专八人文知识美国文学简史汇总.docx

专八人文知识美国文学简史汇总.docx

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专八人文知识美国文学简史汇总

专八人文知识：

美国文学简史汇总

Chapter1ColonialPeriod

　　I.Background:

Puritanism

　　1.featuresofPuritanism

（1）Predestination:

Goddecidedeverythingbeforethingsoccurred.

（2）Originalsin:

Humanbeingswereborntobeevil,andthisoriginalsincanbepasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration.

　　（3）Totaldepravity

　　（4）Limitedatonement:

Onlythe“elect”canbesaved.

　　2.Influence

（1）Agroupofgoodqualities–hardwork,thrift,piety,sobriety（seriousandthoughtful）influencedAmericanliterature.

（2）Itledtotheeverlastingmyth.Allliteratureisbasedonamyth–gardenofEden.

　　（3）Symbolism:

theAmericanpuritan’smetaphoricalmodeofperceptionwaschieflyinstrumentalincallingintobeingaliterarysymbolismwhichisdistinctlyAmerican.

　　（4）Withregardtotheirwriting,thestyleisfresh,simpleanddirect;therhetoricisplainandhonest,notwithoutatouchofnobilityoftentraceabletothedirectinfluenceoftheBible.

　　II.Overviewoftheliterature

　　1.typesofwriting

　　diaries,histories,journals,letters,travelbooks,autobiographies/biographies,sermons

　　2.writersofcolonialperiod

（1）AnneBradstreet

（2）EdwardTaylor

　　（3）RogerWilliams

　　（4）JohnWoolman

　　（5）ThomasPaine

　　（6）PhilipFreneau

　　III.JonathanEdwards

　　1.life

　　2.works

（1）TheFreedomoftheWill

（2）TheGreatDoctrineofOriginalSinDefended

　　（3）TheNatureofTrueVirtue

　　3.ideas–pioneeroftranscendentalism

（1）Thespiritofrevivalism

（2）Regenerationofman

　　（3）God’spresence

　　（4）Puritanidealism

　　IV.BenjaminFranklin

　　1.life

　　2.works

（1）PoorRichard’sAlmanac

（2）Autobiography

　　3.contribution

（1）HehelpedfoundthePennsylvaniaHospitalandtheAmericanPhilosophicalSociety.

（2）Hewascalled“thenewPrometheuswhohadstolenfire（electricityinthiscase）fromheaven”.

　　（3）Everythingseemstomeetinthisoneman–“Jackofalltrades”.HermanMelvillethusdescribedhim“masterofeachandmasteredbynone”.

Chapter2AmericanRomanticism

　　Section1EarlyRomanticPeriod

　　WhatisRomanticism?

　　lAnapproachfromancientGreek:

Plato

　　lAliterarytrend:

18cinBritain（1798~1832）

　　lSchlegelBros.

　　I.Preview:

Characteristicsofromanticism

　　1.subjectivity

（1）feelingandemotions,findingtruth

（2）emphasisonimagination

　　（3）emphasisonindividualism–personalfreedom,noheroworship,naturalgoodnessofhumanbeings

　　2.backtomedieval,espmedievalfolkliterature

（1）unrestrainedbyclassicalrules

（2）fullofimagination

　　（3）colloquiallanguage

　　（4）freedomofimagination

　　（5）genuineinfeelings:

answertheircallforclassics

　　3.backtonature

　　natureis“breathinglivingthing”（Rousseau）

　　II.AmericanRomanticism

　　1.Background

（1）Politicalbackgroundandeconomicdevelopment

（2）RomanticmovementinEuropeancountries

　　Derivative–foreigninfluence

　　2.features

（1）Americanromanticismwasinessencetheexpressionof“arealnewexperienceandcontained“analienquality”forthesimplereasonthat“thespiritoftheplace”wasradicallynewandalien.

（2）ThereisAmericanPuritanismasaculturalheritagetoconsider.Americanromanticauthorstendedmoretomoralize.ManyAmericanromanticwritingsintendedtoedifymorethantheyentertained.

　　（3）The“newness”ofAmericansasanationisinconnectionwithAmericanRomanticism.

　　（4）Asalogicalresultoftheforeignandnativefactorsatwork,Americanromanticismwasbothimitativeandindependent.

　　III.WashingtonIrving

　　1.severalnamesattachedtoIrving

（1）firstAmericanwriter

（2）themessengersentfromthenewworldtotheoldworld

　　（3）fatherofAmericanliterature

　　2.life

　　3.works

（1）AHistoryofNewYorkfromtheBeginningoftheWorldtotheEndoftheDutchDynasty

（2）TheSketchBookofGeoffreyCrayon,Gent.（Hewonameasureofinternationalrecognitionwiththepublicationofthis.）

　　（3）TheHistoryoftheLifeandVoyagesofChristopherColumbus

　　（4）AChronicleoftheConquestofGranada

　　（5）TheAlhambra

　　4.Literarycareer:

twoparts

（1）1809~1832

　　a.SubjectsareeitherEnglishorEuropean

　　b.Conservativelovefortheantique

（2）1832~1859:

backtoUS

　　5.style–beautiful

（1）gentility,urbanity,pleasantness

（2）avoidingmoralizing–amusingandentertaining

　　（3）envelopingstoriesinanatmosphere

　　（4）vividandtruecharacters

　　（5）humour–smilingwhilereading

　　（6）musicallanguage

　　IV.JamesFenimoreCooper

　　1.life

　　2.works

（1）Precaution（1820,hisfirstnovel,imitatingAusten’sPrideandPrejudice）

（2）TheSpy（hissecondnovelandgreatsuccess）

　　（3）LeatherstockingTales（hismasterpiece,aseriesoffivenovels）

　　TheDeerslayer,TheLastoftheMohicans,ThePathfinder,ThePioneer,ThePrairie

　　3.pointofview

　　thethemeofwildernessvs.civilization,freedomvs.law,ordervs.change,aristocratvs.democrat,naturalrightsvs.legalrights

