Fall 2013 Seminar tutor: Assist. Dr.

Daniela Carstea

Seminar in 19th C American Literature

1.

R. W. Emerson: Nature, Self-Reliance, The Over-Soul, The American Scholar

H. D. Thoreau, Walden: "Solitu e", "The !on in Winter" 2. E. A. !oe, The Fall of the ou!e of "!her, The #urloined Letter, The Raven, The #hilo!o$h% of Com$o!ition 3. ". Ha#thorne: The Scarlet Letter Herman $el%ille, &o'% (ic) &Cha'ter 1, "(oomin)s", Cha'ter *1 "$o+, Di-.", Cha'ter *2, "The Whiteness o/ the Whale"0 *. Walt Whitman, Son* of&%!elf1&'art 1, 2, 320, !re/a-e to Leave! of +ra!! &14330 Emil, Di-.inson, 56127 ,ecau!e - could not !to$ for (eath, After +reat #ain a Formal Feelin* Come!, &% Life had !tood- a Loaded +un.

3. W. D. Ho#ells, Novel-Writin* and Novel-Readin* Henr,

8ames, The Am'a!!ador!, The Art of Fiction

2. Theo ore Dreiser, Si!ter Carrie

9ate Cho'in, The A/a)enin*.

SUGGESTED DISCUSSION TOPICS :ma)e&s0 o/ the artist. "The 'ro'het;'oet is one in the series o/ mas.s a o'te +, Trans-en entalism." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to Emerson or Whitman. !uritan reminis-en-es. "Trans-en entalism means a re#ritin) an a se-ulari<ation o/ .e, elements in !uritan rhetori-." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to Emerson= Whitman. The s,m+oli- /un-tion o/ nature. ""ature s'ea.s a lan)ua)e o/ inter'reta+le si)ns." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to Emerson. The Trans-en entalist %ie# o/ the 1 i%ine uni%erse1. "The #orl is a tem'le #hose #alls are -o%ere #ith em+lems" &Emerson0. Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to Emerson= Whitman. 1Ameri-a1 ; a ne# 'oeti- su+>e-t? "Ameri-a in 'oetr,, Ameri-a as 'oem ; this is the +asi- tenet o/ Trans-en entalism." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to Emerson= Whitman. The lan)ua)e o/ s,m+ols. "The !uritan herita)e o/ em+lems ominates Ha#thorne1s /i-tions." Dis-uss. @n-ertain si)ni/i-an-e&s0. "Ha#thorne1s s,m+ols are ri-hl, am+i)uous ; the )reatest re herrin)s in his #ritin)." Dis-uss. $ani'ulations o/ i entit,. "$as.s, e-e'tion, 1em+roi er,1 ; Ha#thorne1s -hara-ters are su+tle artists." Dis-uss. En-lose #orl s. "!oe1s s'a-es enote the o''ression o/ matter." Dis-uss. Re/le-tions o/ the sel/. "S'a-es, o+>e-ts, +o ies /orm a s,m+oli- teAture that u'li-ates an un-onsole min ." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to !oe1s #or..

"arrati%e strate)ies. "!oe1s stories are a mise en a+,me o/ rea in)." Dis-uss. :ma)es o/ an un er#orl . "The )rotesBue, the is/i)ure , the un-ann,: !oe is a &Romanti-0 ar-hite-t o/ the a+,ss." Dis-uss. Cisions o/ the #riter. ""e# artisti- 'oses ta.e sha'e #ith !oe1s sel/;re/erential 'ie-es." Dis-uss /i-tions o/ the author su))este +, !oe. The im'risone sel/. "Close s'a-es s'ea. o/ memor, an o+sessi%e intros'e-tion." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to !oe=$el%ille=Ha#thorne. Romanti- ima)er,. "!oe1s art is eloBuent in /i)ures o/ the 1)rotesBue1 an 1ara+esBue1." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to !oe1s 'oeti- ima)er, an te-hniBues. Alle)ori-al rea in)s. "Duest 'atterns, threshol s an &/alse?0 initiation 'un-tuate $el%ille1s narrati%es." Dis-uss. EA'loration an intros'e-tion. ":nner imensions an 's,-hi- lan s-a'es are the real stu// o/ $el%ille1s #ritin)." Dis-uss. The meta'hor o/ the #hite #hale. "The #hite #hale is a 'a)e #ritten o%er #ith si)ni/i-an-es an am+i)uities, lea in) an es'e-iall, mislea in)." An artist1s tale? 0&o'% (ic) is a ri-h 'ro+lemati<ation o/ #ritin), the #hite #hale itsel/ the ima)e o/ a +lan. 'a)e -rosse +, inter'retations." An ars 'oeti-a? "Di-.inson1s 'oems are ma e o/ ri-h silen-e" &Tha-.ere,0. Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to three 'oems. The 'oeti- sel/. "Hun)er, renun-iation, istan-e ; +ut also esire. This is the +asi- lan)ua)e o/ Di-.inson." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to three 'oems. Alternati%e #orl s. "Di-.inson is a ma)i-ian o/ the or inar,, her &/eminine?0 e-riture ima)ines ne# s'a-es o/ /ree om." Comment #ith re/eren-e to three 'oems. Remem+ran-e as 'oeti- te-hniBue. "Ene /in s nothin) +ut memor, o+>e-ts in Di-.inson1s 'oetr,." Consi er the /un-tions o/ re-olle-tion in three o/ Di-.inson1s 'oems. Shi/tin) i entities. "Dislo-ations an eAile sha'e i entit, in 8ames1 #or.." Dis-uss. "arrati%e strate)ies. "Authorit, isa''ears in the teAture o/ /ra)mente re'resentations ; 8ames1 no%els are an im'ressionist -an%as." Dis-uss. Sha'in) the Ameri-an sel/. "So'histi-ation, tem'tation, e-e'tion: the 1-rises1 o/ Euro'e ma' Ameri-an >ourne,s o/ initiation." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to 8ames. Transatlanti- settin)s. "The international theme s'ea.s a ialo)ue o/ Ameri-a." Dis-uss #ith re/eren-e to 8ames. i//eren-e +et#een Euro'e an