美国文学.docx

1、美国文学American LiteratureA Survey of American Literature Part I. Colonial America ( 1607-1765) Part II. Enlightenment and Revolution Period (1765-the end of 18th century) Part III. The Age of Romanticism (1880- 1865) Part The Age of Realism and Naturalism ( 1865-1918) part. The Age of Modernism (1918-

2、1945) part Contemporary Literature ( 1945- )Part I. Colonial America ( 1607-1765) Historical Background Writers and Poets Puritan PuritanismHistorical Background 1) The native American and their culture Indians 2) Christopher Columbus found the new continent called America In 1491. 3) Immigrants: 4)

3、Puritans came the New England area, by Mayflower in 1619. 5).The second settlement was established in Plymouth , New England , in 1620 Writers and Poets South, Jamestown, Virginia: Captain John Smith-first American writer, 8 works North, New England, Puritan Writers William Bradford: first governor

4、of Plymouth, The History of Plymouth Plantation: simplicity, earnestness, direct reporting, readable, moving. John Winthrop: first governor of Boston, The History of New England, candidness (bluntness), simplicity, honesty Two Poets: Anne Bradstreet, first American woman poet; a Puritan poet; her po

5、ems mainly about religious experience, family life and early settlers lives; Edward TaylorGeneral features of Colonial Literature Humble origins: diaries, histories, letters etc. In content: serving either God or colonial expansion or bothIn form: imitating English literary traditionsPuritans：Purita

6、ns=CalvinistsPuritanismA religious and political movement. Through it, one sees the emerging right of the individual to political and religious independence.Their religious doctrines: original sin（原罪，人生下来就是有罪的，因为人类的祖先亚当和夏娃是有罪的）, total depravity（人类是完全堕落的，所以人要处处小心自己的行为，要尽可能做到最好以取悦上帝）, predestination（命

7、运天定）, limited atonement（有限救赎，只有被上帝选中的人才能得到上帝的拯救）.Part II. Enlightenment and Revolution Period (1765-the end of 18th century ) 1.Historical Introduction2.Authors and their writings Historical Introduction Industrial Revolution: spurred the economy in American colonies. Independence War: Free them fro

8、m the English Colonial rule, and founded their own independent country-Earthly Paradise Spiritual life of the coloniesEnlightenment: Philosophical and intellectual movement.Advocated reason or rationality, the scientific method, equality and human beings ability to perfect themselves and their socie

9、ty. Agreed on faith in human rationality and existence of discoverable and universally valid principles governing human beings, nature and society. Opposed intolerance(不容许相反的言论) , restraint, spiritual authority and revealed religion2. Authors and their writings Benjamin Franklin Thomas Paine Thomas

10、Jefferson Philip FreneauBenjamin Franklin1. Poor Richards Almanac:（It contains many proverbs of industry and frugality.）2. The Autobiography：inspiring account of a poor boys rise to a high position. It is a how-to-do-it book, one on the art of self-improvement.Thomas Paine Propagandist传道者, pamphlete

11、er , a master of persuasion who understands the power of language to move a man to action. Main works: The American Crisis； Common Sense； The Rights of Man； The Age of ReasonThomas Jefferson Enlightener, planter, aristocrat, lawyer, a symbol of American democracy. Man of many talents: scientist, inv

12、entor, musician, linguist, architect, diplomat and writer.Philip Freneau Father of American Poetry Main Works: The Rising Glory of America The British Prison Ship The Wild Honey Suckle The Indian Burying Ground Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography Summery: Its inspiring account of a poor boys rise to a

13、high position. It is a how-to-do-it book, one on the art of self-improvement. It covered Franklins life only until 1757 when he was 51 years old. It described his life as a shrewd and industrious businessman and narrates how he owned the constant felicity of his life, his long-continued health and a

14、cquisition of fortune. Analysis of Selected Parts Chapter 1 To His Son : The Authors reasons for undertaking the present work Chapter 2 The Arrival in Philadelphia: Reasons for his leaving his brother and the hard journey.Significance: (1)It presents a prototype of American success which inspired ge

15、nerations of Americans. It is an embodiment of Puritanism and enlightening spirits. (2)With it he set the form for autobiography as a genre. (3)Style: His style is characterized by simplicity, frankness, wit, clarity, logic and order. He developed a utilitarian (practical) and didactic (instructive)

