America and I

In terms of genre, the author’s work is considered difficult to classify; it features qualities of both Romanticism and Realism, both of which were popular during the beginning of the 20th century. Her essay here does, like Romanticism, focus on the narrator’s emotional journey and inner world, highlighting the importance of the creative spirit and even, briefly, as in her talking to the stars, an interest in nature. This desire for connection to nature and the broader American experience is truncated by time (the fact that she must toil to make a living, working far more than the present-day accepted norm of 40 hours per week) and location (tenements in New York City). At the same time, some major elements of Romanticism—such as an interest in the supernatural—are clearly missing. This containment of Romantic elements in her narrative mirrors immigrants’ inability to live the Romantic ideal of America—one where they can choose their vocation and find success in “the land of plenty.” Her subject matter, focusing on everyday life and true situations with accuracy and a lack of embellishment, more resembles Realism. It also could be said to criticize the upper classes, as Realism does, and to use the kind of color palette indicative of the real world.