美国文学.docx

美国文学.docx

《美国文学.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《美国文学.docx（35页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

美国文学

RomanticAmericanLiterature

TheRomanticPeriod

oneofthemostimportantperiodsinthe　historyofAmericanliterature,stretchesfromtheendofthe18thcenturytotheoutbreakoftheCivilWar.ItstartedwiththepublicationofWashingtonIrving's TheSketchBook（1820）andendedwithWhitman's LeavesofGrass（1855）.

TheimpactofEuropeanRomanticismonAmericanRomanticism

n          Foreignliterarymasters,especiallytheEnglishcounterpartsexertedastimulatingimpactonthewritersofthenewworld.Bornofonecommonculturalheritage,theAmericanwriterssharedsomecommonfeatureswiththeEnglishRomanticists.Theyrevoltedagainsttheliteraryformsandideasoftheperiodofclassicismbydevelopingsomerelativelynewformsoffictionorpoetry.

n               

（1） Theyputemphasisupontheimaginativeandemotionalqualitiesofliterature,whichincludedalikingforthepicturesque,theexotic,thesensuous,thesensational,andthesupernatural.

n          　　

（2）TheAmericansalsoplacedanincreasingemphasison thefreeexpressionofemotionsanddisp1ayedanincreasingattentiontothepsychicstatesoftheircharacters.Heroesandheroinesexhibitedextremesofsensitivityandexcitement.

n          　　（3）Thestrongtendencytoexalttheindividualandthecommonmanwas almostanationalreligioninAmerica.WriterslikeFreneau,Bryant,andCoopershowedagreatinterestinexternalnatureintheirrespectiveworks.

n          　　（4）Theliteraryuseofthemorecolorfu1aspectsofthepastwasalsotobefoundinIrving'sefforttoexploitthelegendsoftheHudsonRiverregion,andinCooper'slongseriesofhistoricaltales.

n          　　（5）Inshort,AmericanRomanticismis,inacertainway,derivative.

TheuniquecharacteristicsofAmericanRomanticism

n          AlthoughgreatlyinfluencedbytheirEnglishcounterparts,theAmericanromanticwritersrevealeduniquecharacteristicsoftheirownintheirworksandtheygrewonthenativelands.

n          

（1）TheAmericannationalexperienceof"pioneeringintothewest"provedtobearichsourceofmaterialforAmericanwriterstodrawupon.

n          

（2）ThedesireforanescapefromsocietyandareturntonaturebecameapermanentconventionofAmericanliterature.

n          （3）WiththegrowthofAmericannationalconsciousness,Americancharactertypesspeakinglocaldialectsappearedinpoetryandfictionwithincreasingfrequency.

n          （4）ThentheAmericanPuritanismasaculturalheritageexertedgreatinfluencesoverAmericanmoralvaluesandAmericanRomanticism.

n          （5）Besides,apreoccupationwiththeCalvinisticviewoforigina1sinandthemysteryofevilmarkedtheworksofHawthorne,Melvilleandahostoflesserwriters.

AmericanPuritanism

nPuritanismisthepracticesandbeliefsofthePuritans.ThefirstsettlerswhobecamethefoundingfathersoftheAmericannationwerequiteafewofthemPuritans.Theywereagroupofserious,religiouspeople,advocatinghighlyreligiousandmoralprinciples.Astheworditselfhints,Puritanswantedtopurifytheirreligiousbeliefsandpractices.TheAmericanPuritans,liketheirbrothersbackinEngland,wereidealists,believingthatthechurchshouldberestoredtocomplete"purity".Theyacceptedthedoctrineofpredestination,originalsinandtotaldepravity,andlimitedatonementthroughaspecialinfusionofgracefromGod.

nButinthegrimstruggleforsurvivalthatfollowedimmediatelyaftertheirarrivalinAmerica,theybecamemoreandmorepractical,asindeedtheyhadtobe.Puritanswerenotedforaspiritofmoralandreligiousearnestnessthatdeterminedtheirwholewayoflife.Puritans'liveswereextremelydisciplinedandhard.Theydroveoutoftheirsettlementsallthoseopinionsthatseemeddangeroustothem,andhistoryhascriticizedtheiractions.Yetinthepersecutionofwhattheyconsiderederror,thePuritanswerenoworsethanmanyothermovementsinhistory.Asacultureheritage,PuritanismdidhaveaprofoundinfluenceontheearlyAmericanmindandAmericanvalues.AmericanPuritanismalsohadaconspicuouslynoticeableandanenduringinfluenceonAmericanliterature.Ithadbecome,tosomeextent,somuchastateofmind,somuchapartofthenationalculturalatmosphere,ratherthanasetoftenets.

NathanielHawthorne（1804-l864）

oneofthemostinteresting,

yetmostambiva1entwritersin theAmericanliteraryhistory.

collectionsofshortstories:

nTwice-ToldTales （1837）

《再讲一遍的故事》

MossesfromanOldManse

（1846）

《古屋青苔》

Novels

nTheScarletLetter （1850）, 《红字》

nTheHouseoftheSevenGables （1851）,

《带有七个尖角阁的房子》

nTheBlithedaleRomance （1852）

   《福谷传奇》，

nTheMarbleFaun （1860）

  《玉石雕像》

Hawthorne'sthematicconcerns

n

（1）his"black"visionoflifeandhumanbeings:

hisconcernwithhumansinandevil.

