|
LITR 4328: American Renaissance  |
Final Exam Essays 2015 Sample answers
for
|
 |
Heidi Kreeger
Realistically Romantic
Logic seems to suggest that being romantic or being realistic must be
mutually exclusive; however, this is not always the case. The American
Renaissance period offers an excellent example of how literature can demonstrate
qualities of either romanticism or realism, and how romanticism and realism can
be merged into one literary work. For the purpose of this essay the focus will
be on texts which merge these two genres, as the American Renaissance occurred
in the time period which saw the shift in popularity from romanticism to
realism.
The Last of the Mohicans was
one of the most romantic pieces that we read this semester.
I
think Briana Perry put it best in her final exam when she said “Few
things are more romantic than cowboys and Indians”. Within this one story there
are multiple levels of romanticism. One lies within the setting itself, with
grand descriptions of nature and the connection between nature and the
foresters. On another level is the romanticism inherent in the nature of the
story, there is a grand journey and a great struggle with the “hero” of the
story. And in the example most obvious to me in the text – there are character
archytypes present everywhere you turn. Magua serves as the Byronic hero,
Lieutenant Heyward as the innocent and “idealized” youth and of course the fair
lady/dark lady comparison of Cora and Alice.
Despite how saturated in romanticism this story is, there are still many
moments rooted in realism. Most importantly, there are several aspects of the
story which are actually historically accurate. It is set during the French and
Indian War and several of the characters were real people. Also realistically
depicted are some of the key social issues that were being dealt with at the
time including war, race relations, and social/gender roles.
In contrast to the romance and nature present in
The Last of the Mohicans, we see the
influence of Realism in Life in the
Iron-Mills, by Rebecca Harding Davis. The setting could not be more
different, with the story opening on “A cloudy day…the sky sank down before
dawn, muddy, flat, immovable. The air is thick, clammy with the breath of
crowded human beings”. Even when you have finished the story you are left with
this impression of how dark and mechanical this moment in time was. Class issues
in particular are highlighted in this text as a more realistic view of the
“American dream” is offered.
Similarly to The Last of the Mohicans, Life in the Iron-Mills also
manages to fuse romanticism and realism. The end of the story is a prime
example, as “God has set the promise of the Dawn”, God has promised light amidst
all the darkness that was just unburdened on us as readers. Ironically enough,
it is the gothic imagery that lends to this sense of darkness that also makes
the story romantic. And as if to signify the departure away from romanticism
toward realism, the “hero” presented in this story is a seemingly more realistic
character. He is slightly more remarkable than everybody else and stands out
from the masses, but only slightly so and there is no grand payoff for him in
the end.
The American Renaissance produced literary works that were rich in the popular genres and subjects of the time period. Each American author offered their own take on how to blend these subjects and genres to reflect their society as a whole. It would seem that against all logic, it is quite difficult to separate romance and realism.
1865 flag of the USA