LITR 4232 American
Renaissance
LITR 4232 2006 final exam
Answers
to question 4
on classic, popular, and
representative literature
Stemming from Horace, the overall purpose of literature is to “entertain and inform” (Notes). Still, comparatively speaking, classic, popular, and representative literature serve their own purposes, and also offer their own pleasures, benefits and challenges; meanwhile, these literary categories also instruct—while attracting a myriad of readers—and not only serve as fertile soil for the college classroom, but provide rich ground for other learning environs. In terms of our course assigned texts, these categories will be examined against Melville’s “Billy Budd,” Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle,” and Seattle’s “Speech of Chief Seattle.”
To begin, the purposes of classic literature, in terms of its American writers, may be found in the details of their lives. Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad, and James Fenimore Cooper all had “cultured backgrounds” mixed with “down-to earth adventure and experience” (Notes). The end result of this unique blending of culture and carousing produced “education, literacy, [and] learning” (Notes). Correspondingly, education, literacy, and learning are the purposes of classic literature.
These purposes play out in the defining characteristics of classic literature. Characters in these stories are not “stock characters” that are predictable in action and inner character—they are ambiguous. Meanings are not spelled out for the reader and are left open to interpretation; therefore, lending the work a timeless quality at the same time. Moreover, the classic piece of literature is not always enjoyable—it is like “bad [tasting] medicine that is good for you” (Notes).
Likewise, these facets of classic literature are what present its greatest benefits and challenges to the modern reader. Its timeless nature is a benefit in that the “book is never closed” and always lends itself to fresh and open discussion; on the other hand, it negates the human tendency to want to simplify and reduce books to simple meanings—turn them into “black and white.” The multiple layers of meaning also force us to look into our own lives and examine our thoughts and feelings concerning morality. We tend to lean more toward morality—moral judgment—as we read classical literature.
Not received well when it was published, because it was so intellectually high minded—and still divisive in terms of who will enjoy or appreciate it, “Billy Budd” is the epitome of classic literature. The story is full of ambiguous characters—Billy himself is thought to be of “noble birth” but touched by “the envious marplot of Eden” at the same time” (Budd). Is he good or evil, or capable of both? Likewise, Claggart is described as having “silken jet curls” and “a pallor tinged with a faint shade of amber akin to the hue of time-tinted marbles of old” (Budd). Compared with James Fenimore Cooper’s description of Cora in The Last of the Mohicans where she is possessed of “tresses . . . shining and black, like the plumage of the raven” and a “complexion . . . not brown but charged with the color of the rich blood”, one gets the impression that he (Claggart) is of mixed racial background—but we are left to decide for ourselves. Also, multiple layers of meaning come into play when Billy leaves “the rights of man” to serve on a military ship where he later comes under the harsh rule of military justice (Budd). Further, “Billy Budd” is not always enjoyable for the reader because so much is always at work. A good dictionary is needed to read the text and a vast knowledge of general history, military history, theological history, mythology, and other literature is needed to get through the piece.
Well received when published and still a widely known story, Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle” is a classical piece as well. He offers insight into the human condition and “historical comprehensions” at the same time. His insights into the human condition come into play in the realm of marriage as he describes Rip’s hen-pecked marriage situation. He notes that the outside of the house is the only side that “belongs to the hen-pecked husband” (Winkle). Further, “a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.” (Winkle). Irving also makes use of interpretation in that one may interpret Rip’s sleep and encounter with the beings in the forest as real or not. Further, Irving offers another timeless quality in that the story of Rip Van Winkle is timeless in that each generation goes through what Rip experiences—the passing away of one society in favor of another.
Yet, Irving manages to accomplish a unique task in that his story blurs the line between classic literature and popular literature. It is first important to examine the purpose of popular literature. At the most basic level, these types of writings are meant to entertain and sell well. They accomplish this through the use of stock, familiar characters, picturesque descriptions, sitcom-like situations, humor and nostalgia. “Rip Van Winkle” is rife with all of these. In terms of stock characters, Rip’s wife is the nagging, “termagant wife” and Rip is described as having an “aversion to all kinds of profitable labor”—in other words, he is lazy (Winkle). Irving describes Rip’s friends in picturesque terms as a “perpetual club of the sages” and writes that the mysterious figures Rip encounters in the forest “reminded [him] of the figures in an old Flemish painting” (Winkle). In the vein of a sitcom, Rip’s daughter takes him home in the end of the story and he is set up as one of the “patriarchs” of the village (Winkle). In terms of humor, Rip is relieved to find his wife has died when he returns to the town—she had broken a blood vessel while angry at a passing merchant and Rip finds “a drop of comfort, at least, in this intelligence” (winkle).
The benefits of this type of literature are that it does provide a good escape and is easy to read. Moreover, for the author, it usually does sell well. However, for a story like “Rip Van Winkle,” this is also a challenge to the modern reader as well. In being too familiar of a story because of its popularity it is too easy to dismiss the classic aspects of the story—an open interpretation of Rip’s experience, the timeless experience of Rip—and dismiss it as escapism.
