A New Beginning

Cooper made the comment that American literature was lacking because of the limited resources authors had to rely on. However, I feel that American authors did have several different sources to base their materials on. The truth is that American writers used different sources than the traditional references used by British authors.

It only seems logical that American writers would produce works different from the literature being produced in Europe. Yet, Cooper found these differences as evidence that the literature produced in America as being inferior to that written in Europe. Instead, I believe that the different resources American writers turned to created a style of literature that was unique to America alone.

America, as a country, is very young compared to those countries found in Europe. Therefore, we have a much briefier history to rely on as a guide for literature. American writers did have life experiences, their own and the ones of others, to set the foundation for a new style of literature that the world had never seen before.

In the beginning, American writers tended to follow the traditional paths set by the earlier writers in Europe. However, as time passed American writers began to explore different directions they wished their literature to take. The old traditional forms of writing did not any longer fit.

America was a new country and new forms of writing were needed to express this.
The classical sense of writing was replaced with a more direct and no-nonsense sense of style. Also, writing that questioned the standards of society became more common. Finally, the concept of America being a strong and individualized country was frequently found in American 19th Century literature. In all, American writers had located new resources that made their writing unique and a style that was all their own.