The Emergence of Fiction in a
New Nation
Tram Tran
Yeram Han
Rong Chen
Julie Yoo
Samantha Palomino
What is the American
Renaissance?
It is kindled in 1830s by
the writing of Emerson
and achieved its glory in
1850s.
Matthiesen’s American
Renaissance: Art and
Expression in the Age of
Emerson and Whitman
(1941).
The Major Writers of the
Hawthorne’s The
Scarlet Letter (1850)
Emerson’s
Representative
Men(1850)
Whitman’s Leaves of
Grass (1855)
Disputes and Challenges against
Matthiessen
Matthiessen’s
renaissance
excludes the
contribution of
women and minority
writers.
Who Else Should be
Honored?
The poets Lydia
Sigourney and Henry
Wadsworth
The novelists Harriet
Stowe and Fanny
Fern
Writings outside of
Massachusetts and New
York
What Inspired the American
Renaissance?
From the 1779s on,
conflicts and
concerns inherent in
American
nationalism and
identity.
The Influence of the American
Renaissance
Reform:
antislavery,temperance,
the debates on women’s
rights
Conflicts: Attacks on
religion,questions of power
James Cooper
(1789-1851)
James Fenimore Cooper Early Life
James Cooper – Born September 15th 1789
- Born in Burlington, New Jersey
James was the eleventh born child into a family of twelve.
James father, founded and developed the town Cooperstown
on Otsego lake.
When James was thirteen he was sent to be educated first in
Albany and then to Yale. He was expelled from Yale for being a
prankster.
Then right after his father arranged for him to go over seas.
Then James was in the U.S. Navy in 1808
A Relative of James died in 1811, and he inherited a small
fortune, so he resigned from the navy.
1811- He married Susan De Lancey.
Together they had seven children, five girls and two boys.
James’ Writing Career
James writing career started in 1820.
James happen to write his first novel because a bet he made with
his wife.
The result of this bed was Precaution.
1821 the Spy- the first important historical romance of the American
Revolution.
The success took him to New York to embark on his literary career.
1823- he published The Pioneers.
1826 The Last of the Mohicans- most popular character in the
world.
1826- sailed for Europe, in Paris met his inspiration for The Prairie.
1828 Notions of the Americans.
Three historical novels set in medieval Europe
- The Bravo
- The Heidenmauer
- The Headsman
Return to the United States
Towns people had been picnicking on James's
property and they were there without his permission.
For years James embroiled himself in lawsuits
designed not to gain damages to tame the press.
Threw the trouble James kept writing, two new
novels.
History of the Navy of the united states- Caused some
controversy for James.
“littlepage” novels – Satanstoe, The chainbearer, an
The Redskin.
Supported landowners over tenants in controversy
known as Anti- Rent war.
Herman Melville reviewed coopers last great novel
the Sea Lions and concluded by warmly
recommending it one of coopers happiest novels.
1852
James died the day before his 62nd birthday on
September 14th 1851.
February 25, 1852- the day of his memorial
commemoration, Washington Irving declared that
James death “left a space in out literature which
will not be easily supplied.”
Emerson said “an old debt to him of happy days
on the first appearance of the Pioneers.”
Life of Washington Irving
Born in New York on April 3, 1783.
Best known as the first American
to make a living solely from
writing.
Pseudonyms:
-Dietrich Knickerbocker
-Jonathan Oldstyle
-Geoffrey Crayon
Life of Washington Irving
American President Tyler
appointed him Minister to Spain
- a position we would now call
ambassador.
In 1832, Irving returned from
Europe to New York where he
established his home Sunnyside
in Tarrytown.
On November 28, 1859, on the
eve of the Civil War,
Washington Irving died at
Sunnyside surrounded by his
family.
Washington Irving
The late 18th through the mid-19th centuries,
America experienced a tremendous period of
economic, physical, and social growth.
Following the American Revolution, new
concepts of what it meant to be an American
were developed, along with a two-party
political system and governmental documents.
