美国文学简史笔记常耀信.docx

美国文学简史笔记常耀信.docx

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美国文学简史笔记常耀信

AConciseHistoryofAmericanLiterature

Whatisliterature?

Literatureislanguageartisticallyusedtoachieveidentifiableliteraryqualitiesandtoconveymeaningfulmessages.

Chapter1ColonialPeriod

I.Background:

Puritanism

1.featuresofPuritanism

（1）Predestination:

Goddecidedeverythingbeforethingsoccurred.

（2）Originalsin:

Humanbeingswereborntobeevil,andthisoriginalsincanbepasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration.

（3）Totaldepravity

（4）Limitedatonement:

Onlythe“elect”canbesaved.

2.Influence

（1）Agroupofgoodqualities–hardwork,thrift,piety,sobriety（seriousandthoughtful）influencedAmericanliterature.

（2）Itledtotheeverlastingmyth.Allliteratureisbasedonamyth–gardenofEden.

（3）Symbolism:

theAmericanpuritan’smetaphoricalmodeofperceptionwaschieflyinstrumentalincallingintobeingaliterarysymbolismwhichisdistinctlyAmerican.

（4）Withregardtotheirwriting,thestyleisfresh,simpleanddirect;therhetoricisplainandhonest,notwithoutatouchofnobilityoftentraceabletothedirectinfluenceoftheBible.

II.Overviewoftheliterature

1.typesofwriting

diaries,histories,journals,letters,travelbooks,autobiographies/biographies,sermons

2.writersofcolonialperiod

（1）AnneBradstreet

（2）EdwardTaylor

（3）RogerWilliams

（4）JohnWoolman

（5）ThomasPaine

（6）PhilipFreneau

III.JonathanEdwards

1.life

2.works

（1）TheFreedomoftheWill

（2）TheGreatDoctrineofOriginalSinDefended

（3）TheNatureofTrueVirtue

3.ideas–pioneeroftranscendentalism

（1）Thespiritofrevivalism

（2）Regenerationofman

（3）God’spresence

（4）Puritanidealism

IV.BenjaminFranklin

1.life

2.works

（1）PoorRichard’sAlmanac

（2）Autobiography

3.contribution

（1）HehelpedfoundthePennsylvaniaHospitalandtheAmericanPhilosophicalSociety.

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

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

Chapter2AmericanRomanticism

Section1EarlyRomanticPeriod

WhatisRomanticism?

●AnapproachfromancientGreek:

Plato

●Aliterarytrend:

18cinBritain（1798~1832）

●SchlegelBros.

I.Preview:

Characteristicsofromanticism

1.subjectivity

（1）feelingandemotions,findingtruth

（2）emphasisonimagination

（3）emphasisonindividualism–personalfreedom,noheroworship,naturalgoodnessofhumanbeings

2.backtomedieval,espmedievalfolkliterature

（1）unrestrainedbyclassicalrules

（2）fullofimagination

（3）colloquiallanguage

（4）freedomofimagination

（5）genuineinfeelings:

answertheircallforclassics

3.backtonature

natureis“breathinglivingthing”（Rousseau）

II.AmericanRomanticism

1.Background

（1）Politicalbackgroundandeconomicdevelopment

（2）RomanticmovementinEuropeancountries

Derivative–foreigninfluence

2.features

（1）Americanromanticismwasinessencetheexpressionof“arealnewexperienceandcontained“analienquality”forthesimplereasonthat“thespiritoftheplace”wasradicallynewandalien.

（2）ThereisAmericanPuritanismasaculturalheritagetoconsider.Americanromanticauthorstendedmoretomoralize.ManyAmericanromanticwritingsintendedtoedifymorethantheyentertained.

（3）The“newness”ofAmericansasanationisinconnectionwithAmericanRomanticism.

（4）Asalogicalresultoftheforeignandnativefactorsatwork,Americanromanticismwasbothimitativeandindependent.

III.WashingtonIrving

1.severalnamesattachedtoIrving

（1）firstAmericanwriter

（2）themessengersentfromthenewworldtotheoldworld

（3）fatherofAmericanliterature

2.life

3.works

（1）AHistoryofNewYorkfromtheBeginningoftheWorldtotheEndoftheDutchDynasty

（2）TheSketchBookofGeoffreyCrayon,Gent.（Hewonameasureofinternationalrecognitionwiththepublicationofthis.）

（3）TheHistoryoftheLifeandVoyagesofChristopherColumbus

（4）AChronicleoftheConquestofGranada

（5）TheAlhambra

4.Literarycareer:

twoparts

（1）1809~1832

a.SubjectsareeitherEnglishorEuropean

b.Conservativelovefortheantique

（2）1832~1859:

backtoUS

5.style–beautiful

（1）gentility,urbanity,pleasantness

（2）avoidingmoralizing–amusingandentertaining

（3）envelopingstoriesinanatmosphere

（4）vividandtruecharacters

（5）humour–smilingwhilereading

（6）musicallanguage

IV.JamesFenimoreCooper

1.life

2.works

（1）Precaution（1820,hisfirstnovel,imitatingAusten’sPrideandPrejudice）

（2）TheSpy（hissecondnovelandgreatsuccess）

（3）LeatherstockingTales（hismasterpiece,aseriesoffivenovels）

TheDeerslayer,TheLastoftheMohicans,ThePathfinder,ThePioneer,ThePrairie

3.pointofview

thethemeofwildernessvs.civilization,freedomvs.law,ordervs.change,aristocratvs.democrat,naturalrightsvs.legalrights

4.style

（1）highlyimaginative

（2）goodatinventingtales

（3）goodatlandscapedescription

（4）conservative

（5）characterizationwoodenandlackinginprobability

（6）languageanduseofdialectnotauthentic

5.literaryachievements

HecreatedamythabouttheformativeperiodoftheAmericannation.IfthehistoryoftheUnitedStatesis,inasense,theprocessoftheAmericansettlersexploringandpushingtheAmericanfrontierforeverwestward,thenCooper’sLeatherstockingTaleseffectivelyapproximatestheAmericannationalexperienceofadventureintotheWest.HeturnedthewestandfrontierasauseablepastandhehelpedtointroducewesterntraditiontoAmericanliterature.

