.6

The Role of Human Dignity in Literature

  • Later realists, including authors like Ishmael, temper their understanding of human suffering with a recognition of "the essential dignity of man."

  • Contrast between characters:

    • Ahab is not purified through suffering.

    • Ishmael survives calamity and gains wisdom.

  • Ishmael's perspective on nature:

    • Acknowledges a "dark side" to nature.

    • Refers to "that deep blue, bottomless soul pervading mankind and nature."

    • Sees the visible world as being "formed in love" in many aspects.

  • Despite life's turmoil, the essence of humanity can be found in moments of peace and joy, symbolized by "one insular Tahiti" in the soul of man.

Edgar Allan Poe: A Unique Voice in Romantic Literature

  • Poe, influenced by his Boston upbringing and Virginia roots, believed that the object of literature was beauty rather than truth.

  • Preference for short works:

    • Poe favored brevity in poems and stories, as he aimed for them to be read in one sitting.

    • His goal was to overwhelm readers with a single emotion, chiefly horror.

  • Critique of romantic myths:

    • In his essays, Poe attacked romantic notions of inspiration as the source of literary greatness.

    • His work was rationally conceived and meticulously crafted to elicit a specific emotional response.

  • Example of Poe's approach:

    • In "The Raven," the objective was to evoke horror through the certainty of never seeing a beloved again.

Literature's Shift: Realism to Romanticism

  • The dark and surreal elements in the works of Hawthorne, Melville, and Poe signify a departure from the rationalism of the 18th century.

  • These writers differ significantly from the Transcendentalist branch of American Romanticism.

The Transcendentalists: Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman

  • Definition:

    • Transcendentalists espoused a modern variant of Platonic humanism.

  • Philosophical influences:

    • Neoplatonist Plotinus influenced Emerson's belief system.

    • Idea of dual beliefs:

    • Plato: Intuition

    • Aristotle: Reason

  • Emerson's thoughts:

    • Acknowledged the Platonic realm as potentially light or ethereal but gave it substance through friendship with Bronson Alcott.

Transcendentalist Intellectual Foundations

  • Sources of Transcendentalist thought include:

    • Platonism

    • Mysticism (Emanuel Swedenborg)

    • British Romanticism (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

    • Eastern philosophies (Buddhism and early Hinduism)

    • German idealism

  • Rousseau's influence:

    • Belief that nature, including human nature, is inherently good.

    • Civilization is perceived as a corrupting force.

  • Formation of the Transcendentalist Club in 1836 in Boston and Concord.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Leader of Transcendentalist Thought

  • Background:

    • Emerson hailed from a lineage of New England ministers.

  • Contributions:

    • Gained recognition as an essayist, poet, and speaker.

    • His essay on "History" posits that individuals study history to affirm their capabilities.

  • Concept of "Universal Mind":

    • Humans are part of a timeless entity reflective of human potential.

    • Nature is viewed as a simple reiteration of a few fundamental laws, making it more understandable to the simple than to the complex.

Self-Reliance and Nonconformity

  • Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance":

    • Advocates for nonconformity and belief in personal intuition as a means to connect to the universal mind.

    • Nonconformists, though ridiculed, are later recognized as "geniuses" for their bravery in following their own intuition.

  • Perspective on Childhood:

    • Children represent the ultimate nonconformists, untainted by societal pressures.

    • Emerson notes that infancy does not conform to anyone, whereas adults do.

  • Societal constraints:

    • Emerson asserts that society conspires against individual manhood, thus emphasizing the value of nonconformity to achieve integrity.