Anti-Romanticism What is it? How does it differ from Romanticism? Who is Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville?! Anti-Romanticism What is it? How does it differ from Romanticism? By: Olivia Rothman, Paula Lockwood, and Will Fleming!

What is Anti-Romanticism? It is a literary subgenre that emerged from Romanticism popular in nineteenth-century Europe and the United States (Art).

The Anti-Romantics were very into using allegory, or symbolism, in their works. They examined the psychological effects of guilt and sin, and the conflict between good and evil. They agreed that human nature is not necessarily good (Bailey).

The Anti-Romantics believed that the Transcendentalists ignored the darker side of humanity, so they sought to show their readers what was otherwise ignored or hidden. They showed this through dark tales of obsession, revenge, shame, and madness (Bailey).

For example, Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter, based on the hypocrisy and shame of the Puritan life. In the story, the main character, Hester, is forced to wear an "A" on her clothing for her sin of adultery.

Obsession, revenge, and the dark side to human existence were also explored in Herman Melville's works. In Moby-Dick, there is an insane captain of a whaling boat who obsesses over wanting to kill a whale for handicapping him (Bailey).

Herman Melville wrote of obsession and Nathaniel Hawthorne examined guilt in Puritan life. They felt that other writers of the time ignored the darker elements of existence and chose a more optimistic view (Art).

How Does it Differ From Romanticism? Anti-Romanticism Romanticism Focuses on the negative parts of life, such as: obsession, insanity, adultery, sin, guilt, and shame. Focuses on aesthetic beauty, nature, imagination, and intuition

Herman Melville - Herman Melville was born in New York City on August 1, 1819 -Attended he New York Male School (Kelley) - Best known for his works Moby-Dick and Billy Budd His father died soon after the War of 1812 when his business went bankrupt. Hermann was 12. (Herman) Attended Albany Academy from 1830 to 1831 and from 1836 to 1837 His first job was being a surveyor on the Erie Canal, then as a cabin boy on a ship from New York to Liverpool and back. (Herman) He wrote about this experience in Redburn: His First Voyage (1849)

Melville cont. In 1841 he sailed once again only this time in the Pacific. He was later quoted saying that his ‘life began on that day’ (Herman) For three weeks on the 18 month cruise he lived with the Typee natives in the South Pacific, which inspired him to write his first novel, Typee, an overnight bestseller. He continued to sail on whalers and then as a crewmember on the USS United States. Married Elizabeth Shaw in 1847 (Bloom) In 1850 the two and their 4 children moved to Arrowhead, a farm in Massachusetts, where Melville met Nathanial Hawthorne, who lived in Lenox. Hawthorne trememdously inspired Melvilles writing of Moby Dick, and the book was eventually dedicated to him. (Herman)

Moby-Dick Melville published Moby-Dick in 1851 The book was inspired mainly by two events: The sinking of the Essex, in 1820 when it was hit by a large whale, and the alledged killing of the albino whale Mocha Dick in the 1830s. Became Melville’s most famous work and is considered one of the greatest literary works of all time. The book dod not make Melville rich, and did not even sell the initial print of 3000 copies during his lifetime. It earned him a total of $556.37 during his life. (Herman)

Other Works by Melville… Typee (1846) Omoo (1847) Mardi (1849) Redburn (1849) White-Jacket (1850) Moby-Dick (1851) Pierre (1852) Israel Potter (1855) Piazza Tales (1856) The Confidence-Man (1857) Battle Pieces (1866) Clarel (1876) John Marr and Other Sailors (1888) Timoleon (1891) Billy Budd (posthumous, 1924) Uncollected Prose (1839-1856)

Nathaniel Hawthorne Born in Salem, Massachusetts Father – Nathaniel Hathorne, sea captain Mother - Elizabeth Clarke Manning Hathorne, withdrew to a life of seclusion Descendent of John Hathorne, one of the judges in the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 (“Biography”) Childhood left him overly shy and bookish, which molded his life as a writer Started writing after his graduation from Bowdoin College (1824) Between 1825 and 1836, Hawthorne worked as a writer and contributor to periodicals (Liukkonen)

Nathaniel Hawthorne cont. First novel - Fanshawe, unsuccessful (“Nathaniel”) In 1842, his writing finally gave him a sufficient income to marry Sophia Peabody and move to The Manse in Concord, the center of the Transcendental movement Moved back to Salem in 1845 (“Biography”) Left Salem for a temporary residence in Lenox, where became acquainted with Herman Melville and became a major proponent of Melville's work Passed away on May 19, 1864, in Plymouth, New Hampshire Buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts (“Biography”)

The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter (1850) was a critical and popular success. It is about the illicit love affair of Hester Prynne with the Reverend Arhur Dimmesdale and the birth of their child Pearl, takes place before the book opens. In Puritan New England, Hester, the mother of an illegitimate child, wears the scarlet A (for adulteress, named in the book by this initial) for years rather than reveal that her lover was the saintly young village minister. Her husband, Roger Chillingworth, proceeds to torment the guiltstricken man, who confesses his adultery before dying in Hester's arms. (“Biography”)

Other Famous Works The House of the Seven Gables (1851) The Blithedale Romance (1852) The Marble Faun (1860)

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