I. "Literature" in the US after the War of 1812 (“The Second War with England”)
A. Emergence of a literary market and literary professionalism
B. Literary Nationalism
C. Fiction
II. Washington Irving (1783-1859)
A. Quick view of his life and work
B. "Rip Van Winkle" (1819)—a German folktale with an American twist.
1. The narrator: Diedrich Knickerbocker, a collector of folklore and legends: an authorial invention
2. Setting: Dutch village in rural New York State a generation or two before the present; beautiful scenery with an aura of the supernatural
3. The plot: what twenty years does Rip sleep through?
4. Rip’s character: a misfit even before his long sleep; why?
5. the outcome: perhaps surprisingly, there’s a place for Rip in the new nation.
III. Catharine Sedgwick (1801-1864)
A. Quick view of her life and work
B. "A Reminiscence of Federalism” (1834)
1. Narrator: urbane, humorous, literary
2. Setting: New England village a generation before the present; everyday town life in considerable material detail; political emphasis
3. Plot: a formula marriage plot: young people overcome obstacles presented by the older generation
4. The two main characters: male and female versions of the ideal young American.
IV. Contrast/comparison of these two writers
A. Both literary nationalists.
B. Both write with a high degree of artistic polish and demonstrate familiarity with the English literary tradition.
C. Sedgwick: American literature should participate in nation-building, help to form the national character.
D. Irving: American literature should be an esthetic, pleasurable alternative to the mainstream.