A MERICAN L ITERATURE

Unit 2 American Romanticism What is the American Dream? How do authors create the American identity through literature?

Historical Background

The Growth of Democracy In 1800, the United States consisted of 16 states clustered near the east coast. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson doubled the size by signing the Louisiana Purchase.

The rapid growth of the nation inspired an upsurge in national pride and self-awareness. Improved transportation helped bind the old and new states together. The Growth of Democracy

As the nation expanded, Americans began to take more direct control of their government. Andrew Jackson, dubbed “The People’s President” was elected. Property requirements for voting were eliminated. The Growth of Democracy

The democratic advances of the time, however, were confined to white males. – Little political attention was given to females – Most African-Americans were enslaved – “Indian removal” forced Native Americans westward as in the 1838 “Trail of Tears” where 4,000 of 15,000 Cherokee died on the way to Oklahoma from Georgia. The Growth of Democracy

The first decades of the 1800s were, on the whole, hopeful ones. The young republic seemed able to weather any storm. The War of 1812 convinced Europeans that the United States was on the world stage to stay. The Growth of Democracy

America went to war with Mexico in 1846 over Texas. It ended in U.S. victory, and the U.S. added California, as well. The Gold Rush of 1849 drew thousands to this new land. The Growth of Democracy

The course of American history can be seen as a pageant rolling over westward, as new territories opened up and transportation improved. The Erie Canal was built in In the 1850s the railroad began to dominate long distance. The Growth of Democracy

Advances in technology spurred social change. Factories sprang up all over the Northeast. The telegraph made almost instant communication The Growth of Democracy

Dark Clouds Approaching At Mid-century, the United States faced trouble as well as bright promise. – Factories were scarred with child labor – In 1840, most women could not vote or file lawsuits – The argument over slavery continued – The fight over slavery turned into war in 1861

American Literature Comes of Age Before 1800, American writers were not widely read – not even in America – but that soon began to change. The writers of the period would define the American voice.

Romanticism The writers of the early eighteenth century can all be described as romantics. Romantic writers – elevated the imagination over reason, and intuition over fact. – reveled in nature – accented the fantastic aspects of human experience

Which of these terms do you know? AntagonistClimaxDenouement Direct Characterization Exposition External Conflict Figurative First Person Narrator ForeshadowingImagery Indirect Characterization Internal Conflict IronyMetaphorMoodNarratorPlot Point of View ProtagonistSettingStyle Third Person Limited Third Person Omniscient Tone

L ITERARY T ERMS Romanticism- literary period preceding the Civil War in which writers focused on emotion and imagination over logic Point of View- Perspective from which a story is told 1 st person- narrator is in the story, telling the story- uses pronouns such as I, me, mine (participant) 3 rd person limited- narrator observes the story and knows the thoughts of ONE character (observer) 3 rd person omniscient- narrator observes the story and knows the thoughts of ALL of the characters

The Devil & Tom Walker -Washington Irving The archetypal pattern of selling your soul for something of personal value has existed for centuries. Many have associated the amassing of wealth with the American Dream. Even though wealth is generally regarded as good, gaining wealth can sometimes have disastrous consequences. Are the effects of gaining wealth mostly positive or mostly negative? Use Irving’s ‘The Devil And Tom Walker’ and a modern example of gaining wealth that you have researched, in your response.

Washington Irving The Devil & Tom Walker pg 228 While reading— Write examples of narrative elements Write down vocabulary you don’t know Write down any questions you may have about the text

Performance Tasks Synthesize/Evaluate: (Performance Task): The archetypal pattern of selling your soul for something of personal value has existed for centuries. Many have associated the amassing of wealth with the American Dream. Even though wealth is generally regarded as good, gaining wealth can sometimes have disastrous consequences. Are the effects of gaining wealth mostly positive or mostly negative? Use Irving’s ‘The Devil And Tom Walker’ and a modern example of gaining wealth that you have researched, in your response.