girl, My String Bean, My Lovely Woman

3/4-3/14 Spring Break

3/8-3/14 John Updike: Separating

3/14-3/16 Audrey Lorde: Coal, The Woman Thing, Harriet

3/16-3/18 N. Scott Momaday: The Way to Rainy Mountain (gone for Oriana)

3/18-3/21 Lucille Clifton: miss rosie, homage to my hips, wild blessings, wishes for sons, oh antic god (not discussed: Carolivia Herron visit)

3/21-3/23 Raymond Carver: Cathedral

3/28-3/30 Gloria Anzaldua: How to Tame a Wild Tongue

3/30-4/1 Billy Collins: Forgetting, I Chop Some Parsley..., The Night House

4/4-4/6 Michael S. Harper: Dear John, Dear Coltrane, American History, Martin's Blues

4/6-4/8 Alice Walker: Everyday Use

4/8-4/11 Leslie Marmon Silko: Lullaby

4/11-4/13 Maxine Hong Kingston: No Name Woman

4/13-4/15 Rita Dove: Parsley, Adolescence--I, Adolescence--II, Rosa, Fox Trot Fridays

4/15-4/18 Li-Young Lee: Persimmons, Eating Alone, Eating Together, This Room and Everything in It

4/18-4/20 Cathy Song: The White Porch, Lost Sister, Heaven

4/20-4/25 Jhumpa Lahiri: Sexy

This anthology is excellent, despite the inherent handicap that all anthologies suffer from. The selection (which is just that--a selection) provides a nice overview of American literature from the Puritans who first settled the colonies to contemporary authors. This anthology is comparatively easy to read, and features excellent introductions to each author that provide helpful and interesting historical background/context. Well-chosen excerpts give the reader a sampling that leaves them with a This anthology is excellent, despite the inherent handicap that all anthologies suffer from. The selection (which is just that--a selection) provides a nice overview of American literature from the Puritans who first settled the colonies to contemporary authors. This anthology is comparatively easy to read, and features excellent introductions to each author that provide helpful and interesting historical background/context. Well-chosen excerpts give the reader a sampling that leaves them with an appetite for more.

Another great package from Norton, although I prefer the British anthologies... largely because I prefer British literature.

Actually have 3rd edition (shorter)

Great compilation! This anthology made my junior year of English very enjoyable!

Great!!!!

Good edition. I liked the stories that were included and it was quite interesting. The side notes helped and explained things well.

Read this for an English class. Some of the poems I liked whereas others not so much. However, the poems are still great selections of the time periods.

Anne Bradstreet was a favorite in this.

American literature does leave something to be desired, but the editors could have done a better job selecting pieces to include in this "essential" edition.

I don't like anthologies in general. This one's okay. I don't like anthologies in general. This one's okay.

Included wonderful authors but the editors got a bit carried away in their cutting-skewed some of the essays-most noticeable is Margaret Fuller's "The Great Lawsuit."

Taught from it circa 1989-1993