美国文学讲义Word文档格式.docx
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ItisgenerallyheldthatChristopherColumbusdiscoveredtheAmericancontinentin1492.However,thefirstsettlingoftheEnglishpeopleinJamestown,Virginiahappenedmorethan100yearslaterin1607,andin1620,thesecondgroupcame,withMayflowerdroppinganchoratPlymouthharbor.
Itwasnotuntil1760s,another100yearslater,whenthesepeoplebegantocallthemselvesAmericans,distinguishingtheiridentityfromtheirEuropeanancestors.In1776,theDeclarationofIndependencewassigned,togetherwiththreeotherdocuments,thetreatyofalliancewithFrance,theTreatyofParisandtheConstitution,whichlegallymarkedtheUnitedStatesasanindependentnation.However,conflictsstilloccurredinthefollowingyearsbetweentheAmericansandtheBritishandFrenchpeopleoccupyingterritoriesonthecontinent.
In1789GeorgeWashingtonwaselectedthefirstpresident,andtwoyearslater,WashingtonD.C.wasestablishedasthenation’scapital.
CaptainJohnSmith,forexample,whoestablishedJamestownin1607,wroteinhisDescriptionofNewEngland(1616),“HerenatureandlibertyaffordusthatfreelywhichinEnglandwewant[i.e.,lack],oritcostsusdearly.”
TheearlysettlersontheAmericancontinentlaterbecamethefoundingfathersoftheAmericannation.So,whowerethesepeople?
Whatweretheyandwhydidtheycome?
MostoftheimmigrantscamebecausetheywerehungryandAmericaofferedthemgoodandextensiveland.Theythendescribedtheirgoodfortuneintheirlettershome,attractingmoretocome.
Otherpeoplecamebecausetheywantedtogetawayfromthereligiouspersecutionbackintheirowncountry.IfyouwereaCatholicinaProtestantcountry,oraProtestantinaCatholiccountry,oraJewinalmostanycountry,youmightbelaughedat,havedifficultyinfindingjobsandevenbemurdered.
Or,youmighthaveawrongpoliticalopinion(onbureaucracy,taxes,democracy)andyouwerefacedwithaprobabilityofbeingputintoprison.
Thosewhowereconsidered“undesirable”—paupers,convicts,criminals—weresentherebyships.Actuallymanyofthemhadmadeonlysmalloffensessuchasstealingaloafofbread,orbeingindebt.Theywerenot“good”citizensasfarasEnglandwasconcerned.So,offtheAmerica!
Merchantscamelater.Ontheonehand,theshippingcompanyflourishedbecauseitbroughtmillionsofpeopletoAmerica.Ontheotherhand,tradingcompanieswereorganized,buyingsomethingsfromthesettlersandsellingotherthingstothemataprofit.Stilllater,theindustryofadvertisementalsocameintobeing.
So,theycame,boththewillingandtheunwilling.Themovementbeganwithafewpeopleinearly1600’s,andin1907morethanamillionpeopleenteredthecountrywithinayear.“Intheyears1903to1913,everytimetheclockstruckthehour,dayandnight,100personsborninsomeforeigncountry,notincludingCanadaandMexico,landedontheshoresoftheUnitedStates.”(We,thePeople,14)
ThePuritansandPuritanism:
MostoftheearlysettlerswerePuritans,agroupofserious,religiouspeoplewhoadvocatedstrictreligiousandmoralprinciples.
--TheywantedtopurifytheEnglishChurchandtorestorechurchworshiptothe“pureandunspotted”conditionofitsearlierdays.
--TheyopposedtheelaborateritualsoftheEnglishChurch.
--TheybelievedthattheBiblewastherevealedwordofGod,therefore,peopleshouldguidetheirdailybehaviorwiththeBible.
ThePuritansbroughtwiththemaphilosophyoflife,whichispopularlyknownasAmericanPuritanism.AdominantfactorinAmericanlife,PuritanismwasoneofthemostenduringandshapinginfluencesinAmericanthoughtandAmericanliterature.WithouttrueunderstandingofPuritanism,therewouldbenorealunderstandingofAmericanliteratureandAmericanculture.
“Puritanismhadspokenforthepreeminenceoftheindividual,forfreedomfromoppressivegovernments,andforthevalueoflearningandeducation.ItledAmericanstoexaminetheirbeliefs,theirworld,andeachother.Itgaveordinarymenandwomenasenseofpurpose.Itencouragedthemtoscrutinizeissuesinreligionandingovernmentandtospeakout.IthelpedtocreateinAmericansasenseofdutytotheirGod,theirnation,andtheirfellowmen.Ittaughtmenandwomentolabortobegoodandtojudgeothersbytheirlives,notbytheirbirth.Atitsheight,PuritanismservedasthedominantforceinthecreatingofAmericanliterature.”(McMichael,ed.AAL,11-12)
AmericanPuritanismisatwo-foldculturalheritage,onebeingreligiousandtheotherpractical.Puritanswerethereforecalled“practicalidealist”or“doctrinaireopportunist”.
