Edgar Po. (1809-1849)

Virginia. Romantic oet, short-story writer, editor. Was born in Boston. His life was very tragic. 1811 – died both his parents. He was adopted by his stepmother. He straggled with hoverty. His literature career was very difficult. He wasn’t popular in America during his lifetime. He was first recognized in Europe (20^th century). Walt Griswald – his literal executor, said that Po was a drunker and druger) this image was prevented for a long time. But nowadays we know that he was a man of rich imagination. From 1815 till 1820 the family lived in Europe, Scotland. Then he went back to usa. He showed talent in chemistry, math, at this time he read book, he took to drinking and gambling and was in debt. He was removed from the uni and decided to be a military man (west military academy). But he didn’t like military service, he didn’t obey the orders. When mr. Allen died, Po was penniless. “The raven”, “The bells”, “Araba”.

1836 – he married Virginia Clam (his cousine). They lived happily, 1847 – she died (туберкулез). He suffered greatly.his death is very mysterious. October, 7 1849 he was found on the street of baltimor unconscious. He was robbed of money. 4 days later he died in hospital.

His esthetic views:

He was close to philosophy. The philosophy of fiction, of composition. The main principies of writing fiction:

• Effect of impression: the work should not be long

• Out of time, out of space

• Symbolism: a lot of symbols

• Vagueness (смурность)

• Musical effect of ideal beauty

The founder of fantastic, detect., psycho. Short stories. “the murder on the rumog”, scientific novels. “The fall of the house of Usher” about the members of family. Roderic Usher and his sister live in the house. Roderic is young, handsome; he dies because of the… he was sure that his sister died. The house was ruined because of storm. Symbols. Au the mysterious have realistic explanation.

“The mystery of M. Roge”, “The gold bug”, “Evrika”

Nataniel Hawthorn (1804-1864)

Massachusets. The father – a sea captain, died when he was a child. He worked at Boston Custom House (таможня). 1841 – the member of Brook farm Commnity. The blief Dail romance (счастливый дом).

7 years in Europe (diplomat)

2 periods:

1. Till 1850 only short stories

2. After 1850: only novels: “The scarlet letter”, “the house of 7 gamblings” (1851)

The most in port. Themes of his novels:

• The problem of past;

• The pr. Of good and evil in our life;

• The pr. Of sin in our life;

• The pr. Of moral degradation.

Esth. Views:

He was influenced by the Puritanism and the transcendentalism.

The puritan theorie: a man is depend upon God. He rejects rich cherch rituals; the puritans were relig. fanaties. 17 cent. – there were famous processes of burning of witches. His grand-grandfather took part in it. But N. H. was ashamed of it. the main doctrines of P.:

• Predetermination;

• Original sin.

• Transcendentalism; R. Emerson, H. Thoureau: a reaction upon Puritanism; it supported a person; (with its idea of peoples determinism)

The main doctrins of tr-m:

• Self-reliance (самодоверие)

• Divinity of an individual (божественность)

God determines the fate of the person; god rejects church rituals. God demands modesty and obeyance. Most pur-s came to am. Country from England. They were religious and they began to blame women with their contacts with the devil. In salom – the famous process of beveling the witch.

Emerson: god is not without, it is within.

The problem of conflict between individuality and nature, but today they are in conflict, the main reason of people’s misfortune; people should be close to nature.

The problem of corrupt society; it was the society that spotted any person;

The doctrine of love; love to nature, a person, mankind, god. Love best means to cure mankind of its failures any individual connected with god and has god inside. Any individual should trust himself. He should be strong, close to god. An experiment: a community (“Brook farm”). In the forest where they tried to live to doctrines. It was difficult to combine mental and physical labour. Egoistism.

Esthetic views (N. H):

Great effect of both philos. A person wasn’t good inside and at the same time he wasn’t bad inside. A person – a conglimiration of both good and evil. He tried to investage a person, his struggle with himself between good and evil in his conscious.

The problem of Sin. 3 categories of mankind:

1. Evident sinners

2. Secret sinners

3. Potential sinners

The theory of sinners:

Ester Preen wears the scarlet letter “A” (adultory) upon her breast. She is an ecident sinner: every knows her sin. She is married woman, but the fell in love with priest and a child – pearl. At the end of the novel E. P. expiates her sin.

The problem of sin can be found in N.H’s short stories: young goodman Brown: in this story young man B. 1^st approaches sin. He is tested by sin. The main hero is a medical man who loves his beaut. wife, she was a birthmark upon her cheek. He is known that it spoils her beauty and invents special medicine, birthmark disappeared. Wife died.

“egoistism: the snake inside the breast”: about a man who was an egoist, thinking only about himself. He becomes ill thinking that there was a snake inside his bosom. He cures himself and the snake disappears when he stops thinking about himself.