Regionalism In American Literature

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For a country that is not even 250 years old, the United States has seen a great deal of change in its physical nature; what was once the thirteen original colonies quickly expanded into one massive country with influence extending far beyond its geographical borders. Yet because the country covers so much land, many regional nuances and dialects are reflected in the works that come out from each section of the country. From accents, to food, to history and culture, no one place defines what America is as a country, but all combine to provide the sense of one American identity. American writers from the 19th century express this sense of regionalism, so this sense of the country’s identity is defined via the regions that make up the entirety.…show more content…
J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, a pro-American writer during the American revolution lived a life full of traveling and experiencing vastly different cultures. He was born in Normandy, France, but made his way to England and Canada, before settling down in Orange County, NY as a farmer. It is through his travels and life as a farmer where a passion and appreciation for nature began to grow. Taking his thoughts and experiences to paper, Crevecoeur transcribed essays that not only shed light on the beauty of the American land, but also sparked the interest of Europeans to visit this foreign land, thus…show more content…
Crevecoeur’s understanding of American identity is one of a whole; there is not one tiller of the Earth, but rather all Americans are. In keeping his identity anonymous, the ‘we’ could be calculated to keep that anonymity, but the passion and tone of his writing truly conveys his love for this beautifully raw country, feeling he himself is an American. Assuming he believes he is an American is not far fetched, his impact on New England was felt throughout the region, becoming honorary citizens in many American cities and even had one named in his honor, St. Johnsbury in Vermont (604). In his description, he begins to unravel what it means to be an American, more specifically an American farmer. This concept is not understood well initially, but Crevecoeur’s comparison of men to plants makes an understanding of the importance of the American farmer much more simple. “Here [in America] they are become men: in Europe they were as so many useless plants wanting vegetative mold and refreshing showers; they withered, and were mowed down by want, hunger, and war; but now by the power of transplantation, like all other plants they have taken root and flourished!” (606) The useless plants were the

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