Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Mark Twain

Mark Twain's real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemons. He is most known for writing the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. William Faulkner once called him the father of American Literature. His books were so controversial because he often used racial terms and was hypocritical and talked about murderous acts. His name means two fathoms deep and indicates safe water.

Gothic Lit Notes

Gothic Literature is characterized by grotesque characters, bizarre situations, and violent events. Originating in Europe, 19th century. notable authors are Edger Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Romantic writers saw limitation of reason, celebrate the individual spirit, emotions, and immigration, as the basic elements of human nature. The Spelndors of nature, fascination with the supernatural. Atomosphere, sentiment and optimism transcendentalists

Transcendent forms of a truth exist beyond reason and experience.

Every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth on his or her own through intuition.

Gothic Architecture- Cavernous gothic cathedrals with their irregularly placed towers and their hight stained glass windows were intended to inspire awe and fear.

Gargoyle- mascot of Gothic

Imaganitive distortion- Threshold of the unknown, shawdowy region where fantastic, demonic, and insane reside.

Individualism- romantics see hope Gothics see potential evil

Poe- Dark mid evil castles, decaying ancient estates provide the setting for weird and terrifying events
plots- extreme situations that people revealed their true natures
Hawthorne- Fear, greed, vanity, mistrust, and betrayal.
Danse Macabre is the dance of death
The most scary part of Gothic is the suspense