Literature - Romanticism and Realism

             American Romanticism was an artistic movement that took place during the eighteenth
             century. Romantic writers had a very different style than the other writers of the time. They
             stressed the examination of inner feelings, emotions, and the use of imagination. They also wrote with
             a focus on the mysterious, strange, and fantastic aspects of the human experience. The last
             element of Romanticism is an intense reverence for nature and concern with the experience of the
             individual over the universal. These are some of the elements of Romanticism.
             Unlike the Romantic writers, Realistic writers were interested in reaction, logic, and
             scientific observation. They tried to render reality closely and in comprehensive detail. One
             aspect of Realism that completely differs from Romanticism is that in Realism there are no
             characters that overcome insurmountable to be heroes and save the day. Instead there are
             characters that better represent the way real people act and how they live their lives dealing with
             what life gives them. A realist understands that there are forces in the world that will simply not
             bend to the will of men. This idea is an extension of Realism called Naturalism.
                         An example of a Romantic writer is James Fenimore Cooper. He was the first person to
             make a living as a writer. Also known as "The American Scott", Cooper was very much into
             British Romanticism. Cooper's writings were distinctly American because the reader had to step
             out of the European influence to learn the lesson.  One character of Cooper's works is Natty
             Bumppo.  Natty is a perfect example of a romantic hero. Natty loves nature and understands that
             it is not to be destroyed but respected. When Natty goes hunting he only kills as much as he needs
             to. For this reason Natty disagrees with the way the townspeople hunt because they consider it a
             game. They would use cannons and sho...

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