Hawthorne joined Brook Farm, a transcendentalist commune, briefly before his marriage to Sophia Peabody. He spent much of his time there shoveling manure, which may have influenced his views on transcendentalists. "The Scarlet Letter," a slim novel about Hester Prynne, a young Puritan woman who bears a child out of wedlock, epitomizes his view of those who have their eyes fixed on Heaven. Possible activities connected with this novel include reading the book, creating a letter for a personal fault and decorating it, and discussing the way Hester and Pearl were treated in the book as compared to single parents and children are treated today.
Melville wrote books about common people, such as Billy Budd and Captain Ahab. His work points out how people all too frequently live up to the very worst part of their natures. Read one of his shorter works or read excerpts from longer ones; then read more modern accounts of working people or those engaged in criminal activity. Ask students to create presentations using software or art materials that compare and contrast his accounts with modern accounts.
Poe wrote horror. Much of his poetry and many of his short stories deal with criminal acts, revenge and the ultimate despair of the human spirit when challenged beyond its ability to cope. Ask students to take turns reading aloud from his verse. Point out the lyrical quality of the repetitive choruses and the way it sets the mood. Read at least one short story together, or listen to a recording. Set up the mood in the classroom by closing the blinds, and the dimming lights.
Direct students to write or draw their own darkly romantic, anti-transcendental works. Encourage them to pick art forms they find personally appealing: drawing, painting, poetry, short stories or even fashion design. Ask them to create a presentation sharing their work and explaining why they chose the various parts of it. Ask the students to rate each others' work using an anonymous evaluation form.