American Literature

American literature refers to novels, poems, essays, and other literary works originating from the United States. Its history can be traced back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The development of American literature was influenced by European literature and American social changes, as well as by local culture, natural environment and social environment. The main schools of American literature included realism, romanticism, modernism, post-modernism, and so on. Among them, realism literature emphasized the description of social reality and the true portrait of characters. Romanticism literature focused on the expression of emotions and humanity. Modern literature explored new breakthroughs in literary forms and topics. Post-modern literature focused on literature's reflection and criticism of reality. In the 20th century, American literature experienced many important periods and events, such as the American War of independence, the Civil War, the Second World War, the Cold War, and so on. The influence of these events and periods, as well as the reaction of American literature to the times and society, became important topics and styles of American literature. Famous American literary works included The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, War and Peace, Jane Eyre, Gone with the Wind, Sherlock Holmes, and so on. These works not only had an important position in the history of American literature, but also had a wide range of readers and influence on a global scale.