Exploring the American Dream: Romanticism

Exploring the American Dream: Romanticism

Learning Intention

Romanticism: Historical Background & setting the scene: Read pages 242-253 in your textbook.

What is a “nature writer”?

Who is Henry David Thoreau?

Why did Thoreau spend time at Walden Pond? (There are two reasons. Name them both.)

What essential lesson do we learn from Thoreau’s writing?

What aged the nation’s spirit by 1870?

What doubled the nation’s size in 1803?

What did the new prosperity lead to? Why was the US “faced with trouble as well as bright promise”?

What is America’s primary theme in literature after 1800?

Read the American Experience Highlight on Edgar Allan Poe on page 249. Fill in the two “note cards” below, by extracting the two main ideas.

Why is the term “Romanticism” sometimes misleading?

Who are the best known Transcendentalists?

Why did Emily Dickinson write poems?

Of all the poets between 1800 and 1070, who had the most lasting effect on American literature?

What ended the Romantic period?

Extra Credit:

Think back to the Puritanism we studied in the first semester. Think about how strict and unyielding the Puritans were. In what way is Transcendentalism (optimistic & tolerant philosophy) a response to Puritanism?

***SEE APPENDIX FOR “DEVIL AND TOP WALKER” READING AND ANNOTATION***

The Myth of Robert Johnson (

At the age of 17, Robert Johnson would shyly stand just offstage while musicians entertained the masses with verses and riffs of the Mississippi Delta blues. And in the wee hours of the morning, when the couples had worn themselves out on the dance floor and the men on stage were picking at what was left of their callused hands, Robert Johnson would quietly ask if he could play a few songs on the battered strings of his guitar. In their exhaustion—and orneriness—the men would nod their approval, and Robert Johnson would take the stage.

Before the end of the first song, the groggy stragglers in the audience would holler up taunts and jeers at the young boy on stage. And when he refused to quit and continued to play, patrons would begin throwing whatever was within their reach—glasses, whiskey bottles, chairs—in hopes of convincing this pathetic wretch to return to the cotton fields where he belonged. But Robert Johnson kept playing. He did his best to sing and strum with a passion that boiled up from the depths of his soul while he ignored the ridicule. It did, however, take its toll.

Eventually, when the bar patrons left for home with the first rays of the rising sun, Robert Johnson, frustrated and embarrassed, would make his way home with his guitar case dragging along like a tail between his legs. And the very next week, the entire scene would play itself out again in a different "jukehouse" with the same disconcerting result. Until one day, when he no longer desired to face the derision, Robert Johnson simply picked up his guitar and vanished into thin air.

Months later, a road-wearied Robert Johnson returned to the Delta taverns and bars, looking unmerciful and indifferent, to wait his turn for a little time on stage. He offered no explanation for his disappearance or his whereabouts. He simply stood quietly against the wall, sipping a bottle of whiskey with his guitar in hand, waiting for his chance at redemption. And as the evening came grinding to a halt and the musicians began packing up, Robert Johnson once again climbed on stage to the jeers of the audience that remained.

Despite his long absence, the sense of torment still had not left his soul. Every time he tuned his guitar, he remembered the embarrassment, frustration, and humiliation of his previous performances. Nevertheless, he continued.

When Robert Johnson fell into the verse of the first song of his mysterious return, the people's attitude and demeanor changed almost instantly. As his mournful voice, full of a brooding sense of despair, filled the small confines of the predawn light, the myth and the reality of Robert Johnson began to take shape. He continued through his set, rarely pausing in his sweeping visions of a darkened wasteland mirrored against the ominous moan of his tenor voice.

As the morning light started to filter through the cracks in the shuttered windows, Robert Johnson continued to entrance the minds of his audience. When he reached a technical guitar phrase, he would turn his back to the audience to conceal his fingers upon the instrument's neck, and the cataract in one of his eyes would make his gaze appear to drift evilly over the dance floor. By the end of his final haunting note, the audience stood mesmerized by what they had seen, heard, felt, and lived. The legend of Robert Johnson had begun. To this day, experts are mystified by some sounds Robert Johnson was able to produce with his guitar, for there appears to be no manner in which one human being could play such music by himself.

