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Thinking Activity on Transcendentalism& Anti-Transcendentalism.

Meaning of Trnascendentalism :- 

Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that started in the 1830s with the belief that the most important reality is what is sensed or what is intuitive, rather than what is thought such as scientific knowledge.Transcendentalism comes from the Latin word transcendere, which means to "climb over or beyond." Founders of the American transcendentalism movement were indeed trying to "climb beyond" traditional empirical thinking, favoring instead a person's intuition and natural spirituality. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous transcendentalist, summed up the beliefs of transcendentalism when he said, "What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

An example of transcendentalism is the belief that man is at this best when he is independent, and not a part of organized religion or politics.

Meaning of Anti -Transcendentalism :-


Anti-transcendentalism was a literary subgenre that focused on human fallibility and proneness to sin. This subgenre is better known as dark romanticism, according to Education Portal.

The American Romantic period of 1800 to 1860 categorized writers into either transcendentalist or dark romantics, according to Education Portal. The dark romantics were characterized by the serious and horrific tones within their works. The most prominent dark romantics were Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. Poe utilized symbols to carry out his effect. Education Portal notes that the raven in Poe's poem "The Raven" symbolizes death. Hawthorne explored the psychological effects of guilt and sin through his characters. In his 1850 novel, "The Scarlet Letter," Hawthorne examines the emotions that a non-celibate minister experiences as he grapples with his sins. Hawthorne believed guilt, sin and evil to be innate qualities within humans, according to Education Portal.

For these dark romantic writers, evil was everywhere, in terms of how it was preached by many of the New England Puritans. Dark romanticism branched out farther than New England and was picked up by British and German authors like Lord Byron and E.T.A. Hoffmann. In the 20th century, existentialist authors such as Robert Howard also were influenced by dark romanticism.

Transcendentalism in novel :-

one of the most character of Transcendentalism was Nature. We can see how Hawthorne use nature in novel.

1). Nature :-

we can see presence of Nature very beautifully by Hawthorne many times which attracted us towards nature. In novel nature has given the space to Hester. Here Hawthorne described Nature very well. In the very first meeting of Hester prynne and Dimmesdale ; she was in cart and she was in trouble and Dimmesdale helped her and remove cart wheel from dig of dirt. It also in forest. So the author wants to indiacate something through it about forest. One more thing is that Hester is living near water yet she is alone she is living along Nature and within Nature.In movie screening we also see the loving part of Nature. we can see full of green forest in movie.

2). Presence of Individualism :-
Here we can see character of hester as individual. She is a strong character as individual. When hester stands in sacfold, she was a divine power, she has power to confess the people, who stand in the balcony. She has strong individual power and strength. Throught the novel she is facing many problems, questioning on her by society.

3). Spirituality or Religion :-
In novel we can see the more strong role of religion. Strict puritan codes are imposed on people and it's difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, between appearance and reality. The character of Arthur Dimmesdale who was trapped and framed by Religion. Because of fear of religion he can't go against religion. As he was priest of church, he was fully controlled by religion 's substance .

Anti-Transcendenralism in Scarlet letter : -

" The Scarlett Letter " has include feature of anti Transcendentalism. Because it studied and observed human limitations, the minds of people who believed in  belief. They believed that spiritual facts by behind everything. We find Dimmesdale as this feature that he feels guilt for what he has done. Moroever, the society who want prove through Hester as she has committed any big sin. as the result she has to leaved with an Adultary symbol. we also see good and evil things in novel.

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