2.

Romanticism, Transcendentalism
The Romantic Period(Also known as:TheAmerican Renaissance)The Age of Transcendentalism

4 3. Realism, Naturalism The Realistic Period 1900-1914

The Naturalistic Period (extreme realism)s 1920s, 1930s:American Modernist Period:Jazz
Age,Harlem RenaissanceThe "Lost Generation"

5 1939-present 1950s 1960s, 1970s The Contemporary Period:

The Beat generationAmerican Literature recognizes works of:African-American WritersNative
American WritersAsian-American Writers

6 Colonial Period Periods of Am. Literature vary a lot

It´s impossible to give exact datesThe first literature started to appear after founding of the first
settlement at Jamestown in 1607It continuoud till the outbreak of the Revolution

7 Literary genres: Historical writings

Religious themes – sermons (kázání)tractsWriters:Anne Bradstreet (poet)Benjamin Franklin (The
Way to Wealth)William Bradford

8 The Revolutionary AgeThe greatest documents of American history were authored:Thomas

Paine (Common Sense – he urged independence)The Declaration of Independence (Thomas
Jefferson )The Constitution ( ratified)

9 The Early National Period

Beginnings of true Am. LiteratureThe writers wrote in th English style but the settings, themes and
characters were authentically American

10 Washington Irving – he wrote about Am. Life, biography of G. Washington

James Fenimore Cooper – The Last of the MohicansEdgar Allan Poe

11 E.A.Poe (1809-1849) son of a poor actress (drastic death)

his father alcoholicHe was taken by his guardian Mr. AllanStudied West Point – kicked
outMarriage with 13 year-old cousinShe died of TB ten years later – despair, grief was reflected in
his works1849 found delirious in a steet

12 The Raven (poem) - a tired, unhappy student asks if he ever meets his love again
His doubts are underlined by the raven´s repetition „nevermore“,symbol of doubts and longing

13 The Golden BugThe Pit and the PendulumThe Black CatThe Murders in the Rue MorgueThe
Fall of the House of Usher

14 His work:1. realism: detective stories – logical, brilliant, rational2. romanticism – irrationalism,
mystery, violence, criminality, death, passionPerverse, vulgar, grotesque style.

15 Transcendentalism American reflection of European romanticism

Philosophical movement

16 The transcendal philosophy was based on:

Free willHumanityIntuitionIndividual conscienceIt glories nature
17 All transcendentalists were isolated people
They lived in „Utopian Community“ – Brookfarm near BostonThe individual can transcend the
world and discover union with God and Ideal

18 Main representatives:
Ralph Waldo ThoreauHenry David Thoreau

19 Other Romantic Writers

Herman Melville – symbolist (Moby-Dick)Nathaniel Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter)the main
theme –sinHester has te wear letter A – means adulteressWalt Whitman (poet)Emily Dickinson
(poet)

20 Realistic Period After Civil War:

Social injustice – first millionaires appear (Rockefeller)discoveries in science (railway, telegraph
cable, telephone,…)Growth of educationTwain called this period „gilded age“

21 Realism Action against romanticism Main literary form – novel

Authors accuse romanticism of falsehoodThey describe common things, common places,
everyday life

22 Mark Twain His real name: Samuel Langorne Clemens

He spent his childhood on the Mississippi riverWorkedon a steamboat on the MississippiTravelled
a lotHe recollects his childhood in his books

23 The Innocents AbroadThe Gilded AgeThe Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Advedntures of

Huckleberry FinnTom likes danger, he´s always able to avoid problems, Huck represents social
conscience, he´s sensitive to everything around him

24 Naturalism Derived from the word nature (interest in nature)

It has its origin in France – ZolaProple are influenced by environmental forces (outside us) and
inner drives (inside us) – peole can ´t control themThe main drives of characters: hunger, fear,
sex, …

25 Their writings are often cruel and tragic.

Stephen CraneJack London (Tjhe Call of the Wild)Theodore Dreiser (An American
Tragedy)Upton Sinclair (The Jungle)

26 Lost GenerationA term applied for Am. Writers born around 1900, who fought in WWIThe
term comes from Gertrude SteinMain features: description of the loss of traditional values as the
result of the warother social evils

27 Ernest HemingwayFind some info. about him

28 F. S. Fitzgerald Connected with Jazz Age in 20s

Wrote many stories about wealthy peopleThe Great Gatsby – masterpiece(a rich man earns
money by smuggling, he loves Daisy, but Daisy is marriedNick – a narrator is is
disgusted)American Dream

29 Other 20th century writers

The Harlem Renaissance:Harlem (N.Y.) was a centre of itMotto: Let us return to Africa! (in a
literary sense)We all have sth. in common
30 Main representatives:
Langston HughesCountee CullenRichard Wright

31 The Great Depression = the end of American Modernist Period

William FaulknerJohn SteinbeckEugene O´Neil (a playwright)Dealt with social and political issues

32 Jewish Writers Big emigration of the Jews to the US

Writers explore new themes of identity, psychological problemsThey are looking at their racial
backgroundSaul BellowJ.D. Salinger (The catcher in the Rye)Bernard MalamudJoseph Heller
(Cath 22)

33 The Beat Generation The main personalities:

A. Ginsberg, W. Boroughs, J. Kerouac, G. CorsoKnew each other, travelled through the US by
taking drugs and having many sexual affairsSAn Francisco – cradle of the Beats

34 Basic Characteristics
Wanted to live life without social conventionsAgainst supermacy of moneyTheir idol = wanderer
travelling with his bag from a state to state, listening to JAZZ, being spontaneous, free,
sincereTaking drugs, drinking alcohol

35 Jack Kerouac On the Road Written on toilet paper

Journeys from East of States to the West