Transcendentalism, Anti-Transcendentalism, Anti-Transcendentalism and the Transcendentalism and the

Dark RomanticsDark Romantics

Mr. FeracoMr. Feraco

American LiteratureAmerican Literature

Period 4 – November 26Period 4 – November 26thth, , 20072007

America: coming of age America: coming of age

Landscape and culture were developing and Landscape and culture were developing and finding a place in a literature distinct from finding a place in a literature distinct from European modelsEuropean models

This literary period is often described as a This literary period is often described as a renaissance or rebirth (in comparison to the renaissance or rebirth (in comparison to the European Renaissance of the 14th-16th centuries) European Renaissance of the 14th-16th centuries) because of the cultural development between because of the cultural development between 1840-1860.1840-1860.

Social improvement:Social improvement: New England was New England was

experiencing a experiencing a period/movement of period/movement of self-improvement and self-improvement and intellectual inquiry intellectual inquiry called called LyceumLyceum..

Goals of this movement: Goals of this movement: training teachers, training teachers, establishing museums, establishing museums, and instituting social and instituting social reforms.reforms.

Emerson provided a Emerson provided a series of lectures on series of lectures on self-improvement. self-improvement. Emerson’s utopian Emerson’s utopian group became known as group became known as “The Transcendental “The Transcendental Club”.Club”.

Other reformers: Other reformers: Horace Mann (improve Horace Mann (improve public education), public education), Dorothea Dix (relieve Dorothea Dix (relieve horrible conditions in horrible conditions in institutions for the institutions for the mentally ill), William mentally ill), William Lloyd Garrison (abolish Lloyd Garrison (abolish slavery), Elizabeth slavery), Elizabeth Peabody, Margaret Peabody, Margaret Fuller and Emma Fuller and Emma Willard (women’s Willard (women’s rights).rights).

Many utopian projects Many utopian projects were created in an were created in an attempt to perfect attempt to perfect society. society. Utopia = ideal Utopia = ideal and perfect stateand perfect state

What does Transcendentalism What does Transcendentalism mean?mean?

► Definition: in Definition: in determining the determining the ultimate reality of ultimate reality of God, the universe, God, the universe, the self and other the self and other important matters, important matters, one must transcend, one must transcend, or go beyond, or go beyond, everyday human everyday human experience in the experience in the physical world.physical world.

Where does Transcendentalism come Where does Transcendentalism come from?from?

The term transcendental came from 18th century German The term transcendental came from 18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant.philosopher Immanuel Kant.

Transcendentalism originated from the past idea of Idealism Transcendentalism originated from the past idea of Idealism (created by Greek philosopher Plato in 4th century BC).(created by Greek philosopher Plato in 4th century BC).

Idealism=true reality involved ideas rather than the world Idealism=true reality involved ideas rather than the world perceived by the senses. They wanted to look past physical perceived by the senses. They wanted to look past physical appearances to see permanent reality and truth.appearances to see permanent reality and truth.

Transcendentalists were Idealists in a broader, more practical Transcendentalists were Idealists in a broader, more practical sense. They believed in human perfectibility as an achievable sense. They believed in human perfectibility as an achievable goal and worked to achieve it.goal and worked to achieve it.

Characteristics:Characteristics:

Everything in the Everything in the world, including world, including human beings, is a human beings, is a reflection of the reflection of the Divine Soul.Divine Soul.

The physical facts The physical facts of the natural world of the natural world are a doorway to are a doorway to the spiritual or ideal the spiritual or ideal world which hold world which hold important truths. important truths.

People can use their People can use their intuition to behold intuition to behold God’s spirit God’s spirit revealed in nature revealed in nature or their own souls.or their own souls.

Spontaneous Spontaneous feelings and feelings and intuition are intuition are superior to superior to deliberate deliberate intellectualism and intellectualism and rationality. rationality.

Most well-known Most well-known Transcendentalist authors:Transcendentalist authors:

Ralph Waldo Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Emerson and Henry David ThoreauDavid Thoreau

The most famous Transcendentalist…Ralph Waldo Emerson Emerson was the best-

known and most influential transcendentalist.

