In 1820, great change began to sweep through the United States in the form of the Industrial Revolution. This brought about electrifying change in America, and the possibilities of city life were intriguing to those of the time. The city alluded to curiosity, independence, and endless possibility. The introduction of new technologies, changing ideals, and the rush of urbanization, while exciting, also brought controversy and the fear of large city life. The rush from a rural to urban lifestyle caused confusion and the need for instant conformity. Among some of the first to voice these concerns in their work were writers of the time such as Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Both authors recognize the unpredictable, destructive aspects that are associated with rapid urban growth and use similar literary styles to convey these to their readers through the misperception and anxiety associated with urbanization. Hawthorne writes of the protagonist search for conformity, and the toxic results that can derive from the inability to attain it. Poe, however, chooses to concentrate his writing on the risks of indistinctness in a crowd, and the damaging effect that strict conformity can have on urban residents.
In “My Kinsman, Major Molineux”, the main character Robin travels to America in search of connections that will help him gain a new profession by the assistance of an old relative. When making the shift from a rural to urban environment, Robin soon learns that this
Foreshadowing – “ And there was the living room, signs of a struggle. I already knew Amy wasn’t phoning back.”(31) This gives the book a fairly dark twist, suggestion that the wife might be dead, or murdered.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the most important authors in the history of American literature and the genre of Romanticism or Dark Romanticism, due to his unique style of writing and his focus upon subjects of Puritan religion and the unknown. I consider Hawthorne an important author, due to the fact that he skillfully and accurately based his fictional writings upon happenings of colonial times, was one of the first authors to display unfortunate outcomes for his characters’ immoral choices according to Puritan beliefs, and wrote of things that were considered taboo in his time, such as witchcraft, scientific innovation and experimentation. I strongly believe that Hawthorne’s influence for his writings were his Puritan ancestral background, his fascination with Puritan beliefs, and his interest in what was considered the unknown such as witchcraft and science. According to the Norton Anthology Textbook Vol. B, Nathaniel Hawthorne was “born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804” (370). Hawthorne belonged “to a family whose ancestral roots were tied to Puritan history, with his family being among the first settlers of Massachusetts and having one of his relatives serve as a judge during the Salem witch trials” (370). Hawthorne, as a young boy, “had a particular interest in writings such as John Bunyan’s Puritan allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, and by his mid-teens he took interest in British novelists such as Henry Fielding, Tobias Smollet, William Godwin, and Sir Walter Scott”
William Attaway’s novel, Blood on the Forge, displays a family torn apart as a product of systematic exploitation. In the compelling narrative, the Moss brothers, Big Mat, Chinatown, and Melody, migrate to the north in motivation of Big Mat committing the murder of his riding boss. As they begin to adjust, their perception of the north’s assumed and rumored opportunities quickly conforms to the reality of what is actually offered. Through plot lines of the very act of migrating, acclimating to regenerated labor and norms, and, finally, the dissolution of the brothers’ identities and close family connection, it is observed that their exodus to the north is just as empty of benefits as the south. Attaway accomplishes depicting an accurate account of the contrasting exploitation that occurred in both the north and the south by portraying the Moss brothers’ demise as a result of their migration from a systematic, rural setting to an industrial, diminishing, and, ultimately, unfamiliar environment along with how the two regions parallel in similarities concerning economical and social consequences, permanently affecting the brothers altogether mentally and physically. Where there was great potential for a rebirth of opportunity and success, the result was a contrasting reality of misery and permanent damage.
One of my favorite post-modernist authors that I read this semester was, Edward P. Jones. Jones book of short stories,‘Lost In The City’ was released in 1992. I specifically enjoyed the story, ‘The Girl Who Raised Pigeons’ because it was poetic, beautiful, and exposed the brutal reality of breaking up a neighborhood. The historical context of the story takes place in the late 1950s. I believe that Jones’ intentions in this story was to show how supportive and helpful everyone is in the neighborhood in the surrounding Washington DC area. With the emphasis on street names, peoples job descriptions, landmarks, store names, and the welcoming people mentioned within the story, it becomes obvious that Jones’ depicts how helpful the people in the
Writing an excellent book, short story,or poem is an ability very few people posses : Nathaniel Hawthorne is someone who had this talent. Hawthorne's writing is mostly centered around romantic fiction, he has written a plethora of things but he is mostly remembered for his short stories and novels. Before divulging into his work, a reader should know where his writing comes from, his inspirations, originality and what some would call pure genius. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an individual whose work has been and should continue to be analyzed for years to come due to his unique twist on romantic fiction. Many of his works have casted a silhouette over America through his intricate stories and writing style that revealed the themes of psychology and human nature during the 19th century. Hawthorne’s ominous style makes his works into oddities compared to the other romantic fiction novels in his time. Many of his works, such as The Scarlet Letter, exemplifies the epitome of Hawthorne’s distinct outlook on the moralistic attitudes of
The author gives a description of short story writer, poet and critic Edgar Allan Poe's place in the history of the U.S. is presented. As literary editor of "Graham's Lady's" and "Gentleman's Magazine," Poe became a major figure in American letters. Although his heavy drinking cost him his job, Poe continued to write in a cool style that was the polar opposite of his romantic poems and horror stories. Thomas Fleming gives details for his main idea that Poe’s works are widely known due to his technique of writing. Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Black Cat” is perfect examples of his suspenseful writing technique that grabs his audience, holds on to readers throughout the entire story and leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. Edgar Allan Poe’s stories are always thought of as being suspenseful and extremely dramatic. To achieve the suspense in Edgar Allen Poe’s, he uses gothic imagery to help add an unknown, eerie effect. The author, Thomas Fleming, gives an example with “…with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable
Throughout the story, Lost in the City by Edwards P. Jones there are many different ways the city influences the different characters. Lost in the City takes the reader through some difficult times of many African Americans in Washington. The different characters form bond that cannot be broken in order to handle what life throws at them. In the stories "The Girl Who Raised Pigeons" and "The First Day" the city influences the different main characters in different ways, to help them come of age.
