American Literature: Colonial to Transcendentalist Works and Authors

Of Plymouth Plantation

William Bradford

A Narrative of the Captivity of Mary Rowlandson

Mary Rowlandson

The Speech of Miss Polly Baker

Benjamin Franklin

On the Equality of Sexes

Judith Sargent Murray

Amelia and The Faithless Briton

William Hayley

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Washington Irving

Self-Reliance

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Young Goodman Brown and The Minister's Black Veil

Nathanial Hawthorne

The Narrative of the Life Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Frederick Douglass

Ligeia and The Tell-Take Heart

Edgar Allen Poe

Resistance to Civil Government

Henry David Thoreau

Song of Myself and When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer

Walt Whitman

Who was the second governor of Plymouth Colony?

William Bradford

What movement was William Bradford a leading member of?

The Separatist movement

What qualities are attributed to William Bradford as a leader?

He was devout, principled, and resilient.

How did William Bradford interact with Native Americans?

He mediated disputes with them.

Who was the first governor of Plymouth Colony?

John Carver

What is the theme of "Of Plymouth Plantation?"

Their journey was guided by God's will and hardships were seen as a test of faith.

Mary Rowlandson

Author and protagonist who is a Puritan woman captured during King Philip's War in 1676

King Philip

Wampanoag leader and symbolic antagonist; his role shapes the view of Native Americans as a threat to the Puritans.

Qannopin

A chief and one of Mary's captors who treats her as a valuable captor and uses her strengths to their advantage.

What are the themes of "A Narrative of the Captivity of Mary Rowlandson?"

- Her captivity is a test of her faith from God

- Dehumanization of captors

- She becomes resourceful

What is Polly Baker known for?

She has been prosecuted five times for having children out of wedlock.

How does Polly Baker defend her actions?

She is passionate and logical in her reasoning, believing she committed a civic duty by having children.

What are the themes of "The Speech of Miss Polly Baker?"

- Laws disproportionately target women.

- The Bible and the law contradict each other

What is a theme from "On the Equality of Sexes?"

Women have the same cognitive capabilities as men.

What limits women's expectations and potential?

A lack of education for women.

How does what women are taught affect gender equality?

It reinforces inequality by prioritizing certain values.

What character is described as an innocent and pure young woman easily persuaded and seduced?

Amelia

What motivates Amelia in her relationship with Doliscus?

She is determined to make him pay for his consequences.

Who is Doliscus and how does he manipulate Amelia?

Doliscus is a charming and deceitful wounded soldier who uses Amelia's naivety to his advantage and leaves her with his child.

What is Horatio's role in the story?

Horatio is a wealthy and respected man who seeks to understand others and cares for his daughter when she is publicly shamed.

What action does Honorius take regarding Doliscus?

Honorius, Amelia's brother, attempts to confront Doliscus for his wrongdoings.

What is a theme of "Amelia and the Faithless Briton?"

Women are taken advantage of for being young and naive, and they are preyed upon for their innocence.

Who is Ichabod Crane?

An awkward, scrawny schoolteacher from Connecticut who is infatuated with ghost and horror stories.

What happens to Ichabod Crane while walking home?

He is captured by the headless horseman.

Who is Brom Bones?

A character known for his physical strength who uses pranks on Ichabod to win over Katrina Van Tassel.

How does Brom Bones interact with Ichabod Crane?

He teases Ichabod and may have disguised himself as the headless horseman after Ichabod's disappearance.

Who is Katrina Van Tassel?

The romantic interest of both Ichabod Crane and Brom Bones, who enjoys the attention from her suitors.

What is a key theme in the story?

The need for money and status overtakes the need for a real connection.

How does social status relate to attractiveness in the story?

People who are more attractive and wealthier have more social status.

What role does Katrina play in the rivalry between Ichabod and Brom Bones?

She manipulates the rivalry between them for her own amusement.

What is a theme of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?"

The need for money and status overtakes the need for a real connection; greed

What should you do regarding societal norms?

Trust yourself and reject conforming to the norms of society.

How should personal thoughts be valued compared to traditions?

Personal thoughts are just as valuable as traditions and customs.

What is a theme from "Self-Reliance?"

Do not seek approval from others.

What does Young Goodman Brown's venture into the forest symbolize?

A test of his faith in religion and humanity.

What is the character Faith described as?

Sweet and innocent.

Who is the Devil in 'Young Goodman Brown'?

A calm and confident figure who entices Brown, representing evil, temptation, and sin.

What does the Devil claim to know about Brown?

He claims to know Brown's ancestors and respected townspeople.

What theme is suggested by the story regarding religious people?

All religious people have secrets or have danced with the devil.

Who is Reverend Hooper?

