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LITR 4328: American Renaissance  |
Final Exam Essays 2015 Sample answers
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Rosie Galvan
Transcendentalism and the Hope for the American People
I
enjoyed learning about the American Renaissance in Dr. White’s class. Coming
into the course of the American Renaissance, I didn’t necessarily have the right
idea of what the American Renaissance was about, let alone the type of
literature written during this time. I even remember mentioning in my midterm
about having an intimidating feeling taking this course.
In my mind, I believed the era of the American Renaissance related to
more of a historical factor; wars, presidential standing points, and economic
growth. Though those points were significant parts within the American
Renaissance, I never put into account the type of Literature that was being
written and produced during this time. The type of literature these American
Renaissance writers wrote, discussed taboo subjects of race, religion and male
and female inequality within the American nation’s growth. This course
demonstrated the inner mechanisms that created and formed the growth of the
American nation.
There
were several genres that were discussed within the course. Genres of the gothic,
sublime elements, romance, and transcendentalism, were all found within the
literature written during the American Renaissance. During the second part of
this course, Dr. White focused on specific sub-genre categories. The categories
were as followed: Poe’s stories and poetry, Hawthorne and the Gothic, The
Antebellum Women’s movement, Slave Narratives, Civil disobedience and Old-time
religion, the works of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Lincoln’s political speeches, and
life in the Iron Mills. Dr. White guided us towards the importance each section
and the significance each contributed to the American Renaissance’s growth and
structure.
The
genre I found as repetitive in all of the Literature discussed of the course was
the theme of Transcendentalism. First I needed to understand what exactly
Transcendentalism was and its importance in the American Renaissance literature.
I believe Britini Pond said it best in her essay “The Teachings of American
Renaissance Literature” (2013) over the topic of Transcendentalism. She states,
“means that something is elevated, expanded, brought forth or higher into the
ideal form of the object, person or thought” (Britini Pond 2013).
Transcendentalism is what overall defines the American Renaissance rise to
re-birth. Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay “Nature” (1836) uses the concept of
transcendentalism when referring to the sublime power of the nature around him.
He states, “Its effect is like of a higher thought or a better emotion coming
over me, when I deemed I was thinking justly or doing right.” (14) Emerson is
using the transcendentalism to express the overwhelming and unspeakable emotion
he gets when describing the fields and woods “waving” to him. It as Emerson is
describing a higher religious spirit dwelling within the woods; telling him,
showing him, and guiding him into recognizing that a higher power source is
bringing him closer to God. There
is something so unspeakable and beautiful about the transcendentalism that is
intended to give people hope and faith. It is used to bring individuals closer
to their faith and the beauty of nature (world) around them. It was the
hopefulness of an indescribable feeling and vision for a happier life.
Though the element of nature is indefectible for the description of
Transcendentalism, is was not the only component that makes up the term. Another
essential feature is the speeches of political power that proclaimed the voice
for a nation to move forward and become stronger. One example of this is seen in
Abraham Lincoln's “The Gettysburg Address” speech. Lincoln speaks of the
fundamental views of the equality between the masses. He urged the motion of a
“re-birth” of the nation as he states “we here highly resolve that these dead
shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth
of freedom” (Lincoln 1863). Again we are shown an urgency to trust and welcome
the ideas and views of God’s higher power leading the nation to progress.
I finally understood the importance of
the transcendentalism motif that was used to create this powerful mental state
of hope and faith, not for the individual but the nation as well. The literature
created during this period became the gateway for future authors, writers and
inventors to continue the ambition for equality, peace and creation for a better
world. There were so many interesting topics that were discussed over the course
of the semester, topics of equality, historical romance and women domestic
romance: All creating this category of identity towards our nation. I finally
realized all the powerful people and voices that went behind the “scenes” to
give the nation the re-birth it needed. The pieces of literature that pinpointed
and discussed the real hardship and inequality that the nation was encountering
and the way we began to change our views.
1865 flag of the USA