American literature is one of the youngest globally, as its development started only at the end of the 18th century. The long development of Romanticism as a literary movement is a peculiar feature of American literature. The most famous writers of the 19th century are romantics – Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, and Edgar Allan Poe. One more singularity is that literature reflected the history of exploration of the American continent, the Independence War, the War between the North and South, and other crucial events in depth. Regarding the genre, the impetuosity of American life gave rise to a peculiar short story, in which O. Henry, Edgar Poe, A. Beers, Jack London, Mark Twain, and many others wrote. Such a short, entertaining narrative has become typical for American literature.
John Quidor, being one of the most original artists to paint literary illustrations in the 19th century, painted for Washington Irving’s tale “Rip Van Winkle.” The painting depicts the moment of Rip Van Winkle’s return to the town where he lived after 20 years of sleep in the Catskill Mountains. The man is met by a crowd of suspicious people, whom he has never seen, and who consider him mentally unhealthy because of his speech. This painting is particular because it highlights unusual Rip Van Winkle emotions, such as defiance and strength, unlike confusion, which was most commonly chosen for this plot by other artists. The expressive gestures of Rip Van Winkle emphasize his desire to belong to the world again, as he has lost its sense, and it is utterly unfamiliar to him now. The painting can be referred to as a reflection of American literature of 1820-1865 because its atmosphere, plot, and details are characteristic of Romanticism in different stages of its development.
In 1830, half a century after the end of the War of Independence, young America, represented by its enthusiastic residents, sought to acquire its unique features, different from Europe. In connection with literature, American Romanticism has become such a unique characteristic. It has gifted the literature with short stories, novellas, and poetry, which were peculiar for their ideological and art-connected tendencies. For instance, the ideas of escapism, individualism, perceiving nature as a spiritual source, appealing to the forefathers’ wisdom, and depicting philistine as the leading literary character could be traced easily through the literature of the period. Romanticism is divided into two periods: the period of Early Romanticism (1820-1830) and the period of Late Romanticism (1840-1860).
The central theme of the literary works of Early Romanticism is the development of unexplored lands, and the main character is commonly a brave pioneer who wins in the fight against nature and society. Thus, the plot is often bordering on fantasy either due to the highly outstanding personal characteristics of the main character or because of the unnaturally severe environment. Washington Irving is considered to be the father of American literature. He is the creator of an American romantic novel, a comic essay, travel books, and Columbus and George Washington biographies. His works are notable for the sharpness of the plot, the combination of the serious and the comic, and the discrepancy between dreams and reality. The latter is one of the main themes visible in his principal works: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.” In “Rip Van Winkle”, fantastic fiction generally overshadows the image of reality.
Regarding the painting by John Quidor, in addition to being an illustration for the story mentioned above, it can be interpreted as an image of inevitable changes that had come to American literature. “He began to doubt whether both he and the world around him were not bewitched.”– this line refers to the issue of imagination contradicting reality (Irving 37). The painting by John Quidor highlights the anger of Rip Van Winkle to the man who does not recognize him, and the metaphorical anger to the changing social, cultural, and political aspects of life.
The period of Late Romanticism or Renaissance is characterized by the loss of optimistic illusions and the strengthening of pessimistic moods, which was a consequence of the formation of bourgeois civilization with all its contradictory inhuman principles. The frustrations and gloomy forebodings of the writers were combined in their works with faith in man, in his right to freedom and happiness. Bright and outstanding strong-minded people occupy the central place in the works of American writers of this period, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, and Henry Thoreau.
