“‘Forbear!’” It is American Romanticism (Hawthorne 3).

For many of you, reading and writing are not your “cup of tea”, but in the American Romanticism unit, the reading gets interesting and writing just tags along. American Romanticism was a novel period that sprung up in revolution from Britains Romantic period. Romanticism is a turn on the ideals of the Puritans. It focuses not on the religion and faith, but on the individual’s emotion, freedom, love of nature, and intuition. It also includes the following characteristics: supernatural occurrence, imagination, awareness of past, and the belief that people have natural born rights (democracy). Romanticism, by far, has been one of my most favorite periods in American Literature being taught by Ms. Thornton.

One of the selections we read and analyzed thoroughly was “The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving. In this story, we read that “the devil presided” in this town in which Tom and his greedy wife live (Irving 1). This is a supernatural occurrence, knowing that the devil can only send advocates. Another example of Romanticism is awareness of the past. This is shown when the narrator speaks on the whereabouts of Tom’s way back home. He or she states that “it had been of the strongholds of the Indians during their first wars with the colonists”(Irving 4). As a trait of Romanticism, individualism can be positive or negative. Used negatively in this selection, Tom says,”’Let us get hold of the property’ said he, consolidly to himself, ‘and we will endeavour to do without the woman.’”(Irving 34). Although this work seems more out of the usual and very dark for Romanticism, “The Devil and Tom Walker” was an excellent way to get into Romanticism for students just learning about Romanticism.

Even though Irving’s tale gripped us and...

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...rne 13). This textual evidence shows an awareness of the past. One can also find a sense of intuition when Dr. Heidegger says,”’You should draw up a few general rules for guidance, in passing a second time through the perils of youth’” (Hawthorne 19). It seemed to me that he was foreshadowing the “perils” that his friends were about to face.

There are many examples of Romanticism throughout the story that can be interpreted into more than one characteristic. For instance, the argument of “if the water was magic or an illusion”. One side could say that the water was fake because the mirror showed a grandam being fought over by three grandsires. The other hand could prove it real by the rose in the water coming back to life. Evidence is key whenever making an argument. As long as you can find some to support you, you are set. A counter argument is just the fun of it.