American Romanticism- Idealism, fantasy, imaginary, Puritan
Transcendentalism- Above and beyond natural world. Puritans traditions, states of mind beyond physical and natural.
Gothic- Reaction to Age of Reason, logical, dark underside of reason, unconscious, impulse to leave mind, investigate body and mind. The Gothic period moved beyond logic.
Post Colonial Position
There were concerns dealing with creating an American since of culture. What does it mean to be an American? Another concern was individualism. There was stress on being your own person along with what is your value, or self worth. The writing of the time was a tidal wave of defining what it is to be American.
Puritan writings dealt with feelings, faith, imagination, hearts and mind, beyond the mind, platonic tradition, and not dealing with the entire body.
Hawthorne- “The greatest sin is to violate the human heart.”
He wrote before the revolution. He was an extremely moral writer His two writings were about trying to achieve a goal/ the main characters were “seekers” of perfection. Robin and Aylmer were all about the utopia idea. They both had the fatly flaw of pride.
In My Kinsman, Major Molineux Robin is freed of his obligation to get a job due to his relative being run out of town. When Robin laughs while watching his relative get taken out of town it signifies his freedom, and his chance to do as he wants. Robin is able to realize this due to the traumatic experience he went through. He final rejected the artificial connection he had with Major Molineux and made a connection with the community.
The Birthmark deals with Alymer who has the want of Utopia. The desire for American improvement is shown in this story. It also foreshadows today’s need for perfection. It is a classic tale of “excesses of reason”. There is a tragic consequence to Alymer’s actions and his attitude of; I can do what I want.
Emerson
His writing was influenced with self reliance and American having its own mind. He also wrote about how nature affected human life. He wanted Americans to become more intertwined with nature and learn things from it. He believed in hope and possibility. He saw the good side of the human nature.
Typological- Puritans traditions reading the world for God’s word through the acts of nature. Emerson used that idea in his works.
There are a lot of quotes you can pull out of his writing. It is very new age
Thoreau
His writings were about simplifying life and not putting so much meaning on material items. He believed a stronger connection with nature would form stronger communities. He also wrote about how to live a good life. He had an anti-materialist, and anti-consumer mind set. In a way he preaches through his writing.
Poe
Poe’s writing is very shocking and meant to surprise the reader. He wrote what was popular and what people would buy. In a way he was the creator of the horror story. He mostly wrote about obsessions and paranoia. In The Raven he writes of an obsession with Lenora. He takes drastic measures to reach his extreme mental states displayed in his writing. Poe writes in a completely different world/ state of mind.
Whitman
The language used in his writings would be able to pass for writings of today. He was able to push things forward with his writing. In Song of Myself part 24 he pushes the envelope with his words of sex and lust. It was very interesting to see things as he did. He was also a very democratic poet.
Dickinson
She was very modest in her writings. It seemed like she wrote for herself. She withholds a lot in her poems. There is a lot more going on in her poems under the surface. This brings a reader back.
