As we move forward, keep an eye on how these writers use nature. The Puritans saw nature as threatening. The devil lurked the woods and tempted people to sign his book. The town and the city is where reason and God prevailed. Many of the Romantic writers reject this notion, arguing that the city and towns are corrupt. Instead, God can actually be found in Nature. However, another group of writers dabbled in the Gothic, which characterizes nature as both mysterious, terrifying but simultaneously intriguing.
Washington Irving was also concerned with establishing our own literary tradition while referencing European roots.
For this week I would like you to answer two questions.
In Rip Van Winkle, why do you think it is significant that the portrait of King George is replaced by the portrait of George Washington and Van Winkle cannot tell the difference between the two?
In the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, how does Irving use Nature as both a narrative device? Look closely at the descriptions of characters.