A respected preacher who appears with a black veil, symbolizing hidden sins.

What happens between Reverend Hooper and his fiancée, Elizabeth?

She pleads with him to remove the veil and leaves him when he refuses.

What theme is presented through Reverend Hooper's character?

All people carry invisible sins and universal guilt with them.

What qualities are attributed to Frederick Douglass?

Intelligent, determined, courageous, reflective, and brave.

Who is Edward Covey and what is his role?

Edward Covey, known as the 'slave breaker', uses religion to justify the abuse of slaves.

What significant event occurs between Douglass and Covey?

Douglass and Covey get into a fight, and Covey loses.

Who is Hugh Auld and what does he forbid Douglass from doing?

Hugh Auld is Douglass's enslaver in Baltimore who forbids him from learning to read.

What is the role of Sophia Auld in Douglass's education?

Sophia Auld teaches Douglass to read but stops when she realizes the 'beauty' of slavery.

What is a major theme regarding slavery in Douglass's narrative?

Slavery dehumanizes individuals, stripping them of their identity and dignity.

How does education relate to freedom in Douglass's narrative?

Education provides opportunities and empowers individuals towards freedom.

What role does religion play in Douglass's narrative?

Religion is used to justify terrible actions and is interpreted differently by each reader.

What does 'Gothic' represent in literature?

Reason corrupted by emotion.

What is the 'Imp of the Perverse'?

A concept representing self-destructive behavior or intentionally harmful actions that lack rational sense.

In 'The Tell-Tale Heart', what is the narrator's main justification?

He justifies his actions by pleading for his sanity.

What bothers the narrator in 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?

The old man's vulture-like eye.

How does the narrator in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' regain a sense of power?

By becoming the terror for the old man and ultimately killing him.

What mental state does the narrator of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' experience?

He suffers from night terrors and insomnia, feeling powerless.

What is the narrator's relationship with Ligeia in the story 'Ligeia'?

He is infatuated with her but knows little about her.

How does the narrator's use of opium affect his reliability in 'Ligeia'?

It makes him unreliable due to its impact on his mental state.

What does the narrator in 'Ligeia' wish for regarding Ligeia?

He wishes for her to come back, to the point of willing himself to imagine her return.

What should guide morals according to "Resistance to Civil Government?"

Individual thoughts

What does majority rule perpetuate?

Injustice

How are men in the military described?

As simply working machines for the government

What is the role of individuals in enacting change?

Individuals can and should enact change

How does every person influence and contain pieces from others?

Every person is influenced by and contains elements from others, highlighting interconnectedness.

What role does nature play in human identity?

Nature is an integral part of everyone, shaping identity and experience.

What is the significance of the body in relation to life and death according to "Song of Myself?"

The body is viewed as a vessel that is celebrated; death is seen as a part of a continuous process rather than an end.

What is the theme from "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer?"

True interest and understanding arise from connection rather than mere data.

The Age of Enlightenment

the time period in the 1700s during which many Europeans began to break away from tradition and rethink political and social norms

empiricism (age of enlightenment?

knowledge comes from experiences and observations of the world

Calvinism

- God exists as a Trinity

- Original sin

- Predestination

- Eternal Damnation

- The Bible is infallible

Unitarianism

- God is a singular entity

- Jesus is a model for living but is a human

- People are not inherently corrupt

- Predestination and Hell are invalid

- The Bible was created by imperfect humans

The Transcendental Club

A collection of intellectuals, writers, ministers, and philosophers

Key Characteristics of Transcendentalism

- People are inherently good

- Society and its institutions corrupt mankind

- God can be found in everyday things, but especially nature

- God exists within all of us and connects us

- Individualism and self-reliance are key

- Subjective Intuition > Objective Empiricism

- Idealism and hope for social utopias

- Spiritual thinking > Scientific thinking

American Romanticism (Hawthorne)

Appeal to emotion rather than reason, interest in nature (rural/good city/bad), interest in the picturesque and unusual, a spirit of nationalism

Abolitionism (Douglass)

social and political movement to end slavery; late 18th to early 19th century

Gothic Fiction (Poe)

genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance

Nonviolent Political Resistance (Thoreau)

is the practice of opposing power structures or policies through peaceful means

Typology

Puritans used the Bible as a guide for what is going on in their life.

Thomas Morton

Sold natives guns and they hunted for the colony servants freeing to Merrymount from other English colonies.

Coverture

The legal status of a married women, considered to be under her husbands protection and authority.

Banns

Public posting of marriage and date.

Moonlight

What you’re seeing may or may not be real.

Goodman Brown

Hypocrite. Everyone he knows has done bad things so that is why they are going to meet the devil.