Transatlantic Migration and the Politics of the Picturesque in Washington Irving's Sketch Book

£6.99

Symbiosis 9.2 135-58
Author: M. J. Pethers
Pages: 27

'Transatlantic Migration and the Politics of the Picturesque in Washington Irving’s Sketch Book' by Matthew J. Pethers, provides an in-depth analysis of the transatlantic themes and aesthetic strategies in Washington Irving's 'The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.' Originally published in Symbiosis: a Journal of Anglo-American Literary Relations, this essay explores how Irving's use of the picturesque serves to bridge cultural and literary traditions between Europe and America. Pethers examines Irving’s engagement with contemporary political and cultural debates, particularly those surrounding migration and national identity. This scholarly work is essential for readers interested in literary criticism, transatlantic studies, and the evolution of American literature.

Essay Excerpt

"Americans who came across William Hazlitt’s The Spirit of the Age when it was first published in 1825 might have had good reason to be disturbed by what they read. Surveying the prominent cultural currents of the early nineteenth century, Hazlitt declared that: ‘The present is an age of talkers, and not of doers; and the reason is, that the world is growing old. We are so far advanced in the Arts and Sciences, that we live in retrospect, and dote on past achievements.’ The United States, however, had been in existence for barely half a century and, as its inhabitants were frequently forced to acknowledge, the infant republic’s artistic accomplishments were correspondingly rudimentary."