The Birthmark
What cheek is the birthmark on?
Left
Does the town like the "change" in the minister? Why?
No, the town does not like the change in the minister. They think he has turned himself into something awful and scary just by wearing a black veil over his face.
What was buried under one of the big trees?
Treasure buried by Kidd the Pirate
What does American Romanticism value above reason?
Feelings and intuition
Name three famous dark Romantic authors
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Edgar Allan Poe
Herman Melville
Washington Irving
What does Georgiana think of the birthmark? What changes?
She doesn't mind it, because she believes it is a charm. She begins to hate it because Aylmer dislikes it.
What two events does Rev. Hooper have to attend in the same day?
A wedding and a funeral
What job does Tom Walker agree to do for the devil?
A money lender
Rather than the artificiality of civilization, what do Romantics seek?
Nature
What does Dark Romanticism reveal about truth and man?
People can be evil / hellish
What did other women think of the birthmark and why
They hated it, called it a "bloody hand" and made her look hideous. They were jealous.
Why is Elizabeth described as a faithful woman in the final scene ?
She is described as a faithful woman because she stuck by Mr. Hooper side till he died
What is a character trait that both Tom and his share share?
They are unhappy and greedy
Rather than educated sophistication, what do Romantics prefer?
Youthful innocence
What do Light and Dark Romanticism have in common?
Connection with nature and faith in the value of individualism
Who advocates for Georgiana to keep her birthmark?
Bonus: What does he represent/symbolize?
Aminadab
Bonus: Nature and "common man"
How did the people try to resolve the conflict?
They sent deputies of the church to talk to Rev. but they never asked him to remove the veil and they didn't want to talk to him with the veil in front of his face...they all simply stared.
How does Tom try to escape from the deal he made with the devil?
Tom becomes religious and keeps one bible in his coat pocket and another on his desk.
Why did American Romantics look for an alternative to rational thought?
They were influenced by radical puritan principals, a time of logic and rational thought. Repulsed by the ideas of sin and guilt.
Name 3 elements of Dark Romanticism
Gothic
Use of the supernatural
Suspension of disbelief
Truth cannot be found
Allegorical
People are either good or bad
What circumstances makes Georgina's birthmark disappear temporarily in "The Birthmark"?
When she blushes
What happens at the end of the story?
Mr. Hooper refuses to take the veil off and ends up being buried with it on
What finally happens to Tom Walker?
Tom is never seen again. All his assets become worthless—his coach horses become skeletons, the gold and silver Tom hoarded turns into wood chips and shavings, his mortgages and deeds become cinders, and his great house burns to the ground.
Why is growth of industrialization an element of Romanticism?
Rapid change was coming about in the United States. There was polarization between north and south.
What ended the period of Romanticism?
The Civil War began