Exhibit:

American Existentialism: The Development of a Nation

Preview of images

Part of Group:

Thiel College ENG 235 Sp24

Existentialism is best defined as a form of philospohy regarding the pursuit of an explanation for human existence. Many people seek to find out why they are here, and what their purpose; with the development of a new country from the seventeenth century onward, countless colonists had to figure out as a community what it actually meant to be an American. Throughout American history, numerous authors and artists alike have ventured to figure out what it meant to them to be American. The goal of this gallery is to observe and recognize the developing ideals of the nation alongside the journey of self-discovery that people of numerous backgrounds underwent, from the late eighteenth century onward.

Images in this Exhibit

The Declaration of Independence (and Its Effects on the Colonies)

The Declaration of Independence, a document well-known across the world, is often regarded as the starting point for Americans to form their own identity. The document itself sets out to empower its people, which readers can see in iconic lines such as the following: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...” (US 1776). While the declaration allowed the colonists to develop their own rights and freedoms over time, the immediate effects on the people were not as clear and life-changing—but they did give colonists of many backgrounds hope. The Museum of the...
The Revolution vs. The People (Rip van Winkle)

The American Revolution, being one of the most momentous events in American history, had a major impact upon how Americans came to view themselves as a society. The development of this united perspective of American culture developed over time; what was the revolution’s impact around the time shortly after the colonies’ triumph? Washington Irving’s “Rip van Winkle” provides a perspective on this through its titular character, a resident of the Hudson River Valley’s Catskill Mountains in southeastern New York.

During the eighteenth century, the state was still rural. Dutch...
Hawthorne and the Puritan Hypocrisy

Puritanism was a major practice in the colonies, especially in the New England region. Having been among the first to settle in the region, these Christians made their mark on the developing history of New England. They had a firm belief in the importance of covenants among themselves and with God, and believed in the nature of predestination (Campbell). Despite these noble beliefs, however, there is a hypocrisy within their preachings; the human struggle with faith and dedication leads to the moral shortcomings that the Puritans occasionally faced.

 Throughout the works of...
The Great Gatsby and the (Hollowness of the) Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties, known to some as the Jazz Age, is a period in the American 1920s that has often been romanticized. Following the Great War, America was caught up in a whirlwind of postwar changes that completely restructured society in such a way that the era was considered “a period of paradisal bliss” (Agarwal). The rich were starting to get richer, dirty money was frequent, and the culture of the time was becoming inclined to more material desires to match the thriving economy. Throughout the works of authors like Fitzgerald, readers can see the toll that the hollow pursuit of...
The Beginning of the American Women’s Movement

The start of the women’s rights movement was a pivotal moment in American history. With promises in the works of the Founding Fathers made promises such as all men being equals according to the Declaration of Independence, women wanted the same rights and promises. The notion of men and women being in “separate spheres” was becoming firmly established in American culture during the nineteenth century, but many women saw a need for this to change to improve their lives. As a result, the women’s movement and events such as the Seneca Falls convention were able to become a major part of “a...
H.P. Lovecraft and the Development of Horror Literature

Horror literature has been a part of the American authorship for centuries. Traditionally, these works relied on long-established conventions from familiar religious or mythical backgrounds, such as ghosts and vampires (Kneale 108). Some authors, however, established new ways to draw on their readers’ fears and become pioneers in the genre; one such author was the father of cosmic horror, Howard Philips Lovecraft. Lovecraft’s own life story was fairly tragic, being born to a quickly declining wealth in Providence, Rhode Island. He received an incomplete education as a result of his...
Life After "Freedom": The African-American Perspective

Slavery was an institution that left a major mark on American history for the worse. Following the Emancipation Proclamation and the passing of the thirteenth amendment, the country was slated to move away from this dark point in our own history and pave the way for a better future. Unfortunately, the prejudices that had developed and festered for centuries didn’t go away overnight—and so, the discrimination against the African American people continued throughout the nineteenth century (Foner 84). With newfound rights and new possibilities, however, these men and women began an uphill...
Development in the Harlem Renaissance

By the 1920s, the American lifestyle was changing for people of numerous backgrounds. A noteworthy example of this kind of change was the Harlem Renaissance, which all started as the result of numerous African Americans moving up to the area and creating a new community all their own. This was considered a “Great Migration,” and helped to allow Black artists to “reclaim their identity and racial pride in defiance of widespread prejudice and discrimination” (Poetry Foundation). Black culture was able to develop and thrive on its own to the point where Harlem (pictured above) eventually...