美国文学复习资料1.docx

美国文学复习资料1.docx

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美国文学复习资料1

Part1

AmericanPuritanismtoEnlightenment–ColonialPeriod

I.Multiplechoice:

.

1.ThePuritandominatingvalueswere__A.B.C.D_.

A.hardworkB.thriftC.pietyD.sobriety

2.ThecommonthreadthroughoutAmericanliteraturehasbeentheemphasisonthe_C__.

A.revolutionismB.reasonC.individualismD.rationalism

3.InAmericanliterature,theeighteencenturywastheageoftheEnlightenment.__.B_wasthedominantspirit.

A.HumanismB.RationalismC.RevolutionD.Evolution

4.“Godhelpthemthathelpthemselves”isfoundin__B__’swork..

A.PaineB.FranklinC.FreneauD.Jefferson

5.AttheReasonandRevolutionPeriod,AmericanswereinfluencedbytheEuropeanmovementcalledthe__C__.

A.ChartistMovementB.RomanticistMovement

C.EnlightenmentMovementD.ModernistMovement

II.IdentificationofFragments:

“Frommorningsunsandeveningdews

Atfirstthylittlebeingcame:

Ifnothingonce,younothinglose,

Forwhenyoudieyouarethesame:

Thespacebetween,isbutanhour,

Thefraildurationofaflower.”

1.Whoisthewriteroftheseverses?

PhilipFreneau

2.whatisthetitleofthispoem?

TheWildHoneysuckle

3.Giveabriefcommentonthispoem.

HereFreneauoffersaversionofanabundantAmericawithpotentialforprovidingagoodlifeforall.ThepoemisalsoanindicationofhisdedicationtoAmericansubjectmatterasheexaminedpeculiarlyAmericancharacteristicsofthecountryside.

Part1

AmericanPuritanismtoEnlightenment–ColonialPeriod

I.AmericanPuritanism（northcolonies）:

i.Puritans:

ThesettlementoftheNorthAmericancontinentbytheEnglishbeganintheearlypartofthe17thcentury（“Mayflower”,1620）–onAmerica’snorthernseacoast–NewEngland–thefirstsettleswhobecamethefoundingfathersoftheAmericannationwerequiteafewofthemPuritans.

ii.IdealofPuritans:

Theywereidealiststo“purify”theritualsofthechurch,tolessentheauthorityofbishops,believingthatthechurchshouldberestoredtothe“purity”ofthefirstcenturychurchasestablishbyJesusChristhimself.

⏹BythetimeofElizabeth’sreign,thechurchofEnglandwasclearlyProtestantinrespecttoitsseparationfromRome.

⏹PuritanswereoriginallydevoutmembersoftheChurchofEngland

⏹ThereignofQueenMary–immigratingtoAmericasearchingforreligiousfreedom–ironically:

thetermof“Puritanism”impliesreligiousintolerance,bigotry,austerityoftaste,killingjoywayoflife.why?

（Theypersecutedthewitchorthosewhomthecommunitydeemed“hellish”–Hawthorn’sTheScarletLetter）TypicalPuritan’swayoflife–inharmonywiththeirsomberreligion,stressinghardwork,thrift,piety,andsobriety;themostpopularimage–ateetotaler,gaunt,lank-haired,wearingablacksteeplehat–infactadistortion,evokingforatime,antipathyanddisgust

iii.Puritanism:

Puritanswereagroupofserious,religiouspeople,theyhadtheirowncodeofvalues,aphilosophyoflife,andtheirpointofview

A:

Threebasicpuritantenets:

⏹God’sabsolutesovereignty--Godisall-powerfulandassertsHisinfluenceineveryeventofhumanlife

⏹OriginalSin–ASaresultofAdamandEve’seatingtheforbiddenfruit,allhumanityiscompletelywicked.

⏹Predestination–HumanracesispredestinedbyGod（JohnCalvin）

（TenetsofJohnCalvin:

Thestateshouldbetheservantofthechurch.“originaldepravity”,“InAdam’sfall,wesinnedall”–mancannotredeemhisoriginalsinfulness–“Redemption,therefore,mustbeafreegiftfromGod.OnlyHeandnooneelsemaydecidewhoistobesavedandwhoistogotohell–“Predestination”–Christ,therefore,didnotdieforall,butonlyforthosewhoaretobesaved）

B.Anethicwasdevelopedaroundhardwork:

Thedriveformoneyandtheacquisitionofwealththroughworkmaynotbeasteptowardsalvation（sincetherewasnochoice）butperhapsasignthatonewassaved.Iflifewereadiscoveryofwhetherornotsomeonewassaved,theneveryeventwassignificant.Ofoneactedinawaythatwasnotinaccordancewiththisbelief,thenonewassurelynotsavedanddefinitelyathreattotheexistingorder.

C.ManywritersregardedthesettlersasGod’sagents,sentunderHis“wonderworkingprovidence”tomakehomesforHischosenandtoconvertordestroytheIndianswhomtheyfeltweresentbythedeviltodisturbtheirprogress.ThewritingbroughthometotheaveragechurchmemberafearandwonderforGod’sworkings–nothingwaswrittenformereamusement–plainstyle,Biblicalallusion（quotation,sermons）

iii.AmericanMyth:

⏹Americanliteratureisbasedonamyth–theBiblicalmythoftheGardenofEden

⏹AliteraryexpressionofthepiousidealismoftheAmericanPuritanbequest–optimistic

⏹Religiousandutilitarian--reflectingthosepeople’sstrivingforsalvation,especiallymaterially

iv.AmericanDream（basicallyoptimistic）

⏹religiouslypiousandpractical

⏹westlandtoexplore,unlimitedopportunities,forbiddingnaturalsurroundingsthatintriguingpeople’sfightingspirit–“AsupofNewEngland’sairisbetterthanawholedraftofoldEngland’sale”FrancisHigginsonNewEnglan’sPlantation1630）–TheveryseverityofthefrontierconditionstaughttheAmericanPuritanstobetougher,tobeeveryreadyforanymisfortunesandtragicfailuresthatmightlieinwaitforthem.

