During the Colonial age, American Literature was mainly influenced by religious, gender, and ethnic diversity. Puritanism was a belief-oriented religious movement that was led by a group of English Protestants between the 16th and 19th centuries (Scanlan 281). Puritan writers were guided by values and ideas such as courage, business, and spiritual ideologies. They depended on and praised God in their works and believed that He would protect them from all forms of evil. Nearly every aspect of their lives involved the interventions of religion. The writing styles of Puritan literature are complicated for readers with contemporary thoughts. Edward Taylor, a writer from the 17th to 18th century, used poetry to describe the relationship of human beings with God. However, people who uphold the beliefs of other religions will defy Taylor’s non-secular viewpoints. Puritan writers focused on explaining how people show devotion and faithfulness to God. Most of them, as seen in American Literature, escaped from England to avoid religious and political persecution (Scanlan 282). Some settlers, including Anne Bradstreet, William Bradford, and Thomas Morton, put down their experiences and accounts they witnessed in their diaries.
After the Colonial age, Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, came. This period was characterized by scientists and philosophers who challenged faith by using reason to understand the world. They led an all-embracing philosophical, logical, social, and cultural movement in parts of Europe such as Germany, England, and France. Writers, such as Benjamin Franklin, drifted away from Puritan ideologies and led a philosophical movement in Europe during the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
The philosophers of the Age of Reason, including Kant, Smith, Voltaire, Rosseau, Mendelssohn, and Montesquieu, came up with various theories such as individualism, relativism, and rationalism (Scanlan 285). Individualism defined the importance of human beings and their rights, while relativism accentuated the idea of equal worthiness among people of different cultures, beliefs, and societal norms. Rationalism was a principle inspired by reason to persuade human beings to pursue reality to make the world a better place. These writers believed that man was rational and ethical as opposed to the Puritan Literature, where he was seen as irrational and corrupt. The three ideologies of the Age of Reason indeed revealed man’s capability to create through reason and defy the traditions and conventions by making independent decisions. Enlightenment writers paved the way to new ways of thinking, which led to discoveries that challenged Puritans believes upheld by the long-standing, influential European leaders.
The works in each period had significant influences on religious, cultural, and social spheres of life. In the Colonial era, Puritanism swayed many people to believe that God had all answers for their problems. Irrational thoughts and ignorance characterized this period. Indeed, it led to the growth of the Church of England, which fueled the start of the English Civil war. Nevertheless, Puritan thoughts, attitudes, and ethics also encouraged self-reliance, frugality, and industry development to ensure a better social and economic life. Divided thoughts on theistic beliefs later resulted in mutual disaffection and persecution of some Puritans. The Age of Reason ushered a new way of thinking, as seen in the works of the aforementioned great philosophers. The roots of Enlightenment can be traced in the humanism of the Renaissance Era, which embraced Classical literature. Pragmatism and rational thinking gave rise to a scientific revolution that led to unprecedented societal change and diverse views of the world.
Work Cited
Scanlan, Thomas. “The Pragmatist Turn: Religion, the Enlightenment, and the Formation of American Literature by Giles Gunn.” Early American Literature, vol. 54, no. 1, 2019, pp. 281-285.