As the legend grew, people became more and more curious about the origin of Johnson's phenomenal skill and expertise. It seemed impossible to comprehend the vision of the man on stage and the boy they had laughed at only a short time before. His long absence had certainly been curious enough, and there were several claims that Johnson had been seen during that time alone in the town cemetery, strumming away on his guitar while seated on a tombstone in the black of night. Despite the questions of how he acquired his amazing skill, Johnson refused to offer an explanation. The only semblance of an answer resided in his lyrics. According to the myth, the greatest of all Mississippi Delta bluesmen, Robert Johnson, traveled to a country crossroads and, at the stroke of midnight, sold his soul to the devil in exchange for masterful musical abilities on the guitar.

His assault on the world of the blues lasted only a few short years; in the middle of a 1938 performance in Three Forks, Mississippi, he crawled upon his hands and knees out into the street and collapsed in the gutter. Eyewitnesses said that Robert Johnson spent his final hours "barking at the moon"—a reference to the guttural sounds of severe vomiting associated with strychnine, the poison a jealous husband had placed that night in Johnson's whiskey bottle. However, according to the mythology of Southern culture in the United States, a person barked at the moon when the devil appeared to claim his or her soul. Even Johnson's infamous last words, "I pray that my redeemer will come and take me from my grave," seemed to point to a mysterious connection with the afterlife.

The above is a Faust legend. Based on what you have read, define Faust legend below.

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Crossroad Blues (Robert Johnson)

I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above "Have mercy, now save poor Bob, if you please"
Yeoo, standin' at the crossroad, tried to flag a ride
Ooo eeee, I tried to flag a ride
Didn't nobody seem to know me, babe, everybody pass me by
Standin' at the crossroad, baby, risin' sun goin' down
Standin' at the crossroad, baby, eee, eee, risin' sun goin' down
I believe to my soul, now, poor Bob is sinkin' down
You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown
You can run, you can run, tell my friend Willie Brown
That I got the crossroad blues this mornin', Lord, babe, I'm sinkin' down
And I went to the crossroad, mama, I looked east and west
I went to the crossroad, baby, I looked east and west
Lord, I didn't have no sweet woman, ooh well, babe, in my distress

The Road Not Taken (Robert Frost)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

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Analysis Questions:

What do the speakers in each of the pieces have in common?

Summarize the main idea of each work in one line (cite key words from the text of each to support).

If you were to interview both Robert Johnson and Robert Frost, what would you ask them about their respective dilemmas?

What conclusions can you draw about the different “paths” that each ends up taking?

What choice would you have made given the same experience with “crossroads” decisions? Describe a decision you’ve had to make that was like standing at a crossroads.

The Devil and Tom Walker vs. “The Devil went Down to Georgia”

The Devil and Tom Walker / Similarities / “The Devil went Down to Georgia
Characters
Conflict
Plot
Resolution

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The devil went down to Georgia (Charlie Daniels Band)

The devil went down to Georgia
He was lookin' for a soul to steal
He was in a bind
'Cause he was way behind
And he was willin' to make a deal
When he came upon this young man
Sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot
And the devil jumped
Up on a hickory stump
And said boy let me tell you what
I guess you didn't know it
but I'm a fiddle player too
And if you care to take a dare I'll make a bet with you
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy
But give the devil his due
I'll bet a fiddle of gold
Against your soul
'Cause I think I'm better than you
The boy said my name's Johnny
And it might be a sin
But I'll take your bet
And you're gonna regret
'Cause I'm the best there's ever been
Johnny rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard
Cause hell's broke loose in Georgia and the devil deals the cards
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold
But if you lose the devil gets your soul.
The devil opened up his case
And he said I'll start this show
And fire flew from his fingertips
As he rosined up his bow
Then he pulled the bow across the strings
And it made a [sic] evil hiss
And a band of demons joined in
And it sounded something like this
[Instrumental]
When the devil finished
Johnny said well you're pretty good old son
Just sit right in that chair right there
And let me show you how it's done
He played Fire on the Mountain
Run boys, run
The devil's in the House of the Rising Sun
Chicken in a bread pan picken' out dough
Granny does your dog bite
No child, no
The devil bowed his head
Because he knew that he'd been beat
And he laid that golden fiddle
On the ground at Johnny's feet
Johnny said, Devil just come on back
If you ever wanna try again
I done told you once you son of a bitch
I'm the best there's ever been

