Symbolism in American Romantic fiction.

American Romantic fiction is a trend in literature that is very much concerned with psychological subtlety, a sense of the mysteriousness of human motives, of the dark, hidden forces operating in the world and all this can be found in the works of such Romantic fiction writers as Poe, Hawthorne and Melville. Their works however, do not relate itself directly to the social scene but rather show a closer relationship with the romance. That is …

…injustice, as shown when he repeatedly states Billy Budd's name. To conclude, American Romantic fiction is certainly full of symbolism. The literary symbols, such as the scarlet letter, the forest, the scaffold, the raven, the house split in two, Billy, Claggart and Captain Vere, have a life on their own, an autonomy and a mysterious integrity. They express several meanings at once and that is why it is very interesting to explore and analyse them.