For the longest time the genre of Sensationalism has been decried as cheap entertainment for the uneducated masses. Especially in the 19th century sensational writing has been frowned upon by the literary elite due to its commercialism and lowly or negative information value. Most authors of the time, who fancied they were serving the taste of an educated readership, distanced themselves from the sensational genre and denied its influence on their work. Therefore the actual impact of Sensationalism on 19th century literature has often been disregarded although in the case of some authors it is openly displayed. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate this impact by examining the reaction and response of the authors Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne towards literary and journalistic Sensationalism of their time and reveal how both authors exploited material and themes of the genre in different ways for their own purposes.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Sensationalism in Britain and Antebellum America
2.1. A Brief History of Sensationalism
2.2. Definition and Key Features
2.2.1. Journalism
2.2.2. Fiction
2.3. Criticism and Defence
3. Elitist Sensationalism a la Blackwood’s
3.1. Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine
3.2. The Blackwood’s Sensation Tale
4. Edgar Allan Poe’s Sensationalism
4.1. Poe and Parody
4.2. Blackwood’s Parodies in Psyche Zenobia’s tales
4.3. Exploitation of the Genre in “The Premature Burial”
5. Hawthorne’s Allegoric Sensationalism
5.1. Hawthorne and Sensationalism
5.2. Treatment and Transformation of Sensational Themes
5.2.1. Psychological Sensationalism in “Wakefield”
5.2.2. Sensational Material in “Egotism; or, The Bosom Serpent”
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper examines the influence and exploitation of 19th-century Sensationalism in the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, aiming to demonstrate how these authors utilized genre themes for their own literary purposes while responding to the cultural status of sensational writing.
- The historical development and definition of Sensationalism in British and American literature.
- The specific formula and elitist nature of Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine.
- Poe’s satirical approach to sensational conventions and his commercial use of the genre.
- Hawthorne’s transition from physical sensationalism to psychological and moral allegory.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2. The Blackwood’s Sensation Tale
During the emergence of sensational fiction and its increasing popularity in the 1830s Blackwood’s sensation tale was the most influential of the genre (Leverenz 101). Basically the Blackwood’s tales follow a certain formulaic pattern, described, for example by Thompson, as such: first of all, the first person narrator introduces his story by claiming to be the author of the text to follow, therefore creating the persona of “author-narrator“ who asserts to relate a true story about some misadventure he or she got trapped in (754). This is closely related to the “claim of truth” that opens almost each sensational story, be it fictional or journalistic. The “claim of truth” is essential to any sensational story as most of the events retold naturally seem unrealistic and hard to believe. In the case of the Blackwood’s tale, this claim of truth can be found, for example, in a note from the “editor” saying the manuscript that is about to be read was found in and translated from the memoirs of another person as in “Extracts from Gosschen’s Diary” (Blackwood’s Magazine 1818, printed in Thompson 755-59). By this the editor distances himself from the tale but also persuades the reader to believe in the events about to be related as the reader is assumed to trust the editor.
In “Le Revenant” published anonymously in Blackwood’s Magazine in April 1837, this claim of truth is provided by the author-narrator himself as he claims “Now I am in a situation to speak, from experience” (409) and further on in the tale lets us know that “what I write now shall be the truth” (412). The claim of truth of this tale does not rely on a third person mediating between author-narrator and reader but on the trust of the reader alone. The same thing can be observed in “The Involuntary Experimentalist”, published in Blackwood’s Magazine October 1837, also by an anonymous author. The author-narrator of this tale attempts to convince the reader of the truthfulness of his account by claiming to be a “medical man” (487), i.e. a trustworthy man, and by including details regarding time and place of the happening as well as the frequent allusion to science and most importantly by putting a signature at the end of his tale: “_____ Street, Dublin, July 5, 1837” (492).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the scope of the study, addressing the historical disregard for Sensationalism and outlining the research focus on Poe and Hawthorne.
2. Sensationalism in Britain and Antebellum America: This section traces the origins of the sensational genre and defines its key characteristics in both journalism and fiction.
3. Elitist Sensationalism a la Blackwood’s: The chapter analyzes the history of Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine and explains the formulaic structure of its sensation tales.
4. Edgar Allan Poe’s Sensationalism: This section investigates how Poe parodied and exploited the conventions of sensational literature in his short stories.
5. Hawthorne’s Allegoric Sensationalism: The chapter explores how Hawthorne transformed sensational themes into psychological and moral allegories.
6. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming how both authors adapted sensationalist techniques to serve their unique literary agendas.
Keywords
Sensationalism, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Parody, Sensation Fiction, Psychological Sensationalism, Allegory, 19th Century Literature, Journalism, Mass Audience, Literature and Society, Literary Formula, Victorian Literature, Narrative Structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the impact and utilization of the Sensationalism genre by two major 19th-century authors, Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, specifically focusing on how they reacted to and adopted its conventions.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers the history of sensationalism, the formulaic nature of sensational fiction in magazines, the satirical methods of Poe, and the allegorical transformation of sensational themes by Hawthorne.
What is the primary goal of the author?
The goal is to demonstrate that Sensationalism was not merely "cheap entertainment" but a significant cultural phenomenon that deeply influenced the literary works of Poe and Hawthorne.
Which scientific or literary methods are utilized?
The author uses a comparative approach, conducting close readings of specific short stories alongside historical context and source studies of the sensationalist genre.
What is examined in the main part of the work?
The main part focuses on the specific structure of "Blackwood’s sensation tales," analyzes Poe's parodic response to these stories, and evaluates Hawthorne’s psychological allegories.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Sensationalism, Poe, Hawthorne, Blackwood’s Magazine, Allegory, Parody, and 19th-century literature.
Why does Poe use a "headless narrator" in his work?
Poe uses this figure in his parodies to highlight the ridiculousness and excess of the sensationalist genre, contrasting the physical horror of Blackwood’s tales with his own dark, surreal humor.
How does Hawthorne’s approach to "Sensationalism" differ from Poe’s?
While Poe tends to parody and exploit the genre for satire and commercial gain, Hawthorne reworks sensational materials into psychological and moral allegories that focus on internal human experiences rather than physical violence.
- Citar trabajo
- Janina Wedig (Autor), 2013, From Physic to Psychic. The Treatment of Sensationalism in Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/266364
