GIANT REVIEW!GIANT REVIEW!

FeracoFeraco

American LiteratureAmerican Literature

10 December 200710 December 2007

Let’s Take a Look At… Let’s Take a Look At… Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne

……was an unusually handsome was an unusually handsome man (or so we’re told!)…man (or so we’re told!)…

……wrote “Dr. Heidegger’s wrote “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” in his Experiment” in his Twice-Told Twice-Told TalesTales in 1837… in 1837…

……went to Bowdoin College, but went to Bowdoin College, but wasn’t a good student – he wasn’t a good student – he avoided intellectual company, avoided intellectual company, choosing instead to pursue choosing instead to pursue pleasure…pleasure…

Let’s Take a Look At… Let’s Take a Look At… Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe

……was abandoned by his father before was abandoned by his father before losing his mother at the age of losing his mother at the age of three…three…

……racked up large debts as a gambler, racked up large debts as a gambler, which caused his stepfather to pull which caused his stepfather to pull him out of college – opening a wide him out of college – opening a wide rift between the men…rift between the men…

……entered the Military Academy at entered the Military Academy at West Point after fleeing to Boston, West Point after fleeing to Boston, writing a poorly-selling collection of writing a poorly-selling collection of poetry, and enlisting in the military…poetry, and enlisting in the military…

Let’s Take a Look At… Let’s Take a Look At… Washington IrvingWashington Irving

……used comic narrators such as used comic narrators such as Jonathan Oldstyle and Diedrich Jonathan Oldstyle and Diedrich Knickerbocker to lend a distinctive Knickerbocker to lend a distinctive voice to his stories…voice to his stories…

……established himself as New York’s established himself as New York’s foremost satirist, and one of foremost satirist, and one of America’s first unique literary voices…America’s first unique literary voices…

……was influenced while overseas by was influenced while overseas by the British Romantics, including Sir the British Romantics, including Sir Walter Scott…Walter Scott…

Let’s Take a Look At… Let’s Take a Look At… Herman MelvilleHerman Melville ……spent the last third of his life poor spent the last third of his life poor

and (usually) inebriated, convinced he and (usually) inebriated, convinced he had failed as an author…had failed as an author…

……experienced a great deal of success experienced a great deal of success as a young writer composing semi-as a young writer composing semi-autobiographical adventure stories, but autobiographical adventure stories, but found the going much harder when he found the going much harder when he turned to more serious works…turned to more serious works…

……was born into a rich family, only to was born into a rich family, only to watch his father go bankrupt and soon watch his father go bankrupt and soon pass away; as an adult, he would lose a pass away; as an adult, he would lose a son to suicide, and another died young son to suicide, and another died young while wandering aimlessly in San while wandering aimlessly in San Francisco…Francisco…

Let’s Take a Look At… Let’s Take a Look At… Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau

……retreated for three years following retreated for three years following a string of misfortunes, including a a string of misfortunes, including a rejected marriage proposal, a series rejected marriage proposal, a series of tepidly reviewed public lectures, of tepidly reviewed public lectures, and the end of his schoolteaching job and the end of his schoolteaching job after only two weeks (he had refused after only two weeks (he had refused to whip a disobedient child)…to whip a disobedient child)…

……Nathaniel Hawthorne once Nathaniel Hawthorne once described him as “tedious, tiresome, described him as “tedious, tiresome, and intolerable…yet [with] great and intolerable…yet [with] great qualities of intellect and character”…qualities of intellect and character”…

……counted Ralph Waldo Emerson counted Ralph Waldo Emerson among his closest friends…among his closest friends…

Let’s Take a Look At… Let’s Take a Look At… Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson ……was possibly the first great was possibly the first great

American writer, and considered American writer, and considered the most famous the most famous Transcendentalist in our history…Transcendentalist in our history…

……lost his father at a young age, lost his father at a young age, and was raised by a strict aunt and was raised by a strict aunt who drove her young nephews to who drove her young nephews to achieve greatness…achieve greatness…

……saw the world through a largely saw the world through a largely optimistic lens; believed God optimistic lens; believed God could be seen in just about could be seen in just about everything, and placed a high everything, and placed a high value on intuition…value on intuition…

Let’s Take a Look At… Let’s Take a Look At… Romanticism!Romanticism!

……arose in response to rationalism, arose in response to rationalism, the schools of thought that prized the schools of thought that prized the advance of civilization and the the advance of civilization and the power of logic above all else…power of logic above all else…

……generally refers to schools of generally refers to schools of thought that value feeling and thought that value feeling and intuition over reason…intuition over reason…

……saw poetry as the highest saw poetry as the highest expression of art and the expression of art and the imagination, and found inspiration in imagination, and found inspiration in myth, legend, and folk culture…myth, legend, and folk culture…

Let’s Take a Look At… Let’s Take a Look At… the New England the New England Renaissance!Renaissance!

