美国文学1Romantic.docx

美国文学1Romantic.docx

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美国文学1Romantic

美国文学-1.-Romantic

第一章　美国浪漫主义时期

一、美国浪漫主义时期概述

Ⅰ.本章学习目的和要求

　　通过本章学习，了解１９世纪初期至中叶美国文学产生的历史、文化背景；认识该时期文学创作的基本待征、基本主张，及其对同时代和后期美国文学的影响；了解该时期主要作家的文学创作生涯、创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作品的主题思想、人物刻画、语言风格等；同时结合注释，读懂所选作品并了解其思想内容和艺术特色，培养理解和欣赏文学作品的能力。

Ⅱ.本章重点及难点：

　　1．浪漫主义时期美国文学的特点

　　2．主要作家的创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构、人物刻画、语言风格、思想意义。

　　3．分析讨论选读作品

Ⅲ.本章考核知识点和考核要求：

　1.美国浪漫主义时期概述

（1）．"识记"内容：

美国浪漫主义文学产生的社会历史及文化背景

（2）．"领会"内容：

美国浪漫主义在文学上的表现

　　　　a.欧洲浪漫主义文学的影响

　　　　b.美国本土文学的崛起及其待证

　　（3）．"应用"内容：

清教主义、超验主义、象征主义、自由诗等名词的解释

　2.美国浪漫主义时期的主要作家

Ａ．华盛顿·欧文

　1．一般识记：

欧文的生平及创作主涯

　2．识记：

《纽约外史》《见闻札记》

　3．领会：

欧文的创作领域、创作思想，及其作品的艺术风格

　4.应用：

选读《瑞普·凡·温可尔》的主题及其艺术特色

Ｂ．拉尔夫·华尔多·爱默生

　1．一般识记：

．爱默生的生平及创作生涯

　2．识记：

爱默生的超验主义思想

　3．领会：

（1）爱默生的散文：

《论自然》《论自助》《论美国学者》等

（2）．爱默生与梭罗：

梭罗的超验主义思想和他的《沃尔登》

　4．应用：

《论自然》节选：

爱默生的基本哲学思想及自然观

Ｃ．纳撒尼尔·霍桑

　1．一般识记：

霍桑的生平及创作主涯

　2．识记：

霍桑的长短篇小说

　3．领会：

（1）《红字》的主题、心理描写、象征手法和、小说结构

ofliterature,whichincludedalikingforthepicturesque,theexotic,thesensuous,thesensational,andthesupernatural.

（2）TheAmericansalsoplacedanincreasingemphasisonthefreeexpressionofemotionsanddisp1ayedanincreasingattentiontothepsychicstatesoftheircharacters.Heroesandheroinesexhibitedextremesofsensitivityandexcitement.

　　（3）ThestrongtendencytoexalttheindividualandthecommonmanwasalmostanationalreligioninAmerica.WriterslikeFreneau,Bryant,andCoopershowedagreatinterestinexternalnatureintheirrespectiveworks.

　　（4）Theliteraryuseofthemorecolorfu1aspectsofthepastwasalsotobefoundinIrving'sefforttoexploitthelegendsoftheHudsonRiverregion,andinCooper'slongseriesofhistoricaltales.

　　（5）Inshort,AmericanRomanticismis,inacertainway,derivative.

　　2.TheuniquecharacteristicsofAmericanRomanticism

　　AlthoughgreatlyinfluencedbytheirEnglishcounterparts,theAmericanromanticwritersrevealeduniquecharacteristicsoftheirownintheirworksandtheygrewonthenativelands.Forexamp1e,

（1）theAmericannationalexperienceof"pioneeringintothewest"provedtobearichsourceofmaterialforAmericanwriterstodrawupon.TheycelebratedAmerica'slandscapewithitsvirginforests,meadows,groves,endlessprairies,streams,andvastoceans.Thewildernesscametofunctionalmostasadramaticcharacterthatsymbolizedmoral1aw.

