1 / 13

Part II: The Literature of Reason and Revolution

Part II: The Literature of Reason and Revolution. Background Study. -- “the Revolution” -- Calvinism Vs. Deism ; -- Puritanism Vs. Secularism -- Jonathan Vs. Benjamin Franklin The great puritan theologian : a secular figure looking to the past Vs. Pointing to the future.

nerice
Download Presentation

Part II: The Literature of Reason and Revolution

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Part II: The Literature of Reason and Revolution

  2. Background Study -- “the Revolution” -- Calvinism Vs. Deism ; -- Puritanism Vs. Secularism -- Jonathan Vs. Benjamin Franklin • The great puritan theologian : a secular figure • looking to the past Vs. Pointing to the future

  3. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)– A Self-made Man; the First American Story Teller, One of the Giants in American History • Printer • Scientist • Diplomat • Moralist • Representative of American Dream • A Writer who wrotePoor Richard’s Almanac – a book of fold wisdomAutobiography –the first American story; a great American model of selfhood “The Way to Wealth”

  4. A Self-made Man — What did he make? • 1932 – wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac in 25 years, the first American best seller, even today • 1736- organized the Union Fire Co. • 1737- became Philadelphia’s Postmaster • 1741- invented the Franklin fireplace(stove) • 1743 – proposed the idea for the American Philosophical Society • 1747- organized the Pennsylvania Militia • 1749- the Philadelphia Academy, later became the university of Pennsylvania

  5. 1951- founded Philadelphia Hospital • 1952- conducted the famous kite experiment proving that lightning is electricity • … Working in several fields at the same time, he was virtual a prodigy, inventing things and making contributions socially, scientifically and politically. But how do we measure him in culture and literature?

  6. The American Prometheus • The making of the Yankee, the prudent secular wisdom • Preaching the American values (the 13 virtues, the weekly scorecard) • Telling the first American successful story, himself being the very original embodiment of the American dream, rising from no one to some one • His subtle humor and irony representing the character of American people and American life: easy-going but critical , leading the way later taken by great humorists like Mark Twain

  7. “Science was Franklin’s great passion, the only thing about which Franklin was not ironic.” — Charles Beard (American Historian)

  8. From The Autobiography • I believe I have omitted mentioning that, in my first voyage from Boston, being becalm'd off Block Island, our people set about catching cod, and hauled up a great many. Hitherto I had stuck to my resolution of not eating animal food, and on this occasion consider'd, with my master Tryon, the taking every fish as a kind of unprovoked murder, since none of them had, or ever could do us any injury that might justify the slaughter. All this seemed very reasonable. But I had formerly been a great lover of fish, and, when this came hot out of the frying-pan, it smelt admirably well. I balanced some time between principle and inclination, till I recollected that, when the fish were opened, I saw smaller fish taken out of their stomachs; then thought I, "If you eat one another, I don't see why we mayn't eat you." So I din'd upon cod very heartily, and continued to eat with other people, returning only now and then occasionally to a vegetable diet. So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do.

  9. From Poor Richard's Almanack • God helps them that help themselves. • Love your Neighbor; yet don't pull down your Hedge. • To err is human, to repent divine; to persist, devilish. • You may be too cunning for One, but not for All. • The Cat in Gloves catches no Mice. • He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals. • For want of a Nail the Shoe is lost; for want of a Shoe the Horse is lost; for want of a Horse the Rider is lost.

  10. Philip Freneau (1752-1832) --the First American-born poet • In 1752, born in a household frequently visited by well-known writers and painters • Became fast friends with James Madison and Brackenridge • Began to work for Jefferson and then as a journalist, writing political pamphlets; developed special grudge against Hamilton • In 1832, Lived in poverty and died unknown

  11. Literary Career Famous Works:a. “The British Prisoner Ship” (1781)b. “To the Memory of the Brave Americans ” (1781)c. “The Wild Honey Suckle” (1788)d. “The Indian Burying Ground” (1788) Style: • genuine lyric gifts Vs. political pamphleteering • creative; satirical; pre-romantic --Born in a time not ripe for poetry, obsessed with the beautiful, transient things of nature, he played a transitional role in the coming of American Romanticism and paved the way for writers like Cooper and Irving.

  12. Extending Question: • Identified as the “Poet of American Revolution" in the 1790s, Philip Freneau was later called “the father of American poetry” by his readers who were anxious for a spokesman for a national literary consciousness. Do you agree with his readers?

More Related