Values in Early American Literature
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," says the Declaration of Independence. This phrase encompasses three major values shown throughout early American literature. The strong belief in religion, freedom, and a strong will for a better life. Each piece had one or more of these themes within them.
A strong value within almost all the writing was religion, both Native American and Puritan. Most Native American tales are based around a god or a moral expressed by a god. In "Coyote Finishes His Work" Coyote does all his work because the "Old Man Above" wanted him too. Their lives are entirely based on their religion. They speak the language because Coyote said so. They live where they live because Coyote said so. He was their link to their god. "He made the Indians, and......
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Approximate Pages: 6 (260 words per double-spaced page) |