This research explores the concepts of agency and personification of nature in literature, arguing that these elements actively participate in narrative development and character interactions. By examining literary and artistic works from 1800 to the early 20th century, this study aims to highlight how nature and landscape influence human emotions, relationships, and decisions, asserting agency within their respective plots. 

The first chapter analyzes James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans and The Deerslayer, alongside Thomas Cole’s artwork for The Last of the Mohicans. The section will explore how Cooper personifies the American wilderness as a powerful force, impacting the character’s identities and moral choices, reflecting early American ideals and the complex relationship between settlers and indigenous landscapes.

The second chapter will focus on German Romantic literature and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Human emotions and natural elements will be highlighted, showcasing how Romantic tradition personifies nature as a mirror to the human experience. Themes of guilt, the sublime, and redemption illustrate nature’s role as an active participant in the character’s journeys.

The third chapter will explore Emily Dickinson’s poetry and Henry David Thoreau’s journals, emphasizing their intimate relationships with nature. This section will investigate how Dickinson’s imagery and Thoreau’s sketches personify the natural world, suggesting that these interactions demonstrate a deeper understanding of the self and existence.

Finally, the fourth chapter will examine John Muir’s Yosemite diary and Eadweard Muybridge’s photography of Yosemite, analyzing how Muir’s writings and Muybridge’s visuals convey the grandeur and agency of the natural landscape, emphasizing environmental consciousness.

Through these analyses, the project seeks to establish nature as an influential force within literary narratives, encouraging a reevaluation of human connections with the natural world.