（2）ThedesireforanescapefromsocietyandareturntonaturebecameapermanentconventionofAmericanliterature.SuchadesireisparticularlyevidentinCooper'sLeatherStockingTales,inThoreau'sWaldenand,later,inMarkTwain'sAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn.（3）WiththegrowthofAmericannationalconsciousness,Americancharactertypesspeakinglocaldialectsappearedinpoetryandfictionwithincreasingfrequency.（4）ThentheAmericanPuritanismasaculturalheritageexertedgreatinfluencesoverAmericanmoralvaluesandAmericanRomanticism.OneofthemanifestationsisthefactthatAmericanromanticwriterstendedmoretomoralizethantheirEnglishandEuropeancounterparts.（5）Besides,apreoccupationwiththeCalvinisticviewoforigina1sinandthemysteryofevilmarkedtheworksofHawthorne,Melvilleandahostoflesserwriters.

　（三）．应用内容

　　1.TheAmericanPuritanismanditsgreatinfluenceoverAmericanmoralvalues,asisshowninAmericanromanticwritings.

（1）AmericanPuritanism

PuritanismisthepracticesandbeliefsofthePuritans.（ThePuritanswereoriginallymembersofadivisionoftheProtestantChurch,whocameintoexistenceinthereignsQueenElizabethandKingJamesⅠ.ThefirstsettlerswhobecamethefoundingfathersoftheAmericannationwerequiteafewofthemPuritans.TheycametoAmericaoutofvariousreasons,butitshouldberememberedthattheywereagroupofserious,religiouspeople,advocatinghighlyreligiousandmoralprinciples.Astheworditselfhints,Puritanswantedtopurifytheirreligiousbeliefsandpractices.TheyfeltthattheChurchofEnglandwastooclosetotheChurchofRomeindoctrineformofworship,andorganizationofauthority.）TheAmericanPuritans,liketheirbrothersbackinEngland,wereidealists,believingthatthechurchshouldberestoredtocomplete"purity".Theyacceptedthedoctrineofpredestination,originalsinandtotaldepravity,andlimitedatonementthroughaspecialinfusionofgracefromGod.ButinthegrimstruggleforsurvivalthatfollowedimmediatelyaftertheirarrivalinAmerica,theybecamemoreandmorepractical,asindeedtheyhadtobe.Puritanswerenotedforaspiritofmoralandreligiousearnestnessthatdeterminatedtheirwholewayoflife.Puritans'liveswereextremelydisciplinedandhard.Theydroveoutoftheirsettlementsallthoseopinionsthatseemeddangeroustothem,andhistoryhascriticizedtheiractions.Yetinthepersecutionofwhattheyconsiderederror,thePuritanswerenoworsethanmanyothermovementsinhistory.Asacultureheritage,PuritanismdidhaveaprofoundinfluenceontheearlyAmericanmindandAmericanvalues.AmericanPuritanismalsohadaconspicuouslynoticeableandanenduringinfluenceonAmericanliterature.Ithadbecome,tosomeextent,somuchastateofmind,somuchapartofthenationalculturalatmosphere,ratherthanasetoftenets.

（2）OneofthemanifestationsisthefactthatAmericanromanticwriterstendedmoretomoralizethantheirEnglishandEuropeancounterparts.Besides,apreoccupationwiththeCalvinisticviewoforigina1sinandthemysteryofevilmarkedtheworksofHawthorne,Melvilleandahostoflesserwriters.

　　2.NewEnglandTranscendentalism

　　NewEnglandTranscendentalismisthemotclearlydefinedRomanticliterarymovementinthisperiod.ItwasstartedintheareaaroundConcord,Mass.byagroupofintellectualandtheliterarymenoftheUnitedStatessuchasEmerson,HenryDavidThoreauwhoweremembersofaninformalclub,i.e.theTranscendentalClubinNewEnglandinthel830s.Thetranscendentalistsreactedagainstthecold,rigidrationalismofUnitarianisminBoston.Theyadheredtoanidealisticsystemofthoughtbasedonabeliefintheessentialunityofallcreation,theinnategoodnessofman,andthesupremacyofinsightoverlogicandexperiencefortherevelationofthedeepesttruths.ThewritingsofthetranscendentalistspreparedthegroundoftheircontemporariessuchasWaltWhitman,HermanMelville,andNathanielHawthorne.

