美国文学纲要 英文版.docx

美国文学纲要 英文版.docx

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美国文学纲要

《美国文学纲要》追溯了美国叙事文学、小说、诗歌和戏剧从殖民前直至今日的发展道路，回顾了许多文学运动，如浪漫主义、现实主义和实验派。

OutlineofAmericanLiterature

20December2008

TheOutlineofAmericanLiteraturetracesthepathsofAmericannarrative,fiction,poetryanddramaastheymovefrompre-colonialtimesintothepresent,throughsuchliterarymovementsasromanticism,realismandexperimentation.

EarlyAmericanandColonialPeriodto1776

DemocraticOriginsandRevolutionaryWriters,1776-1820

TheRomanticPeriod,1820-1860,EssayistsandPoets

TheRomanticPeriod,1820-1860,Fiction

TheRiseofRealism:

1860-1914

ModernismandExperimentation:

1914-1945

AmericanPoetry,1945-1990:

TheAnti-Tradition

AmericanProse,1945-1990:

RealismandExperimentation

ContemporaryAmericanPoetry

ContemporaryAmericanLiterature

Bibliography:

OutlineofAmericanLiterature

EarlyAmericanandColonialPeriodto1776

Fromorallytransmittedworkstoprintedofferings

01May2008

"TheFirstThanksgiving,"apaintingbyJ.L.G.Ferris.（LibraryofCongress）

（ThefollowingarticleistakenfromtheU.S.DepartmentofStatepublication,OutlineofAmericanLiterature.）

EarlyAmericanandColonialPeriodto1776ByKathrynVanSpanckeren

Americanliteraturebeginswiththeorallytransmittedmyths,legends,tales,andlyrics（alwayssongs）ofIndiancultures.Therewasnowrittenliteratureamongthemorethan500differentIndianlanguagesandtribalculturesthatexistedinNorthAmericabeforethefirstEuropeansarrived.Asaresult,NativeAmericanoralliteratureisquitediverse.

Narrativesfromquasi-nomadichuntingculturesliketheNavajoaredifferentfromstoriesofsettledagriculturaltribessuchasthepueblo-dwellingAcoma;thestoriesofnorthernlakesidedwellerssuchastheOjibwaoftendifferradicallyfromstoriesofdeserttribesliketheHopi.

Tribesmaintainedtheirownreligions–worshippinggods,animals,plants,orsacredpersons.Systemsofgovernmentrangedfromdemocraciestocouncilsofelderstotheocracies.Thesetribalvariationsenterintotheoralliteratureaswell.

Still,itispossibletomakeafewgeneralizations.Indianstories,forexample,glowwithreverencefornatureasaspiritualaswellasphysicalmother.Natureisaliveandendowedwithspiritualforces;maincharactersmaybeanimalsorplants,oftentotemsassociatedwithatribe,group,orindividual.TheclosesttotheIndiansenseofholinessinlaterAmericanliteratureisRalphWaldoEmerson'stranscendental"Over-Soul,"whichpervadesalloflife.

TheMexicantribesreveredthedivineQuetzalcoatl,agodoftheToltecsandAztecs,andsometalesofahighgodorcultureweretoldelsewhere.However,therearenolong,standardizedreligiouscyclesaboutonesupremedivinity.TheclosestequivalentstoOld

Worldspiritualnarrativesareoftenaccountsofshamansinitiationsandvoyages.Apartfromthese,therearestoriesaboutcultureheroessuchastheOjibwatribe'sManabozhoortheNavajotribe'sCoyote.Thesetrickstersaretreatedwithvaryingdegreesofrespect.Inonetaletheymayactlikeheroes,whileinanothertheymayseemselfishorfoolish.

Althoughpastauthorities,suchastheSwisspsychologistCarlJung,havedeprecatedtrickstertalesasexpressingtheinferior,amoralsideofthepsyche,contemporaryscholars

–someofthemNativeAmericans–pointoutthatOdysseusandPrometheus,thereveredGreekheroes,areessentiallytrickstersaswell.

ExamplesofalmosteveryoralgenrecanbefoundinAmericanIndianliterature:

lyrics,chants,myths,fairytales,humorousanecdotes,incantations,riddles,proverbs,epics,andlegendaryhistories.Accountsofmigrationsandancestorsabound,asdovisionorhealingsongsandtricksters'tales.Certaincreationstoriesareparticularlypopular.Inonewell-knowncreationstory,toldwithvariationsamongmanytribes,aturtleholdsuptheworld.InaCheyenneversion,thecreator,Maheo,hasfourchancestofashiontheworldfromawateryuniverse.Hesendsfourwaterbirdsdivingtotrytobringupearthfromthebottom.Thesnowgoose,loon,andmallardsoarhighintotheskyandsweepdowninadive,butcannotreachbottom;butthelittlecoot,whocannotfly,succeedsinbringingupsomemudinhisbill.Onlyonecreature,humbleGrandmotherTurtle,istherightshapetosupportthemudworldMaheoshapesonhershell–hencetheIndiannameforAmerica,"TurtleIsland."

Thesongsorpoetry,likethenarratives,rangefromthesacredtothelightandhumorous:

Therearelullabies,warchants,lovesongs,andspecialsongsforchildren'sgames,gambling,variouschores,magic,ordanceceremonials.Generallythesongsarerepetitive.Shortpoem-songsgivenindreamssometimeshavetheclearimageryandsubtlemoodassociatedwithJapanesehaikuorEastern-influencedimagisticpoetry.AChippewasongruns:

AloonIthoughtitwasButitwas

Mylove'ssplashingoar.

