American Puritanism And American Romanticism - 1146 Words

The way people viewed the world changed significantly between the time of American Puritanism and American Romanticism. American Puritans believed in a flawless society based on the core beliefs of the Church. As presented in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, American Puritans feared challenging the social norm because it would essentially lead to possessing a corrupt society. American Romanticism ideas differed from American Puritanism beliefs. Romanticists emphasized the power of individuals and believed in valuing feeling and intuition over reason. As opposed to American Puritans, Romanticists believed in seeking nature and objecting the artificiality of civilization. American Romanticism literary works impact society because it enforces the importance of human imagination, the importance of seeking nature, and the importance of valuing feeling over reason. American Romanticist ideas were widely expressed through poetry and short stories. Literary works such as Rip Van Winkle b y Washington Irving, â€Å"Thanatopsis† by William Cullen Bryant, The Devil and Tom Walker by Washington Irving, The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allen Poe, The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe, and â€Å"The First Snowfall† by James Russell Lowell are examples of American Romanticism stories in which have a significant impact on society. Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle exemplifies the significance of seeking unspoiled nature. Rip Van Winkle’s wife is presented as a mean individual and often times exposesShow MoreRelatedA Romantic View Of Hester Prynne Essay1316 Words   |  6 Pagesand simplicity of nature are at the foundation of American Romanticism. Essays such as Thoreau’s Walden and Emerson’s â€Å"Self-Reliance† call on humans to look inward and avoid conformity in order to find meaning and purpose in life. Nathaniel Hawthorne is also sympathetic to these ideals, but in The Scarlet Letter, he conveys them in the format o f a novel where one of his main characters, Hester Prynne, is surrounded by rigid and unforgiving Puritanism in seventeenth century Boston. Through Hester’sRead More Comparing Romanticism in Plymouth Plantation, Birthmark, and Rappaccinis Daughter1140 Words   |  5 Pages   Ã‚     Puritanism and Romanticism differ in style, religious references, and plot content. Puritanism began to flourish with strict God-fearing Calvinists who had fled to America to escape religious persecution in Europe. With writers such as William Bradford and Edward Taylor, Puritan literature focuses on Gods role in the lives of the people and adopts a simple religious style of writing. Romanticism was introduced to Americans in the nineteenth century, delivering a fresh literary and artisticRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1187 Words   |  5 PagesPuritanism in Red Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter shows the early view of Puritanism by concentrating on sin, guilt, and its effects on society. Nathaniel Hawthorne conveyed a dark and romantic style of writing in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, impacting the society by focusing on the concepts of romanticism. The Scarlet Letter is considered a classic book and is still read today. Nathaniel Hathorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. He was the son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth ClarkRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Scarlet Letter 1628 Words   |  7 Pagescaptured by native American Indians on his way to New England and held in captivity for two years, escaped and entered the town of Boston. After learning of what Hester had done, Chillingworth poses as a doctor and vows to discover the identity of Hester s partner in sin. Hester agrees to keep his true identity a secret, too. Each character in the book represents one or more philosophies including Romanticism, Reason, and Puritanism that one could adhere to in life. Romanticism focuses on theRead MoreAmerican Literary Styles Of The Film Of All The Movies Directed By Tim Burton1051 Words   |  5 Pagesand blood galore has always been a repeated pattern in all of his films: Frankenweenie, Edward Scissorhands, and now Sleepy Hollow. Using costumes, tools and language, Sleepy Hollow reflects each of the three American literary styles of Puritanism, Rationalism, and Romanticism. Puritanism was shown a lot during the movie. In almost all the scenes involving Ichabod’s father, the Judge, or the towns’ people of Sleepy Hollow they defined what a true Puritan was by their behavior, along with whatRead MoreThe Influence of Puritanism on American Literature1234 Words   |  5 Pageswhich is popularly known as American Puritanism. A dominant factor in American life, Puritanism was one of the most enduring and shaping influences in American thought and American literature. Without true understanding of Puritanism, there would be no real understanding of American literature and American culture. ¡Ã‚ °Puritanism had spoken for the preeminence of the individual, for freedom from oppressive governments, and for the value of learning and education. It led Americans to examine their beliefsRead MoreRomanticism And Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1461 Words   |  6 PagesRomanticism and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter Literary Romanticism was a literary movement that started in Europe toward the late 1700’s and reached America in the early 19th century just in time for its peak years. Originally sparked by the Industrial Revolution, it was a response to the political and social conditions of the time as well as a challenge to the new type of scientific exploration and rationalization of everyday life. Writing that was grand and inspired great feeling andRead MoreRomanticism in the Scarlet Letter Essay852 Words   |  4 PagesRomanticism is categorized as â€Å"a preference for simplicity and naturalness, a love of plain feelings and truth to common place reality, especially as found in natural scenes†. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an anti-transcendentalist and believed in the dark side of man, hence his dark romantic novel The Scarlet Letter. This allegorical novel depends heavily on symbol and character. The novel is chock full of symbolic dimension of images, characters, and descriptio ns. The Scarlet Letter defines the AmericanRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne960 Words   |  4 Pagescharacters may act as the author’s â€Å"mouthpiece† for their views. This author’s views may not be based entirely on historical fact, but also on his family history as his family were among the first New England settlers, and they lived in Salem (4). Romanticism in literature is the belief in the imagination rather than a rational way of understanding reality, with an emphasis on individuality and on self-expression (5). The Romantic period in literature followed the industrial revolution in Europe, andRead MoreWhat Did The First Puritan Settlers?1605 Words   |  7 Pagespure and paradise was different than those of the Native Americans; the Puritans wanted to â€Å"civilize† the land that was already occupied by Native Americans. But because of the influence of their religion, the Puritans believed it was meant for them. Lydia Maria Child wrote Hobomok, a novel about an English settler named Mary who gets married to a Native American named Hobomok, during the 1820s when Romanticism was thriving. Romanticism in literature began in the early 19th century and it incorporated