- Declaration of Independence
- U.S. Constitution
Washington Irving
The industrial revolution
began transforming
America from an
agricultural society to
industrialized society.
These events served as
an inspiration for the
writing by Washington
Irving.
Washington Irving (As a
Writer)
Irving's imagination frequently
drew upon his childhood
memories of New York State.
- The Sketch Book, (1819)
- The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow
- Rip Van Winkle
A History of New York(1809)
Bracebridge Hall(1822), Tales of
Traveler(1824)
The Life and Voyages of
Christopher Columbus (1828)
Washington Irving and Rip
Van Winkle
Washington Irving wrestled
with the question what
Revolution means and how
the new country would be
different from the old
colonies in Rip Van Winkle
by having his characters
hotly debate on political
change on election day.
Another question was the
matter of where Native
Americans should live.
Washington Irving and Rip
Van Winkle
America demanded a new type of literature to
represent its vision of itself, for there was little to
distinguish American writing from British.
Readers of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon,
Gent. in the 1820s marveled at two things: a few of
the stories were set in the United States; and the
writing itself was stronger and more interesting than
anything else available at the time.
Summary of Rip Van Winkle
The short story, “Rip Van Winkle,” by
Washington Irving is about a man by the
name of Rip Van Winkle who goes into the
woods as a means to escape from his
nagging wife.
Eventually, Rip Van Winkle wanders too far
into the woods, and as he begins to head
home, he hears a voice calling his name.
He finds a mysterious man in need of
assistance and helps him carry a keg of
liquor.
Summary of Rip Van Winkle
Part 2
The two men end up at a hollow like amphitheatre
and Rip Van Winkle sees a group of men playing
nine pins.
Rip Van Winkle eventually drinks some of the liquor
and falls asleep.
Once he wakes up, he heads back to the village
but does not recognize anyone. Finds out the
people he knew has died.
He runs into his daughter and discovers that 20
years has past since his disappearance.
An old woman recognizes him and Rip Van Winkle
is taken in by his daughter.
Deconstruction of Rip Van
Winkle
The story of “Rip Van Winkle,” was based off of a
German folklore called “Peter Klaus.”
Before the American Renaissance, earlier writers
were basically copying the style of European
literature.
Irving reinvented the German folklore to
incorporate American ideals with elements from
the Enlightenment and the American
Renaissance.
Authors like Irving craved a path in the early
American Renaissance Era for authors like
Emersion and Whitman.
Elements of the Age of
Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
Satire
Example: Irving’s usage of satire is evident in the following quote:
Another short but busy little fellow pulled him by the arm, and
raising on tiptoe, inquired in his ear, ‘whether he was Federal or
Democrat.’ Rip was equally at a loss to comprehend the
question; when knowing, self-important old gentleman, in a
sharp cocked hat, made his way through the crowd, putting
them to the right and left with his elbows as he passed and
planting himself before Van Winkle… (463)
Patriotic/Loyalty
Example: “Alas! gentlemen,” cried Rip, somewhat dismayed, “I am
a poor quiet man, a native of the place, and a loyal subject to the
King, God bless him” (463).
Elements of the American
Renaissance
Irving uses elements drawn from
Romanticism which was a subset of the
American Renaissance.
Romanticism Characteristics
Folktale/Folklore/Mythology - The introduction of “Rip
Van Winkle,” sets the story up to be “myth-like.” The men
playing nine pins are dwarfs.
Nature - Rip Van Winkle goes towards the woods
Renewel/Rebirth - Rip wakes from his slumber to
discovers the radical changes around him.
American Identity
At the beginning of the American Renaissance,
there was conflict between the old ideals of the
Enlightenment and the new ideas of the
American Renaissance.
America was trying to find its own identity.
This is clearly shown in “Rip Van Winkle,” since
there are elements from the old and the new,
however, at this point the ideals from the
Enlightenment are overshadowing those of the
American Renaissance.
Hudson River School
Landscape