The most common forms of literature in the Age of Reason include:
Pamphlets
Speeches
Essays
Letters
Some poems and ballads (but are used to urge Americans into political action)
American Literature in the
Revolutionary Period:
Most of the literature is rooted in REALITY rather than IMAGINATION
Best minds are concentrating on SOCIAL, POLITICAL, and SCIENTIFIC improvements
What then is the American,
this new man?
-- Crevecoeur
Letters From An American Farmer
by J. Hector St. John De Crevecoeur
What then is the American, this new man?...He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. He has become an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all races are melted into a new race of man, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. Americans are the western pilgrims. (from "Letter III," 1782)
II. The Age of Reason (Science)
Science in the New World:
What resulted from the period of
Enlightenment?
The attitude that all knowledge can be gained by the power of our reason
What is reason?
The ability to think in an ordered, logical way
Style
Realistic rather than religious
Practical and political
Social, political, and scientific improvement
Clear, direct, concise prose (sentences not poetry)
Progress
Rational approach to the world
Belief in progress—the world is constantly improving
Pragmatism
Truth measured by practical experience
Began to value reason and logic over faith
Discarded ideas that could not be logically proven
Rationalism
The belief that we can arrive at truth by using our reason rather than relying on authority (examples of authority: God, preachers, Bible)
Emphasized scientific and mathematical research and discoveries
In addition to bringing sugar and molasses, this ship carried smallpox.
Cotton Mather (1663 – 1721) was a puritan minister, an old style Puritan.
But Mather was also interested in science and medicine.
When the smallpox epidemic occurred,
Mather was working on the first American
medical scholarly essay.
Mather had heard of a method for dealing with smallpox called inoculation.
What is inoculation? Doctors infect people with fluid containing the virus, giving them a mild case of the disease. This made them immune to later outbreaks.
Boston’s medical community was opposed to such an experiment. They felt human beings were daring to do the work of God.
What does Cotton Mather exemplify about the early Americans?
They had to make do with
what they had,
and
they had
to get results.
The Age of Reason in America:
Rationalism is the belief that we can arrive at truth by using our reason.
Remember the definition of reason?
- The ability to THINK in an ordered, logical way.
“I think, therefore I am.”- Descartes
III. Characteristics of Enlightenment (Religion)
The Clockmaker Theory
Newtons’ view of God
God created a well-ordered universe controlled by absolute laws that operate independently from Him
Rationalists view God as “a clockmaker who, having created the perfect mechanism of the universe, then left his creation to run on its own.” – Sir Isaac Newton
God set the world in motion and no longer interferes
Deism
The belief in the existence of God on purely rational grounds without reliance on past authority.
Puritanism vs. Rationalism: Attitudes towards Freedom
Puritanism
Sin to speak out against Theocracy
Rationalism
Strong desire for freedom of speech
Freedom to experiment, question laws and institutions
Puritanism vs. Rationalism: Literature and Writing
Puritanism
Religious Subjects – concerned with the afterlife
Rationalism
Writing based on science, ethics, government, happenings; social and political improvements
Intended to serve practical and political ends
Puritanism vs. Rationalism: Philosophy
Puritanism
Theocracy
Original Sin
Rationalism
Humans can manage themselves and society without depending on authorities of the past or religion
Humans are basically good
Puritanism vs. Rationalism:
Excerpt from Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almaanac
1ST EDITION OPENING
Courteous Reader:
I might in this place attempt to gain thy favor by declaring that I write almanacs with no other view than that of the public good, but in this I should not be sincere; and men are now adays too wise to be deceived by pretenses, how specious soever. The plain truth of the matter is, I am excessively poor, and my wife, good woman, is, I tell her excessive proud; she cannot bear, she says, to sit spinning in her shift and tow, while I do nothing but gaze at the stars; and has (as she
calls my instruments) if I do not make some profitable use of them for the good of my family. The printer has offered me some considerable share of profits, and I have thus begun to comply with my dame’s desire.
LAST EDITION CLOSING
“The people heard it, and approve the doctrine, and immediately practiced the contrary, just as if it had been a common sermon.”
IV. Persuasive Rhetoric
Purpose of Persuasion
To convince people to adopt an opinion, perform an action, or both
Rhetorical Devices vs Literary Devices
Rhetoric—the art of communicating ideas
Literary Devices – artistic use of writing used to create an image.
Persuasive rhetoric—consists of reasoned arguments in favor of or against particular beliefs or courses of action
Should engage both the mind and the emotions of its audience
Styles of Persuasion
Elevated language—formal words and phrases that create a serious tone
Parallelism—a type of repetition in which sentences have a similar structure
Emotional Appeals
Often based on specific examples of suffering or potential threats
Can include “loaded language”—language that is rich in connotations (emotions) and vivid images
Ethos
Appeals to any emotion, including anger, sorrow, joy, and hilarity.
Who do you cite? THE UNDERDOG! Emotion, senses, memory, common experiences.
Pathos can display the emotions of the author OR play on the emotions of the reader.
Often uses the story of the individual.
Author must be careful to not overdo Pathos. This could alienate the reader.
Establishes sympathy and understanding, where the readers cares about the author and or the author’s subject.
Pathos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t04rpwgN1zI
Click below to view video….
Homework Question #1:
Explain how the video uses pathos to further its goal. To do this you will need to:
identify the goal/purpose of the video,
explain how Pathos is used, referring directly back to the notes, and
explaining how that use of Pathos furthers the goal/purpose.
Ethical Appeals
Based on shared moral values
Call forth the audience’s sense of right, justice, and virtue
Often refers to God’s authority
Ethos
Appeals to a sense of what is morally right. Connects the speaker to the audience by stressing the values that they share.
CREDIBILITY: Use only credible, reliable sources to build your argument and cite those sources properly.
Who do you cite? AUTHORITY!
Respect the reader by stating the opposing position accurately.
Establish common ground with your audience, often this can be done by acknowledging values and beliefs shared by those on both sides of the argument.
Homework Question #2:
Explain how the video uses ethos to further its goal. To do this you will need to:
identify the goal/purpose of the video,
explain how ethos is used, referring directly back to the notes, and
explaining how that use of ethos furthers the goal/purpose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN71vc0yxCw
Read the following excerpt & explain in your journals how it establishes ETHOS…
“While confined here in Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely."...Since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable in terms.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Homework Question #3:
Explain how the quote uses ethos to further its goal. To do this you will need to:
identify the goal/purpose of the quote,
explain how ethos is used, referring directly back to the notes, and
explaining how that use of ethos furthers the goal/purpose.
Logical Appeals
Who do you cite? FACTS!
Rational arguments that are supported with objective evidence
Charts, Graphs, Data
Development of Logical Appeals
Deductive: beginning with a generalization or premise and proceeding to examples and facts
Inductive: beginning with examples or facts and proceeding to draw a conclusion from them
Pathos vs Ethos vs Logos
Don’t feed puppies to lions.
Eating too much broccoli will lead to obesity.
Watching 90210 will undermine your ability to complete thoughts.
