The roots of American literature may differ with relation to what cultures you consider to be of the first “Americans.” Before the establishment of British and other European colonies in the Americas, there were only various tribes of Native Americans. While the Natives focused on the “big picture” of life and nature, the introduction of other ideas by European Pilgrims began to alter and reshape what has come to be known as the literature of the time. During the period of time before the United States became a country in itself, society slowly shifted from a “big picture” mindset, to a slightly smaller and local mindset. Continuing along with the problems arising throughout history, works of American writing began to reflect combatants, as well as pushers, of slavery. Minimizing the focus of the issues of the time to a much more personal aspect, individualism takes a strong hold on the minds of the educated individual. Throughout the time period from the beginnings of literature, maintained as oral tradition, all the way to written and widely distributed novels, storytelling has continued to provide an …show more content…
Stories such as “The World On The Turtle’s Back” showed a great sense of imagination and desire to explain why nature is the way it is. Native American tribes maintained a strong sense of unity with nature. Recognizing that nature is, ultimately, the one thing that you can have no control over, they found a way to worship and spread love in relation to nature. Making a connection through myths like this, told by mouth, was one significant thing the Natives passed down from generations. Stories and legends continued to be shared over and over again, changing ever so slightly with each retelling. Eventually, the shift to a different aspect of literature found it’s way into the