In “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” Henry David Thoreau states, “be it life or death, we crave only reality” – this is reflected in the painting by John Quidor (1051). To be more exact, the atmosphere of the painting, along with the poses of the characters and their emotions, provokes precisely the same ideas. In the painting, Rip Van Winkle looks desperate to tell everybody the truth about who he is and what is happening rather than listen to their laughter about his insanity. His glance, full of grudge, states the feeling of a rebellion against commonly accepted views, which imbues the whole painting. Moreover, there is another possible reference to John Quidor’s painting in the works of Herman Melville: “Nothing so aggravates an earnest person as a passive resistance,” states he in “Bartleby, the Scrivener” (1479). This phrase represents the common perception of the world as consisting of only black and white, positive and negative, while there is more to it in reality. “The Return of Rip Van Winkle” shows that life may be different, and strict judgment without the willingness to understand and acknowledge more may have a generally negative effect.
In the works of dark romantics, evil prevailed over good. Such aspects as the presence of mystical symbols, horror themes, and psychological aspects implying sin and guilt are characteristic of their literary works. The dark romantics, among whom were such famous writers as Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, differed from the romantics of the Early period in their gloomy approach. “The moral gloom of the world overpowers all systematic gaiety,” says Nathaniel Hawthorne in “The May-Pole of Merry Mount,” implying that people tend to behave immorally (360). Concerning the discussed painting, even though this literary plot has nothing in common with Irving’s Rip Van Winkle, there are some shared details. For instance, a closer look at the painting reveals how Quidor has portrayed the crowd – it is undoubtedly harmful, as all the people seem angry, too security-conscious, and inhospitable. Thus, a connection can be traced between the painting and Hawthorne’s phrase, as the main idea of both of them is that the behavior of the majority of people cannot be an example to be followed.
Edgar Allan Poe’s works trace the theme of longing, grief, loneliness, the unattainability of ideals, and the fragility of everything that exists. His poem “Alone” is devoted to the confrontation of the inner world and the surrounding environment, complicating life and creating a heart-rending feeling hard to get rid of. This poem contains lines: “From childhood’s hour I have not been / As others were – I had not seen / As others saw.”, which emphasize the difference between the character and the other world (611). The painting by John Quidor covers this thought, too, as one of the possible interpretations may imply the idea of a man confronting society because of the distinction of their views. The lines “I could not awaken / My heart to joy at the same tone” portray another aspect of this complex feeling – the character’s inability to join the crowd in sharing their ideas (Poe 611). Again, “The Return of Rip Van Winkle” traces the same emotion, and portrays the gap between an individual and the society through the image of old Rip Van Winkle, not accepted by the villagers.
Another part of writers during Later Romanticism was closer to transcendentalism. The main ideologist of this line was Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose literary works combined idealism, German philosophy, and critical focus. In “The Divinity School Address,” Emerson states that “the world is not the product of manifold power, but of one will, of one mind,” which continues developing individualistic ideas and contributing to their spreading (230). In the painting by John Quidor, a similar idea can be noticed. To be more exact, the importance of individuality in a world where everyone seems similar, as well as the vitality of an opinion, or a thought, is spoken loudly and without fear of being derided.
Concluding, American literature as a phenomenon is rich, versatile, and deep, despite its relatively short history. The drawing reflects some details and ideas such as individualism, the complexity of interactions between an individual and society, loneliness, and more. They directly resonate with the mood of the 1820-1865 period in literature and the context of art in general. Thus, these features can be perceived as life, in a more accessible and transparent way, as they are portrayed in a single painting.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The May-Pole of Merry Mount.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed, 1820-1865, W. W. Norton & Company, 2017, pp. 360-367.
Irving, Washington. “Rip Van Winkle.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed, 1820-1865, W. W. Norton & Company, 2017, pp. 30-42.
Melville, Herman. “Bartleby, the Scrivener.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed, 1820-1865, W. W. Norton & Company, 2017, pp. 1469-1474.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “Alone.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed, 1820-1865, W. W. Norton & Company, 2017, p. 611.
Thoreau, Henry David. “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed, 1820-1865, W. W. Norton & Company, 2017, pp. 1012-1187.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “The Divinity School Address”. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed, 1820-1865, W. W. Norton & Company, 2017, pp. 223-235.