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LITR 4232 American
Renaissance 2010 Student Midterm Samples 2. Short essay (4-6 paragraphs) on 1 of 2 options (or combinations as inspired) :
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Melissa King
2b. You Can Rain on my Parade
It was “as if
somebody was saying to her, softly, ‘Cheer up, my child, cheer up; things are
not as bad as they might be; things will get better’” (Warner Chapter 2). This
quote from The Wide, Wide World
embodies the feelings that come to little Ellen as she gazes out the window at
the sky and stares at the bright and clear sky above her. This instance is a
prime example of correspondence taking place in literature. Correspondence is
“the state or condition of agreement of things or of one thing to another” as
defined by Dr. White in his link entitled “Correspondence.” I am particularly
intrigued with correspondence because of its ability to create a connection
between nature and human emotions and its contribution to the overall mood of a
piece of literature.
Human emotion and
nature can be linked together through correspondence, as one’s emotions change
based on their surroundings. As I sit here and write this essay, I look out the
window and see the sun shining and feel the cool breeze as it blows through the
windowpane. Inside, I feel as if all of my troubles are meaningless and I am
transported into a delightful mood. The way I am feeling inside corresponds to
the atmosphere around me, particularly in the elements of nature. Correspondence
explains why we typically feel the way we feel. Our mood corresponds to what
kind of day we have had, the mood of those around us, or just to the overall
tone of our environment. The idea of correspondence is seen throughout many of
the writings in the American Renaissance period.
When thinking of correspondence dealing with nature, Ralph
Waldo Emerson immediately comes to the forefront of my mind. In selections from
his text Nature, we see how nature
can transform man’s emotions depending on the environmental aspects. Emerson
states “In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite
of real sorrows.” It is as if man steps into nature, sees its beauty and the
delights within, and is immediately gay. He also writes “every hour and change
corresponds to and authorizes a different state of the mind, from breathless
noon to grimmest midnight.” This passage implies that if a man were to walk into
the forest at night when it is dark and dreary, his feelings will change to fit
the mood. He might become anxious and scared, or perhaps becomes sorrowful
matching the grey tones present in the night time. Through correspondence, the
mood of one in nature changes to match the mood of one’s surroundings.
Correspondence can also be used to project one’s own emotions
onto nature. Instead of one stepping into nature and embodying the emotions
present, one can step into nature and view it based on how they are feeling that
day. If I was to take a test and fail it, and on the way out of the school I
notice it is raining, I might say “It is raining and gloomy because I failed my
test.” In this case, I am taking my emotions and seeing the way I feel in
nature. Emerson states in Nature that
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” He goes on to say that one who
has just lost a dear friend to death might scorn his surroundings. Through
correspondence there is a direct agreement with one’s mood and their
environment, whether it is the environment that changes to fit the mood, or the
mood that changes to fit the environment.
Authors can use correspondence to set the mood for a
particular scene in a piece of literature. This is perhaps most seen in the
realm of the gothic. Washington Irving uses the projection of Ichabod’s mood
onto the environment to create a very unnerving setting. As Ichabod travels home
after being rejected by Katrina at the Van Tassel’s social event, the same path
that he walks cheerfully along during the day is transformed into a frightening
scene. Irving writes that “the hour was as dismal as himself [Ichabod]” and grew
“darker and darker.” As the scene changes, Ichabod begins to recall ghost and
goblin stories and becomes even more dismal and lonely than before. In this
case, we see that Ichabod’s disposition is projected onto the scene around him,
and at the same time his surroundings cause his mood to decrease into an even
gloomier one. The correspondence here sets the gothic mood needed to create a
feeling of suspense as the headless horseman gallops into the story. Without the
correspondence we might have bright and cheerful scenery but a very somber
Ichabod, or a happy and joyous Ichabod and gloomy scenery and this would not set
up well for the horrors that take place. The gothic mood and setting is needed
in all aspects of this scene and correspondence is the best way to make that
happen.
Correspondence is such a captivating concept that truly sets
up the mood for a piece of literature, especially those we have read from the
American Renaissance Era. It explains so well why characters feel the way they
do or why the setting is set up to portray a certain emotion. Our surroundings
are directly affected by us and we are directly affected by our surroundings.
Correspondence helps to make the characters and their settings fit together in a
cohesive way as well as helps the reader to understand why a piece of literature
can make them feel a certain way when reading it.
