The American Romantic Hero

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The American Romantic Hero
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Characteristics of the Romantic Hero

• Clichéd rather than well rounded
• The embodiment of ideas
• A flawed character

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Characteristics cont.

• The American Romantic Hero has qualities that
  can be found in the beliefs of the Romantics.

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Characteristics cont.

• Individual
• Youthful
• Instinctive
• Utilizes humor based on a higher principal

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Characteristics cont.

• Nature
• Key to the Romantic Hero
• Avoids the city
• Derives knowledge from experiences and nature
• Truth
• Finds truth in nature

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American Romantic Novel

• Different from European Romantic novels
• Created a new and unusual American style
• American novels ventured into unexplored
  territories

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Birth of Romantic Hero

• James Fenimore Cooper
• Father of the American Novel
• Wrote of the American Frontier
• The Leatherstockings Tales
• Natty Bumppo

http//www.biography.com/articles/James-Fenimore-C
ooper-9256602
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Natty Bumppo

• First American Romantic Hero
• Character in many of Coopers novels
• Leatherstockings
• Pioneers
• Deerslayer
• Has stark integrity

http//xroads.virginia.edu/ug02/COOPER/indian.htm
l
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Natty Bumppo cont.

• One with nature
• Has extraordinary ingenuity
• Cooper combines Indian spirit with frontiersman
  mentality
• Nobel Savage

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Natty as an Indian

• Appearance
• Deer-skin moccasin
• Long unkempt hair
• Represents the Indian antithesis who kills in
  cold blood while celebrating nature

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Natty as an Indian cont.

• Befriends Delaware Chief Chingachgook
• Typical Romance Indian
• Nattys opposite
• Eventually takes on characteristics of
  Chingachgook
• With Chingachgooks death, Natty fleas society
  escaping its captivity

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Natty as the Frontiersman

• Natty represents the linguistic switch from the
  rationalist thinking to the creation of the
  American dream
• Symbol of the natural man
• Caught in the adapting American society

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Rip Van Winkle
runningredskins.blogspot.com

• Prolonged sleep sheltered and ostracized him from
  society
• Upon awakening Rip encounters trouble conforming
  to the new society
• Laziness helps cause separation from society
• Involved with nature

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Modern Romantic Heroes

• Today authors still write about the American
  Romantic Hero
• Popular examples are
• Superman
• Luke Skywalker
• Indiana Jones

superman-picture.com
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Works Cited

• Dekker, Geroge G. James Fenimore Cooper.
  Biography Channel. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2010.
  lthttp//www.biography.com/articles/James-Fenimore
  - Cooper-9256602gt.
• Grimes, Geoffrey A. "Basic Concept Primitivism
  and the Noble Savage."  English 2327 Survey of
  American Literature. Mountain View Coll, 27
  Aug. 2004. Web. 29 Mar. 2010.lthttp//www.distance
  learningassociates.com/       eng2327/BC-Primitiv
  ism.htmlgt.
• Kayden. How Might Rip Van Winkle Be Seen as a
  Model American Romantic Hero? Enotes.com. N.p.,
  n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2010. lthttp//www.enotes.com/ri
  p-van/q-and-a/how- might-rip-van-winkle-seen-model
  -american-16475gt.

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Works Cited

• A New Kind of Hero. Elements of Literature.
  Austin Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997.
  147-50. Print.
• Stevens, Jason. The American Romantic Hero.
  Hoffman Estates High School. N.p., n.d. Web. 23
  Mar. 2010. lthttp//www.hehs.d211.org/people/steve
  nsj/classes/E302/ Assignments_Activities/Romantici
  sm/american_romantic_h ero.htmgt.
• Sullivan. American Romanticism. PPT file.
• University of Virginia College of Arts and
  Sciences. "Natty Bumppo." James Fenimore Cooper.
  U of Virginia, n.d. Web. 23 Mar.
  2010.      lthttp//xroads.virginia.edu/ug02/COOP
  ER/bumppo.htmlgt.
• Unknown. American Romanticism. PPT file.