……Marked a time when the literary and Marked a time when the literary and cultural landscapes were developing cultural landscapes were developing apart from traditional European apart from traditional European models…models…

……a period that featured an emphasis on a period that featured an emphasis on self-improvement and intellectual self-improvement and intellectual inquiry; as a result, the lyceum inquiry; as a result, the lyceum movement sought to better educate movement sought to better educate American adults through lectures, American adults through lectures, meetings, classes, debates, and meetings, classes, debates, and performances…performances…

……featured a strong popular desire for a featured a strong popular desire for a utopian state, which deeply influenced utopian state, which deeply influenced the literature, art, and architecture of the literature, art, and architecture of the time…the time…

Let’s Take Let’s Take AnotherAnother Look Look At… Nathaniel At… Nathaniel Hawthorne!Hawthorne!

……lived in “the dismal chamber,” the lived in “the dismal chamber,” the third floor of his family’s home, for third floor of his family’s home, for twelve years until he taught himself twelve years until he taught himself to write fiction well…to write fiction well…

……was a contemporary of Emerson and was a contemporary of Emerson and Thoreau, but was not their friend – Thoreau, but was not their friend – and wasn’t positively influenced by and wasn’t positively influenced by them…them…

……wrote his masterpiece, wrote his masterpiece, The Scarlet The Scarlet LetterLetter, after losing his mother and his , after losing his mother and his job…job…

Let’s Take Let’s Take AnotherAnother Look Look At… Edgar Allan Poe!At… Edgar Allan Poe!

……moved in with his aunt and moved in with his aunt and married her daughter – his thirteen-married her daughter – his thirteen-year-old cousin!...year-old cousin!...

… … wanted to move beyond the sunny wanted to move beyond the sunny world of the optimists and the world of the optimists and the ordered world of the rationalists in ordered world of the rationalists in order to explore a greater truth…order to explore a greater truth…

……drank constantly in order to drank constantly in order to escape a disturbing, tormented escape a disturbing, tormented world; his last words before dying world; his last words before dying were “Lord help my poor soul.”…were “Lord help my poor soul.”…

Let’s Take Let’s Take AnotherAnother Look Look At… Washington Irving!At… Washington Irving!

……adapted European literary traditions adapted European literary traditions and gave them a new spin, thus and gave them a new spin, thus establishing himself as one of the establishing himself as one of the leading literary figures for our new leading literary figures for our new nation…nation…

……wrote “The Sketch Book,” a collection wrote “The Sketch Book,” a collection of stories which contained his most of stories which contained his most famous works – “Rip Van Winkle” and famous works – “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”…“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”…

……became America’s first literary became America’s first literary celebrity…celebrity…

Let’s Take Let’s Take AnotherAnother Look Look At… Herman Melville!At… Herman Melville!

……spent five years as a young adult spent five years as a young adult on a variety of sea-faring voyages, on a variety of sea-faring voyages, travels which would deeply influence travels which would deeply influence his later writings…his later writings…

……became close friends with became close friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the two Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the two helped drive each other to continue helped drive each other to continue writing at a high level…writing at a high level…

……his final masterpiece, “Billy Budd,” his final masterpiece, “Billy Budd,” was published thirty-three years was published thirty-three years after his death; a note by the after his death; a note by the unfinished manuscript read, “Keep unfinished manuscript read, “Keep true to the dreams of thy youth”…true to the dreams of thy youth”…

Let’s Take Let’s Take AnotherAnother Look Look At… Henry David At… Henry David Thoreau!Thoreau!

……attended Harvard, and became attended Harvard, and became extremely familiar with the writers extremely familiar with the writers and German philosophers whose and German philosophers whose principles would fuel principles would fuel Transcendentalism while there – Transcendentalism while there – although he never ranked anywhere although he never ranked anywhere above the middle of his class…above the middle of his class…

……left society for three years in order left society for three years in order to “meet the vital facts of life...which to “meet the vital facts of life...which are the phenomena or actualit[ies] the are the phenomena or actualit[ies] the gods meant to show us”…gods meant to show us”…

……became quite active politically, and became quite active politically, and helped escaped slaves travel to helped escaped slaves travel to Canada…Canada…

Let’s Take Let’s Take AnotherAnother Look Look At… Ralph Waldo At… Ralph Waldo Emerson!Emerson!

……his young wife’s death, coupled his young wife’s death, coupled with his own spiritual misgivings, led with his own spiritual misgivings, led to his decision to resign his post as a to his decision to resign his post as a minister…minister…

……his influence as a speaker on his influence as a speaker on philosophical and spiritual issues philosophical and spiritual issues drove many young people to flock to drove many young people to flock to Concord, Massachusetts…Concord, Massachusetts…

……lost his young son to scarlet fever, lost his young son to scarlet fever, shrank into an emotional shell, and shrank into an emotional shell, and developed severe memory loss that developed severe memory loss that persisted until death…persisted until death…

Let’s Take Let’s Take AnotherAnother Look Look At… Romanticism!At… Romanticism!

