Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne reject the central tenets of the early nineteenth century movement known as Transcendentalism in their works, The Fall of the House of Usher and Young Goodman Brown, respectively. Transcendentalism was a reaction to the focus on logic in the Enlightenment period of literature and centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson writings, which would be known as part of the Romanticism period. The movement was embodied by the optimistic belief that people and nature are good and with a focus on imagination and individuality. However, not all writers of the period agreed with these sentiments and the subgenre of Dark Romanticism started to be seen in the short fiction works of Poe and Hawthorne. In The Fall of the House of Usher and Young Goodman Brown, the use of
…show more content…
However, these two authors both express their rejection of Transcendentalism in different ways. While Poe’s intent focused on the evilness of nature and humans through a secular lens, Hawthorne’s focal point was on religion. Throughout Poe’s story, The Fall of the House of Usher, there are references to gloom and doom, but he does not use religion to shape his writing. They are free of the fear of religious purgatory or hell. Poe’s work is focused on the madness and torment of his characters; Roderick knows that he has put his sister living in the tomb and represses all thoughts of it until his guilt destroys him. His work discusses the human psyche and the torment of human souls, for people are not inherently good. While Poe uses a secular lens, Hawthrone approaches his rejection from his own background in the Puritan religion. He uses religion as a back drop. In Young Goodman Brown, he shows how religion cannot save people from corruption, but may have actually encouraged it as the leaders of religion in his village are
However, these two authors both express their rejection of Transcendentalism in different ways. While Poe’s intent focused on the evilness of nature and humans through a secular lens, Hawthorne’s focal point was on religion. Throughout Poe’s story, The Fall of the House of Usher, there are references to gloom and doom, but he does not use religion to shape his writing. They are free of the fear of religious purgatory or hell. Poe’s work is focused on the madness and torment of his characters; Roderick knows that he has put his sister living in the tomb and represses all thoughts of it until his guilt destroys him. His work discusses the human psyche and the torment of human souls, for people are not inherently good. While Poe uses a secular lens, Hawthrone approaches his rejection from his own background in the Puritan religion. He uses religion as a back drop. In Young Goodman Brown, he shows how religion cannot save people from corruption, but may have actually encouraged it as the leaders of religion in his village are