Joel Chandler Harris is a famous American writer who became famous as the author of famous fairy tales for children based on folklore material. This work includes several collections, which were very popular among readers. In addition, the author was actively engaged in the study of folklore and journalism, thus making a great contribution to the development of American literature of the 19th century.
early years
Joel Chandler Harris was born in 1848. His mother was an emigrant, and the father's origin remained unknown. From an early age, the boy became addicted to literature largely thanks to his mother, who often read aloud to her son. At the Academy, the future famous writer discovered outstanding writing abilities. In addition, he had an excellent memory.
Subsequently, he joined the newspaper. Here Joel Chandler Harris proved himself to be a good writer. He published some of his sketches in the newspaper, which differed in their original language and critical approach. He also listened carefully to the stories of plantation slaves, which subsequently formed the basis of his African-American animal tales. This invaluable experience subsequently formed the basis of his famous stories, united by the image of Uncle Remus.
Writing career
Joel Chandler Harris continued his literary pursuit after moving to another newspaper, to which he was forced by the events of the civil war. His humorous sketches about rural life in the state of Georgia brought him popularity and fame. He also became famous as a writer of rather witty puns.
In addition to purely literary activity, he was engaged in writing articles on topical issues denouncing corruption, bribery, and the struggle of parties. In 1876, the writer moved with his family to Atlanta, where he continued to work as a journalist. By that time he was already a recognized chronicler of the history of the South.
Fairy tales
After some time, he became an assistant editor. Then he began to ponder the plan of his own work of art. The author came up with a charming black storyteller who amused the people with his humorous stories about the life of post-war Atlanta. So the "Tales of Uncle Remus" were born. Joel Chandler Harris wrote 185 miniatures, which were very popular among the reading public.
The first collection was published in 1880 and was a great success. In total, the author released five parts, three more unfinished collections were published after his death. These works brought him world fame. His contemporary critics noted his professional work with black folklore and skillfully reproducing the color of their culture in a fabulous form.
Impact and feedback
Joel Chandler Harris, whose books enjoyed the love of readers along with the best works of other American writers, immediately became famous thanks to his original stories about the life of animals on the plantation.
The narration is conducted on behalf of Uncle Remus, who tells the son of the planter various comedic incidents from the life of Brother Rabbit and his friends and enemies. Fairy tales immediately attracted the attention of other writers. M. Twain greatly praised the author for the colorful recreation of the life of the South and the colorful reproduction of the cultural characteristics of black peoples. He especially liked the dialectical speech that his characters speak.
Joel Chandler Harris, whose biography has since been inextricably linked with the writing of fairy tales, composed the stories of Uncle Remus for the rest of his life. His works influenced the work of R. Kipling, W. Faulkner and many others. In our country, these tales were published by M. Gershenzon and have since been repeatedly reprinted.
Other works
In addition to these books, the author wrote short stories and short stories in which he covered many of the painful problems of modern society: racial conflicts, class contradictions, gender inequality. Thanks to his work, readers learned about the many bright and dark sides of the life of the American South. The first collection of such stories was published in 1884, then other publications followed, in which the author widely covered the life of the southern states during the period of slavery and reconstruction. Most popular were his writings on smugglers, politicians, and former slaves.
New tales and articles
The stories of Uncle Remus are intended not only for children, but also for adults. However, the author’s pen belongs to fairy tales exclusively for children's reading. His charismatic animals completely reversed the idea of creating small prose with animated animals. All subsequent works with a similar plot (for example, the famous "Winnie the Pooh") were created under the direct influence of Harris.
He did not leave his journalistic activities either. The author continued to expose racial conflicts, religious intolerance, the practice of mob law, restrictions on access to education, and many other burning topics. However, in 1900, the writer quit the newspaper due to the fact that many did not like his articles. Nevertheless, he founded the journal and did not leave journalistic practice, sometimes sending his articles to the press.
His activities attracted the attention of the general public. He was a member of the Academy of Arts and was held in high esteem by President Roosevelt. In 1908, Joel Chandler Harris passed away from jade. The photo of the writer presented in this article is probably known to every schoolchild, since the whole world knows his works.