美国文学大三版笔记.docx

1、美国文学大三版笔记Chapter 1. The literature of colonial America (1590-1750)(1) Cultural background: Early in 17th cen., most of the settlers in North America were the puritans who wanted to avoid the religious persecution of the Church of England and seek religious freedom in the new land. Puritans - a “woul

2、d-be purifier”, a radical sect of the Protestant reformers who wanted to purify the religious beliefs and practices of the Church of England, that is, restore simplicity to church services and restore the authority of the Bible to theology净化宗教观念，简化仪式Thus they suffered fierce persecution and attack f

3、rom the Church of England. In orderto avoid such persecution, they fled to the American Continent e.g. the Mayflower 1620 in PlymouthThe founding myth 美国的建国神话They regarded themselves as the chosen people and were sent to the America by God in order to create a New world (a new Garden of Eden) in the

4、 America. By doing so, they can get the chance of salvation. (optimism/ idealism)in the grim struggle for survival that followed immediately after their arrival in America, they became more and more practical.They were noted for a spirit of moral and religious earnestness that determinate their whol

5、e way of life. The Puritans in New England practiced theocracy神权政治 Their way of life were based on their somber religion and stressed hard work, thrift, piety and sobriety（节制） They opposed arts and pleasure. They suspect joy and laughter as symptoms of sin. In peoples daily life, religious activitie

6、s were a matter of first importance and all others should serve the religion. Their practices and beliefs (American Puritanism) greatly influenced the literature of this period (e.g. practical matter-of-fact accounts of life in the new world; highly theoretical discussions of religious questions)(2)

7、 Major works and writers: The first writings in American literature were the narratives and journals of the early colonial settlements, which helped to lure more Europeans, especially the Puritans to seek fortune or religious freedom in the new continent John Smith wrote about the exploration in A T

8、rue Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony关于弗吉尼亚的真实描述and became the first American Writer. Poetry: Anne Bradstreet s The Tenth Muse Recently Sprung Up in America-the first poetess in AmericaChapter 2. The literature of

9、Reason and Revolution (1750-1810)While theology dominated the writings of the colonial times, politics政治论辩permeated the writing of the Revolution period. Background:1 political backgroundIndustrial Revolution: spurred the economy in American colonies.Independence War: Around the war, many political

10、writings were written to support and defend American independence and democracy.2 Cultural backgroundThe Enlightenment启蒙运动a literary movement which flourished in France & swept through the whole Western Europe in 18th century. Its purpose was to enlighten the whole world with the light of modem phil

11、osophical & artistic ideas. The enlighteners celebrated reason or rationality, equality & science &human beingsability to perfect themselves and their society. Whats more, they believed that man is basically good and free by nature, endowed by God with certain inalienable rights of liberty and the p

12、ursuit of happiness.While in America the humanistic ideas of the movement dealt a heavy blow to Puritanism in advocating science, knowledge and the power and ability of man. It brought to life secular education and literature. The Enlightenment had also influenced the literature of that period(1) fo

13、rm a style of clarity and precision.(2) its secular ideals (the possibilities of human progress, man has the rights to pursue equality, liberty, and the happiness) are reflected in the writings E.g. Franklin. (P16 ) Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)(1) Life achievement:He was born into a poor candle-mak

14、ers family. He had very little education. He learned in school only for two years, but by self-improvement and self-reliance, he made a great fortune and did lots of contribution to the society. The secular ideals of the American Enlightenment were exemplified in his life and career.(2)Important wor

15、ks: Poor Richards Almanac穷查理历书:An annual collection of proverbs. Franklins pragmatism （实用主义, how to make fortune by efforts & sense of humor are fully demonstrated in this work. E.g. God help them that help themselves. No man was glorious, who was not laborious. The Autobiography 自传: (1) It not only

16、 narrates Franklins early life, but his life principles and philosophy. (2) sets autobiography as a literary genre in American literature.(3) Through telling a success story of self-reliance, the book celebrates, in fact, the fulfillment of the American dream which inspired generations of Americans.

