The Emergence of Fiction in a New Nation

Tram Tran Yeram HanRong Chen

Julie YooSamantha Palomino

What is the AmericanRenaissance?

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 WadsworthThe novelists Harriet

Stowe and Fanny Fern

Writings outside of Massachusetts and New York

What Inspired the AmericanRenaissance?

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 rightsConflicts: Attacks on religion,questions of power

James Cooper

((1789-1851)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 1808A 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 CareerJames 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.

1852James 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 IrvingBorn 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 EnlightenmentAge of Enlightenment

SatireExample: 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/LoyaltyExample: “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 CharacteristicsFolktale/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 SchoolLandscape