Early American Literature :: essays research papers

Early American literature consisted mainly of diaries, diarys, short stories, and Indian creation stories. Since some(a) of the language used was of older English and some other languages, early American literature was difficult to read.The first story I read was Spanish Explorers in the revolutionary World. This story was a journal of Cabeza de Vacas travels and discoveries in the New World. After having a shipwreck, he and his workfellow sailors were made slaves of the Indians. They walked barefoot, bleeding and ate raw meat for food. He in addition described how one tribe took over land. De Vaca gave detailed accounts on how the Indians lived which I found interesting. The males lived in the estufas, while women lived in the house. For a proposal, the male would waffle a blanket and place it before the female. Spanish Explorers In The New World was interesting because of the detail with the Indians as opposed to other stories which entail no action.The second piece of earl y American literature I read was The General History. The Jamestown colony as plagued from the beginning by ill-omened circumstances. While out exploring, John Smith was captured by the Indians. After existence brought to many chiefs, John Smith was brought to the emperor of the Pamaunkee. The emperor had planned to pop up John Smith at first by placing his head against a rock and bashing it in. Then Pocahontas, the emperors daughter, threw her head in the port and prevented his death. The emperor then decided to let Smith live and to concur him as a slave. This story also had more action than some other which I read which does make it interesting, but every in one case in a while it is difficult to understand due to the elderly English. This story was insightful into the lives of one tribe of Indians near Jamestown.The third transition I read was an excerpt from The Bay Psalm Book. In this the Puritans had re-edited the intelligence and tried to simplify its words. Their ve rsion was modified to rhyme and to have what the Puritans referred to as "plainness.