Novel, tale and poetry in the USA. H. Melville, E. A. Poe and W. Whitman

Historical context of Topic 53

• Civil War (1861-1865)

• Reconstruction Era (1865-1877)

• Westwards Expansion (latter half of 19th c.)

• Expansion of Industrial Revolution (before the end of the c.)

Civil War

(1861-1865): rooted in deep seated issues (slavery, economic and territorial disparities between North and South) - Influenced Melville and Whitman’s work, producing pieces about its horrors and impact

Reconstruction Era

(1865-1877): rebuilding of the South, integration of enslaved people, births literature about the challenges and lives of African Americans. None of the authors focused on it, but were influenced.

Westwards Expansion

(latter half of 19th c.): influenced by Manifest Destiny, displacement of Native American tribes, new states and territories. Key topics include the frontier and American wilderness.

Expansion of Industrial Revolution

(before the end of the c.): surge of urbanisation and technology, Whitman celebrated the energy of urban life, the vibrancy of democracy and industralisation

Herman Melville (life context)

(1819-1891) Had multiple jobs, marked by his time at the sea, which influenced his works, particularly his time among cannibals on the Marquesas Islands (Typee, Onoo). Died forgotten.

Herman Melville (literature and Moby Dick)

• Literary focus on (everyday) evil, shaped by his personal experiences

• Moby Dick is multi-layered and symbolic, as seen in the sperm whale (nature’s power and indifference, the unknowable, obsession), Ahab (monomania, fate) and the Pequod (microcosm of society, doomed venture)

Edgar Allan Poe (life context)

(1809-1849) Had a difficult life. Left the University because of gambling and alcohol problems and moved a lot. Worked at many magazines and newspapers, was a soldier too. Died shortly after the death of his cousin-wife Virginia

Edgar Allan Poe (literature)

• Focused on poetry, Platonism and rejected 19th century science.

• His subjects are often beautiful dying women.

• Gothic tales: murder, love, death and detective stories

• Poe as the inventor of the detective story (well-developed plots, analytic methods, predilection for the phantastic and grotesque.

Walt Whitman

(1819-1892) Received little education, moved frequently. After a period of inner growth, he returned to NY and in his Bohemian era wrote Leaves of Grass in 1855.

Profoundly impacted by the Civil War, volunteered as a nurse. Died disabled in his room

Walt Whitman (literature, Leaves of Grass)

• Profoundly innovative, radical use and themes in his poetry

• Believed in democracy, collectivism, the divine in the mundane and the universality and independence of the soul

• Leaves of Grass: gradual universalisation of oneself, humorous quality and Emersonian tone. Homosexual undertones. Clear religous sense

Contribution of topic 53 to the curriculum

Curriculum Element	Topic 53 Contribution
Specific Competences	1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Key Competences	CCL, CP, CPSAA, CC, CD, CCEC (especially CCEC)
Operating Descriptors	Comprehension strategies, literary production, turn-taking, mediation, plurilingual awareness
End-of-Stage Profile	Effective communication in diverse contexts; cultural appreciation; critical thinking
Basic Knowledge	Conceptual (literary movements, authors, works), Procedural (analysis, interpretation), Attitudinal (respect for cultural diversity)
21st Century Challenges	Globalisation, Digital Transformation, Education, Inequalities, Migration, Sustainability
SDGs	4, 10, 16