LITR 4328: American Renaissance

Model Assignments Final Exam Essays 2018 (final exam assignment) Sample answers for A1. learning about American Renaissance

Virginia Deleon

11 Tuesday 2018

Discovering Diversity in the American Renaissance

If a comparably educated individual asked me what I knew about the American Renaissance in the beginning of the semester, I might have expressed a few details and perhaps named a few authors. However, if that same educated individual asked me the same question now, at the end of the semester, I could engage in a much more distinguished discussion! Historically, the period of the American Renaissance, between the 1820’s-1860, was not an easy one (“American Renaissance”). It was the era leading up the Civil War, the Mexican-American War took place, and manifest destiny was in full throttle. The landscape of the U.S. as a nation was changing and the people were too. When it comes to literature, however, the American Renaissance was a diverse and vibrant period.

          The American Renaissance, or the Romantic Period in American Literature, produced some of the finest literary works to this day. Some of my favorite readings from this semester are: Walt Whitman’s “I Sing the Body Electric”, Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s The Declaration of Sentiments, Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Sojourner Truth’s Ain’t I A Woman. These works encapsulate the incredible diversity of the time. Before this course, I never would have thought to include Whitman and Truth in the same literary era. However, this is the beauty of the American Renaissance—the literature reflects the major changes that were happening in the nation at the time.

During the American Renaissance, writers, activists, and poets from all occupations were speaking out and letting their voices shine. For example, Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s The Declaration of Sentiments is a written document presented at Seneca Falls. Using the Declaration of Independence as a guide, Stanton makes it clear that women will no longer be silent and submissive in a nation that promises “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to all (2). Courageously, Stanton declares a list of sentiments, which challenges the oppressive status quo. One of which being: “After depriving her of all rights as a married woman, if single, and the owner of property, he has taxed her to support a government which recognizes her only when her property can be made profitable to it” (12). Stanton’s powerful message brings to light many of the problematic gender inequalities in the nation.

          Because we were exposed to a variety of wonderful writers, many of which were minorities and women, I am walking away from this course with a fresh new perspective on the American Renaissance. More often than not, white, male authors typically write the classic works of literature I read in my courses. I understand the reason for this is that women and minority writers did not have the same creative opportunities in the past. However, they were still there, and luckily, their works have now been rediscovered. These recurring themes of diversity and social justice in this era are definitely the most important takeaways from this course.