Romanticism Vs Transcendentalism

Why is the emotion of a person so important? In the American Literatures of romanticism, gothicism, and transcendentalism the emotion of the individuals is a common tie to these types of literatures. In each type of story each has different types of main focuses in the type of literature, but have the emotions of the characters in common. The qualities of romanticism include supernatural and suspicious events, connections with nature, and a focuses on the individual. The story “The Birthmark” is an example of romantic text. With the strong focus on the individual and the feelings of the two main characters. The focus of the story is on the married couple’s emotions. Gothicism elements include bleak and remote settings, violent incidents, characters …show more content…
The qualities of gothicism are bleak and remote settings, violent incidents, characters that experience physical and psychological torment, otherworldly events, and language full of dangerous meaning. The main quality that differentiates gothic literature from the rest is its bleak natured writings, but in common with the rest is the strong link to emotion. In the story “The Fall of the House of Usher” Poe’s writing tells of a man Roderick Usher, and his emotional pain he experienced. In his constant worry that he is going to die, it drives him mentally crazy along with anxiety and depression if the loss of his sister. “”I shall perish, he said, ‘I must perish in this deplorable folly” (Poe 299). This quote tells of Rodrick’s fear of dying. Madeline, suffers from epilepsy and seizures and her death makes Rodrick depressed. Even the narrator’s feelings are important in this piece of gothic literature. The story starts off with the narrator's uneasy feelings for the house of Usher and the location the story takes place. “During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year”(Poe 293). This makes the narrator feel uneasy about what will happen in the location he is currently in. The narrator feels uncomfortable with his old childhood friend and is concerned with his current mental state. Rodrick’s feelings are expressed as nervous, anxious, and depressed. These feelings play an important …show more content…
Components of transcendental literature include individualism, nature, connection to the universe, and truth. In the story “Nature” Emerson explains how to find one’s self in nature, and that is the one place to find yourself. This work is centered around the individual and nature which makes it a transcendental piece. The nature that Emerson describes makes people feel different emotions, and this nature is centered around emotion and finding one’s self. “Standing on the bare ground- my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space- all mean egotism vanishes” (Emerson 367) In the nature described by Emerson you feel at peace with one’s self. This piece of literature surrounds the feelings of people and finding one’s true feelings; doing this in nature. “In the tranquil landscape, and especially in the distant line of horizon, man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature”(Emerson 368). Nature and man are connected in this story. If man is in a beautiful place, then he too is beautiful. This work surrounds the feelings of man in nature making it a transcendental piece, and connecting to the other two literatures with the importance of

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