0
Jeff_999 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
About America's declaration of cultural independence
It was taken from an article. But there are some questions I hope you will explain for me with details.
"For Emerson, what Thoreau lacked, Whitman embodied in full. On reading Leaves of Gras (1855), Emerson saw in Whitman the "prophet of democracy" whom he had sought. Other American Renaissance writers were less sanguine than Emerson and Whitman about the fulfillment of the democratic ideal. In The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hawthorne concluded that antinomianism such as the "heroics" displayed by Hester Prynne leads to moral anarchy; and Melville, who saw in his story of Pierre (1952) a metaphor for the misguided assumptions of democratic idealism, declared the transcendentalist dream unrealizable. Ironically, the literary vigor with which both Hawthorne and Melville explored the ideal showed their deep sympathy with it even as they dramatized its delusions. "
We see clearly that there are two schools of writers regarding the democratic ideal. The first group consists of Emerson, Whitman; the other Hawthorne and Melville. So, here comes the first question: does Hester Prynne fit in the first school?
Then we see the first school was defined with prophet of democracy, transcendentalist, etc. What are antinomianism and heroics? Do they have anything to do with "transcendentalist"?
The third question is:
Does the italic "his" in red refer to "Melville"?
The fourth one:
What's the meaning of the last sentence in boldface?
Thank you so much!
"For Emerson, what Thoreau lacked, Whitman embodied in full. On reading Leaves of Gras (1855), Emerson saw in Whitman the "prophet of democracy" whom he had sought. Other American Renaissance writers were less sanguine than Emerson and Whitman about the fulfillment of the democratic ideal. In The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hawthorne concluded that antinomianism such as the "heroics" displayed by Hester Prynne leads to moral anarchy; and Melville, who saw in his story of Pierre (1952) a metaphor for the misguided assumptions of democratic idealism, declared the transcendentalist dream unrealizable. Ironically, the literary vigor with which both Hawthorne and Melville explored the ideal showed their deep sympathy with it even as they dramatized its delusions. "
We see clearly that there are two schools of writers regarding the democratic ideal. The first group consists of Emerson, Whitman; the other Hawthorne and Melville. So, here comes the first question: does Hester Prynne fit in the first school?
Then we see the first school was defined with prophet of democracy, transcendentalist, etc. What are antinomianism and heroics? Do they have anything to do with "transcendentalist"?
The third question is:
Does the italic "his" in red refer to "Melville"?
The fourth one:
What's the meaning of the last sentence in boldface?
Thank you so much!
Top answer
Hi Jeff, I'll just take question 3 an 4, for now. 3. Melville wrote Pierre, Or the Ambiguities.
- Hi Jeff, I'll just take question 3 an 4, for now.
- 3.
- Melville wrote Pierre, Or the Ambiguities.
- 4.
- One can feel affection for a person, or an idea, and at the same time believe that the person is misled and the idea is unrealistic.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
7 Answers
0
Hi Jeff,
I'll just take question 3 an 4, for now.
3. Melville wrote Pierre, Or the Ambiguities.
4. One can feel affection for a person, or an idea, and at the same time believe that the person is misled and the idea is unrealistic. There is irony, an undercut quality, in doing so. Another level of irony here may lie in the act of exploring in depth something on
I'll just take question 3 an 4, for now.
3. Melville wrote Pierre, Or the Ambiguities.
4. One can feel affection for a person, or an idea, and at the same time believe that the person is misled and the idea is unrealistic. There is irony, an undercut quality, in doing so. Another level of irony here may lie in the act of exploring in depth something on
00
1-- No. Hester Prynne is a Hawthorne character, and is here dubbed a moral anarchist.
2-- Antinomianism: the theological doctrine that by faith and ***'s grace a Christian is freed from all laws (including the moral standards of the culture). The heroics mentioned are those exhibited by such as Hester in flaunting the moral standards of her culture.
2-- Antinomianism: the theological doctrine that by faith and ***'s grace a Christian is freed from all laws (including the moral standards of the culture). The heroics mentioned are those exhibited by such as Hester in flaunting the moral standards of her culture.
00
...As long as I haven't contradicted you here, MM, because you look awesome (in the true sense of the word) in your new avatar. What's next--Chuang Tzu's mud turtle?
00
A guru must always look his best. (There's lots of chicks lurking here.)
00
Oh, so Hester Prynne is a Hawthorne character. If someone never read The Scarlet Letter, s/he would never know that, because the article doesn't imply any?
Thank you two so much for the explanation. Can't be clearer!
Here is another one.
If there is no statement like "other American Renaissance writers were less sanguine than Emerson and Whitman abo
Thank you two so much for the explanation. Can't be clearer!
Here is another one.
If there is no statement like "other American Renaissance writers were less sanguine than Emerson and Whitman abo
00
Jeff,
I think you have it understood correctly, and yes, Hawthorne is known for his critique of Transcendentalism.
I think you have it understood correctly, and yes, Hawthorne is known for his critique of Transcendentalism.
00
Thank you, Davkett.
But how can I tell just from the statement "in The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hawthorne concluded that antinomianism such as the 'heroics' displayed by Hester Prynne leads to moral anarchy", without implication of this -- "other American Renaissance writers were less sanguine than Emerson and Whitman about the fulfillment of the democratic ideal"?
But how can I tell just from the statement "in The Scarlet Letter (1850), Hawthorne concluded that antinomianism such as the 'heroics' displayed by Hester Prynne leads to moral anarchy", without implication of this -- "other American Renaissance writers were less sanguine than Emerson and Whitman about the fulfillment of the democratic ideal"?
0
Related Questions