Literary History

The First American Short Stories

Overview
The United States was still in its infancy in the early 1800s, and accordingly, it had few established literary traditions. The Puritan influence on the young nation, in which fiction was regarded as frivolous, made fiction especially underdeveloped in terms of a literary tradition.

However, three famous writers emerged from that period and are considered the forefathers of short story and fiction form: Washington Irving, Nathanial Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe. These American authors, important figures for the Romantic period, created a foundation for the short story, which consists of five major elements: setting, characters (usually including protagonist and antagonist), point of view, theme, and plot.

Washington Irving, who was named for President George Washington, was one of the first American authors to become internationally famous. He is best known for the short stories “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleep Hollow.” In these stories, Irving borrowed European narratives and placed them in U.S. settings.

Hawthorne wrote many books and short stories, the most famous of which was The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne based his stories on old Puritan legends and focused more on moral and psychological themes than on historical events. Unlike the transcendentalists, Hawthorne was a pessimist. Even Edgar Allan Poe, master of the macabre, found him melancholy!

Poe was perhaps the most innovative writer of his time, and his literary achievements were numerous. Poe was a pioneer in the development of the literary magazine and its mass circulation. He also created detective stories and science fiction—two new story genres. Stories like “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” established conventions mystery writers still use today. Poe felt that readers should be able to read a short story in one sitting, and that every detail was important and should contribute to the reader’s impression.

The ideas and literary forms of these three authors continue to influence writers today.

Bibliography
Irving, Washington. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories from the Sketch Book. New York: Signet Classics, 2006. A collection of Washington Irving’s classics, including “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” “Rip Van Winkle,” and others.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Tales and Sketches. New York: Library of America, 1982. Includes stories from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s three collections: “Twice-Told Tales,” “Mosses from an Old Manse,” and “The Snow-Image.”

Poe, Edgar Allan. Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Doubleday, 1984. The complete collection of Poe’s poems and short stories, including “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”

Web links
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe
http://www.eapoe.org/works/index.htm
In Poe’s day, magazines and newspapers were the chief outlets for short stories and poetry. Access the link to “Annuals, Magazines and Periodicals” for a list of magazines and newspapers to which Poe contributed.

The Nineteenth Century in Print: Periodicals
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/moahtml/snchome.html
In the nineteenth century, short stories and poetry primarily appeared in newspapers and magazines rather than in books. This collection contains twenty-three literary and political magazines from this era, digitized by Cornell University Library and the Preservation Reformatting Division of the Library of Congress.

Brief Timeline of American Literature and Events: Pre-1620 to 1920
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/timefram.html
This interesting timeline provides a brief chronology of events in U.S. political and social history and literature. It provides links to general resources about American authors, literary movements, and American literature Web sites.