Literature is considered a mirror of the society. The pool of content in literary writing stems from the environment in which the writer is placed. A writer will use this environment to advance his/her views of the society and at the same time drive into the audience/readers important information that he/she wishes to pass. Hunter S. Thompson has used his creativity in the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas written in the 1960s to reflect on American society with Las Vegas as the point of reference.
Through a multitude of significant changes physically, conceptually, economically, and more, the societal reformation of cities in the Progressive Era had set themselves as the foundations of American civilization. The juxtaposition between the rich and poor statuses in these urban areas show the drastic separation within developing cities. Through this division caused a wide variety of living conditions, the majority of which held the overcrowded sections of cities where the population mostly stayed while the higher end communities had more luxurious lives. Through this success of entrepreneurship and economic growth from all aspects in cities, the entire landscape, both physically through innovative architecture and the perspectives outside rural and suburban areas had on them, had transformed for the better in these areas.
Kieu Tran manipulatively wrote her article with a concerning tone to express her opinion on what child abuse is considered in America versus other areas of the world by explaining asian ethics and giving stories on issues with child discipline when coming to America. In Tran’s article, she addresses the issue that Asians face with disciplining their children in America versus in their own country. In Asia, it is considered ok to hit your child to teach them a lesson, but in America it is considered abuse. Kieu is trying to explain to people that hitting your child once in awhile is apart of parenting and is completely different from abuse. The point she’s trying to get across is that spanking your child causing a slight, brief pain is not
Edgar Allan Poe’s influence on American literature was nothing short of great; not only was he the creator of the detective story and the horror thriller, but he also influenced many great writers, among those William Faulkner and Fyodor Dostoevsky. While Poe is best known for his horror thrillers, being the creator of that particular genre, he has also fashioned two other literary genres, like the detective and the science fiction genre. Throughout his life, Poe read, reviewed, and critiqued many books for various magazines and papers. Poe did not hesitate to attack what he deemed inferior. “Is purely too imbecile to merit an extended critique,” he once wrote of a novel. Because of his readiness to attack what he believed to be unworthy,
Romantic period authors, like Nathaniel Hawthorne, a prevalent example of a Romantic author from the 19th century, believed that people were getting too reliant on on science. Romantics were literary rebels who wrote about strong emotions, the supernatural, and the power of nature. The writing style of the previous century was known as the Age of Reason, the authors thought emotion was unnecessary; they loved science and wrote a lot of non-fiction. The romantics wanted to remind people that there was nothing more powerful than human emotion and nothing more beautiful than nature. According to Jules Zanger, Hawthorne’s short story, “suggests his resistance to the expansive materialism of America 's new technology as well as to the excessive spirituality of its philosophers.” The short story, “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne articulates the obsession with human perfection through symbols, characters’, and narrator.
By the later part of the 1800’s New York and Chicago were some of the largest cities in the world and both had populations that exceeded a million. With the growing population, the economy’s stability began to fluctuate. The instability within the states gave rise to two distinct populations within America, the upper and the working classes. Theodore Dreiser, knowing the volatile state America was built upon, highlighted the economic differences between the wealthy and the poor in his novel Sister Carrie.
I am honored to apply for the Master of Arts Luxury and Fashion Management program at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I have not always known which professional career path was best for me however; I have always had a passion for the arts, fashion specifically. My desires were armored during my undergraduate curriculum and ignited an enthusiasm to further pursue and perfect my craft. I am confident attending SCAD will place me one step closer to my aspirations.
Throughout British Literature, compositions created by honored literary artists reflect current dominant lifestyles. The differences in prevailing environments are visible when comparing Emily Bronte's Withering Heights and Charles Dickens Coketown. Bronte reveals the wild unbinding freedom available though country living predominate in the late 17th and early 18th century, whereas Dickens explains the disheartening effects of industrialization, which caused massive urbanization and numerous negative consequences. Within both works, the authors portrayed the lifestyles their culture encouraged.