American Literature.docx

American Literature.docx

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AmericanLiterature

AmericanLiterature

LiteratureofColonialAmerica

LiteratureofReasonandRevolution

LiteratureofRomanticism

LiteratureofRealism

20th-CenturyLiterature

TheLiteratureofColonialAmerica

PuritanThought

Puritanswantedto“purifythechurch”toitsoriginalstate,becausetheythoughtthechurchwascorruptedandhadtoomanyrituals.

Predestination

originalsin

totaldepravity

limitedatonement

Typesofwriting

diaries

histories

journals

letters

travelbooks

autobiographies/biographies

sermons

Majorwritersinthecolonialperiod

CaptainJohnSmith

thefirstAmericanauthor

ATrueRelationofVirginia

DescriptionofNewEngland

WilliamBradford

TheHistoryofPlymouthPlantation

AnneBradstreet

TheTenthMuseLatelySprungupinAmerica

JohnWinthrop

TheHistoryofNewEngland

It’sgenerallyknownthatthe“FirstbookofAmerican”is______byJohnSmith.

A.ATrueRelationofVirginia

B.TheTrueTravelsofCaptainJohnSmith

C.MapoftheBayandtheRivers

D.ADescriptionofNewEngland

AnneBradstreet（1612-1672）

SheisthefirstAmericanwomanpoet;oncecalled“TenthMuse”;

"TheTenthMuseLatelySprungUpinAmerica"wasthefirstbookwrittenbyawomantobepublishedintheUnitedStates.

TheLiteratureofReasonandRevolution

TheintellectualmovementofEnlightenmentinspiredAmericanmenoflettersandbroughtthemintoanewhorizonbeyondthelimitationofprevailingPuritanism.

BenjaminFranklin（1706-1790）

Thespokesmanof18thcenturyAmericathatexperiencedanageofenlightenment,reason,andorder

RepresentthePuritanmaterialism

TheembodimentoftheAmericandream

OneofthemostimportantAmericanthinkers

MajorWritings

PoorRichard’sAlmanac

Autobiography

Adages

Makehaywhilethesunshines;

Godhelpthemthathelpthemselves;

Losttimeisneverfoundagain;

Apennysavedisapennyearned;

Autobiography

Itisthefirstpopularself-helpbook

ItisalsothefirstrealaccountoftheAmericanDream

Questions

1.WhydidFranklinwritehisAutobiography?

2.WhatmadeFranklindecidetoleavethebrothertowhomhehadbeenapprenticed?

3.WhyisFranklinsoparticularabouthisjourneytoPhiladelphia?

LiteratureofAmericanRomanticism

1.Historicalbackground

Democracyandpoliticalequalitybecametheidealsofthenewnation.

Thespreadofindustrialism,thesuddeninfluxofimmigration,andthe“pioneers”pushingthefrontierfurtherwest---aneconomicboomandatremendoussenseofoptimismandhope

2.Foreigninfluences

SirWalterScott,SamuelTaylorColeridge,WilliamWordsworth,Byron,RobertBurns

AmericanromanticwritingwasmodeledonEnglishandEuropeanworks.

3.Distinctfeatures

Americanromanticstendedtomoralize,toedifyratherthantoentertain.Theypresentedanentirelynewexperience.

（landscape,thefrontierlife,thewestwardexpansion,thePuritanheritage---thenativematerialforanindigenousliterature）

4.Keyfigures:

WashingtonIrving（1783-1859）

JamesFenimoreCooper（1789-1851）

RalphWaldoEmerson（1803-1882）

NathanielHawthorne（1804-1864）

EdgarAllanPoe（1809-1849）

HermanMelville（1819-1891）

WaltWhitman（1819-1892）

EmilyDickinson（1830-1886）

NathanielHawthorne

BlackVisionofLife

Evilexistsinthehumanheart

Everyonepossessessomeevilsecret

Everyoneseemstocoveruphisinnermostevil

Evilseemstobeman’sbirthmark

Sinwilleventuallygetpunished

Evileducates

MajorThemes

SinandEvil

HistoryandAntiquity

Alienation-acharacterisinastateofisolation

TheScarletLetter

Setting

the17thcentury

Boston,Massachusetts

Theme

A.Astoryofloveorsin?

B.theloadofdidacticism–thedesiretoelevate

C.WhatHawthornewaspredominantlyconcernedwithwasthemoral,emotional,andpsychologicaleffectofthesinonthepeopleingeneral

characters

–RogerChillingworth

–HesterPrynne

–ArthurDimmesdale

–Pearl

Hester

--beauty

“Theyoungwomanwastall,withafigureofperfectelegance,…”

--strongwillandendurance

“Iwillnotspeak.Itistoodeeplybranded.Yecannottakeitoff.AndwouldthatImightendurehisagony,aswellasmine!

”

ArthurDimmesdalebanisheshimselffromthesociety.Deeplyconcernedwithhimself,heundergoesthetragicexperienceofphysicalandspiritualdisintegration.

RogerChillingworththerealvillainofthestory,embodiespureintellect,whocommits“theunpardonablesin”（theviolationofheart）

Symbolism

SymbolicofHester’smoraldevelopmentisthegradualchangewhichthescarletletterundergoesinmeaning.

EdgarAllanPoe

Achievement

Poems

“TheRaven”

“AnnabelLee”

“TheSleeper”

“ADreamWithinaDream”

“Sonnet—ToScience”

“ToHelen”

“TheCityintheSea”

Shortstories

themes

1.Death

Poeisnotinterestedinanythingalive.

