Unit Question:Unit Question:•How do values, attitudes and choices impact How do values, attitudes and choices impact one’s life and others in the community?one’s life and others in the community?

Learning Target:Learning Target:•I can define Romanticism and identify 5 traits I can define Romanticism and identify 5 traits of romantic literature.of romantic literature.

1800s1800s

► In the 1800s, the United States In the 1800s, the United States expands westward. Americans face a expands westward. Americans face a vast and unbroken wilderness.vast and unbroken wilderness.

►An American mythology is created in An American mythology is created in fact fact (Lewis and Clark’s records of their (Lewis and Clark’s records of their expedition) and expedition) and fictionfiction (stories and (stories and poems set in forests, towns, and poems set in forests, towns, and outposts).outposts).

American RomanticismAmerican Romanticism

►An artistic movement that dominated An artistic movement that dominated Europe and America in the early Europe and America in the early 1800s. 1800s.

►Romantic authors moved away from Romantic authors moved away from realism, incorporating elements of the realism, incorporating elements of the supernatural in their storytelling.supernatural in their storytelling.

►(In medieval times, (In medieval times, romancesromances were were simply improbable simply improbable stories---stories---))

Romanticism: CharacteristicsRomanticism: Characteristics

► The The exploration of the private selfexploration of the private self is as is as important as the exploration of the landimportant as the exploration of the land

► ImaginationImagination over reason over reason► FeelingFeeling over fact over fact► The The fantasticfantastic/supernatural/supernatural►GoodGood receives justice receives justice►NatureNature---can reward or punish---can reward or punish►May contain May contain lovelove as a central element, but as a central element, but

often with an element of anguishoften with an element of anguish

Washington IrvingWashington Irving

► 1783-18591783-1859►Wrote “The Legend Wrote “The Legend

of Sleepy Hollow” of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van and “Rip Van Winkle.”Winkle.”

► American settings, American settings, often New Englandoften New England

► Believed crime, Believed crime, cruelty, guilt, and cruelty, guilt, and self-destruction were self-destruction were fundamental parts of fundamental parts of human nature.human nature.

► Americans started out with nothing at all. The empty and endless stretches Americans started out with nothing at all. The empty and endless stretches of wilderness were peopled with natives that the colonists couldn't and of wilderness were peopled with natives that the colonists couldn't and wouldn't understand. The first Americans wanted a tabula rasa and wouldn't understand. The first Americans wanted a tabula rasa and eventually they got one. Once the forest was really empty, it had to be filled eventually they got one. Once the forest was really empty, it had to be filled up again. And that's what the devil is for. The imagination, like nature, up again. And that's what the devil is for. The imagination, like nature, abhors a vacuum. Satan is an efficient space-filler. It is not, I think, wholly abhors a vacuum. Satan is an efficient space-filler. It is not, I think, wholly coincidental that so many of those early authors who began to shape an coincidental that so many of those early authors who began to shape an American literature had gothic and romantic tendencies. Hawthorne never American literature had gothic and romantic tendencies. Hawthorne never saw a tree that the devil wasn't lurking behind. . . Poe was, well, Poe. We saw a tree that the devil wasn't lurking behind. . . Poe was, well, Poe. We were beginning to create our own myths and legends and for that we were beginning to create our own myths and legends and for that we needed the dark matter of the imagination. needed the dark matter of the imagination.

► Of course, before Poe, Melville and Hawthorne there was Washington Irving. Of course, before Poe, Melville and Hawthorne there was Washington Irving. Irving understood the dark places, the empty forests. He understood that Irving understood the dark places, the empty forests. He understood that where there are no legends they must be created. He knew that such where there are no legends they must be created. He knew that such creations take shape in the realm of shadow. He peopled our early hills, creations take shape in the realm of shadow. He peopled our early hills, rivers, and forests with characters like Rip Van Winkle and Santa Claus, who rivers, and forests with characters like Rip Van Winkle and Santa Claus, who straddle the divide between nature and its other. . .There is a divided soul in straddle the divide between nature and its other. . .There is a divided soul in the stories of Washington Irving, who marked the transition from the Old the stories of Washington Irving, who marked the transition from the Old World sensibility to the later American literature of Melville, Hawthorne, and World sensibility to the later American literature of Melville, Hawthorne, and Poe (who once called Irving “overrated”). We find a genuine yearning for the Poe (who once called Irving “overrated”). We find a genuine yearning for the myths and legends of the old country, mixed with a sense that as Americans myths and legends of the old country, mixed with a sense that as Americans we cannot really have these stories and maybe don't even really want them.we cannot really have these stories and maybe don't even really want them.

““The Devil and Tom Walker”The Devil and Tom Walker”

►Variation of the Faust legend---tale of a Variation of the Faust legend---tale of a man who sells his soul to the devil for man who sells his soul to the devil for earthly rewardearthly reward

►Setting=colonial times (100 years Setting=colonial times (100 years earlier)earlier)

►Use of nature and colonial idea that the Use of nature and colonial idea that the forest was Satan’s realmforest was Satan’s realm

►Elements of the fantasticElements of the fantastic►Omniscient narrator (knows all)Omniscient narrator (knows all)