美国文学选读总结陶洁版.docx
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美国文学选读总结陶洁版
第一讲
PeriodsofAmericanLiterature
1607—1775theColonialPeriod
1765—1790theRevolutionaryAge
1775—1865theearlynationalperiodandtheRomanticPeriod
1865—1914theRealisticPeriod
1900—1914theNaturalisticperiod
1914—1939theModernperiod
1939---thecontemporaryperiod
TheColonialPeriod
FromthefoundingofthefirstsettlementatJamestown,Virginia,totheoutbreakoftheAmericanRevolution
Historicalbackground
TheReformationinEurope→mostofthefoundingfatherswerepuritans→theAmericanPuritanismbecameoneofthemostenduringshapinginfluences
whatisAmericanPuritanism?
HowdoesitinfluenceAmericanliterature?
AmericanPuritanism
Acodeofvalues,aphilosophyoflife,orasetoftenetsofTheAmericanpuritans
TheywereidealistsbelievingthattheirchiefbusinesstoseethatmanlivedandthoughtandactedinawaywhichtendedtothegloryofGod.Theyacceptedthedoctrineofpredestination,originalsinandtotaldepravity,andlimitedatonement(orthesalvationofaselectedfew)throughirresistiblegraceofGod.
Ontheotherhand,theywerepracticalidealists,ordoctrinaireopportunists.TheyfelttheywereexilesunderthegraceofGodtoestablishaparadiseinthenewworld,yettheharshrealityforcedthemtobuildawayoflifethatstressedhardwork,thrift,piety,andsobriety.
TheinfluencesonAmericanliterature
Optimism:
Anglo-Americanliterature,basedontheBiblicalmythoftheGardenofEden,isaliteraryexpressionofthepiousidealismofthePuritanbequest.Firedwithasenseofmission,theydreamedofbuildinganewEdeninAmerica,whichledtotheemergenceofAmericandreaminliterature.
Literarysymbolism:
Puritan’smetaphoricalmodeofperceptionhelpedtodevelopliterarysymbolismastheysawthephysical,phenomenalworldwasnothingbutasymbolofGod.Hencesymbolismasatechniquewasacommonpractice.
TheliterarysceneinColonialAmerican
Humbleorigins:
histories,travelaccounts,diaries,letters,sermons,biographies,autobiographies,commonplacebooks,andpoemstorecordtheirexperiencesandexpresstheirviewsandfeelings.
Literatureofdiscovery,ofpuritanexpansion,andofGod
WilliamBradford(1590-1657)OfPlymouthPlantation
JohnSmith(1580-1631)ADescriptionofNewEngland
AnneBradstreet(1612-1672“theTenthMuse”)
PuritanPoet:
EdwardTaylor(1642-1729)
characteristics
FullofSymbolicmeanings
Utilitarian,polemical,ordidactic
Thestyle:
fresh,simple,anddirect
Therhetoricisplainandhonest,notwithoutatouchofnobilitytraceabletothedirectinfluenceoftheBible
The18thCentury
“ForthreegenerationstheprevailingAmericancharacterwascompactinonetype,themanofactionwhowasalsothemanofGod.Notuntiltheeighteenthcenturydidtheriftappear…itappearedinthetwophilosophers,JonathanEdwardsandBenjaminFranklinwhofixedthepolesofournationallife….JonathanEdwardsdisplayedtheinfiniteinflexibilityoftheupperlevelsoftheAmericanmind…typicallyFranklinthefiniteflexibilityofitslowerlevels”
VanWyckBrooks:
American’sComingofAge1915
AmericanPuritanismisatwo-facetedtraditionofreligiousidealismandlevelcommonsense.Edwardsrepresentedtheformeraspect,whileFranklinthelatter
TwobasicpatternsofthoughtinAmerican
Theinfluenceofthedeism.(Godasthemakeroftheclock)→Theageofenlightenment,reason,order
thepersistentCalvinistbeliefs→the“GreatAwakening”
EdwardsandFranklinrepresenttheparadoxofPuritanmaterialismandimmateriality.
BenjaminFranklinandhisAutobiography
Bornin1706intoapoorcandle-maker’sfamily---“poorandobscure”,littleformaleducation.
Independentprinterandpublisher,essayist,scientist,orator,statesman,philosopher,politicaleconomist,ambassador,parlorman,----“Jackofalltrades”
Sinceearly1750s,publiccareerbegan.TheonlyAmericantosignthefourdocumentsthatcreatedtheUS----TheDeclarationofIndependence,thetreatyofalliancewithFrance,thetreatyofpeacewithEngland,andtheconstitution.
Masterofeachandmasteredbynone---thetypeandgeniusofhisland-------HermanMelvillethusdescribedhim.
TheAutobiography
thesimpleyetfascinatingrecordofamanrisingtowealthandfamefromastateofpovertyandobscurity,thefaithfulaccountofthecareerofAmerican’sfirstself-mademan.
aPuritandocument,arecordofself-examinationandself-improvement.Aconvincingillustrationofthepuritanethicthatinordertogetonintheworld,onehastobeindustrious,frugal,andprudent.
Aneloquentexplanationofhisphilosophy:
moderation,order,man’sbasicallygoodandfreenature,man’scapabilityofimprovement,man’sinalienablerights.
CelebratesthefulfillmentoftheAmericandreamthroughthespiritofself-reliance.
