Modern Short Story Blog

One thing that remains constant in American Literature is its constant critique of American society and values.  The Scarlet Letter was critical of some of the Puritanical ideals and values Americans hold, Walden and Thoreau believed in independence from government and self-reliance, Great Gatsby showed the sins and victims of the Roaring 20's, Death of a Salesman critiqued the classic American Dream, writers and poets in the Harlem Renaissance wrote in part to support civil rights, and many short stories today expose the consumerism culture or poke fun of the participation trophy generation.  In short, American literature has always striven to improve America by exposing the parts of our culture that need improving.  However, despite this common goal between writers of critiquing society, the biggest change is that the tone of the literature has changed from a positive outlook to a more pessimistic view.  Scarlet Letter, although Hester Prynne is put through a lot of hardships, ends on a positive note with her redemption.  Whereas in Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, the "heroes" both end up dying with little retribution for them.  This shift in the tone of literature reflects the idea that America, while seen as so great, has many fundamental problems in its society.