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Questions and Answers
What is a primary characteristic of the American Gothic subgenre?
What is a primary characteristic of the American Gothic subgenre?
What is a key element of Transcendentalism?
What is a key element of Transcendentalism?
Who is the author of the essay 'Self-Reliance'?
Who is the author of the essay 'Self-Reliance'?
What is the name of Frederick Douglass's 1845 autobiography?
What is the name of Frederick Douglass's 1845 autobiography?
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What is the title of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 novel?
What is the title of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 novel?
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What is the name of the movement that emphasizes the importance of nature and the individual?
What is the name of the movement that emphasizes the importance of nature and the individual?
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Who wrote 'Walden, or Life in the Woods'?
Who wrote 'Walden, or Life in the Woods'?
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What is the name of the literary movement that emphasizes the beauty of the American landscape?
What is the name of the literary movement that emphasizes the beauty of the American landscape?
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Who is the author of 'The Narrative of Sojourner Truth'?
Who is the author of 'The Narrative of Sojourner Truth'?
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What is the title of the novel that features the characters Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale?
What is the title of the novel that features the characters Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale?
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Study Notes
American Gothic
- A fictional subgenre of romanticism characterized by the use of the supernatural and irrationality
- Characters are at the mercy of forces beyond their control, with unclear distinctions between victims and villains
- Features the "double" motif, where individuals possess both evil and good qualities
- Emphasizes terror, horror, and suspense
- Often set in the American landscape, using scenery to evoke the sublime and beautiful
Transcendentalism
- A literary, philosophical, and spiritual movement that prioritizes intuition over reason
- Believes the basic truth of the universe transcends the physical world
- Emphasizes the importance of nature and the search for truth
- Envisions the unity of all things in nature, connected through a universal soul
- Advocates for individualism and self-reliance
- Involved in progressive social reform movements
Key Figures
- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882): wrote "Nature" (1836) and "Self-Reliance" (1841)
- Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862): wrote "Walden, or Life in the Woods" (1854) and "Civil Disobedience" (1849)
- Frederick George and Louisa Davis Minot: associated with the Hudson River School landscape movement
Pastoralism
- A cultural and literary ideology that idealizes rural life and the natural world
- Characterized by a focus on agriculture, livestock, and a grazing economy
- Seen as a defining aspect of American identity, evoking a sense of paradise and abundance
- Influential works include Leo Marx's "The Machine in the Garden" and "The Chronology of the Pastoral in America" (1664)
American Renaissance
- A literary and cultural movement of the mid-19th century
- Characterized by the works of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) and Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)
- Notable works include "The House of the Seven Gables" (1851) and "The Scarlet Letter" (1850)
Black Voices
- Encompasses the experiences of African Americans during the Antebellum period
- Includes slave narratives, such as "A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" (1845) and "The Narrative of Sojourner Truth" (1850)
- Provides firsthand accounts of slavery and the struggle for freedom
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Description
Explore the characteristics of American Gothic literature, a subgenre of romanticism that features supernatural elements, irrationality, and terror. Learn about the use of setting, transcendentalism, and the dual nature of characters.
