Major American Writers
The honored title of "Major American Writer" tends to be ambiguous and ill defined in part because each individual reader holds preconceived notions about what characteristics a writer should possess to be classified as a major author. Every work an author creates combines with the others to form a body of material on which the writer is judged. This class on Major American Writers studied five authors with completely different genres, writing styles, and general appeal. The choice for these particular authors was based on criteria unique to the instructor. Since every reader requires different characteristics, this paper will outline my specific criteria for a Major American Writer and apply those to Robert Frost and Henry James. Frost is a perfect example as defined by my characteristics of a major writer. His work embodies all the features necessary to categorize him as such. While James's work is well critiqued and studied, he does not meet my criteria for a major writer. His work falls short in some of the fundamental requirements. There are four specific criteria by which I define a Major American Writer. The most important for the significance of an author is the relevance of the wri
The second author examined is writer Henry James. Although James is a wonderful writer with a well-respected body of work, he does not sufficiently meet the criteria to be hailed a "Major American Writer." James' work lacks a connection to the human spirit and emotion. His characters are much more psychologically explained and explored than emotionally driven. James is noted for his psychological realism but his characters seem one-dimensional and curiously lacking in complexity. Charlotte is a good example of this aspect of the novel, The Europeans. She is a stereotypical Southern Christian and never really deviates from that role. While some characters may be more complex they too do not have the emotion to make them live. Eugenia may be complex and varied but her emotions and humanity are set aside in favor of exploring her psyche. James' work certainly has the possibility of engaging some reader's attention, but it did not engage mine. The subject matter did not seem to relate to any experience or thought I have ever had and required real substance. The clash between the cultures of Europe and America is out dated and is almost non-existent since the novel was written. The work did not explore the inner workings of the relationships or the personal conflict in any characters and so the novel held little interest. Though the substance of James' work may be questionable, his style is above reproach. The uses of imagery are quite vivid, and the detail is unflawed. The beginning scene of The Europeans makes the reader feel as though standing in a window above a busy Bostonian street. James also beings to remove the narrator from his stories to permit the reader a greater glimpse into the psyche of his characters. James falls short of meeting the fourth criterion set for a "Major American Writer." James' body of work is certainly worthy of study but he has no definitive place in the history or future of literature. His stories did not cause people to think differently or change long held world views. The novels he wrote did not greatly influence other writers to follow his style. He was a talented author whose wor
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Approximate Word count = 1448
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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