Fully Booked
  • Book Reviews
  • Best Book Lists
  • Author Interviews
  • Editorials
  • Book Genres
    • American Literature
    • Black Literature
    • Classic Literature
    • Fantasy
    • Folklore Books
    • Horror
    • Mystery
    • Nonfiction
    • Romance
    • Science Fiction
    • Summer Reads
    • Winter Books
    • Women In Literature
    • Young Adult
  • Podcast
No Result
View All Result
Fully Booked
  • Book Reviews
  • Best Book Lists
  • Author Interviews
  • Editorials
  • Book Genres
    • American Literature
    • Black Literature
    • Classic Literature
    • Fantasy
    • Folklore Books
    • Horror
    • Mystery
    • Nonfiction
    • Romance
    • Science Fiction
    • Summer Reads
    • Winter Books
    • Women In Literature
    • Young Adult
  • Podcast
No Result
View All Result
Fully Booked
No Result
View All Result

Home > Editorials > Standing The Test Of Time: The Top 5 American Literature Themes

Standing The Test Of Time: The Top 5 American Literature Themes

Emily S. by Emily S.
May 31, 2022
in Editorials
Reading Time: 5 mins read
American literature
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

It was not as hard as one would think to pick out the top 5 themes running throughout American literature. These American Literature themes are something that we all encounter continuously as we pick out books to read. These themes could also be seen as recurring in all literature, but American Lit has a particular fascination with them.

Picking out topics that are important to the time and to the authors themselves, these themes have stood the test of time. Each of them is relatable, and something that readers are clearly interested in consuming. From reliving our own experiences growing up, to outlining what is (or was) happening in politics and society, these themes are for all readers. Let’s take a look at some of the best American Literature themes.

comingOfAge

Loss of Innocence / Coming of Age

This theme is a huge classic in American literature. Coming of age is one of the most popular topics to write about, and many audiences can relate to it no matter the time period. A young person transitioning from ignorance to knowledge or experience; often times both of these occur throughout the novel. This theme is about jumping into adulthood maybe faster than one should due to circumstances they’re shoved into. From the social class they’re growing up in, to the actions of their caretakers, children in these tales learn about what life is like as an adult, and unfortunately generally showcasing the bad side of things before seeing anything good. Luckily optimistic endings are also a major part of coming of age stories.

Prime Examples;

  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
survival Of The Fittest

Survival of the Fittest

Ah, rugged American literature at its finest. The prime example of you have to fight for your right to live. From western themes to post-apocalyptic waste lands, these stories are normally pretty action packed and about the characters making it to the next chapter. Struggles for food, shelter and dominance are common, as are those of rebuilding of civilizations after a world has been destroyed. This theme is more harrowing than many others, but brings up many fascinating examples of what people will do in order to survive.

ReadNext

non-fiction open books

Top 3 Tips On How To Read Non-Fiction

December 28, 2022
Stack of books and a magnifying glass - mystery

10 Important Elements Of A Great Mystery Story

October 18, 2022

Prime Examples;

  • The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  • My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
  • One Second After by William R. Forstchen
American dream

The American Dream

Dragging oneself up the social, political and economic ladder by your bootstraps. Everything is attainable, if only you work hard enough. You too can find your dream job, the perfect partner, and settle down for a happy life. Chock full of optimism and the knowledge that life can be better, this totally classic theme has spanned American Literature for as long as people have been told that this should be their ideal life, and is the only thing that they should want.

The American Dream began at a time when coming to America meant you had the opportunity to start over, and if you worked extra hard your family could reap the benefits for generations to come. Authors have used this idea as inspiration for decades, and in turn this has allowed readers to cling to it for all these years.

Prime Examples;

  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  • The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
isolation

Isolation

Ko-Fi Support Banner

We’ve all been there; that feeling when you realize you are withdrawn from the rest of the world. Prevalent throughout much of American literature, this is another theme that is highly relatable no matter the time period you are living in. Most people go through periods where they fell a bit more isolated from the people around them, and this is what enables generations of readers to relate strongly to this theme. Isolation is a lonely and frightening feeling for most people, and reading a story about a person who is experiencing these same emotions and hardships.

Prime Examples;

  • Bird Box by Josh Malerman,
  • Under the Dome by Stephen King,
  • Speak by Laurie Anderson
society and politics

Political and Societal Ranking

Politics is a major influence for everyone. As America created their form of government and politics, writers have used their media to discuss these themes over and over again. From talking about the government taking away their rights, to standing up for their beliefs, authors used their platform to write inspiring and meaningful stories laced with politics and societal standing. From fiction to non-fiction alike, these books serve as a reminder about issues past, and how they still affect society to this day.

Prime Examples;

  • 1984 by George Orwell,
  • Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand,
  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

These American Literature themes are recurring through generations. They stand the test of time. From the past to the present, American literature continues to publish works that spark a debate, are highly relatable and bring up many good points with society and its underlying structure.


Enjoying this article?

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Tags: American Literature
ShareTweetShare
Emily S.

Emily S.

Has a bird who tries to steal all of her snacks- even if she is currently eating them. Also still thinks being able to read chapter books in kindergarten makes her cool.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
stephen king carrie feature-min

How Stephen King Almost Threw Away His Most Successful Book

October 27, 2021
5 least favorite classic books - literary podcast

Why These 5 Classic Books Are Our Least Favorite

May 6, 2022
A book with trigger warnings

7 Books Which Should Come With Trigger Warnings

September 19, 2021
what-makes-a-good-beach-read-feature

What Makes A Good Beach Read & The Story Behind It You Need To Know About

June 20, 2021
modern fairy tale

House of Hollow Review: A Marvelously Mysterious Modern Fairy Tale

4
Featured Image Design New

Female Science Fiction Authors You Need To Read Right Now

3
best-stephen-king-books-min

What is considered Stephen King’s best book?

2
Book VS Novel

What Is The Difference Between A Novel And A Book?

2
women-in-literature-history-podcast

Women In Literature: A Look Back In Time

March 21, 2023
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: One Great Love

March 13, 2023
in the dark

We Are All The Same In The Dark by Julia Heaberlin: A Review

March 11, 2023
the-book-was-better-podcast-she-said

The Book Was Better: The Lasting Impact of She Said (2022)

March 10, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Fully Booked

Copyright © 2020-2021 www.fully-booked.ca

Important Links

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Friend’s Links
  • Privacy Statement
  • Impressum
  • Disclaimer

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Book Reviews
  • Best Book Lists
  • Author Interviews
  • Editorials
  • Book Genres
    • American Literature
    • Black Literature
    • Classic Literature
    • Fantasy
    • Folklore Books
    • Horror
    • Mystery
    • Nonfiction
    • Romance
    • Science Fiction
    • Summer Reads
    • Winter Books
    • Women In Literature
    • Young Adult
  • Podcast

Copyright © 2020-2021 www.fully-booked.ca

Manage your privacy

To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.

Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Statistics

Marketing

Features
Always active

Always active
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}
Manage your privacy
We use cookies to offer you a better experience, analyze traffic, and at times, serve the best possible and relevant advertisement to you. By continuing to use this site, you agree with the use of cookies in accordance with our linked policies below.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}
-
00:00
00:00

Queue

Update Required Flash plugin
-
00:00
00:00