literary terms.docx

literary terms.docx

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literaryterms

BenjaminFranklin

1.works

（1）PoorRichard’sAlmanac

（2）Autobiography

2.contribution

（1）HehelpedfoundthePennsylvaniaHospitalandtheAmericanPhilosophicalSociety.

（2）Hewascalled“thenewPrometheuswhohadstolenfire（electricityinthiscase）fromheaven”.

（3）Everythingseemstomeetinthisoneman–“Jackofalltrades”.HermanMelvillethusdescribedhim“masterofeachandmasteredbynone”.

Franklin（1706-1790）wasauniversalgeniuswhodidnotrealizethathisAutobiographywouldeventuallybecomeaclassicofitskind.Itshowsthebeginningsofhispersonal,civic,andpoliticalsuccess,yettheaccountisuncoloredbyvanity.Franklinshowsusthatheisahumanbeingaswellasasuccessfulman.

Thoughhisstyleofwritingwasclearandevenplaininhistime,wenowfinditabithardtoread.Ithasmanylongwords,oftenfromtheLatinlanguage,andlongsentences.Butwemustrememberthathewaswritingtwocenturiesago.ItistruethatFranklin'sstyleisformal.Theorganizationofmuchofwhathesays--ifnothowhesaysit--isinformal,however.InhisfamousAutobiography,inparticular,hetalksfirstaboutonethingandthenanotherwithlittleattemptatconnectingthem.Wecanseeamanofversatileenergyandnewideas.

Ofcourse,notallofhisideaswerenew.Insomecaseshesimplybecamethemostprominentadvocateofoldones,especiallythebeliefsthatweshouldworkhardandthatweshouldsaveourmoney.TheseprincipleshadbeencurrentsincePuritantimesbutFranklinspreadthemwidelybyputtingthemintoapopularalmanac,orcalendar,calledPoorRichard'sAlmanac,whichhehimselfprinted.Itcontainedmanypopularsayingssuchas"Godhelpsthemthathelpthemselves,""Lazinesstravelssoslowlythatpovertysoonovertakeshim,"and"Bewareoflittleexpenses;asmallleakwillsinkagreatship."

Puritanism

1.Time:

17thcentury

2.place:

NewEngland,theNorthAmerica

3.HistoricalBackground:

Intheyear1620,102Pilgrimswentonboardtheship“theMayflower”forVirginia,theBritishcolonyatthattime.TheyarrivedatCapeCodattheeleventhofNovemberandsettledatPlymouth（atthesouthofMassachussetts）andestablishedthefirstcolony,Plymouth.Whileonboardtheship,41outofthe102passengerssigned“TheMayflowerCompact”,thefirstwrittenlawinAmericanhistory.

4BasicPuritanBeliefs

1）.TotalDepravity-theconceptofOriginalSin

2）.UnconditionalElection-theconceptofpredestination

3）.LimitedAtonement-Jesusdiedforthechosenonly,notforeveryone.

4）.IrresistibleGrace-God'sgraceisfreelygiven,itcannotbeearnedordenied.

5）.Perseveranceofthe"saints"-thoseelectedbyGodhavefullpowertointerpretthewillofGod,andtoliveuprightly.Ifanyonerejectsgraceafterfeelingitspowerinhislife,hewillbegoingagainstthewillofGod.

5.TheFunctionofPuritanWriters

1）.TotransformamysteriousGod-mysteriousbecauseheisseparatefromtheworld.

2）.Tomakehimmorerelevanttotheuniverse.

3）.ToglorifyGod.

6.TheStyleofPuritanWriting

1）.Protestant-againstornateness;reverencefortheBible.

2）.Purposiveness-therewasapurposetoPuritanwriting-describedinPartIIabove.

3）.Puritanwritingreflectedthecharacterandscopeofthereadingpublic,whichwasliterateandwell-groundedinreligion.

7.CommonThemesinEarlyPuritanWriting

1）.Idealism-bothreligiousandpolitical.

2）.Pragmaticism-practicalityandpurposiveness.

