American literature - recommendations needed!

I am trying to find an interesting book by an American author, preferably set in the late 1800's to early 1900's. The book must contain a young woman (or women) either using the rules of society to her own advantage, outrageously or covertly, or a young woman flouting the rules of society and succeeding in spite of her rebellion.

I'm comparing and contrasting the roles of women in a research paper, and i must choose the last two books. I've already picked Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and am considering "Trifles,” by Susan Glaspell. I haven't read it; any opinions?

Basically any point of view or suggestions would be helpful.

From my understanding Kate Chopin's Awakening would be a good novel to use about a woman who rebels against society's rules. I've never read it, but I have read a short story by Chopin and my professor for American Literature briefly discussed this book in class. Hope that can be of help.

Yes, The Awakening comes to mind...set in New Orleans, early 1900's, can't remember precisely what year. It could work; the heroine rebels, although it's arguable to say whether or not she actually succeeds in the end...but it's a really good book to choose nonetheless, I think it would really contribute to the paper.

The Awakening... doesn't that woman walk into the ocean or something? I believe one of my friends mentioned it to me. I will check it out, but hopefully I can find something a little more cheerful. I like books with happy endings and three books in a week is a lot to read when you don't like the subject material.

Edit: rec posted does not meet the required criteria

How about "The Philadelphians" by Richard Powell?

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How about The Scalet Letter by Hawthorne? Female lead character written in 1850, but novel setting is somewhere in the 1600's I think.

Or how about Portrait of a Lady by Henry James.

Let us know what you choose.

thanks everyone here

Your Worship, I have a question. How did you find Little Women? I mean do you think that it is good?

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Originally Posted by Your Worship

I am trying to find an interesting book by an American author, preferably set in the late 1800's to early 1900's. The book must contain a young woman (or women) either using the rules of society to her own advantage, outrageously or covertly, or a young woman flouting the rules of society and succeeding in spite of her rebellion.

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How about Gone With the Wind? Scarlett O'Hara is all that and more.

I agree Scheherzade. :nod:

How about o Pioneers! - Willia Cather - a Women who does not follow societal rules. Also a good short book written early 1900's.

Or

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand - very long book though. Although don't know about the time period.

What about A tree grows in Brooklyn? It probably does not meet your criteria but it is a good book which portrays American culture. It will be better to say that it portrays the life of "Brooklyn" at that time. Its main idea also concerns women a lot.

Give it a try!

I've just finished Little Women and am almost done with Daisy Miller as well. I will definitely consider Portrait of a Lady and The Scarlett Letter. Atlas Shrugged and Gone With the Wind are a bit more than I feel prepared to tackle at the moment. I've attempted both in the past and was mightily put off by Scarlett's character and intimidated by the economic allusions in Ayn Rand's novel. I'm also going to look at the Phillidelphians and I'll glance at the Willa Cather one. I thought that was a poem, I remember looking at it awhile ago when I was reading Death Comes for the Archbishop. I can't say I was impressed by her style, finding it very confusing to read a book that doesn't follow any kind of linear progression. Thank you very, very much, and please keep recommending!

As for Little Women, it was enjoyable. I think it was a little more intensely moral than I usually like a book to be, but the characters were charming in their own little ways. Naturally I sided with Jo, though having read it through, I realize she isn't really the main character. My only real problem is the lack of real conflict, or perhaps I should say confident conflict. The disagreements always have a vaguely petulent edge to them, as if the girls knew they were doing wrong, but wouldn't acknowledge it. I'd like them to have thought they were doing right, or at least had to much pride to immediately acknowledge the wrong. It seems like there are plenty of disagreements, but it always turns out that 'father knows best' or in some other way the man turns out to give advice in a lecturing manner that winds up being proven true, to the girls' detriment. Maybe it's the feminist in me, I don't know, but it annoyed me that they were always right and the girls always wound up humbly begging their pardon for disagreeing in the first place. I know, I know, another time, another way of life, but I can't reconcile myself to Jo's complete submission to the rules of society, even in fiction.

It seems that years and years of neglecting anything which falls out of the realm of European literature is a practice that should not be further continued by somebody who intends studying Literature at university within a year. :D

Today I was skimming my old reading journals a bit, and decided that it would be advisable to, to say so, bring some diversity to my repertoire which tends to be classics-ish, European-ish, and pre-20th-century-ish, so I decided I might start off with some American literature.

I know very, very little about American literature. When I joined this forum, and online in general, I often encountered obscure names which seemed to be familiar to a lot of people but which never meant anything to me - Vonnegut? Hawthorne? Crane? Sinclair? Steinbeck? I have heard of them, yet I - shamefully I admit - never discovered what was behind those names.

I would appreciate recommendations of what would be advisable to read from American literature, to somebody who would like to get a general overview of it, as well as to read those well-known works (which are not well-known nor studied here). I am simply blocked, not knowing where to start at all.

So far, throughout my formal education, I have encountered works of Twain (The Prince and the Pauper and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which I only vaguely recall), Hemingway (The Old Man and the Sea, and I noticed that on our next year's reading list there is also, as recommended reading, For Whom the Bell Tolls), Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye), Poe (some poems and short stories). I cannot think of anyone else.

Skimming through my reading journals I also noticed that I was reading Kerouac (On the Road), F. Scott Fitzgerald (Great Gatsby), some anthology of American poetry (and there was a note that I liked Emily Dickinsons' poetry... I do not even remember what that was, and what impressed me :blush: ), I noticed that I tried reading Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury but was obviously too young at the time as I could not follow it nor finish it (perhaps I should re-try it now?), and, other than maybe a couple of other books which I cannot think of now which I encountered in the journal, that would be it. The total of American literature I have read since I have been holding reading journals (and that was since eight grade, so it is unlikely that much eludes me).

Given my scarce experience (but a desire to overcome it :D), where would you recommend me to start, what to read, which movements or literary periods to consider, what books in US schools are taught, what books are those everybody-has-read classics, etc. Any kind of input you can provide to me would be very beneficial, and appreciated.

I intend to study Literature at university so I figured something should be done about my quite predictable repertoire, at least regarding American literature.
Thank you in advance. :)