       Hawthorne iscertainlyathisbestwhenwritingaboutevilorsin.Mostofhisworksdealwithevilonewayoranother.Tohim,sinwillgetpunished,onewayoranother.Asamatteroffact,hewassaidtobeoftentroubledbythethoughtthatthedeclineofhisfamily’sfortunehadtodowiththesinsofhisPuritanancestors.Hawthornebelievesthat‘thewrong-doingofonegenerationlivesintothesuccessiveones’,andthatevilwillcomeoutofevilthoughitmaytakemanygenerationstohappen.ThisexplainsHawthorne’saloofnessfromEmersonianTranscendentalistoptimismandhis skepticismaboutit,andevenhiscriticalattitudetowardsit.

na.evilbeingatthecoreofhumanlife,evilexistsinthehumanheart,

  人心是万恶之源;

nb.sinwillgetpunished,onewayoranother,‘恶有恶报’

   ‘the wrong-doingofonegenerationlivesintothe successiveones’

   ‘一代人的错误会延续到后代去’

n

（2）Hawthorne'sviewofPuritanism:

     Hawthorne's viewofmanandhumanhistoryoriginates,toagreatextent,inPuritanism.HewasnotaPuritanhimself,buthehadPuritanancestorswhop1ayedanimportantrolein hislifeandworks.Hebelievedthat"thewrongdoingofonegenerationlivesintothesuccessiveones,"andoftenwonderedifhemighthaveinheritedsomeoftheirguilt.Thissensibility1edtohisunderstandingofevilbeingattheverycoreofhumanlife,whichistypicaloftheCalvinisticbeliefthathumanbeingsarebasicallydepravedandcorrupted,hence,theyshouldobeyGodtoatonefortheirsins.

InmanyofHawthorne'sstoriesandnovels,thePuritan

conceptoflifeiscondemned,orthePuritanPastisshownin

analmosttotallynegativelight,especiallyinhisTheHouse

OftheSevenGablesandTheScarletLetter.Hawthorneis

attractedineverywaytothePuritanworld,eventhough

hecondemnsitslesshumanemanifestations.Ontheonehand,

itprovideshimwithasubject,HeinheritedthePuritantradition

 ofmoralearnestness,andhewasdeeplyconcernedwith

theconceptsoforiginalsinandguiltandtheclaimsoflawand

 conscience;andontheother,withthePuritanworldorsociety

asahistoricalbackground,hediscussessomeofthemost

importantissuesthatconcernthemorallifeofmanandhuman

 history.

TheScarletLetter

Hawthorne'sremarkablesenseofthePuritanpast,hisunderstandingoftheco1onialhistoryinNewEngland,hisapparentpreoccupationwiththemoralissuesofsinandguilt,andhiskeenpsychologicalanalysisofpeoplearebroughttofulldisplayinhismasterpieceTheScarletLetter.

Characters

nTheScarletLetter isneitherastoryoflove,norastoryofsin.WhatHawthornewaspredominantlyconcernedwithwasthemoral,emotional,andpsychologicaleffectofthesinonthepeopleingeneral.

HesterPrynne

nInthestrongcharacterofHesterweseethetensionbetweensocietyandsolitude. TheScarletLetter isnotapraiseofaHestersinning,butahymnonthemoralgrowthofthewomanwhensinnedagainst.Herdriveissexual,butshelivesarigorouslife.HerattitudetowardstheadulteryandthescarletletterAispositive.Thoughlivingonthefringeofthecommunity,shedoesherbesttoreestablishherfellowshipwithherneighborsonanew,honestbasis.Shehelpsherfellowcreaturesasasisterofmercyofsortsorasaskilledembroidererinanundemandingmanner,andfinallywinstheirloveandadmiration.Herlifeeventuallyacquiresarealsignificancewhenshereestablishesameaningfulrelationshipwithherfellowmen.

Dimmesdale

ontheotherhand,isnegative.Hebanisheshimselffromsociety.Deeplypreoccupiedwithhimself,helivesastrangeramonghisadmirers.Theresultisthat,whereasHesterisabletoreconstructherlifeandwinamoralvictory,Dimmesdaleundergoesthetragicexperienceofphysicalandspiritualdisintegration.Butfinallyhediesanhonestman.Throughthecharacterizationofthe2characters,Hawthornemayintendtopointoutthatthebestpolicyformanistobetrue,honest,andeverreadytoshowone’sworsttotheoutsideworld.Hesterdoesitallherlife;Dimmesdaledoesitattheendofhislife.

Chillingworth

nTherealmurdererofthestoryisChillingworth,whoreallycommits‘theUnpardonableSin’.HekeepspreyingonDimmesdale’sconscienceuntilthepoorclergymanistormentedtodeath.TheendofChillingworthisalsotragicenough.Dimmesdale’sdeclarationbeforehisdeath,‘Thou,too,hastdeeplysinned!

’islikeGod’sjudgmentonhimandgiveshimadeadlyblow.Thelasttimeweseehim,heiskneelingdownbesidesDimmesdale,‘withablank,dullcountenance,outofwhichthelifeseemedtohavedeparted’.

Thestructure of TheScarletLetter

The24chaptersof TheScarletLetter arecloselyknittedtogetherbymeansofthescaffoldsceneswhichappear3times,inthebeginning,themiddleandtheendofthebook,eachtimebringingthe4majorcharacters（Hester,Dimmesdale,ChillingworthandPearl）together.ChapterIandII,XIIa