American Literature
One of the dominant moods was that of decadents and
pessimism. Poe had neither land, slaves he was poor. Poe defended slavery, he defended the right of poverty. He regarded abolitionism as an
attack on property. He was very sceptical about democracy, he believed that in America it meant mobrule (rule of crowds). Yet he thought he
belonged to upper class of society. Southern chivalrick idea the famous southern myth (the southerners believed that they're somehow superior to
the northerners, Yankees.) 1. His admiration for human intellect on the one hand and a sense of its tragic impedance 2. The highly logical structure
of his works and a desire to create an emotional effect. His stories are very logical, yet emotional (crash) 3. Sympathy with the individual but
contempt for the mob 4. The motifs of decay, death and destruction present a sharp contrast to the general optimistic spirit of American national life
but they are in keeping with the decadent atmosphere of Virginia
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