Thestyle
Patternofpuritansimplicity,directness,andconcision.
Plainnessofstyle
Homelinessofimagery
Simplicityofdiction
Lucidityofthenarrative
WashingtonIrving(1783-1859)
BornintoawealthyNewYorkmerchantfamily.
Firstbookin1809:
AHistoryofNewYork
WiththepublicationTheSketchBook(1819-1820),acollectionofessays,tales,andsketches,hewonameasureofinternationalrecognition.
In1826,senttoSpainasanAmericandiplomaticattaché.
from1829-1832,wasasecretaryoftheunitedstatesLegationinLondon.
Upto1832,hewasdrawntotheruinsandrelicsofEuropeandwritingaboutsubjectseitherEnglishorEuropean.Hefoundvaluesinthepastandinthetraditionsoftheoldworld.BackinAmerica,hefoundawholenewspiritofnationalisminAmericanfeelingandletters.
IrvingwasthefirstAmericanwriterofimaginativeliteraturetogaininternationalfame.TheshortstoryasagenreinAmericanliteraturebeganwithhisTheSketchBook,ofwhichthemostfamousareRipVanWinkleandTheLegendofSleepHollow.ItalsomarkedthebeginningofAmericanRomanticism.
Irving’sstyle
1.Avoidmoralizingasmuchaspossible;wrotetoamuseandentertain.
2.Despitetheslimplot,heisgoodatenvelopinghisstoriesinanatmosphere
3.Hislanguageisfinishedandmusical.TheAmericanGoldsmith
第二讲
TheRomanticPeriod
Stretchesfromtheendof18thcenturythroughtheoutbreakofthecivilwar
Historicalandculturalbackground
a.thebuoyantmoodofthenationburstingintonewlife
b.theflourishingromanticmovementinEurope
c.theculturalheritage:
AmericanPuritanism
Americanromanticismwasbothimitativeandindependent
a.itwasinessencetheexpressionofarealnewexperienceandcontainedanalienquality.ItexhibitedanapathytoAmericanlifelikethewestwardexpansionsanddemocracyandequality.
b.intechniqueAmericanromanticistlovedtraditionalmetersandstanzaforms,usedstereotypedmetaphorsandsuperficialandexplicitsymbolism
NewEnglandTranscendentalism
ThesummitofAmericanromanticism,“AmericanRenaissance”
ThetranscendentalclubwithitsjournalDialexpresstheirresentmenttothematerialistic-orientedlifeofthetimeandtothecold,rigidrationalismofunitarianism
Themajorfeatures
Emphasisonspirit,ortheOversoul,asthemostimportantthingintheuniverse.Theoversoulwasanall-pervadingpowerforgoodness,omnipresentandomnipotent,fromwhichallthingscameandofwhichallwereapart.Itexistedinnatureandmanalike.→anewwayoflookingattheworld,reactionagainsttheNewtonianconceptoftheuniverseandthemechanizedcapitalisticAmerica.
Stressedtheimportanceofindividualwhichwasthemostimportantelementofsociety.Theindividualsoulcommunedwiththeoversoulandwasthereforedivine.Thefirstconcernofmanwashisperfectionthroughself-culture,self-improvement,andself-reliance.→anewwayoflookingatman,reactionagainsttheCalvinismandthedehumanizationofcapitalism
OfferedafreshperceptionofnatureassymbolicofthespiritorGod.
Naturewas,tothem,notpurelymatter.Itwasalive,filledwithGod’soverwhelmingpresence.ItwasthegarmentoftheOversoul.Thereforeitcouldexerciseahealthyandrestorativeinfluenceonthehumanmind.
NewEnglandtranscendentalismwastheproductofacombinationofforeignromanticinfluencesandtheAmericanPuritanidealism.RomanticismonthePuritansoil.
RalphWaldoEmerson(1803-1882)
DescendantofalonglineofNewEnglandclergymen.
WenttoHarvard,whereheunderwentaspiritual“odyssey”
Calvinistbelief→Unitarianminister→EuropeanRomanticism
→themosteloquentspokesmanofNewEnglandtranscendentalism
HisNature(1836):
themanifestoofAmericantranscendentalism
TheDivinitySchoolAddress(1838)
TheAmericanScholar(1837):
American’sdeclarationofIntellectualIndependence
TheRepresentativeMen(1850):
biographiesofgreatmen,revealhisambivalencetowardaggressivenessandself-seeking
TheConductofLife(1860)
TheTranscendentalistviewsofEmerson
Thetranscendenceofthe“Oversoul”andthedivinityofman
ThespiritualandimmanentGodisoperativeinthesoulofman,andthatmanisdivine.
Theinfinitudeoftheprivateman
Ifmandependsuponhimself,cultivateshimself,andbringsoutthedivineinhimself,hecanhopetobecomebetterandevenperfect.thepossibilitiesformantodevelopandimprovehimselfareinfinite.
Manshouldandcouldbeself-reliant.Trustthyselfandmakethyself
Thesanctifyingmoralinfluenceofnatureasthesymbolofspirit
Thenaturalworldisvitalisticandevolutionary.Itmediatesbetweenmanandgod,andisawholesomemoralinfluenceonman.
Aesthetics:
romanticorganicprinciple
truepoetryandartshouldserveasamoralpurificationandapassagetowardorganicunityandhigherreality.
Self-relianceiswidelyconsideredtobe