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The period began in the 1960s and progressed throughout the following decades. It is often described as beginning with N. Scott Momaday’s House Made of Dawn, published in 1968. This novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969. When it was first conceived, the book was a collection of poems. These evolved into stories and then into a complete novel. It is based on the author’s knowledge of life in Jemez Pueblo, an area of New Mexico. This was the first work of fiction, written by a Native American, that was truly described as having a wide readership.  Characteristics of the Native American RenaissanceScholars generally connect the Native American Renaissance with a few important characteristics (as noted in Native American Literatures: An Introduction by Suzanne Lundquist). These include:
The Native American Renaissance occurred alongside a renewed interest in examining the history of the “Wild West.” Scholars, for the first time, took the time to consider the Native American perspective. During this period, a great deal of activism within Native American communities was also taking place as individuals sought to achieve equal rights and sovereignty over their own territory. Native American Renaissance DefinitionThe Native American Renaissance was a period in contemporary literature, beginning in the 1960s, in which the literary output of Native American authors increased along with the public’s interest in reading these authors’ poems, novels, and short stories. Following the initial increase in the output of literary works by Native American authors and the public’s new interest in reading these works, an increase in the development of Native American studies departments around the United States occurred. New programs at universities such as Dartmouth College and the University of California, Los Angeles, were founded. Authors of the Native American RenaissanceBelow are a few of the best-known authors of the Native American Renaissance: Examples of Literature from the Native American RenaissanceLove Medicine by Louise ErdrichLove Medicine was Erdrich’s first novel, published in 1984. It follows the lives of five Ojibwe families who live on reservations in Minnesota and North Dakota. The book is a chronicle of these families that spans six decades. Here is a quote:
It won the 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award and was revised and republished by the author in 1993 and 2009. Read Louise Erdrich’s poetry. Winter in the Blood by James WelchWinter in the Blood by James Welch is a well-known novel of the Native American Renaissance. The book is set on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana in the ‘60s and follows an unnamed man’s journey. Here is a quote:
The book was Welch’s first novel, published in 1974 by Harper & Row. The novel received praise from a wide variety of critics and was even adapted into a film by Sherman Alexie that was released in 2012. Explore James Welch’s poetry. Ceremony by Leslie Marmon SilkoCeremony is a 1977 novel based around the ceremonial practices of the Navajo and Pueblo people. Parts of this incredibly original novel are written in prose, while others are more poetic. Throughout the novel, readers encounter different timelines, characters, and stories. Throughout, readers are reminded of the power of words and the importance, and responsibility, of telling stories. Here is a quote:
The novel speaks on themes like matriarchal culture, duality, trauma, identity, and healing. FAQsWhat is the Native American literary movement? The Native American Renaissance, sometimes known as the Native American literary movement, began in the 1960s and is characterized by an increase in the literary output by Native American authors around the United States. The movement also saw a new interest in developing Native American studies programs and universities, seeing America’s past through the lens of Native American communities, and more. What is N. Scott Momaday’s relationship to the Native American Renaissance? N. Scott Momaday is the author of what is considered to be the first literary work of the Native American renaissance. He wrote the novel House Made of Dawn, published in 1968. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction the next year. What are four common themes found in Native American literature? Four of the common themes found throughout works of Native American literature include a connection between people and the land, the chronicle of a hero’s journey, an analysis of identity, and plot elements inspired by traditional storytelling and mythology.
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The period of the American Renaissance is also sometimes referred to as the New England Renaissance. It was around this time that American literature came of age, producing some of the most important American writers. These included the “Brahmins,” like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. These writers, and others, sought out European methods of writing and storytelling in order to create a new kind of American literature. American Renaissance pronunciation: uh-mehr-ee-cahn ren-ay-sahn-ss Definition and Explanation of American RenaissanceThe phrase “American Renaissance” was first used in 1941, in American Renaissance: Art and Expression in the Age of Emerson and Whitman. F.O. Matthiessen originated the phrase and described the movement as focused on “the possibilities of democracy” and as attempting to distinguish American literature from British literature. American writers, like those mentioned below, attempted to create their own literature, a genre that was emphasized by nationalism and the desire for an individual arts culture in America. The American Renaissance was influenced by a variety of sources. This included Transcendentalism, featuring writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. This movement advocated for social reforms, free religion, and the abolition of slavery. During the American Renaissance, writers like Nathanial Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Walt Whitman came to prominence. After the movement had concluded, scholars reconsidered their categorization of authors and chose to include several other well-known writers as part of the American Renaissance movement. For example, Emily Dickinson, John Greenleaf Whittier, Edgar Allan Poe, and Frederick Douglass. Interestingly, most of these writers were not well-known in their time. They gained a following after their death. Examples of American Renaissance LiteratureThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel HawthorneHawthorne’s classic, The Scarlet Letter, is a work of historical fiction that was published in 1850. The novel is set in a Puritan colony in Massachusetts Bay between 1642 and 1649. It follows the story of Hester Prynne who has an affair and gives birth to a daughter. The book focuses on themes of guilt, religion, and morality while describing the colony’s treatment of Prynne and how she deals with their disdain. Read poetry by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Leaves of Grass by Walt WhitmanLeaves of Grass, Whitman’s famed poetry collection, was first published in 1855 but was expanded and edited over the following years. The first time it was published the collection held twelve poems. By the time he died, he’d expanded it to include over 400. The poems were inspired by Transcendentalism, nature, and Whitman’s own individuality. He spent time talking about the human body, his own body and elevating the form in the reader’s eye, sometimes to the point where he received push back in regard to more sexual imagery. This collection was also a breakthrough in the realm of free verse poetry, solidifying Whitman as the “father” of the style. Read poems by Walt Whitman. Walden by Henry David ThoreauWalden was published in 1854 and is part of the Transcendentalist movement and the American Renaissance. The text reflects on the author’s surroundings as he lived a simple life in a natural setting. Thoreau’s two years living in a cabin he built alongside Walden Pond allowed him to make scientific and social observations. His writing is poetic and metaphorically at times while direct and exploratory at others. He identifies plants, describes water, the stages of life around the pond, and the four seasons. He compressed the years he spent there into a single calendar year. Read poetry by Henry David Thoreau. Moby-Dick by Herman MelvilleMelville’s classic, Moby-Dick, was published in the middle of the American Renaissance period, in 1851. It follows a sailing captain’s obsessive quest to take revenge on a white whale that bit off his leg. The narrative follows Ishmael as he narrates Ahab’s spiraling mental state and obsession. Melville drew on his own experiences as a sailor to inspire the plot and details. When published, the novel was received with mixed reviews. It made Melville very little money and was quickly out of print. It was only solidified as a classic of American literature in the 20th century. The House of Seven Gables by Nathanial HawthorneWhile less well-known than The Scarlet Letter, The House of Seven Gables is another important literary work that Hawthorne contributed to the literary world during the American Renaissance. It’s categorized as a gothic novel and was published in 1851. It follows a New England family while exploring themes similar to those found in The Scarlet Letter. There are suggestions throughout the novel that something more supernatural is occurring, including witchcraft. The book was inspired day the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion found in Salem, Massachusetts. The mansion belonged to Hawthorne’s cousin and ancestors who participated in the Salem Witch trials. Read poems by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Why is the American Renaissance Period Important?The American Renaissance was one of the most important literary periods in the country’s history. It was at this time that American writers were able to carve out their own identity, separate from their British and European counterparts. The poems and novels that came out of this period, including works by Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, and Nathanial Hawthorne, paved the way for the writers who followed. This newly defined American literary identity came into being in the few decades between 1830 and the start of the American Civil War.
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