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One of the most fascinating aspects of literature is its examination of the foreign, the unknown, the weird, the unconventional. Literary critics refer to this as the Other. It can be as foreign as a newly discovered culture or as seemingly commonplace as a woman. Whatever is not the norm can be considered the Other, and it both draws and repels us.
Sometimes the Other is embodied in the themes a piece of literature examines, like Hawthorne's heroine Hester Prynne. For the purposes of this website, at least, the Other can also be the author her/himself, like Cabeza de Vaca. When I was reading the works of Sor Juana Inez de La Cruz, Phillis Wheatly, and Fanny Fern, I realized that the issues the author addresses can serve as examinations of the Other as well. These women discussed women's rights and the rights of the oppressed in a time when women weren't supposed to speak out at all. Plus, I have a lot of fun reading and talking about them, so they get to be on my site, too.
But enough explanation. This site isn't complex, I trust you'll best see what I'm talking about by diving right in. Click on the names below to read all about these rebels of early American lit.
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And remember to check out my sources!
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