Recall from the summary of “Literature in a Divided Nation (1830—1865):” “American authors were no longer seen as ordinary craftsmen working alongside others, but increasingly came to be regarded as national treasures whose writings expressed not just their own ideas, but the spirit of the people as a whole” (576).
The explanation continues and states that American authors of this period “addressed the most central and difficult spiritual and social ills of their time.” Based on what you know from earlier readings, consider the work of Poe, who places terrors in animals and personal ghosts of memory, and Irving who describes those that Rip Van Winkle meets as grotesquely reminiscent of the Dutch (where the Puritans/Pilgrims came from before arriving in the New World).
- What inferences can you make about the symbols used in these stories?
- What metaphors are being used?
- Discuss the national, societal conflicts you read in these works.
Your initial post should be at least 300 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.