“Thedeathofabeautifulwomanis,unquestionably,themostpoeticaltopicintheworld.”

2.Beauty-ofayoungwoman

3.Love-usuallyofamourningmanforhisdeceasedbeloved.

Poethecritic

Poe’s  theoryforpoetry

1.shortandreadableatonesitting

2.produceafeelingofbeautyinthereader

3.“pure”poetry“artforart’ssake”

4.rhythm---“therhythmicalcreationofbeauty”

5.toneofapoem---melancholy

Poe’stheoriesfortheshortstory

theunityofeffectorimpression

atonesitting

asenseofthefullestsatisfaction

“TheCaskofAmontillado”

Questions

1.Whoisthenarrator?

Whatwrongdoeshewanttoredress?

2.Whenandwhereisthestoryset?

3.WhatisthepretextheusestolureFortunatotohiswinecellar?

4.WhydoesMontresorentertainFortunatowithwinesfromhiscollection?

5.WhathappenstoFortunatointheend?

6.Whatdoyouthinkofthetwocharacters?

MontresorandFortunato

Montresor  murdersFortunatoforinsultinghimbywallinghimupalivebehindbricksinawinecellar.

ThethousandinjuriesofFortunatoIhadborneasIbestcould;butwhenheventureduponinsult,Ivowedrevenge.You,whosowellknowthenatureofmysoul,willnotsuppose,however,thatIgaveutterancetoathreat.AtlengthIwouldbeavenged;thiswasapointdefinitelysettled--buttheverydefinitivenesswithwhichitwasresolvedprecludedtheideaofrisk.Imustnotonlypunish,butpunishwithimpunity.Awrongisunredressedwhenretributionovertakesitsredresser.Itisequallyunredressedwhentheavengerfailstomakehimselffeltassuchtohimwhohasdonethewrong.

　Therewerenoattendantsathome;theyhadabscondedtomakemerryinhonourofthetime.IhadtoldthemthatIshouldnotreturnuntilthemorning,andhadgiventhemexplicitordersnottostirfromthehouse.Theseordersweresufficient,Iwellknew,toinsuretheirimmediatedisappearance,oneandall,assoonasmybackwasturned.

　"Come,"Isaid,withdecision,"wewillgoback;yourhealthisprecious.Youarerich,respected,admired,beloved;youarehappy,asonceIwas.Youareamantobemissed.Formeitisnomatter.Wewillgoback;youwillbeill,andIcannotberesponsible.Besides,thereisLuchresi--"

HenryDavidThoreau

•Transcendentalist,surveyor,andphilosopher

•Walden,areflectionuponsimplelivinginnaturalsurroundings

•“CivilDisobedience”

Walden

arecordofhisreflectionswhenhewasinsolitarycommunionwithnature

abookonself-cultureandhumanperfectability;abookaboutman,whatheisandwhatheshouldbe

prophetofindividualisminAmericanliterature–criticalofmoderncivilizationwhichwasdegradingandenslavingman

RegenerationbecameamajorthematicconcernofWaldenanddecidedthestructuralframework:

Waldenunfoldsinasingleyear,andprogressesthroughsummerandautumntowinter,andfinallytoaclimaxintherenascenceofspring.

WaldenexhibitsThoreau’sbeliefinanewgenerationofmen.Thebookconcludesonanoteofoptimismandhope.

Questions

•WhydidThoreauliveinthewoods?

Didhewanttoliveahermit’slife?

•Whatalifedidhelive?

Didheenjoyit?

•IwenttothewoodsbecauseIwishedtolivedeliberately,tofrontonlytheessentialfactsoflife,andseeifIcouldnotlearnwhatithadtoteach,andnot,whenIcametodie,discoverthatIhadnotlived.

•Simplelivingandself-sufficiency

•“Ididnotusetea,norcoffee,norbutter,normilk,norfreshmeat,andsodidnothavetoworktogetthem....itcostmebutatrifleformyfood.”

•Waldenemphasizestheimportanceofself-reliance,solitude,contemplation,andclosenesstonatureintranscendingthe"desperate"existencethat,heargues,isthelotofmosthumans.

Questions

•WheredidThoreaulive?

Whatdidhelivefor?

•WhattranscendentalistideasareexpressedinWalden?

•WhereIlived

•WhenIwrotethefollowingpages,orratherthebulkofthem,Ilivedalone,inthewoods,amilefromanyneighbor,inahousewhichIhadbuiltmyself,ontheshoreofWaldenPond,inConcord,Massachusetts,andearnedmylivingbythelaborofmyhandsonly.Ilivedtheretwoyearsandtwomonths.AtpresentIamasojournerincivilizedlifeagain.

•WhereIlived---solitude

•ButforthemostpartitisassolitarywhereIliveasontheprairies.ItisasmuchAsiaorAfricaasNewEngland.Ihave,asitwere,myownsunandmoonandstars,andalittleworldalltomyself.Atnighttherewasneveratravelerpassedmyhouse,orknockedatmydoor,morethanifIwerethefirstorlastman.

•Ifinditwholesometobealonethegreaterpartofthetime.Tobeincompany,evenwiththebest,issoonwearisomeanddissipating.Ilovetobealone.Ineverfoundthecompanionthatwassocompanionableassolitude.Weareforthemostpartmorelonelywhenwegoabroadamongmen