17、 Recording his story form rags to riches by self-reliance and self-improvement (for example, Franklins 13 virtues), the book demonstrated Fs belief that the new world of America was a land of opportunities where people can gain success through hard work and wise management (American Dream- one impor

18、tant theme in American literature) He was the first positive representation of the values of the American Dream. Philip Freneau He anticipated the American literary independence, so he is widely acclaimed as “Father of American Poetry” 美国诗歌之父 (P44)(2) Writing style: Subject: treat the indigenous本土的w

19、ild life and other native American subjects (e.g. The Indian Burying Ground印第安人殡葬地The Wild Honeysuckle 野忍冬花) Diction: natural, simple and concrete (3) The Wild Honey Suckle 野忍冬花 1By celebrating the beauty of the frail forest flower1the poet expresses his keen awareness of the liveliness and transien

20、ce of nature, thus showing his deep love for natural beauty, which was the characteristic of romantic poets. 2 And also his own understanding about mortality/ death ( life and death are inevitable law of nature. )2The tone of the poem is both sentimental and optimistic. First, he showed his pity and

21、 sorrow, for extending the fate of the flower to the fate of all the creatures in the nature, including our human beings. However, at the end of the poem, F was sensible enough to realize the truth underlying the nature, ie. Death and life are inevitable law, therefore, we need accept the death peac

22、efully and bravely. Chapter 3 American Romanticism (1810-1860 civil war) Time Range: (the 1st half of 19th century)From the end of the 18th century (after the War for Independence) through the outbreak of the Civil War. Literary characteristics of this period : (p 57)American literature in this peri

23、od was not a servant of religious and politics. Novels, short stories, and poems replaced the sermons and manifestos as Americans principal literary forms. In a word, the literature at this age flourished and developed its own native features & gained literary independence in the real sense.II. Pre-

24、Romanticism 1. Washington Irving 欧文(1783-1859) the first American writer of imaginative literature to gain international fame. The Sketch Book见闻札记became the first work by an American writer to win financial and critical success on both sides of the Atlantic。Two of the famous short stories of The Ske

25、tch Book are“Rip Van Winkle”瑞普凡温克尔 and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” 睡谷的传说 His stories carry a strong romantic note, with a special interest in gothic and supernatural elements. His style is humorous and familiar, making him an early prose stylist in American literature. He showed a conservative att

26、itude toward the American Revolution & nostalgia for the past before the revolution. In most of his short stories, he prefers the days before American Revolution to those after the revolution. E.g. in “Rip Van Winkle”, after 20-year sleep, Rip couldnt adapt the days after the revolution, and would l

27、ike to recall the past. 2. James Fenimore Cooper 库柏(1789-1851) He launched two kinds of popular stories: the sea adventure tale and the frontier sage. 首创了美国航海题材小说和西部小说 Frontier stories: Leatherstocking Tales 皮裹腿系列（p 105） Leatherstocking Tales is a series of five novels about the frontier of American

28、 settlers.The central figure in the novels is Natty Bumppo 奈迪邦博, a frontier hero, a prototype for the western cowboy. Close after him in romance appeal come the two noble red men (indians), the Mohican Chief Chingachgok and his son, Uncas.恩卡斯 (the positive description of Indians since Philip Freneau

29、 )Natty Bumppo represents the ideal American, living a virtuous and free life in Gods world. Natty Bumppo is an embodiment of human virtues like innocence, simplicity, honesty and generosity, a man born with an immaculate sense of good and evil and right and wrong.3. William Cullen Bryant 布莱恩特(1794-

30、1878)the first American poet who won the recognition of Europe, e.g. Matthew Arnold once praise his “To a Waterfowl” “ the most perfect brief poem in the language”4. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)爱伦坡 Famous American Poet, short-story writer and critic. father of detective story Beauty and melancholy 死亡

31、和美（女） were the major concern of most of his works. According to Poe, the highest form of beauty was a young lady and the highest degree of melancholy was death, so a frequent motif of his short stories and poems is the death of a beautiful young lady. (his wife)According to Poe, Melancholy is thus t

32、he most legitimate of all the poetical tones.The major object of poetry is to create beauty rather than to teach or to delight. Analysis of the selected worksI. Annabelle LeeThis poem, the last poetic work made by Poe, is acclaimed as “the culmination of Poes lyric style in his recurrent theme of the loss of a beautiful and loved woman.” It is generally believed to memorize his deceased wif