关于英美文学重点名词解释汇总Word格式.doc

关于英美文学重点名词解释汇总Word格式.doc

《关于英美文学重点名词解释汇总Word格式.doc》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《关于英美文学重点名词解释汇总Word格式.doc（5页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

5.Anantipathytochangeandanostalgiaforanalways-pastgoldenage

Darwinism

SocialDarwinismisabeliefthatsocietiesandindividualhumanbeingscompeteinastruggleforexistenceinwhichnaturalselectionresultsin“struggleofthefittest.”SocialDarwinistsbasetheirbeliefsontheoriesofevolutiondevelopedbyBritishnaturalistCharlesDarwin.SocialDarwiniststypicallydenythattheyadvocatea“lawofjungle.”Butmostproposeargumentsthatjustifyimbalancesofpowerbetweenindividuals,races,andnations,becausetheyconsidersomemorefittosurvivethanothers.ThetheoryhadproducedabigimpactonNaturalism.

EmersonianTranscendentalism

EmersonianTranscendentalismisactuallyaphilosophicalschoolwhichabsorbedsomeideologicalconcernsofAmericanPuritanismandEuropeanRomanticism,withitsfocusontheintuitiveknowledgeofhumanbeingstograsptheabsoluteintheuniverseandthedivinityofman.Inhisessays,Emersonputforwardhisphilosophyoftheover-soul,theimportanceoftheIndividual,andNature.

Expressionism

Expressionismisusedtodescribetheworksofartandliteratureinwhichtherepresentationofrealityisdistortedtocommunicateaninnervision,transformingnatureratherthanimitatingit.Inliteratureitisoftenconsideredarevoltagainstrealismandnaturalism,aseekingtoachieveapsychologicalorspiritualrealityratherthantorecordexternalevents.

Hawthorne'

sviewofPuritanism:

Hawthorne'

sviewofmanandhumanhistoryoriginates,toagreatextent,inPuritanism.HewasnotaPuritanhimself,buthehadPuritanancestorswhoplayedanimportantroleinhislifeandworks.Hebelievedthat"

thewrongdoingofonegenerationlivesintothesuccessiveones,"

andoftenwonderedifhemighthaveinheritedsomeoftheirguilt.

LocalColorism

Post-CivilWarAmericawaslargeanddiverseenoughtosenseitsownlocaldifferences.Regionalvoiceshademerged.“localcolorism”isauniquevariationofAmericanliteraryrealism.Generally,theworksbylocalcoloristsareconcernedwiththelifeofasmall,well--definedregionorprovince.

Naturalism

Inliterature,thetermreferstothetheorythatliterarycompositionshouldaimatadetached,scientificobjectivityinthetreatmentofnaturalman.Themovementisanoutgrowthofl9th–centuryscientificthought,followingingeneralthebiologicaldeterminismofDarwin’stheory,ortheeconomicdeterminismofKarlMarx.

NewEnglandTranscendentalism

NewEnglandTranscendentalismisthemostclearlydefinedRomanticliterarymovementinthisperiod.ItwasstartedintheareaaroundConcord,Mass.byagroupofintellectualandtheliterarymenoftheUnitedStatessuchasEmerson,HenryDavidThoreauwhoweremembersofaninformalclub,i.e.theTranscendentalClubinNewEnglandinthel830s.

Thetranscendentalistsreactedagainstthecold,rigidrationalismofUnitarianisminBoston.Theyadheredtoanidealisticsystemofthoughtbasedonabeliefintheessentialunityofallcreation,theinnategoodnessofman,andthesupremacyofinsightoverlogicandexperiencefortherevelationofthedeepesttruths.

Realism

Inartandliterature,Realismreferstoanattempttodescribehumanbehaviorandsurroundingsortorepresentfiguresexactlyastheyactorappearinlife.

TheGildedAge

ItreferstotheperiodofgrossmaterialismandblatantpoliticalcorruptionintheU.S.historyduringthel870sthatgaverisetoimportantnovelsofsocialandpoliticalcriticism.Theperiodtakesitsnamefromtheearliestofthese,TheGildedAge（l873）,writtenbyMarkTwainincollaborationwithCharlesDudleyWarner.

TheImagistMovement

LedbytheAmericanpoetEzraPound,ImagistMovementisapoeticmovementthatflourishedintheU.S.andEnglandbetweenl909-l9l7.ItadvancesmodernisminartswhichconcentratesonreformingthemediumofpoetryasopposedtoRomanticism,especiallyTennyson'

sworldlinessandhigh-flownlanguageinpoetry.

TheJazzAge:

Itreferstothel920s,atimemarkedbyfrivolity（轻薄，轻率）,carelessness,hedonism（快乐主义）andexcitementinthelifeoftheflamingyouth.Fitzgeraldislargelyresponsibleforthetermandmanyofhisliteraryworksportrayit.TheJazzAgeisbroughtvividlytolifeinTheGreatGatsby.