What he combined into transcendentalism…

Puritan thought (God revealed himself through the Bible and the physical world)

The beliefs of Jonathan Edwards (who found God’s wisdom, purity and love in the sun, moon and stars and in all of nature)

And the Romantic tradition (nature)

He viewed the world based on intuition - the capacity to know things spontaneously and immediately through our emotions rather than through reason and logic.

He possessed an intense feeling of optimism that stemmed from the belief that God could be found directly through nature (even tragic natural events such as death, disaster and disease).

Emerson’s beliefs continued…

God is good and works through nature. Death, disease and disasters have a spiritual

explanation. Evil stems from a separation from a direct,

intuitive knowledge of God. One must know God directly to realize that

they are a part of the Divine Soul (universe), which is the source of all good.

The optimism of Emerson and transcendentalism was appealing because of what was happening in society at the time: economic downturns, regional strife, conflict over slavery.

The appeal of Emerson’s optimism The appeal of Emerson’s optimism and transcendentalism was a result and transcendentalism was a result of what was happening in society at of what was happening in society at the time: economic downturns, the time: economic downturns, regional strife, conflict over slavery.regional strife, conflict over slavery.

Anti-Transcendentalists aka Anti-Transcendentalists aka Dark RomanticsDark Romantics

• Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville • Unlike Emerson and transcendentalism, their

view of the world lacked optimism. They saw a dark side to human existence and recorded this aspect of human nature in their works.

• Similarities to transcendentalism: valued intuition over reason, saw signs and symbols in events, spiritual facts lie behind physical appearances.

• Differences: spiritual facts are not necessarily good or harmless.

• Their view developed from the mystical and melancholy aspects of Puritan thought.

• Their works explored the conflict between good and evil, psychological effects of guilt and sin, and madness and derangement in human psyche.

• They saw the blankness and the horror of evil within humanity.

Where does Edgar Allen Where does Edgar Allen Poe fit in?Poe fit in?

Although often Although often considered a Dark considered a Dark Romantic, Poe can be Romantic, Poe can be viewed more as a Gothic viewed more as a Gothic writer.writer.

Poe’s works strongly Poe’s works strongly represent Gothic represent Gothic elements more so than elements more so than valuing intuition over valuing intuition over reason or examining the reason or examining the natural world for God natural world for God and spiritual truths. and spiritual truths.

Gothic literature…Gothic literature… Settings- include large, drafty Settings- include large, drafty

old houses that have "been in old houses that have "been in the family for years."  the family for years." 

Atmosphere of mystery and Atmosphere of mystery and suspense suspense

A ghostly legend, an A ghostly legend, an unexplainable occurrence, or a unexplainable occurrence, or a story about a horrible death or story about a horrible death or murder .murder .

Omens, foreshadowing, and Omens, foreshadowing, and dreams usually play a large dreams usually play a large role in the mysterious air that role in the mysterious air that is created within the story.is created within the story.

Include highly charged Include highly charged emotional states like:  terror, a emotional states like:  terror, a feeling that one is on the brink feeling that one is on the brink of insanity, anger, agitation, of insanity, anger, agitation, an exaggerated feeling of an exaggerated feeling of some impending doom, and some impending doom, and obsessive love.obsessive love.

Supernatural events:  ghosts, Supernatural events:  ghosts, doors that open themselves, doors that open themselves, unexplained sounds, etc.unexplained sounds, etc.

Damsels in distress are Damsels in distress are frequent.  Women who are frequent.  Women who are frightened and confused, frightened and confused, wandering around lost, or dying wandering around lost, or dying due to a slow and due to a slow and unexplainable ailment.unexplainable ailment.

Words designed to evoke Words designed to evoke images of gloom and doom: images of gloom and doom: dark, foreboding, forbidding, dark, foreboding, forbidding, ghostly, etc.ghostly, etc.

Romantic themes often involve Romantic themes often involve the death of a man or woman the death of a man or woman in the throes of some great in the throes of some great passion, the obsessive nature passion, the obsessive nature of a man or woman in love, or of a man or woman in love, or excessive grief one feels upon excessive grief one feels upon the loss of a loved one.the loss of a loved one.