⏹individualsuccess–individualism

II.LiteraryScene（PuritanandEnlightened）:

i.theme:

abouttheirvoyagetothenewland,aboutadaptingthemselvestounfamiliarclimatesandcrops,aboutdealingwithIndians,aboutthelandwhichstretchedbeforethem–unimaginableandimmense,withrichdenseforestsanddeepbluelakesandrichsoil–allseemedpossiblethroughhardworkandfaith

ii.form:

Englishliterarytraditionimitated

iii.languagestyle:

fresh,simpleanddirect,plainandhomely,honestrhetoric,Biblicalallusion

iv.representatives:

（WilliamBradford,AnneBradstreet,EdwardTaylor,ThomasPaine）

A.PhilipFreneau–religiousfreedom–dawningnationalism,Americansubjectmatter,poetofAmericanrevolution

--TheWildHoneySuckle

--TheIndianBuryingGround

B.JonathanEdwards–religiousecstasy–influenceuponlateryears:

Emerson,anticipating18thc.Transcendentalism

C.BenjaminFranklin（1706-1790）

⏹oppositeofEdwards:

theparadoxofPuritanmaterialismandimmateriality

⏹Jack-of-all-trades,aself-mademan

⏹ThesymboloftheAgeofEnlightenment,ageofReason–leadingtotheAgeofRomanticism

⏹PoorRichard’sAllmanac

⏹Autobiography–howamanshouldlivehislife,13virtues,

（industrious,frugal,prudentetc.）

--aPuritandocument:

self-examinationandself-improvement,self-reliance,thefulfillmentofthe“AmericanDream”–senseofoptimismrevolution--romantic

--spokesmanfortheneworderof18thc.AmericanEnlightenment:

Manisbasicallygoodandfree,bynatureendowedbyGodwithcertaininalienablerightsoflibertyandthepursuitofhappiness–benevolenceofGod

--style:

simplicity,directness,concision,plainness,homelinessofimagery

D.Anoppositetone:

pessimistic

St.JohndeCrevecoeur

⏹HesawandspokeoftheillusorynatureofthatAmericandream,beingawareoftheexistenceofslavery,avarice,violence,famineanddisease–allformsofevilthathethoughttheAmericanhadnotleftbehindwithhismigrationtothissideoftheAtlantic

⏹Thusalmostattheverybeginning,theNewWorldhadinitsconstitutiontheelementsoftheold,andtheidealhadasitstwinbrother–theanti-ideal

⏹LeadingtothenoteofpessimismfirstclearlyheardandheededinMarkTwain’sTheGildedAge

III.SouthernPlantation:

alandedaristocracy,itsownintelligentsia

IV.MiddleColonies:

Americantoleration

--Dutch,Swedish–NewYork,Pennsylvania–allnationalities’folkstoriesprovidingforthematerialsforlaterRomanticwriters,suchasWashingtonIrving

V.ComparisonbetweenAmericanPuritanismandChineseConfucianism（after-classdiscussion）

⏹Confucius

⏹Confucianism

--themoralandreligioussystemofChinafoundedConfuciusbytheendofthe6thc.B.C.Hisoriginalsayings（Analects）wereeditedwithcommentariesbyMenciusinthe4thB.C.,andhisphilosophywasfurtherdevelopedbyChuHisinthe12thc.andbyWangYang-minginthe16thc.

--Basicallyitisasystemofethicalprecepts—benevolent

love,righteousness,decorum,wiseleadership,sincerity–designedtoinspireandpresencethegoodmanagementoffamilyandsociety.

--Atheologicaldimensionwasintroducedinthe2ndc.B.C.whenTungChung-ShurelatedthefivevirtuestoacosmicordergovernedbyShang-Ti（rulerofheaven）towhomtheemperorwasimmediatelyresponsible.ItbecametheofficialdoctrineofImperialChinaundertheHanDynasty（2ndc.B.C.–2ndc.A.D.）.RitualsacrificeinappointedshrinescharacterizedConfucianismfromthe1stc.B.C.untilthePeople’sRepublicof1949.

--EclipsedbyTaoismandBuddhismfromthe3rdc.tothe7thc.,ConfucianismwasrevivedandmadethestatereligionundertheTangDynasty（618-906）

--Neo-Confucianism,strongbetweenthe10thc.andthe13thc..opposedthesupernaturalquietistictendenciesofBuddhismandTaoism,advocatingahumanisticsearchfortruth.

--Fromthe2ndc.B.C.untilthe20thc.,ConfucianismwasthedistinctivephilosophyofChina,andthebasisofsocialorganization,educationandadministration.

LiteraryTerms（American）

1.Theocracy

Itisastatesysteminwhichthestateandthechurcharecombinedintoone,withtheideathatGodwouldgovernthroughthechurch.ItwasthemajorformofthegovernmentincolonialAmerica.

2.Puritanism

PuritanismreferstothepracticesandbeliefsofthePuritans.ThePuritansarethepeoplew