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L American iterature II G-EN 255 Elements of American Romanticism 1810-1865 Optimistic: God is benevolent. America is the Promised Land. Frontier offers a new start. Elements of American Realism 1865-1910 Pessimistic: If God exists, He is indifferent to the plight of humans. Recognizes that not everyone has access to American Dream. Subjective: Presents the world as the author wants it to be or imagines it to be. Objective: Presents the world truthfully as the author observes it and experiences it. Stress on emotion: Plots and relationships among characters tend toward the sentimental, sensational, melodramatic. Stress on reason: Objective, critical observation and analysis leads to more cynical, skeptical attitudes. Exotic settings and subject matter: The author writes about the antique, fanciful, or far-away (such as the frontier). Believes that appropriate subjects for literature are extraordinary. Common settings and subject matter: The author writes about common, ordinary, everyday subjects. Believes that the mundane is an appropriate subject for literature. Larger-than-life heroes: Protagonists tend toward the exceptional: powerful rulers; moral paragons; fearless heroes with unsurpassed strength and skill, or even supernatural abilities. Average persons as protagonists: Main characters come from middle or bottom social strata; their weaknesses and character flaws are on display. Flat, one-dimensional characters: Characters are “good” or “evil”; they are identifiable stock characters or stereotypes. Round, complex characters: Characters are conflicted, full of contradictions; they are unique individuals, not stock characters. Reveres nature: Finds sublime beauty and aweinspiring power in nature. It is a source for the knowledge of the primitive and for the revelation of the divine. Respects nature: Sees nature as indifferent to human condition. Respects the dangers it presents. Remains a refuge from the modern and urban. Improbable plots: Authors have few qualms about asking readers to suspend disbelief and to accept that which offends plausibility. Plausible, motivated plots: Action falls within the realm of the possible with clear cause-andeffect relationships and outcomes. Ornate style: Characterized by elaborate sentences and formal syntax; flowery vocabulary. Plain style: Simple, conversational syntax and sentences; common vocabulary. Dialogue appropriate to character and circumstance.