……Beauty/truth can also be found in Beauty/truth can also be found in the spiritual realm and the world of the spiritual realm and the world of the imagination…the imagination…

……Individual freedom is the greatest Individual freedom is the greatest pursuit of man, and the individual is pursuit of man, and the individual is more valuable than the larger more valuable than the larger society…society…

……Feeling and intuition are greater Feeling and intuition are greater than reason and logic, and youthful than reason and logic, and youthful innocence and wonder are greater innocence and wonder are greater than educated sophistication…than educated sophistication…

Let’s Take a Look At… Let’s Take a Look At… Transcendentalism!Transcendentalism!

……could be defined as the search for the could be defined as the search for the ultimate reality of God, the universe, the self, ultimate reality of God, the universe, the self, and other important matters; one needed to and other important matters; one needed to transcend, or go beyond, everyday human transcend, or go beyond, everyday human experience in the physical world in order to find experience in the physical world in order to find this ultimate truth…this ultimate truth…

……a philosophical descendent of idealism, this a philosophical descendent of idealism, this movement’s proponents believed in human movement’s proponents believed in human perfectibility as an achievable goal - and worked perfectibility as an achievable goal - and worked to achieve it…to achieve it…

……everything in the world, including human everything in the world, including human beings, reflects the Divine Soul; moreover, the beings, reflects the Divine Soul; moreover, the physical facts of the natural world are a physical facts of the natural world are a doorway to the spiritual (or ideal) world, which doorway to the spiritual (or ideal) world, which holds important truths… holds important truths…

Which Am I?Which Am I?

This period was characterized by a This period was characterized by a desire to form new American traditions desire to form new American traditions that were separate and distinct from that were separate and distinct from their European counterparts.their European counterparts. What is the New England Renaissance?What is the New England Renaissance?

His writing was often optimistic, His writing was often optimistic, curious, and intelligent; his voice and curious, and intelligent; his voice and style has deeply influenced American style has deeply influenced American writers since his initial publication writers since his initial publication runs.runs. Who is Ralph Waldo Emerson?Who is Ralph Waldo Emerson?

Which Am I?Which Am I?

His writings were characterized by a His writings were characterized by a deep fascination with guilt and sin, deep fascination with guilt and sin, placing him in the Dark Romantic placing him in the Dark Romantic campcamp Who was Nathaniel Hawthorne?Who was Nathaniel Hawthorne?

His writing was often quiet and His writing was often quiet and contemplative; he used nature as his contemplative; he used nature as his model, rather than drawing from the model, rather than drawing from the traditional style of the Europeans or traditional style of the Europeans or his contemporarieshis contemporaries Who was Henry David Thoreau?Who was Henry David Thoreau?

Which Am I?Which Am I? This movement was characterized by an This movement was characterized by an

emphasis on intuition, a personal emphasis on intuition, a personal relationship with the supernatural, and a relationship with the supernatural, and a generally optimistic worldview.generally optimistic worldview. What was Transcendentalism?What was Transcendentalism?

His writing was characterized by droll His writing was characterized by droll comic narrators, figures whose voices comic narrators, figures whose voices could shift from self-effacing to over-could shift from self-effacing to over-inflated in an instant.inflated in an instant. Who was Washington Irving?Who was Washington Irving?

His writing was big, bold, adventurous, His writing was big, bold, adventurous, and often dark; although his style was and often dark; although his style was wordy, the narrative thrust of his stories wordy, the narrative thrust of his stories makes them “page-turners”makes them “page-turners” Who was Herman Melville?Who was Herman Melville?

Which Am I?Which Am I?

His prose is often tense, His prose is often tense, simultaneously breathless, simultaneously breathless, strangled, and claustrophobic – and strangled, and claustrophobic – and his works often deal with death and his works often deal with death and darkness!darkness! Who was Edgar Allan Poe?Who was Edgar Allan Poe?

This movement was characterized This movement was characterized by a departure from civilization and by a departure from civilization and progress; its proponents sought to progress; its proponents sought to return to a simpler, quieter timereturn to a simpler, quieter time What was Romanticism?What was Romanticism?

That Does It For Today!That Does It For Today!

You should also review the texts You should also review the texts before the testbefore the test However, I’m more comfortable with However, I’m more comfortable with

the idea that you “get” those worksthe idea that you “get” those works Let me know if you have any Let me know if you have any

questions tonight!questions tonight! The study group will be up and The study group will be up and

running at the blog from 5 to 8pm!running at the blog from 5 to 8pm!