“The characteristic journey of the nineteenth
century is the journey away from the city to
the world of nature”
* 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
*
* 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
*
* 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.
*
* 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 innerself 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.
*
*We are NOT talking about
Romantic as in Romantic
Love
*We are talking about
Romantic as is from Roman
Times
*
Watch for traits of the Romantic
Hero in the character of Tom!
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.
*Archetype
*Archetype
*“The Devil and Tom Walker” is an American version of the
archetypal story of Faust, the sixteenth-century German
philosopher who sells his soul to the devil for knowledge and
power.
* The story of a person who sells his or her soul to the devil for
worldly gain is an archetypal plot.
* The most famous and influential version of the tale is Faust, a
play by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
* Each retelling of the Faustian legend puts a different spin on
the story, and the ending may change:
* The Faust character, for example, may face eternal flames,
find forgiveness and love, or somehow cleverly beat the
devil.
*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
*Literary Focus: Mood
*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?