　　4.style

（1）highlyimaginative

（2）goodatinventingtales

　　（3）goodatlandscapedescription

　　（4）conservative

　　（5）characterizationwoodenandlackinginprobability

　　（6）languageanduseofdialectnotauthentic

　　5.literaryachievements

　　HecreatedamythabouttheformativeperiodoftheAmericannation.IfthehistoryoftheUnitedStatesis,inasense,theprocessoftheAmericansettlersexploringandpushingtheAmericanfrontierforeverwestward,thenCooper’sLeatherstockingTaleseffectivelyapproximatestheAmericannationalexperienceofadventureintotheWest.HeturnedthewestandfrontierasauseablepastandhehelpedtointroducewesterntraditiontoAmericanliterature.

Section2SummitofRomanticism–AmericanTranscendentalism

　　I.Background:

foursources

　　1.Unitarianism

（1）FatherhoodofGod

（2）Brotherhoodofmen

　　（3）LeadershipofJesus

　　（4）Salvationbycharacter（perfectionofone’scharacter）

　　（5）Continuedprogressofmankind

　　（6）Divinityofmankind

　　（7）Depravityofmankind

　　2.RomanticIdealism

　　Centeroftheworldisspirit,absolutespirit（Kant）

　　3.Orientalmysticism

　　Centeroftheworldis“oversoul”

　　4.Puritanism

　　Eloquentexpressionintranscendentalism

　　II.Appearance

　　1836,“Nature”byEmerson

　　III.Features

　　1.spirit/oversoul

　　2.importanceofindividualism

　　3.nature–symbolofspirit/God

　　garmentoftheoversoul

　　4.focusinintuition（irrationalismandsubconsciousness）

　　IV.Influence

　　1.Itservedasanethicalguidetolifeforayoungnationandbroughtabouttheideathathumancanbeperfectedbynature.Itstressedreligioustolerance,calledtothrowoffshacklesofcustomsandtraditionsandgoforwardtothedevelopmentofanewanddistinctlyAmericanculture.

　　2.Itadvocatedidealismthatwasgreatneededinarapidlyexpandedeconomywhereopportunityoftenbecameopportunism,andthedesireto“geton”obscuredthemoralnecessityforrisingtospiritualheight.

　　3.IthelpedtocreatethefirstAmericanrenaissance–oneofthemostprolificperiodinAmericanliterature.

　　V.RalphWaldoEmerson

　　1.life

　　2.works

（1）Nature

（2）Twoessays:

TheAmericanScholar,ThePoet

　　3.pointofview

（1）Onemajorelementofhisphilosophyishisfirmbeliefinthetranscendenceofthe“oversoul”.

（2）Heregardsnatureasthepurest,andthemostsanctifyingmoralinfluenceonman,andadvocatedadirectintuitionofaspiritualandimmanentGodinnature.

　　（3）Ifmandependsuponhimself,cultivateshimselfandbringsoutthedivineinhimself,hecanhopetobecomebetterandevenperfect.ThisiswhatEmersonmeansby“theinfinitudeofman”.

　　（4）Everyoneshouldunderstandthathemakeshimselfbymakinghisworld,andthathemakestheworldbymakinghimself.

　　4.aestheticideas

（1）Heisacompleteman,aneternalman.

（2）Truepoetryandtrueartshouldennoble.

　　（3）Thepoetshouldexpresshisthoughtinsymbols.

　　（4）Astotheme,EmersoncalleduponAmericanauthorstocelebrateAmericawhichwastohimalonepoeminitself.

　　5.hisinfluence

　　VI.HenryDavidThoreau

　　1.life

　　2.works

（1）AWeekontheConcordandMerrimackRiver

（2）Walden

　　（3）APleaforJohnBrown（anessay）

　　3.pointofview

（1）HedidnotlikethewayamaterialisticAmericawasdevelopingandwasvehementlyoutspokenonthepoint.

（2）Hehatedthehumaninjusticeasrepresentedbytheslaverysystem.

　　（3）LikeEmerson,butmorethanhim,Thoreausawnatureasagenuinerestorative,healthyinfluenceonman’sspiritualwell-being.

　　（4）Hehasfaithintheinnervirtueandinward,spiritualgraceofman.

　　（5）Hewasverycriticalofmoderncivilization.

　　（6）“Simplicity…simplify!

”

　　（7）Hewassorelydisgustedwith“theinundationsofthedirtyinstitutionsofmen’sodd-fellowsociety”.

　　（8）Hehascalmtrustinthefutureandhisardentbeliefinanewgenerationofmen.

Section3LateRomanticism

　　I. NathanielHawthorne

　　1. life

　　2. works

（1） Twocollectionsofshortstories:

Twice-toldTales,MossesfromandOldManse

（2） TheScarletLetter

　　（3） TheHouseoftheSevenGables

　　（4） TheMarbleFaun

　　3. pointofview

（1） Evilisatthecoreofhumanlife,“thatblacknessinHawthorne”

（2） Wheneverthereissin,thereispunishment.Sinorevilcanbepassedfromgenerationtogeneration（causality）.

　　（3） Heisoftheopinionthatevileducates.

　　（4） Hehasdisgustinscience.

　　4. aestheticideas

（1） Hetookagreatinterestinhistoryandantiquity.Tohimthesefurnishthesoilonwhichhismindgrowstofruition.

（2） HewasconvincedthatromancewasthepredestinedformofAmericannarrative.Totellthetruthandsatirizeandyetnottooffend:

Thatwaswhat