1. Unit 4
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2. The American Renaissance Definition
Unrestrained growth in U.S.
: area of U.S. increases
: population of U.S. increases from 5 million to over 23 million
Westward expansion (Louisiana Purchase, The Gold Rush)
Technological advancements (i.e. steel plow, telegraph, cotton gin)
Transportation Improvements (canals, railroads)
Democracy

3. Romanticism
During the Industrial Revolution an intellectual and artistic hostility towards the new industrialization developed. This was known as the Romantic movement.
Romanticism stressed, the self, emotion over logic, the imagination over reason, and subjectivity of approach, and nature, nature, nature!
“Romanticism” refers to a set of loosely connected attitudes toward nature and humankind, and NOT to romantic love.
The movement known as Romanticism sprang up in both Europe and America as a reaction to everything that had come before it:
The rationalism of 18th-century Age of Reason
The strict doctrines of Puritanism

4. Dark vs. light romanticism
Humans are basically good.
Optimistic
The human soul is reflected in nature.
Humans are basically cruel/corrupt.
Gothic
Suspension of disbelief

5. GOTHIC: characterized by elements of fear, horror, death, and gloom, as well as romantic elements, such as nature, individuality, and very high emotion. These emotions can include fear and suspense.
G: rotesque Characters (Physical & Psychological)
O: ften violent
T: he setting is bleak and/or isolated.
H: as a supernatural element
I: mpending doom
C: astles, cemeteries, mansions

6. Romanticism Author’s & titles
Washington Irving: “The Devil and Tom Walker”
Nathaniel Hawthorne: “The Minister's Black Veil”
Edgar Allan Poe: “Hop Frog” / “Annabelle Lee”

7. The fireside poets Popular poets of their time
Preferred conventional forms over experimentation.
Often used American legends and scenes of American life as their subject matter.
William Cullen Bryant: “Thanatopsis” Thantos=death; Opsis=view
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls”
Oliver Wendell Holmes: “Old Ironsides"

8. Transcendentalism
Emerson first expressed his philosophy in his essay “Nature”.
Suggests that every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth through intuition; the human mind is the most important force in the universe.
No to government, religion, education, structure, materials
Always about self-discovery
Thoreau was Emerson’s protégé
Universal Spirit-God’s mind
Reject rules/laws of man
Experience through nature

9. Transcendentalism author’s & titles
Ralph Waldo Emerson- “Self-Reliance”
Henry David Thoreau- Civil Disobedience
Jon Krakauer (Chris McCandless)- Into the Wild

10. Faustian archetype
The Legend: German doctor who made a deal with the devil for eternal youth.
Characteristics:
Tragic Hero
Shadow-Devil
Temptress-Deal
Sign deal in blood
Sell soul to the devil
Trick/The devil usually wins

11. Examples of Faustian Archetype
Ghost Rider
“The Devil Went Down to Georgia”
Can you think of any others??