THE ROLE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AND CULTURAL DISCOURSE IN THE FORMATION OF AMERICAN LITERATURE
Keywords:
American literature, national identity, cultural discourse, Richard Gray, abolitionism, Trail of Tears, Second Great Awakening, gender inequality, transcendentalism, history of the press.Abstract
This article examines the formation of American national literature and
its connection with national identity. Based on Richard Gray’s historical
analysis, the study explores how economic growth, territorial expansion, and
social conflicts influenced literary discourse between 1800 and 1865. The
research highlights the roles of slavery, the "Trail of Tears," and the "Second
Great Awakening" in shaping the moral and ethical foundations of American
writing. The findings suggest that literature served as a primary tool for
constructing a cohesive national identity amidst deep social divisions. This
article explores the formation of American national literature in close relation
to the development of national identity and cultural discourse during the first
half of the nineteenth century. Drawing on Richard Gray’s historical
perspective, the study analyzes how rapid economic expansion, westward