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Faust Legend: Due date______

In our society, it is not uncommon to see political candidates caught doing illegal or morally/ethically questionable acts to win elections; business executives who make money in a dishonest way; athletes who bend the rules to advance their sport; or students who cheat to enhance their grades. While these individuals may not face the devil and make a verbal pact, they are selling out morally to obtain a desired result. After reading “The Devil and Tom Walker,” you can understand the Faust legend and create your own!

Assessment: Create your own example of the Faust legend. You may:

Art work that demonstrates this idea
Collect news articles that illustrate this idea in current events and present as a poster or in another format (PowerPoint etc). **this option is great given the current political atmosphere***
Create a poem or song lyrics (no specified length, but must include background, characters, pact with the devil and resolution like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”)
Contemporary short story: update the story as set in today’s world with new plot events and character details. You may complete this in outline form, but will need to include written details as follows: (1) lay out the opening paragraph with an introduction to setting and characters and the conflict; (2) give a description of the appearance of your devil including a name; (3) present a passage of brief dialogue when your character makes a pact with the devil (include up-dated vocabulary to reflect cultural changes as well as pact specifics); (4) write a conclusion with the resolution.

**This mini-project is worth 50 points. You will be presenting these legends on ______. The presentation grade will be 30 points.

For your presentation you will need to…

1.Introduce yourself 2. Introduce your product (say which one you chose)

Explain your product in detail (share the storyline; read the poem/song; discuss the poster; discuss the art)
Ask if anyone has questions 5. Answer questions 6. Thank your audience

Template for Presentation outline:

Introduce yourself (be unique; grab attention; don’t bore us to death)

Introduce your project
Project you chose

Why you chose that one (and because it took less time is not a good thing to say)

What your inspiration was

Explain your project in detail (put details in logical order

Ask if anyone has questions (Wait and then answer)

Thank your audience (be unique)

Rubric for Faust Legend Project

CATEGORY / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2
Quality of Construction / The product shows considerable attention to construction. The items are neatly trimmed. All items are carefully and securely attached to the backing. There are no stray marks, smudges or glue stains. Nothing is hanging over the edges. / The product shows attention to construction. The items are neatly trimmed. All items are carefully and securely attached to the backing. A few barely noticeable stray marks, smudges or glue stains are present. Nothing is hanging over the edges. / The product shows some attention to construction. Most items are neatly trimmed. All items are securely attached to the backing. A few barely noticeable stray marks, smudges or glue stains are present. Nothing is hanging over the edges. / The product was put together sloppily. Items appear to be just "slapped on". Pieces may be loose or hanging over the edges. Smudges, stains, rips, uneven edges, and/or stray marks are evident.
OR
Organization / The story is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions. / The story is pretty well organized. One idea or scene may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used. / The story is a little hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear. / Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged.
Creativity / Several of the graphics or objects used in the product reflect an exceptional degree of student creativity in their creation and/or display / One or two of the graphics or objects used in the product reflect student creativity in their creation and/or display. / One or two graphics or objects were made or customized by the student, but the ideas were typical rather than creative (.e.g, apply the emboss filter to a drawing in Photoshop). / The student did not make or customize any of the items on the product.
Attention to Theme / The student gives a reasonable explanation of how every item in the product is related to the assigned theme. For most items, the relationship is clear without explanation. / The student gives a reasonable explanation of how most items in the product are related to the assigned theme. For many of the items, the relationship is clear without explanation. / The student gives a fairly reasonable explanation of how most items in the product are related to the assigned theme. / The student's explanations are weak and illustrate difficulty understanding how to relate items to the assigned theme.
Time and Effort / . Much time and effort went into the planning and design of the product. It is clear the student worked at home more than one day. / Student could have put in more time and effort at home. / It appears as though the assignment was completed the night before. / It appears as though little time was put into the project and it was simply “slapped together” at the very last minute

Resume Project: