“THE CHARACTERISTIC JOURNEY OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY IS THE JOURNEY AWAY FROM THE CITY TO THE WORLD OF NATURE” American Romanticism

What is Romanticism? It is not single thing- difficult to define A name given to a school of thought that considers the rational inferior to the intuitive Imagination, spontaneity, individual feelings and nature were of greater value than reason, logic, planning and cultivation A reaction against rationalism

Romanticism A movement that began in Europe developing distinct American characteristics out of our colonial past and the development of a new nation Romantic sensibility sought to rise above “dull realities”:  Explored exotic settings, both past and present  Contemplated the natural world

Countryside Independence Straightforward moral certainty Health The idea of the frontier takes on great importance. This geography of the imagination-town, country, frontier- played a powerful role in American literature and life, and it continues to do so today.

Values The city was a place of moral ambiguity and corruption and death The countryside became associated with independence, straightforward moral certainty, and health This geography of the imagination-town, country, frontier-played a powerful role in American literature and life, and it continues to do so today.

Characteristics of the Romantic Hero A romantic hero must possess an understanding of his inner-self or inner-world. He must also understand the value of his experiences through emotions, intuition, and feelings rather than logically reasoning. The audience must also be able to emotionally connect with the romantic hero on some level of emotion so that no matter the experience of the hero, the audience will relate to his experiences.

sophisticated, mysterious, and a bit dangerous. a moody rebel, who can be very arrogant. attractive to women who are drawn to his complicated personality, hidden conflicts, and secret past. drawn to nature and filled with intuition. reject the standard guidelines of society and adhere to their own code of morality and justice.

NOTE: We are NOT talking about Romantic as in Romantic Love We are talking about Romantic as is from Roman Times

Rip Van Winkle Depicts the escape from the constraints of civilization Differences between Romanticism and rationalism- Rip vs Ben Franklin Rip is an anti-Franklin figure- a do-nothing rather than a do-gooder He has no ambition He would rather “starve on a penny than work for a pound” His wife’s nagging sends him to the mountains to escape

Watch for traits of the Romantic Hero in the character of Rip!

Archetype AN ARCHETYPE IS AN ORIGINAL OR FUNDAMENTAL IMAGINATIVE PATTERN THAT IS REPEATED THROUGH THE AGES. An archetype can be a plot, an event, a character, a setting, or an object.

Literary Focus: Mood Mood– the overall feeling or atmosphere of a story, play, or poem– may be the most difficult literary element to define. After all, mood is intangible; you can’t point to mood in a text It’s all about feeling

In order to identify a story’s mood, start with the setting. Pay close attention to the details of time and place, and ask yourself how the setting makes you feel. Look carefully at the writer’s word choice.  For example: is a tree rotting or budding? Then, consider the plot  Does it end happily, or does is present a bitter or tragic outlook on life?