Transcript What was the social impact of Romanticism and why did this “school

What was the social impact of Romanticism and
why did this “school of thought” produce such
changes?
Clint Thompson
Individualism
• A philosophical belief (American)
• A person creates themselves and their
•
•
personality (American)
The individual who is undertaking an act is the
basis of their religious experience and the truth
they find (American)
Since the average American had more money it
allowed for people to pursue their individual
tastes (Brians)
Individualism Cont.
• Jacksonian democracy
included the idea that
any man can do
anything (American)
– Idea created by
Andrew Jackson
(American)
Nature
• The Romanticist believed nature is where
one can fulfill their full potential
(American)
• They wrote about nature partially due to
trying to save it from humans who were
destroying it (American)
• Romantics considered nature to be
“organic” and mysterious (Introduction)
Nature Cont.
• Saw nature as a place
of non-artificiality
(Strickland)
Religion
• The romantics felt that the rationalists’
spiritual beliefs were boring and dull, so
the romantics formed new religious beliefs
that involved the individual and was
meaningful (American)
– Writers would write new themes based off of
biblical themes (Brians)
Religion Cont.
• They did not follow the traditional ideas of
religion (American)
– Put meaning and truth into ideas and things
that did not show much truth (American)
Literature
• Tried to define American (American)
– Wrote their own style that was not European
(American)
• Tried to challenge and transform the
everyday life through their writings
(American)
• Wrote about ideas including nature and
emotion (Strickland)
Literature Cont.
• Used symbols and myths in their literary
techniques (Strickland)
• Preferred to use boldness in their
characters and use experiment freely
instead of following the “rules” of genre
and composition (Introduction)
Literature Cont.
• The “noble savage”
was created and
commonly used in
romantic literature
(Strickland)
– Usually wrote about
the egotistic and
destructive side of
their heroes
(Strickland)
Works Cited
• "American Romanticism (or the American Renaissance) Ann
Woodlief's Introduction." Virginia Commonwealth U.
Virginia Commonwealth U, 18 Aug. 2001. Web. 29 Apr.
2010. <http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng372/
intro.htm>.
• Brians, Paul. "Romanticism." Washington State U. Washington State
U, 1 Oct. 2004. Web. 29 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/romanticism.html>.
• "Introduction to Romanticism." Brooklyn College. Brooklyn
College,12 Feb. 2009. Web. 29 Apr. 2010.
<http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/cs6/
rom.html>.
• Strickland, Brad, Dr. "American Romanticism Overview." U of West
Georgia. U of West Georgia, 1997. Web. 29 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.westga.edu/~mmcfar/AMERICAN%20ROMANTIC
ISM%20overview.htm>.