What I Want To Know About My Topic

The initial beginning process of research has always been a difficult task for me. There are so many questions that absolutely must be answered by multiple reliable resources. All good researches must begin with an essential question, mine being "What defines literature of this era?"  You can't just jump into research by googling the main question. Take your time and break down the main objective into several smaller, more bite sized concepts. I have done exactly that and have generated the following five questions to guide me on this research journey:

1. What kind of  impact did authors have on society using their literature?
2. How did the events of that era influence the style of literature (mood, tone, etc)?
3. What was the most prevalent style of literature?
4. How does the literature of this era differ from the literature of today?
5. What makes this era's literature stand out from the rest?

What I Already Know About My Topic

With the discovery of the new land to the foundation of a great country, the Encounter and Foundation Era of American history is widely known. In that era we saw the transition from Native American tribes, to foreign colonies, to patriotic states. However, the literature of this era isn't widely known as the battles for our freedom are. Even I can't tell you one peice of literature written in this era. The 1500's were time of William Shakespear and the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet! But sadly, Shakespear was English and our targets are good ole Americans!

The Story Behind My Topic Choice

“Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. They are engines of change, windows on the world, lighthouses erected in the sea of time,” is an infamous qoute by Barbara W. Tuchman on her view of the importance of literature. Literature has always been a crucial part of society. Its used to by the author to show his/her strong thoughts and feelings therefore acting as the ideal source of expression of many individuals. Some use literature to express themselves by reading the art work of the Greats, entering an alternate reality the story creates. Others prefer to create the alternate reality themselves and write their own personal expert peices of literature. Personally, I love to surround myself with both forms. However, I can't just read the book. There's so much more inbetween the lines that tells a whole different story. The story being of the author, and what's going on around him/her. You analyze a book, you analyze the author. You can see how it was during that time, how life was. One of America's most important eras was the Encounter and Foundation Era (1500-1800) and what was going on during that era greatly effected in it's literature. How interesting would it be to study a time frame just by reading the books? I'm not talking about the textbooks either, the fiction. That pure curiousity and challenge of getting inside of the minds of the authors of the greatest time period of American history sparks my intrest, and while doing so unlock pieces of history that no textbook can give you.