16、 style. Theme The opening part of The Autobiography develops some themes of self-betterment and faith to the religion.Part III. The Literature of Romanticism1.Historical Introduction2. Two stages pre-romanticism (1770s-1830) post-romanticism(1830-60,65-75)3. Romanticism4. TranscendentalismLiterary I

17、deas: Romanticism and Transcendentalism2. Two stages of Romanticism A. pre-romanticism (1770s-1830) -beginning stage of American literature Representatives: Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper and William Cullen Bryant B. post-romanticism(1830-60,65-75) -Flowering of American literatureRepresen

18、tatives: novelists: Hawthorne, Melville, Poe. essayists: Emerson, Thoreau poets: Whitman, Dickinson, etc.3. Romanticism Artistic and intellectual movement that originated in the late 18th century and stressed strong emotion, imagination, freedom from classical correctness in art forms, and rebellion

19、 against social conventions. Romantic era in the United States of America as the “American Renaissance”is roughly the generation before the Civil War (c. 1830-1860, one generation after the Romantic era in Europe). General features of Romanticism A. Stressing emotion rather than reason B. Stressing

20、freedom and individuality C. Idealism rather than materialism D. Writing about nature, medieval legends and with supernatural elementsFeatures of American RomanticismA. Imitative: B. Independent 4.Transcendentalism Transcendentalism is based on the belief that the most fundamental truths about life

21、and death can be reached only by going beyond the world of the senses. Emersons Nature has been called the “Manifesto of American Transcendentalism” and his The American Scholar has been rightly regarded as Americas “Declaration of Intellectual Independence”. Transcendentalism Its romantic idealism,

22、 philosophical romanticism popular in New England during the 1830s, marked the maturity of American romanticism and the first renaissance in the American literary history. Features A. Emphasis on Spirit (Oversoul) (超灵)（ B. Emphasis on individuals C. Taking nature as the symbol of the Spirit (Oversou

23、l), D. Brotherhood of man (equality and liberty)Representatives in post-romanticism Edgar Allan Poe- The Cask of Amontillado Hawthorne- Melville- (Emerson) Thoreau- Whitman, Dickinson-Edgar Allan PoeThe Cask of Amontillado Summary: The story is narrated by Montresor, who carries a feeling of resentm

24、ent against Fortunato for an insult that is never explained. Montresor leads a drunken Fortunato through a series of chambers beneath his palazzo with the promise of a taste of Amontillado, a wine that Montresor has just purchased. When the two men reach the last underground chamber, Montresor chain

25、s Fortunato to the wall, builds a new wall to seal him in, and leaves him to die. Background information:Themes: Revenge The Cask of Amontillado is a horror story of revenge. Montresor commits the horrible murder of Fortunato due to his powerful desire for revenge. The idea of revenge is repeated se

26、veral times in the opening paragraph. The terms of the revenge are quite clear in Montresors mind. And it is realized through the even process of killing. Pride pride can be a very dangerous thing, when one is overwhelmed with it. M stops at nothing to get the revenge that he deems himself and his f

27、amily worthy of, and Fs pride will ultimately be the fall of his own death.3.Stylistic features: 1)Point of View and Narrator It is told in the first person by Montresor, as both major character and narrator, which produce personal relationship with the reader. His delivering of a long monologue in

28、the first paragraph shortened the psychological distance from the readers, revealing his motives and psyche, and forcing the readers to turn in the plot. By experiencing the every details of murdering, thus the horrific effect is achieved. 2) Creation of symbols, ironies, foreshadowing: Verbal irony

29、: eg: “ And I to your long life”, “ your health is precious”, etc Dramatic irony: eg: the name Fortunato; their journey to the catacomb -to reveal the reality different from what appears to be true, thus,-achieving his Unity of Effect Symbols: to amplify the real meanings eg: the coat of the family

30、arms; the repeated bones; the feeble light of torch, a mask of black, etc.Foreshadowing: “I shall not die of cough”, “mason” -help with the development of the plot. - help to build suspense and horrific atmosphere 3) Preference of diction and syntax loan words: Ms higher education in contrast to his

31、 cruel nature eg:Palazzo (Italian) “Nemo me impune lacessit” ，“In pace requiescat!” (Latin), ect. Sentence variety:( complex vs simple) complex sentences: in the first paragraph, complex structure stands for the complexity of characters psychology and his astute plan. Simple sentence: in the process of killing, simple and short sentences is used to show Ms calmness and logic and cruelness without any timidity and hesitance.-hel