letters american farmer letters american farmer series letters written french american writer published considerably longer title originally published letters american farmer manners customs north_america letters cover wide range topics emergence american identity slave trade wrote letters period seven years prior farming land near new_york told viewpoint fictional narrator correspondence english gentleman letter concerns different aspect life location british colonies america work incorporates number styles genres including documentary observations moderately successful america letters immediately popular europe publication prompted high demand produced expanded french version published years later work recognised canon american literature influenced diverse range subsequent works biographical background born normandy aristocratic family received jesuit education having left school visited relatives england engaged visit mark beginning lifelong admiration culture politics country shortly possibly death fiancée joined french regiment canada engaged french indian war wounded battle plains resigned commission began traveling widely pennsylvania new_york official resident new_york british subject adopting working surveyor trader subsequent years traveled extensively purchased farm land new_york married following seven years wrote letters american farmer corresponded possibly referenced book french edition dedicated local hostilities loyalists revolutionaries escalated build american revolutionary war decided return france scholars suggested order secure legal claim arrival new_york_city found suspicion revolutionary spy detained whilst detention suffered nervous collapse released travel september traveled london landing ireland sold manuscript letters publishers leaving france summary letter introduction introduction fictional persona james american farmer commencement correspondence letters english gentleman writing abilities receives advice wife local minister letter situation feelings pleasures american farmer description creatures plants activities farm owned james comments differences american model society european countries letter iii american comparison physical environment societies emerge explores conditions aspects new american country constitutes identity citizens letters viii widely referred sequence letters letters describe aspects society island martha letter description island manners customs policy trade inhabitants letter customary education employment inhabitants letter description island martha whale fishery letter vii manners customs letter viii peculiar customs letter description thoughts slavery physical evil melancholy scene account charles town charleston particularly institution slavery town argues destruction revolves slave master relationships makes appeal north particular slavery truly evil practice midst new nation america letter snakes bird extensive detailing wide variety snakes including cultural practices surrounding mentions habits stories told america warning people certain ones end letter discussion turns found james land habits varieties letter russian gentleman describing visit paid request botanist narrated russian gentleman describing visit famous botanist narrator tells new methods irrigation invented plants letter frontier man description impending james turmoil caught forces american british control including anxiety owes allegiance considered way life native americans james family intend live close book structure genre style letters structured fictional correspondence letters james american farmer living colony pennsylvania english gentleman james letters presented answers absent work consists letters address wide range issues concerning life british colonies america years prior introductory letter letter introduces fictional narrator james subsequent letter takes subject matter certain topic letter iii american particular location james visits describe martha respectively certain themes span referred letters exception written russian gentleman describing visit botanist presumed writing arranged series letters work appear disconnected critics identified levels organization text incorporates broad range genres ranging documentary local agricultural practices observations places visited inhabitants describes example american tradition book anthology authorship editing early readings text tended consider straightforward natural social history young america critics combining elements fiction non fiction termed complex addition usual classification form philosophical travel narrative comparable text considered novel romance themes shift tone letters said exhibit model decline optimistic tone early letters disrupted text increasingly movement joy pride wonder spectacle america images brutality slavery disagreement model decline produced james evidence voice narrative critics disagree narrative occurs placing eighth ninth letters relationship environment significant recurring themes letters individual society relationship environment work read defense american theme appears especially iii letters describing martha james views expressive doctrine environmental human growth development activities controlled physical environment letter iii says men like plants goodness flavour fruit proceeds peculiar soil exposition grow derive air breathe climate inhabit government obey system religion nature employment suggests text subject cultural myth man relationship land confirms dignity citizen reception legacy offered manuscript essays london publishers initially skeptical potential letters successful work proved instantly popular england variety reasons proponents political reform approved radical anti government implications message romantic writers admired influenced natural landscape individual relationship widely final years revolutionary war public eager documentary detail letters provided america popularity book led second edition called year later continental europe letters proved equally popular dutch german translations rapidly produced prompted constant demand editions appeared places dublin paris lieu second volume letters produced expanded french version published french version removed fictional persona james presented series documents edited providing greater documentary detail expense twentieth century revival interest text critic suggests aesthetics politics nationalism appears primary force critical resurrection letters works depict american melting pot letters particularly letter iii american frequently work recognized canon american literature modern editions
Letters from an American Farmer