Литература британской эмиграции на Североамериканском континенте: история возникновения и динамика развития

Abstract

В статье рассмотрено североамериканское направление британской эмиграции, определены основные причины британского эмиграционного процесса, историко-культурные предпосылки возникновения британской эмиграционной литературы, обозначены основные группы британской эмиграционной литературы.

У статті розглянуто північноамериканський напрямок британської еміграції, визначені основні причини британського еміграційного процесу, історико-культурні передумови виникнення британської еміграційної літератури, визначені основні групи британської еміграційної літератури.

The paper appeals to the history of British settlements on the Northern Atlantic continent and the origin of literature of British emigration. The aim is to trace main periods and groups of the British emigration literature. The British as one of the earliest immigrant groups to North America were responsible for some basic American and Canadian cultural features, including language, laws, religion, education, and administration. British immigration to what are now the United States and Canada began in 1607 and is continued till the twenty-first century. This process was transformed over the centuries: the earliest British settlers were the first major immigration group, imposing their culture on newly settled territories while modern British immigrants have become an almost invisible group, whose members assimilate quickly into American and Canadian cultures. Main reasons for British emigration were: religious persecution, commercial profit, economic problems at different periods; marriages. British emigration literature is formed as a result of British emigration. According to the geographical principal such division of the British emigration literature can be made: British-American emigration literature and British-Canadian emigration literature. Debatable questions of British emigration discourse are distinguished in the paper: 1) In what context works of British emigrant’s descendants should be examined? 2) What criteria should be taken as determinants of writeremigrant? 3) How historic-cultural background is reflected in writer-emigrant’s works?