Letters from an American farmer
Letters from an American Farmer (English original. Letters from an American Farmer) , a published in 1782 collection of 12 letters of the Franco-American writer is Michel Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur (Hector St. John de Crevecoeur ) to an unspecified identified English gentleman named FB
The exchange of letters as a framework is fictitious , but the letters are truthful descriptions of the everyday life of American colonists shortly before the American Revolutionary War . The topics range from the emergence of an American culture to agriculture and animal husbandry to slavery .
The epistolary novel combines a variety of literary styles and genres, including some passages are purely documentary reports, but others correspond in their quality to sociological considerations.
content
First letter
The first letter is about the narrator James contacting an English gentleman known only as FB. He visited the narrator in the past and would now like to be informed about American customs and peculiarities by letter. James feels extremely flattered and, due to his extreme modesty, is initially unable to begin correspondence. After initial hesitation, however, his wife and a well-known clergyman were able to convince him of this plan, as an interesting exchange would take place, from which James and his English friend would ultimately benefit.
Second letter
He then begins to describe his everyday life as a farmer . The letter is characterized by the narrator's deep respect for nature and its creatures. He is particularly fascinated by the bees , whose behavior he studies in particular and later adopts by cutting down trees that they colonize and thus getting the valuable honey. Another focus is on the wild pigeons , which he observes, feeds in winter, and occasionally catches.
literature
First edition
- J. Hector St. John. Letters from an American Farmer, London 1782.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Letters from an American farmer. In: archive.org. Retrieved May 26, 2016 .