essential questions for this unit... i am an idiot

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I have just now discovered that I have been tackling this unit backwards...




however if you, dear reader, ever repeat what I have just admitted to anyone I will see to it that you are locked up in the psych ward. If someone else doesn't do it for me, because let's be honest: who would believe you? I'm just too perfect. It's not like I've posted it on a blog for the whole world to see as evidence, or something. That would make me an idiot... oh, wait ...

Now looking at it from the correct perspective I can see why nothing was making any sense to me, and why, when I asked my teacher, "so, what really is the difference between southern gothic romanticism, and gothic romanticism", my teacher answered, "well, if you've read my notes you should know this, this and this..."I hadn't read the right notes yet...




and yes, I do know that the last picture makes no sense in this context, but I typed in "funny serious pictures" into google images. I saw it, and decided the world needed to see it... meaning my English teacher needed to see it. Hey, English class is my world. Don't judge... If we're not counting Speech an Debate naturally ... I need a life don't I? Mmmmmmm actually no, no I don't. Social lives are overrated anyway, and for fear of losing my head to the guillotine due to severe English teacher aggravation at my constant, and undisciplined rambling, a trait which
every English teacher I have ever known has tried to uproot desperately and, might I add, unsuccessfully like the talented and dutiful tenders and gardeners of young students' mind's they are, I will know attempt to wield my feeble powers of word construction onto a more likely-to-get me-an-acceptable-grade subject, such as answering the essential questions for this unit...

1) How are the romantics beliefs of optimism, and individualism reflected in their writing?

answer: I'm not entirely sure that relating in a poem how your soul came to be trapped in the shadow of a raven forevermore, or how a story about committing murder, and then being committed yourself to jail is optimistic, but a wise movie title once told me, "Just Go With It". ... I'll watch anything with Adam Sandler in it... don't judge. Romanticism emphasizes the individuality of a person. This is usually shown through a character misunderstood by society, or dissenting from the normal parameters which a group, community, and/or society have set. Addressing the "optimism" portion of the question, I would have to go with the answer which states, "The Romantics believed in the good of human beings. This is reflected in their writings where they explore the good, and, of course, evil of humanity. In believing in individualism they are also putting faith in the human frame themselves, and optimistically believing that human beings on their own have the capability to be good," bit of an odd answer, but you cannot deny it, can you?

2) What is Romanticism, gothic romanticism, and southern gothic romanticism? How are they similar? How are they different?

answer: Romanticism: a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual.Gothic Romanticism is romanticism that is really depressing; has gloomier settings; supernatural elements ect. Sothern Gothic Romanticism was written specifically in the south after the civil war. They took Romanticism characteristics and made them the characteristics of Southern people, places and things, not actively of course, but romanticism was becoming popular in that era of America, but it became darker, and set in a setting the author felt comfortable with writing it in, and used the familiar elements of the south. The only reason people say that they "turned romanticism elements into southern characters" (shut -ins and the like) is because it's a short way to explain it, but the truth is that they stressed the same things romanticism did; therefore it is romanticism, but it was set in a different sort of setting, and therefore had different sorts of characters and such. Romanticism is a huge umbrella term under which the last 2 classifications fall. They all share some common themes, and are all revolutions against classicism, but they all have different, and varying levels of mood, and their settings really define them into their categories
3) How is the Southern Gothic movement a response to literary movements that preceded it, as well as a manipulation of romantic literary conventions?

answer: I explained before that authors did not deliberately manipulate romantic literary conventions. Books are a reflection of their culture of origin. Romanticism became a popular, and well-agreed-on idea, but an author is going to write their own story, and though they write in the romanticism genre they are writing of their own ideals. That's why they put things in the context of their own world; why the imprisoned hunchback is now the town shut-in; why the dashing knight is now the town sheriff. It is also a response to literary movements before it because as a romanticism subgenre it is also in revolt of classicism.

4) How did the American culture prompt the dark sides of romanticism (think southern, and gothic)?
answer: During this time period hostilities between North and South of America were far from over. Though not as loud, the backlash from losing the war hit the south hard, and the genre's of gothic, and southern gothic romanticism are a result of that. These genre's depict a distrust of change, an almost religious reverence to tradition, and manners, and the presence of social, and racial inequality or tension. The American culture prompted this dark side of Romanticism by essentially creating these subgenre's.

5) how do the writings of these time periods influence the writings of today?


answer: The writings of days past, when read, often give students clear insight into not only our history as a nation, but a history of our race, our progression from delusion to almost enlightenment, and give an opportunity for us to form our own opinions on todays, and yesterday's problems. Studying and reading these stories help us understand the minds and surrounding culture of these writers, and create our own strong voice through observance, and empathy. Which influences our culture, and likewise the writings of our community members and even countrymen, and also the writings of the future generation which is us... god save us all...

 

This needs no explanation...