美国文学大三版笔记.docx

美国文学大三版笔记.docx

《美国文学大三版笔记.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《美国文学大三版笔记.docx（31页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

美国文学大三版笔记

Chapter1.TheliteratureofcolonialAmerica（1590-1750）

（1）Culturalbackground:

<1>Earlyin17thcen.,mostofthesettlersinNorthAmericawerethepuritanswhowantedtoavoidthereligiouspersecutionoftheChurchofEnglandandseekreligiousfreedominthenewland.

☆Puritans--a“would-bepurifier”,aradicalsectoftheProtestantreformerswhowantedtopurifythereligiousbeliefsandpracticesoftheChurchofEngland,thatis,restoresimplicitytochurchservicesandrestoretheauthorityoftheBibletotheology净化宗教观念，简化仪式

ThustheysufferedfiercepersecutionandattackfromtheChurchofEngland.Inorder

toavoidsuchpersecution,theyfledtotheAmericanContinent

e.g.theMayflower1620inPlymouth

Thefoundingmyth美国的建国神话

TheyregardedthemselvesasthechosenpeopleandweresenttotheAmericabyGod

inordertocreateaNewworld（anewGardenofEden）intheAmerica.Bydoingso,

theycangetthechanceofsalvation.（optimism/idealism）

inthegrimstruggleforsurvivalthatfollowedimmediatelyaftertheirarrivalinAmerica,theybecamemoreandmorepractical.

Theywerenotedforaspiritofmoralandreligiousearnestnessthatdeterminatetheirwholewayoflife.ThePuritansinNewEnglandpracticedtheocracy　神权政治Theirwayoflifewerebasedontheirsomberreligionandstressedhardwork,thrift,pietyandsobriety（节制）Theyopposedartsandpleasure.Theysuspectjoyandlaughterassymptomsofsin.Inpeople’sdailylife,religiousactivitieswereamatteroffirstimportanceandallothersshouldservethereligion.

<4>Theirpracticesandbeliefs（AmericanPuritanism）greatlyinfluencedtheliteratureofthisperiod（e.g.practicalmatter-of-factaccountsoflifeinthenewworld;highlytheoreticaldiscussionsofreligiousquestions）

（2）Majorworksandwriters:

<1>ThefirstwritingsinAmericanliteraturewerethenarrativesandjournalsoftheearlycolonialsettlements,whichhelpedtoluremoreEuropeans,especiallythePuritanstoseekfortuneorreligiousfreedominthenewcontinent

<2>JohnSmithwroteabouttheexplorationinATrueRelationofSuchOccurrencesandAccidentsofNoteasHathHappenedinVirginiaSincetheFirstPlantingofThatColony《关于弗吉尼亚的真实描述》andbecamethefirstAmericanWriter.

<3>Poetry:

AnneBradstreet’sTheTenthMuseRecentlySprungUpinAmerica　----thefirstpoetessinAmerica

Chapter2.TheliteratureofReasonandRevolution（1750-1810）

Whiletheologydominatedthewritingsofthecolonialtimes,politics政治论辩permeatedthewritingoftheRevolutionperiod.

<1>Background:

{1}politicalbackground

IndustrialRevolution:

spurredtheeconomyinAmericancolonies.

IndependenceWar:

Aroundthewar,manypoliticalwritingswerewrittentosupportanddefendAmericanindependenceanddemocracy.

{2}Culturalbackground

TheEnlightenment启蒙运动aliterarymovementwhichflourishedinFrance&sweptthroughthewholeWesternEuropein18thcentury.Itspurposewastoenlightenthewholeworldwiththelightofmodemphilosophical&artisticideas.Theenlightenerscelebratedreasonorrationality,equality&science&humanbeings’abilitytoperfectthemselvesandtheirsociety.What’smore,theybelievedthatmanisbasicallygoodandfreebynature,endowedbyGodwithcertaininalienablerightsoflibertyandthepursuitofhappiness.

WhileinAmericathehumanisticideasofthemovementdealtaheavyblowtoPuritanisminadvocatingscience,knowledgeandthepowerandabilityofman.Itbroughttolifeseculareducationandliterature.TheEnlightenmenthadalsoinfluencedtheliteratureofthatperiod

（1）formastyleofclarityandprecision.

（2）itssecularideals（thepossibilitiesofhumanprogress,manhastherightstopursueequality,liberty,andthehappiness）arereflectedinthewritings

E.g.Franklin.（P16）

<2>BenjaminFranklin（1706-1790）

（1）Lifeachievement:

Hewasbornintoapoorcandle-maker’sfamily.Hehadverylittleeducation.Helearnedinschoolonlyfortwoyears,butbyself-improvementandself-reliance,hemadeagreatfortuneanddidlotsofcontributiontothesociety.

ThesecularidealsoftheAmericanEnlightenmentwereexemplifiedinhislifeandcareer.

（2）Importantworks:

PoorRichard’sAlmanac　穷查理历书:

Anannualcollectionofproverbs.Franklin’spragmatism（实用主义,howtomakefortunebyefforts&senseofhumorarefullydemonstratedinthiswork.

E.g.Godhelpthemthathelpthemselves.Nomanwasglorious,whowasnotlaborious.

TheAutobiography自传:

（1）ItnotonlynarratesFranklin’searlylife,buthislifeprinciplesandphilosophy.

（2）setsautobiographyasaliterarygenreinAmericanliterature.

（3）Throughtellingasuccessstoryofself-reliance,thebookcelebrates,infact,thefulfillmentoftheAmericandreamwhichinspiredgenerationsofAmericans.