Themainissuesinvolvedinthedebateweregenerallyphilosophical,concerningnature,manandtheuniverse.Basically,Transcendentalismhasbeendefinedphilosophical1yas"therecognitioninmanofthecapacityofknowingtruthintuitively,orofattainingknowledgetranscendingthereachofthesenses."Emersononceproclaimedinaspeech,"Nothingisatlastsacredbuttheintegrityofyourownmind."OtherconceptsthataccompaniedTranscendentalisminc1udetheideathatnatureisennoblingandtheideathattheindividualisdivineand,therefore,self-re1iant.

　　3.AmericanRomanticistsdifferedintheirunderstandingofhumannature.

TothetranscendentalistssuchasEmersonandThoreau,manisdivineinnatureandthereforeforeverperfectible;buttoHawthorneandMelville,everybodyispotentiallyasinner,andgreatmoralcourageisthereforeindispensab1efortheimprovementofhumannature,asisshowninHawthorne'sTheScarletLetter.

二.美国浪漫主义时期的主要作家

　　　Ⅰ.WashingtonIrving（1783-l859）

　　Irving'spositioninAmericanliteratureWashingtonIrvingwasoneofthefirstAmericanwriterstoearnaninternationalreputation,andregardedasanearlyRomanticwriterinthemericanliteraryhistoryandFatheroftheAmericanshortstories.

　　一．一般识记

　　Hislifeandmajorworks

　　WashingtonIrvingwasborninNewYorkCityinawealthyfamily.Fromaveryearlyagehebegantoreadwidelyandwritejuvenilepoems,essays,andplays.Inl798,heconc1udedhiseducationatprivateschoolsandenteredalawoffice,buthelovedwritingmore.

　　HisfirstsuccessfulworkisAHistoryOfNewYorkfromtheBeginningOftheWorldtotheEndoftheDutchDynasty,which,writtenunderthenameofDiedrichKnickerbocker,wonhimwidepopularityafteritcameoutin1809.WiththepublicationofTheSketchBookofGeoffreyCrayon,Gent.inserialsbetween1819and1820,IrvingwonameasureofinternationalfameonbothsidesoftheAtlantic.ThebookcontainsfamiliaressaysontheEng1ishlifeandAmericanizedversionsofEuropeanfolktaleslike"RipVanWinkle　＂,and"TheLegendofSleepyHollow."GeoffreyCrayonisacarefullycontrivedpersonaandbehindCrayonstandsIrving,juxtaposingtheOldWorldandtheNew,andmanipulatinghisownantiquarianinterestwithartisticperspectives.

　　ThemajorworkofhislateryearswasTheLifeofGeorgeWashington.

　　二．识记

　　1.Irving'sgreatindebtednesstoEuropeanliterature

MostofIrving'ssubjectmatterareborrowedheavilyfromEuropeansources,whicharechieflyGermanic.Irving'srelationshipwiththeOldWorldintermsofhisliteraryimaginationcanhardlybeignoredconsideringhissuccessbothabroadandathome.

　　AHistoryofNewYorkisapatchworkofreferences,echoes,andburlesques.HeparodiesorimitatesHomer,Cervantes,Fielding,Swiftandmanyotherfavoritesofhis.HewasalsoabsorbedinGermanLiteratureandgotideasfromGermanlegendsfortwoofhisfamousstories"RipVanWinkle"and"TheLegendofSleepyHollow."TheAlhambraisusuallyregardedasIrving's"SpanishSketchBook"simplybecauseithasastrongflavorofSpanishculture.Mostofthethirty-threeessaysinTheSketchBookwerewritteninEngland,filledwithEnglishscenesandquotationsfromEnglishauthorsandfaithfultoBritishorthography.WashingtonIrvingbroughttothenewnationwhatitspeop1edesiredmostinamanof1etterstherespectoftheOldWorl