Answer:
The archetype of the devil in American romantic literature usually symbolized the dark side of human nature.
Step-by-step explanation:
All the elements related to the irrational, demonic, grotesque and obscure are part of a subgenre of Romanticism (or romantic literature) called Dark Romanticism. This particular movement started in the 18th century and one of its greatest exponents is Edgar Allan Poe. The Dark Romantics were always fascinated by melancholia, insanity, crime and especially with devils, ghosts, vampires, warewolves and Satan. All these elements represented the human nature from the point of view of these authors. The archetype of the Devil represented humanity's greater downfalls, sins and darker side.