TheLostGeneration

Itrefersto,ingeneral,thepost-WorldWarⅠgeneration,butspecificallyagroupofexpatriatedisillusionedintellectualsandartists,whoexperimentedonnewmodesofthoughtandexpressionbyrebellingagainstformeridealsandvaluesandreplacingthemonlybydespairoracynicalhedonism.

TheBeatGeneration

AlsocalledBeatMovement,itisanAmericansocialandliterarymovementoriginatinginthel950s.BeatGenerationwritingsexpressedprofounddissatisfactionwithcontemporaryAmericansocietyandendorsedanalternativesetofvalues.Theyrejectedtraditionalformsandadvocatedpersonalrelease,purification,andilluminationthroughtheheightenedsensoryawareness.

TheScarletLetter

sremarkablesenseofthePuritanpast,hisunderstandingofthecolonialhistoryinNewEngland,hisapparentpreoccupationwiththemoralissuesofsinandguilt,andhiskeenpsychologicalanalysisofpeoplearebroughttofulldisplayinhismasterpieceTheScarletLetter.

TheRomanticPeriod

TheRomanticPeriod,oneofthemostimportantperiodsinthehistoryofAmericanliterature,stretchesfromtheendofthe18thcenturytotheoutbreakoftheCivilWar.ItstartedwiththepublicationofWashingtonIrving'

sTheSketchBookandendedwithWhitman'

sLeavesofGrass.

Whitman'

sdemocraticideals

sdemocraticideasgovernhispoetry-writing.Inhisfamouspoetry,openness,freedom,andaboveall,individualism（thebeliefthattherightsandfreedomofindividualpeoplearemostimportant）areallthatconcernedhim.Whitmanbringsthe

hard-workingfarmersandlaborersintoAmericanliterature,attacktheslaverysystemandracialdiscrimination.

Inthisbookhealsoextolsnature,democracy,laborandcreation,andsingsofman'

sdignityandequality,andofthebrightestfutureofmankind.Whitmanbelievedthatpoetrycouldplayavitalpartintheprocessofcreatinganewnation.ItcouldenableAmericanstocelebratetheirreleasefromtheOldWorldandthecolonialrule.Anditcouldalsohelpthemunderstandtheirnewstatusandtodefinethemselvesinthenewworldofpossibilities.

ThethemesinWhitman'

spoetry

Hispoetryisfilledwithoptimisticexpectationandenthusiasmaboutnewthingsandnewepoch.Whitmanbelievedthatpoetrycouldplayavitalpartintheprocessofcreatinganewnation.ItcouldenableAmericanstocelebratetheirreleasefromtheOldWorldandthecolonialrule.Anditcouldalsohelpthemunderstandtheirnewstatusandtodefinethemselvesinthenewworldofpossibilities.Hence,theabundanceofthemesinhispoetryvoicesfreshness.

（1）Heshowsconcernforthewholehard-workingpeopleandtheburgeoninglifeofcities.ToWhitman,thefastgrowthofindustryandwealthincitiesindicatedalivelyfutureofthenation,despitethecrowded,noisy,andsqualidconditionsandtheslacknessinmorality.

（2）Headvocatestherealizationoftheindividualvalue.MostofthepoemsinLeavesofGrasssingofthe"

en-masse"

andtheselfaswell.

（3）Pursuitofloveandhappinessisapprovedofrepeatedlyandaffectionatelyinhislines.Sexuallove,arathertabootopicofthetime,isdisplayedcandidlyassomethingadorable.Theindividualpersonandhisdesiresmustberespected.

（4）SomeofWhitman'

spoemsarepoliticallycommitted.BeforeandduringtheCivilWar,Whitmanexpressedmuchmourningforthe

sufferingsoftheyounglivesinthebattlefieldandshowedadeterminationtocarryonthefightingdauntlesslyuntilthefinalvictory,asinpoemslike"

CavalryCrossingaFord."

Later,hewrotedownagreatmanypoemstoairhissorrowoverthedeathofLincoln,andoneofthefamousis"

WhenLilacsLastintheDooryardBloom'

d."

leavesofgrass

（l）thetitle:

ItissignificantthatWhitmanentitledhisbookLeavesofGrass.Hesaidthatwherethereisearth,wherethereiswater,thereisgrass.Grass,themostcommonthingwiththegreatestvitality,isanimageofthepoethimself,asymbolofthethenrisingAmericannationandanembodimentofhisidealsaboutdemocracyandfreedom.

（2）themeandthepoet'

sessentialpurpose

（a）theme:

Inthisgiantwork,openness,freedom,andaboveall,individualism（thebeliefthattherightsandfreedomofindividualpeoplearemostimportant）areallthatconcernedhim.Whitmanbringsthehard-workingfarmersandlaborersintoAmericanliterature,attacktheslaverysystemandracialdiscrimination.Inthisbookhealsoextolsnature,democracy,laborandcreation,andsingsofman'

sdignityandequality,andofthebrightest　future　ofmankind.MostofthepoemsinLeavesofGrasssingofthe"

（b）thepoet'

sessentialpurposeHisaimwasnothinglessthantoexpresssomenewpoeticalfeelingsandtoinitiateapoetictraditioninwhichdifferenceshouldberecognized.Thegenuine