Recordinghisstoryformragstorichesbyself-relianceandself-improvement（forexample,Franklin’s13virtues）,thebookdemonstratedF’sbeliefthatthenewworldofAmericawasalandofopportunitieswherepeoplecangainsuccessthroughhardworkandwisemanagement（AmericanDream---oneimportantthemeinAmericanliterature）

HewasthefirstpositiverepresentationofthevaluesoftheAmericanDream.

<3>PhilipFreneau

HeanticipatedtheAmericanliteraryindependence,soheiswidelyacclaimedas

“FatherofAmericanPoetry”美国诗歌之父（P44）

（2）Writingstyle:

Subject:

treattheindigenous本土的wildlifeandothernativeAmericansubjects

（e.g.TheIndianBuryingGround印第安人殡葬地TheWildHoneysuckle野忍冬花）

Diction:

natural,simpleandconcrete

（3）TheWildHoneySuckle野忍冬花

[1]Bycelebratingthebeautyofthefrailforestflower

{1}thepoetexpresseshiskeenawarenessofthelivelinessandtransienceofnature,thusshowinghisdeeplovefornaturalbeauty,whichwasthecharacteristicofromanticpoets.

{2}Andalsohisownunderstandingaboutmortality/death（lifeanddeathareinevitablelawofnature.）

[2]Thetoneofthepoemisbothsentimentalandoptimistic.First,heshowedhispityandsorrow,forextendingthefateoftheflowertothefateofallthecreaturesinthenature,includingourhumanbeings.However,attheendofthepoem,Fwassensibleenoughtorealizethetruthunderlyingthenature,ie.Deathandlifeareinevitablelaw,therefore,weneedacceptthedeathpeacefullyandbravely.

Chapter3AmericanRomanticism（1810-1860civilwar）

<1>TimeRange:

（the1sthalfof19thcentury）

Fromtheendofthe18thcentury（aftertheWarforIndependence）throughtheoutbreakoftheCivilWar.

<2>Literarycharacteristicsofthisperiod:

（p57）

Americanliteratureinthisperiodwasnotaservantofreligiousandpolitics.Novels,

shortstories,andpoemsreplacedthesermonsandmanifestosasAmerican’sprincipal

literaryforms.Inaword,theliteratureatthisageflourishedanddevelopeditsown

nativefeatures&gainedliteraryindependenceintherealsense.

II.Pre-Romanticism

1.WashingtonIrving欧文　（1783--1859）

<1>thefirstAmericanwriterofimaginativeliteraturetogaininternationalfame.

<2>TheSketchBook《见闻札记》becamethefirstworkbyanAmericanwritertowinfinancialandcriticalsuccessonbothsidesoftheAtlantic。

TwoofthefamousshortstoriesofTheSketchBookare“RipVanWinkle”《瑞普·凡·温克尔》and“TheLegendofSleepyHollow”《睡谷的传说》

<3>Hisstoriescarryastrongromanticnote,withaspecialinterestingothicand

supernaturalelements.Hisstyleishumorousandfamiliar,makinghimanearly

prosestylistinAmericanliterature.

<4>HeshowedaconservativeattitudetowardtheAmericanRevolution&nostalgiaforthepastbeforetherevolution.Inmostofhisshortstories,heprefersthedaysbeforeAmericanRevolutiontothoseaftertherevolution.E.g.in“RipVanWinkle”,after20-yearsleep,Ripcouldn’tadaptthedaysaftertherevolution,andwouldliketorecallthepast.

2.JamesFenimoreCooper库柏　（1789-1851）

<1>Helaunchedtwokindsofpopularstories:

theseaadventuretaleandthefrontiersage.首创了美国航海题材小说和西部小说

Frontierstories:

LeatherstockingTales皮裹腿系列　（p105）

<2>LeatherstockingTalesisaseriesoffivenovelsaboutthefrontierofAmericansettlers.

ThecentralfigureinthenovelsisNattyBumppo奈迪·邦博,afrontierhero,aprototypeforthewesterncowboy.Closeafterhiminromanceappealcomethetwonobleredmen（indians）,theMohicanChiefChingachgokandhisson,Uncas.恩卡斯（thepositivedescriptionofIndianssincePhilipFreneau）

NattyBumpporepresentstheidealAmerican,livingavirtuousandfreelifeinGod’sworld.NattyBumppoisanembodimentofhumanvirtueslikeinnocence,simplicity,honestyandgenerosity,amanbornwithanimmaculatesenseofgoodandevilandrightandwrong.

3.WilliamCullenBryant布莱恩特　（1794-1878）

thefirstAmericanpoetwhowontherecognitionofEurope,e.g.MatthewArnold

oncepraisehis“ToaWaterfowl”“themostperfectbriefpoeminthelanguage”

4.EdgarAllanPoe（1809-1849）　爱伦·坡

<1>FamousAmericanPoet,short-storywriterandcritic.fatherofdetectivestory

<2>Beautyandmelancholy死亡和美（女）werethemajorconcernofmostofhisworks.AccordingtoPoe,thehighestformofbeautywasayoungladyandthehighestdegreeofmelancholywasdeath,soafrequentmotifofhisshortstoriesandpoemsisthedeathofabeautifulyounglady.（hiswife）

AccordingtoPoe,Melancholyisthusthemostlegitimateofallthepoeticaltones.

Themajorobjectofpoetryistocreatebeautyratherthantoteachortodelight.

<3>Analysisoftheselectedworks

I.AnnabelleLee

Thispoem,thelastpoeticworkmadebyPoe,isacclaimedas“theculminationofPoe’slyricstyleinhisrecurrentthemeofthelossofabeautifulandlovedwoman.”Itisgenerallybelievedtomemorizehisdeceasedwif