However, the wonderful thing about Irving’s story is that it does blur another line and becomes representative literature as well. Representative literature examines the “problems and subjects of American culture.” In its timeless representation of Rip’s experience, the representative nature of the story is found. In other words, “Rip Van Winkle’s experience is the experience of every generation” (Notes). Every generation passes away and must give way to the inevitable locomotion of change. Further, change is foreign and the question arises: Will we recognize ourselves in the next generation? Will we retain any of what was important in the old generation? Further, in revisiting Melville, one finds his dilemma in writing a story the caliber of “Billy Budd” is representative of the problem of “the writer's conflicted presence in an anti-intellectual society” (Notes). In other words, Melville is “the writer who’s too good for us; titanic or great intellectual in an unappreciative culture of equals (lowest common denominator)” (Notes).
In examining Chief Seattle’s “Speech of Chief Seattle” we find a purer form representative literature-one that represents a marginalized section of society (“Indian peoples of the Puget Sound area”), one that comes from the oral tradition, and falls into the category of an “unofficial” text, and has the “problem of authenticity” (Seattle, Notes). It is interesting to note that this text, while a speech given by an Indian chief in the 1800s was published by someone else, thus the problem of authenticity, and has since been used by environmentalists as a platform to spread their message—it has been “layered” by others “expectations” (Notes). Still, it serves to encapsulate the voice of a small part of society that can not otherwise be heard.
The advantage of this type of literature is that it broadens the canon and adds new writers and voices to the literary consciousness. On the other hand, the challenges it presents are reading too much to read and spreading reading lists too thin.
From reading across these categories, each of these types of literature speaks to the other. They do this in terms of “forms”. The gothic, sublime, and the romantic can be found in all of the categories whether they are instantly recognizable or not. Further as afar as appeal, all three categories seem appealing to the intellectual while popular seems bound to remain the domain of the “average” person on the street. And purely representative literature seems like it will remain just that—representative of small portions of society.
In terms of the college environment, an equal balance of all three seems very appropriate because they all talk to one another and therefore allow for open discussion of forms, and interpretations fostering a better learning environment. For grades such as high school and lower, a slant toward, popular/classical works such as Irving and Poe seems appropriate to get them interested, while providing a foundation should students choose to pursue higher education in literature, art, or the humanities in general. [JM]
Essay Topic 4/5
combination: (Start: 3:25 – 4:35)
As an education major, I took this course because of a personal interest in learning about the American Renaissance and the classic writers of this movement. However, I never expected to learn concepts, theories, and even teaching practices I can directly take to my middle-school English classroom. Overall, from reader responses and web-highlights to classroom discussions and the course website, packed with lecture notes, model assignments and helpful resources – all helped me to understand and recognize the course objectives. Most importantly, class discussions and model assignments showed me how a single concept can be perceived in so many different ways.
As an English teacher, I too, want to encourage diversity of opinions in my own classroom by holding comparable class discussions and maintaining a similar styled website with student showcased assignments. Through these approaches, I hope to show students that many issues do not have a simple right or wrong answer and need to be explored rather than judged. As writers themselves, it is crucial that students understand the ways classic, popular and representative writers present controversial issues so they too can effectively address such topics in their own writings.
To help them become better readers and writers, I would like students to understand the difference between classic, popular and representative literature. Classic literature withstands space and time by reinventing the mundane and the ordinary – the classic tick-tock of life which is the only permanence in the flux of life. By presenting everyday events with speculated interest, classic writers forge a bond with their readers, urging them too, to speculate and even question their surroundings.
Just as you feel
when you look on the river and sky, so I felt
Just as any of you
is one of a living crowd, I was one of a crowd (3)
… These and all
else were to me the same as they are to you (4)
Of course, these texts, such as Whitman’s excerpt from Crossing Brooklyn Ferry continue to captivate and puzzle its audiences because they are infused with layers of meaning. Instead of judging or critiquing, they explore and shed light on controversial issues, inviting readers to try the same. For example, Cooper in Last of the Mohicans is careful not to pass judgment on interracial relationships, between two men or a man and a woman, but by presenting such an issue, challenges his readers to meditate on the implications
Conversely, popular literature concerns itself with the here and now, and plays on the known rather than venturing into the unknown. Perhaps this keeps popular literature from exploring new horizons and sticking wholly to known stereotypes and typecasts. Because popular literature is time-bound, it should not replace classic literature in the classroom. It should, however, be introduced so students can learn to distinguish its characteristics from other literature, and to involve readers who struggle with the elevated language and themes of classic literature. Because classic works are often ambiguous and lack a finale which popular works provide, they can be difficult for some readers to understand. Also, the immense use of symbols can be difficult for students to comprehend and interpret.
Though, an alternate to going down the popular adolescent route of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, students should be introduced to hybrid works – which are both popular yet classic. For instance, works of Edgar Allen Poe offer a great story, yet are laden with many levels of meanings – which can mean something different readers of each generation.
Introducing representative literature can be another way to expose students to timeless writing. Representative literature not only presents the facts, but brings the story a human element to which others can relate. For example, Harriet Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin presents everyone, from Tom to Mr. Shelby as humans who err and who are accountable for their actions. In this manner, representative literature can be similar to classic literature if it handles issues of morality open-mindedly and encourages readers to find their own meanings. I found that students in class, including myself, valued their engagement with these texts because they presented exceptional stories of everyday people, and urged the reader to explore the representational problems. For example, Dickinson in her poem “Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church” discusses her notion of keeping the Sabbath; however, she does not condemn or reprimand those do not do so.
Even though classic literature can be hard to understand in a world where only-one-right-answer multiple-choice tests govern classrooms, I would like to introduce classic literature. Classic literature not only improves and inspires but also helps one understand our unique world in a unique way. [ND]
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