Visionsongs,oftenveryshort,areanotherdistinctiveform.Appearingindreamsorvisions,sometimeswithnowarning,theymaybehealing,hunting,orlovesongs.Oftentheyarepersonal,asinthisModocsong:

I

thesong

Iwalkhere.

IndianoraltraditionanditsrelationtoAmericanliteratureasawholeisoneoftherichestandleastexploredtopicsinAmericanstudies.TheIndiancontributiontoAmericaisgreaterthanisoftenbelieved.ThehundredsofIndianwordsineverydayAmericanEnglishinclude"canoe,""tobacco,""potato,""moccasin,""moose,""persimmon,""raccoon,"

"tomahawk,"and"totem."ContemporaryNativeAmericanwriting,discussedinchapter8,alsocontainsworksofgreatbeauty.

THELITERATUREOFEXPLORATION

Hadhistorytakenadifferentturn,theUnitedStateseasilycouldhavebeenapartofthegreatSpanishorFrenchoverseasempires.ItspresentinhabitantsmightspeakSpanishandformonenationwithMexico,orspeakFrenchandbejoinedwithCanadianFrancophoneQuebecandMontreal.

YettheearliestexplorersofAmericawerenotEnglish,Spanish,orFrench.ThefirstEuropeanrecordofexplorationinAmericaisinaScandinavianlanguage.TheOldNorseVinlandSagarecountshowtheadventurousLeifErikssonandabandofwanderingNorsemensettledbrieflysomewhereonthenortheastcoastofAmerica–probablyNovaScotia,inCanada–inthefirstdecadeofthe11thcentury,almost400yearsbeforethenextrecordedEuropeandiscoveryoftheNewWorld.

ThefirstknownandsustainedcontactbetweentheAmericasandtherestoftheworld,however,beganwiththefamousvoyageofanItalianexplorer,ChristopherColumbus,fundedbytheSpanishrulersFerdinandandIsabella.Columbus'sjournalinhis"Epistola,"printedin1493,recountsthetrip'sdrama–theterrorofthemen,whofearedmonstersandthoughttheymightfallofftheedgeoftheworld;thenear-mutiny;howColumbusfakedtheships'logssothemenwouldnotknowhowmuchfarthertheyhadtravelledthananyonehadgonebefore;andthefirstsightingoflandastheynearedAmerica.

BartolomédelasCasasistherichestsourceofinformationabouttheearlycontactbetweenAmericanIndiansandEuropeans.AsayoungpriesthehelpedconquerCuba.HetranscribedColumbus'sjournal,andlateinlifewrotealong,vividHistoryoftheIndianscriticizingtheirenslavementbytheSpanish.

InitialEnglishattemptsatcolonizationweredisasters.Thefirstcolonywassetupin1585atRoanoke,offthecoastofNorthCarolina;allitscolonistsdisappeared,andtothisdaylegendsaretoldaboutblue-eyedCroatanIndiansofthearea.Thesecondcolonywasmorepermanent:

Jamestown,establishedin1607.Itenduredstarvation,brutality,andmisrule.However,theliteratureoftheperiodpaintsAmericainglowingcolorsasthelandofrichesandopportunity.Accountsofthecolonizationsbecameworld-renowned.TheexplorationofRoanokewascarefullyrecordedbyThomasHariotinABriefeandTrueReportoftheNew-FoundLandofVirginia（1588）.Hariot'sbookwasquicklytranslatedintoLatin,French,andGerman;thetextandpicturesweremadeintoengravingsandwidelyrepublishedforover200years.

TheJamestowncolony'smainrecord,thewritingsofCaptainJohnSmith,oneofitsleaders,istheexactoppositeofHariot'saccurate,scientificaccount.Smithwasanincurableromantic,andheseemstohaveembroideredhisadventures.TohimweowethefamousstoryoftheIndianmaiden,Pocahontas.Whetherfactorfiction,thetaleisingrainedintheAmericanhistoricalimagination.ThestoryrecountshowPocahontas,favoritedaughterofChiefPowhatan,savedCaptainSmith'slifewhenhewasaprisonerofthechief.Later,

whentheEnglishpersuadedPowhatantogivePocahontastothemasahostage,hergentleness,intelligence,andbeautyimpressedtheEnglish,and,in1614,shemarriedJohnRolfe,anEnglishgentleman.Themarriageinitiatedaneight-yearpeacebetweenthecolonistsandtheIndians,ensuringthesurvivalofthestrugglingnewcolony.

Inthe17thcentury,pirates,adventurers,andexplorersopenedthewaytoasecondwaveofpermanentcolonists,bringingtheirwives,children,farmimplements,andcraftsmen'stools.Theearlyliteratureofexploration,madeupofdiaries,letters,traveljournals,ships'logs,andreportstotheexplorers'financialbackers–Europeanrulersor,inmercantileEnglandandHolland,jointstockcompanies–graduallywassupplantedbyrecordsofthesettledcolonies.BecauseEnglandeventuallytookpossessionoftheNorthAmericancolonies,thebest-knownandmost-anthologizedcolonialliteratureisEnglish.AsAmericanminorityliteraturecontinuestoflowerinthe20thcenturyandAmericanlifebecomesincreasinglymulticultural,scholarsarerediscoveringtheimportanceo