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LITR 4232: American Renaissance  |
Final Exam Essays 2013 Sample answers for
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A1.Britini Pond
The Teachings of American Renaissance
Literature
This semester I walked into this course not
knowing truly what to expect. So far throughout my literary career I have read
tons of works by brilliant authors, a lot of it eye-opening and informative.
However, there have also been the courses that, yeah, the reads were interesting
and discussions attention-grabbing, but the specific works themselves or the
period in our history just did not teach me something that would stick with me
and really allow me to apply what I had learned to my life in other aspects. At
least, not from what I got from the course. The same definitely cannot be said
for the period of literary history that this course has expounded on. This
course and the entire period of the American Renaissance is such a vastly
important era within American history because it encompasses so much more than
just literature. Not just that, but the knowledge that I have learned throughout
this course cannot only be applied to literature, but also taught me more of our
country’s history. This course touched on the hard times and the not so pretty
aspects to American life, such as slavery. It also touched upon the good things
as well, women gaining a voice through literature and political achievements
that questioned the legality and morality of slavery and deemed it unethical.
The major changes going on in terms of the industrial revolution and the change
from more rural towns into the new cities and how the people were dealing with
such drastic differences in the world they were living as it changed before
their eyes. I can also take what I have learned through this course and apply it
to my life and studies as I continue on in my education. The major themes
studied are not reserved to this course alone but rather are universal in their
potential applications within and outside of literature.
One theme that is very prevalent throughout
the works this semester is that of transcendentalism. Transcendentalism, as
defined in terms of a literary theme, means that something is elevated,
expanded, brought forth or higher into the ideal form of the object, person or
thought. Transcendentalism is also closely tied with religion, and one being
brought closer to God through their religious journey and understanding of the
word of their deity—for the American Renaissances purposes usually some
tradition of Christianity. In Thoreau’s
Resistance to Civil Government, his speech and descriptions are heavily
inundated with transcendentalist descriptions. He says “All men recognize the
right to revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist,
the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable”
(Thoreau 9). Now, Thoreau may not
be speaking in this quote, about reaching a high power or following a higher law
but his words are elevated and they elevate the people who hear them to a higher
way of viewing situations. He is elevating the people through his words and by
doing so, they elevate others when they repeat his words. He wants equal rights
for all American regardless of skin color, something that is in itself a higher
way of thinking for his time and set him apart for the majority. He speaks out
against the government and its oppression of the people for their own political
gain. He is urging the people to become the best that they can be, and when the
people do that, then there will be change for all.
And, is not Thoreau’s view on humanity similar to other
historical leaders of our time? His thoughts and views on how the people of this
country should treated and governed are not his alone. He has been the influence
of such great people as Martin Luther King Jr. who we all know is such an
influential civil rights activist whose passion and desire for equality is what
has allowed some of the freedoms and privileges I know today. His “I Have a
Dream” speech and the famous “I Have a Dream” line are cornerstones in the civil
rights movement. Everyone knew this line of Dr. King’s speech and the idea of
having a dream of something that no one ever thought could be possible, is very
transcendental is its nature. Dr. King lived in a world that, had most had their
way, never would have seen the desegregation of blacks and whites. Our current
president, Barack Obama, spoke highly of change and bringing about change in our
country during his presidential election campaign. He says that he wants
equality for all and for Americans to be the best that they can be in order to
achieve the change we want to see, which is similar to what Thoreau says. His
words and ideas are transcendental when you define the meaning through the scope
of a literary term. He says he wants to bring about change that will make us the
best we can be, therefore elevating us as a country, and when you elevate
something and cause it to rise to its highest potential, that is the definition
of transcendental. This is precisely how the themes and terms from this course
still apply to my life today and also make sense even if they are completely
outside of my literary studies. But because I had learned this term during this
course, I can identify the stylistic element used in the speech of these major
political figures.
Aside from learning about the far reaching true meaning of
romanticism, and coming to understand that works of romance encompass so much
more than just a woman’s love story—making me much more well-read than I had
previously given myself credit for. I have also taken away from this course the
knowledge that so much of what I originally thought about my degree in
literature was completely wrong. People always question what I will do with my
degree, and they do so in a very condescending way, as though all I do is read
and not learn. But now I know that the majority of what we learn as literature
majors can be easily transferred to everyday life and into careers even outside
of a focus on literature. Transcendentalism is just one example of how something
so inherent in the works we read this semester, can be easily identified outside
of the classroom. Analyzing texts, critical thinking and keeping an open mind is
something all literature majors must perfect as they study works from all places
and times. These skills are valuable to a future in any career because they can
be applied to all situations—do we not all need to keep more of an open mind?
Can all of us not benefit from being able to think critically and analyze a
piece of work? These skills are universal and their applications in the world
outside of literature are endless.
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