TheScarletLetterbyNathanielHawthorneexpressestheaspectsofrelationships,religion,community,disciplineandpunishmentinthepuritancommunityof17thcenturyBoston.Relationshipsbetweenmenandwomenwereveryconstrainedandthatiswhatmadeadulterysuchabadsinintheeyesofeveryoneinthecommunity.Religionseemedtogovernoverall,peoplewouldlookuptoreverendsandthecommunitybelievedthatfatewastheirdestiny.Publicdisciplineandpunishmentwereusedtodiscourageeveryoneelsefromcommittingthesamecrimeorsinastheoffendingcriminaldid.Thecommunitywastofollowthebeliefsofgodandtodotheirdutiesthebesttheycould,yetweretheretocriticizeandpunishallwhodisobeyedthereligionorlaws.In17thcenturyBostoneverythingwasverystrictandeveryonewasexpectedtofollowthelaws,whichmakesHester'ssinsuchanexcellentexampleofthebeliefsofthattimeperiod.Thefirstscaffoldsceneisveryimportantbecausethescenesumsupthebeliefsofthegeneralpublicatthattime,andgivesaprospectiveofwhatHesterPrynnemustdealwith.Inthebeginningofchaptertwothesceneisdescribedasitcouldhavebetokenednothingshortoftheanticipatedexecutionofsomenotedculprit,（47）showingthatthewholetownwasthereforaruthlesspublicpunishment.Thecrowdwasnotthereforanexecutionthough,butthereforapublicpunishmentofHesterPrynnewhohadcommittedadultery.AtownsmandescribesHester'spunishmenttoastrangeras,theyhavedoomedMistressPrynnetostandonlyaspaceofthreehoursontheplatformofthepillory,andthenthereafter,fortheremainderofhernaturallife,towearamarkofshameuponherbosom.（58）Thissceneshowstheweightofvaluesandmoralsuponsocietyinthe17thcenturyandhowpublicpunishmentwasnotonlyusedaspunishmentbutasawaytodiscourageothersfromcommittingthesamecrime.ThecommunitywaskeyinthispunishmentbecauseithelpedalienateHesterandfurtherherpain.ThepunishmentbringsforthHester'sunderlyingpain,[Hester]sentforthacrysheturnedhereyesdownwardatthescarletletter,andeventoucheditwithherfinger,toassureherselfthattheinfantandtheshamewerereal.（55）Thispainonlybreakssurfaceonce,yetthroughoutthewholestoryHestermustdealwiththeshameandemotionalpainofthescarletletter.Thestrangersumsitupbestwiththequotation,Thusshewillbealivingsermonagainstsin,untiltheignominiousletterbeengraveduponhertombstone.Sincereligionwassuchakeypartoftheirlives,anyonewhodiddisobeytheirgodwaslookeddownupon.Whatmadereligionironicinthisstorywashoweveryonelookeduptoareverendthathadcommittedthesamesinassomeonetheylookeddownuponseverely.Dimmesdalesays,beforethejudgment-seat,thymother,andthou,andI,muststandtogether!

Butdaylightofthisworldshallnotseeourmeeting!

（134）ThereverendknowshissinandwantsbepunishedwithHesterandPearl,yetnotuntilwhathecallsjudgementday.Inthe17thcentury,PuritansbelievedthattherewasasternGodwhohaddecreedinadvancethefateofeachpersonforalltime.Therefore,therewasnotmuchpeoplefelttheycoulddotobecomeabetterpersoninGod'seyesbutdohisbidingwiththeirjobs.ToincreasetheirchancesofgettingtogotoheaventhetownspeoplewouldoftengetonestepclosertoGodbygettingclosetoareligiousleader,whichwasbadforArthurDimmesdalewhowasprobablyfartherawayfromGodthaneveryoneelsebecauseofhissin.Relationshipswerelookeduponassomethingsacredandawomanshouldbeloyaltoherhusband.Oncemarrieditwasconsideredahorribleoffenseifyouwereun-loyaltoyourspouse.Theyhavenotbeenboldtoputforcetheextremityofourrighteouslawagainsther.Thepenaltythereforisdeath.（58）Atownsmanexplainsthatthepenaltyisdeathforhercrime（showingtheharshnessofthe17thcentury）,yetthattheotherpartyintheaffairmusthaveplayedastrongroleintemptingher,sotheyjustsentencedhertotheletteronherchestandthreehoursonthescaffold.Thestrangershowshowmostpeoplereactedwhenonlyseeingoneoftheguiltytwopartiesuponthescaffold,itirksme,nevertheless,thatthepartnerofheriniquityshouldnot,atleast,standonthescaffoldbyherside.Womenstilldidnothavethatmanyrights,soanythingHestersaidinherdefensewouldhavejusthavebeenignored.Relationshipswerenotsupposedtobebrokenunlessbydivorce,evenifthehusbandwasatthebottomofthesea-whereHester'shusbandwasbelievedtobe.Throughrelationships,religion,community,disciplineandpunishmentthereadercangetabetterunderstandingofwhatwasexpectedoftownspeopleinthe17thcentury.TheScarletLettershowsthepainandsufferingawomanwentthroughwhenshebrokehermarriage,anddisobeyedherreligion.Shethenwassentencedtoapublicpunishmenttobehumiliated,tormented,andalienatedbythecommunityaroundher.Thefatedrivenreligioussocietyin17thcenturyBostonwouldnotacceptsinofanykindandthepunishmentforadulterywasdeath.Instead,thecommunitybrandedHesterPrynnewiththeletterAfortherestofherlifeandmadeherstandinfrontofthewholecommunityasanexampleforeveryonethatsinandcorruptionwasnotacceptedintheirsociety.

Britishromanticism

TheromanticperiodinEnglishliteratureisdatedasbeginningin1785oralternativelyin1789（theoutbreakoftheFrenchrevolution）,orin1798（thepublicationofWordsworth’sandSamuelTaylorColeridge’sLyricalBallads）andendingeitherin1830orelsein1832,theyearinwhichSirWalterScott’sdied.MajorEnglishwritersoftheperiod,inadditiontoWordsworthandColeridge,werethepoetsRobertBurns,WilliamBlake,LordByron,PercyByssheShelley,JohnKeats,andWalterSavageLandor;theprosewritersCharlesLamb,WilliamHazlitt,ThomasDeQuincey,MaryWollstonecraft,andLeighHunt;andthenovelistsJaneAusten,SirWalterScott,andMaryShelley.Thespanbetween1786andthecloseoftheeighteenthcenturywasthatoftheGothicromancesbyWilliamBeckford,MatthewGregoryLewis,WilliamGodwin,andaboveall,AnneRadcliffe.

AmericanRomanticism

1.Backgroun