Ontheonehand,Puritanismisahighlystrictreligiousdoctrine.ThePuritansweredeterminedtofindaplaceonthenewcontinentwheretheycouldworshipGodinthewaytheythoughttrueChristiansshould.Whentheyarrivedonthecontinent,theysawvirginland,virginforests,vastexpansesofwilderness,andthereforebelievedthattheyweresentbyGodforadefinitepurpose.ContendingthatthereisonlyoneGodwhoruleseverythingontheearth,thesePuritansthoughttheywere“theselectedfew”,chosenbyGodtoreestablishaCommonwealthbasedontheteachingsoftheBible,torestorethelostparadiseandtobuildthewildernessintoanewGardenofEden.“ThereforethejourneytotheNewWorldwasnotjustamigration.ItwasanewExodus,ordainedbyGodandforetoldintheBible,justastheBiblepromisedthecreationofaNewJerusalem,inAmerica.”(McMichael,ed.AAL,8)
Ontheotherhand,Puritanismalsohasitspracticalaspect.WhenthePuritansfirstlandedonthecontinent,whattheywerefacedwithwaswilderness—noshelter,nofoodandnoclothes.Theirstruggleforsurvivalandthemovementofpushingthefrontierwiththemastheymovedfurtherandfurtherwestwardmadethemmoreandmorepreoccupiedwithbusinessandprofits.Theyhadtoworkhardinordertomakealivingandbereadyforanymisfortunesandtragicfailuresthatmightlieinwaitforthem.Asfarasthisrespectisconcerned,thePuritanslearnedalotfromthenativeIndianswhohelpedthemthroughtheseverewinters.
TheimpactofPuritanismonAmericanliteraturecanbesummarizedintothefollowingthreecategories:
1.Americanliterature,inasense,isaliteraryexpressionofthepiousidealismofthePuritanrequest.ThePuritansdreamedoflivingunderaperfectorderandworkedwithhopeandcouragetowardbuildinganewGardenofEden.Therefore,theytendedtolookeverythingwithabigamountofoptimism.ThiswentintotheworksofEmerson,Thoreau,Whitman,andevenJames.Nowonderthereappearedamoodoffrustrationordespairinlaterperiods,becauseastheoldsayinggoes,“alwaysatthelatterendofwealstandswoe”.Whenthedreamdidnotmaterialize,whena“GildedAge”cameinsteadoftheGoldenonetheydreamedof,howcouldanyonefeel?
2.ThePuritans’metaphoricalmodeofperceptionbroughtAmericanliterarysymbolismintobeing.TothepiousPuritans,thephysicalworldwasspiritual,nothingbutasymbolofGod.Theworld,therefore,wasoneofmultiplemeanings.ThisideawasdistinguishableintheworksofsuchearlywritersasWilliamBradford,CottonMather,JonathanEdwardsandEmerson.IntheworksofHawthorne,MelvilleandPoe,thisdevelopeditselfintosymbolism.
3.ThePuritanstyleofwritingischaracterizedbysimplicity.ThePuritanshavebeen“abhorredfortheirausterityandrigidityinmattersoftaste”.Theyformedadistasteforartandforanymanifestationsofsensualbeauty,therefore,thestyleoftheirwritingwasfresh,simpleanddirest,therhetoricplainandhonest,wordssimpleandspare(notfancy).Theuseofmetaphorswasonlytoexplaintheiropinionsratherthantodecorate.Theywrotenon-fictionalproseinsteadofnovels.Theyweregoodatwritinghistory,too,andbiographywasonceapopularformofliterature.
Literaryscene:
Almostallliteraturescomefromhumbleorigins—diaries,journals,letters,sermons,travelbooks,etc.SodidAmericanliterature.IntheColonialPeriod,personalliteratureoccupiedamajorpositionintheliteraryscene.Incontend,theyservedeitherGodortheexpansionorboth.Inform,theyweremainlytheimitationsoftheEnglishtradition.Twoimportantwritersinthisperiod:
JonathanEdwards(1703—1758)
HewasborninConnecticut,theonlysonofareligiousfamilyofelevenchildren.Averyprecociouschild,hewaseducatedathomebyhisministerfatherandstrong-mindedmother.HeenteredYaleattheageof13,duringwhichtimeheunderwenttheexperienceofreligiousconversation.Hewasdetermined“nevertoloseonemomentoftime,buttoimproveitinthemostprofitableway.”
Appointedassistantministertohisgrandfather,helaterbecamechiefministertothecongregation,apositionheheldfor20years.HislastpositionwasthePresidentofPrinceton,buthediedunexpectedlyfromasmallpoxinoculationtwomonthsaftertheappointment.
EdwardsbelievedintheinwardcommunicationofthesoulwithGod.HededicatedhimselftoGodonJan.12,1723,goingtoconversewithGodinasolitaryplacemoreoften.HebelievedthatGodisimmanentandmancanregenerate.
Edwardshadametaphoricalmodeofperception,i.e.,asymbolicwayoflookingatthings.HebelievedthatGodcreatedtheworldoutofHimselfbydiffusingHimselfintotimeandspace.Therefore,everythingisanimageorshadowofthedivine.
EdwardswasthelastmedievalmanasarelicofPuritanismandalsothefirstmodernAmericanforhisknowledgeofthenewsciencelightedbyNewton.HeremainsoneofthemostpenetratingmindseverproducedinAmerica.Atleast,hewasoneof