Section2SummitofRomanticism–AmericanTranscendentalism

I.Background:

foursources

1.Unitarianism

（1）FatherhoodofGod

（2）Brotherhoodofmen

（3）LeadershipofJesus

（4）Salvationbycharacter（perfectionofone’scharacter）

（5）Continuedprogressofmankind

（6）Divinityofmankind

（7）Depravityofmankind

2.RomanticIdealism

Centeroftheworldisspirit,absolutespirit（Kant）

3.Orientalmysticism

Centeroftheworldis“oversoul”

4.Puritanism

Eloquentexpressionintranscendentalism

II.Appearance

1836,“Nature”byEmerson

III.Features

1.spirit/oversoul

2.importanceofindividualism

3.nature–symbolofspirit/God

garmentoftheoversoul

4.focusinintuition（irrationalismandsubconsciousness）

IV.Influence

1.Itservedasanethicalguidetolifeforayoungnationandbroughtabouttheideathathumancanbeperfectedbynature.Itstressedreligioustolerance,calledtothrowoffshacklesofcustomsandtraditionsandgoforwardtothedevelopmentofanewanddistinctlyAmericanculture.

2.Itadvocatedidealismthatwasgreatneededinarapidlyexpandedeconomywhereopportunityoftenbecameopportunism,andthedesireto“geton”obscuredthemoralnecessityforrisingtospiritualheight.

3.IthelpedtocreatethefirstAmericanrenaissance–oneofthemostprolificperiodinAmericanliterature.

V.RalphWaldoEmerson

1.life

2.works

（1）Nature

（2）Twoessays:

TheAmericanScholar,ThePoet

3.pointofview

（1）Onemajorelementofhisphilosophyishisfirmbeliefinthetranscendenceofthe“oversoul”.

（2）Heregardsnatureasthepurest,andthemostsanctifyingmoralinfluenceonman,andadvocatedadirectintuitionofaspiritualandimmanentGodinnature.

（3）Ifmandependsuponhimself,cultivateshimselfandbringsoutthedivineinhimself,hecanhopetobecomebetterandevenperfect.ThisiswhatEmersonmeansby“theinfinitudeofman”.

（4）Everyoneshouldunderstandthathemakeshimselfbymakinghisworld,andthathemakestheworldbymakinghimself.

4.aestheticideas

（1）Heisacompleteman,aneternalman.

（2）Truepoetryandtrueartshouldennoble.

（3）Thepoetshouldexpresshisthoughtinsymbols.

（4）Astotheme,EmersoncalleduponAmericanauthorstocelebrateAmericawhichwastohimalonepoeminitself.

5.hisinfluence

VI.HenryDavidThoreau

1.life

2.works

（1）AWeekontheConcordandMerrimackRiver

（2）Walden

（3）APleaforJohnBrown（anessay）

3.pointofview

（1）HedidnotlikethewayamaterialisticAmericawasdevelopingandwasvehementlyoutspokenonthepoint.

（2）Hehatedthehumaninjusticeasrepresentedbytheslaverysystem.

（3）LikeEmerson,butmorethanhim,Thoreausawnatureasagenuinerestorative,healthyinfluenceonman’sspiritualwell-being.

（4）Hehasfaithintheinnervirtueandinward,spiritualgraceofman.

（5）Hewasverycriticalofmoderncivilization.

（6）“Simplicity…simplify!

”

（7）Hewassorelydisgustedwith“theinundationsofthedirtyinstitutionsofmen’sodd-fellowsociety”.

（8）Hehascalmtrustinthefutureandhisardentbeliefinanewgenerationofmen.

Section3LateRomanticism

I.NathanielHawthorne

1.life

2.works

（1）Twocollectionsofshortstories:

Twice-toldTales,MossesfromandOldManse

（2）TheScarletLetter

（3）TheHouseoftheSevenGables

（4）TheMarbleFaun

3.pointofview

（1）Evilisatthecoreofhumanlife,“thatblacknessinHawthorne”

（2）Wheneverthereissin,thereispunishment.Sinorevilcanbepassedfromgenerationtogeneration（causality）.

（3）Heisoftheopinionthatevileducates.

（4）Hehasdisgustinscience.

4.aestheticideas

（1）Hetookagreatinterestinhistoryandantiquity.Tohimthesefurnishthesoilonwhichhismindgrowstofruition.

（2）HewasconvincedthatromancewasthepredestinedformofAmericannarrative.Totellthetruthandsatirizeandyetnottooffend:

ThatwaswhatHawthornehadinmindtoachieve.

5.style–typicalromanticwriter

（1）theuseofsymbols

（2）revelationofcharacters’psychology

（3）theuseofsupernaturalmixedwiththeactual

（4）hisstoriesareparable（parableinform）–toteachalesson

（5）useofambiguitytokeepthereaderintheworldofuncertainty–multiplepointofview

II.HermanMelville

1.life

2.wor