美国文学简史完全笔记.docx

美国文学简史完全笔记.docx

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美国文学简史完全笔记

美国文学简史完全笔记

2008-11-26　13:

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AConciseHistoryofAmericanLiterature

　　Whatisliterature?

　　Literatureislanguageartisticallyusedtoachieveidentifiableliteraryqualitiesandtoconveymeaningfulmessages.

　　Chapter1ColonialPeriodI.Background:

Puritanism

　　1.featuresofPuritanism

（1）Predestination:

Goddecidedeverythingbeforethingsoccurred.

（2）Originalsin:

Humanbeingswereborntobeevil,andthisoriginalsincanbepasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration.

　　（3）Totaldepravity

　　（4）Limitedatonement:

Onlythe※elect§canbesaved.

　　2.Influence

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

（2）Itledtotheeverlastingmyth.Allliteratureisbasedonamyth每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每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每※Jackofalltrades§.HermanMelvillethusdescribedhim※masterofeachandmasteredbynone§.

　　Chapter2AmericanRomanticism

　　Section1EarlyRomanticPeriodWhatisRomanticism?

　　lAnapproachfromancientGreek:

Plato

　　lAliterarytrend:

18cinBritain（1798~1832）

　　lSchlegelBros.

　　I.Preview:

Characteristicsofromanticism

　　1.subjectivity

（1）feelingandemotions,findingtruth

（2）emphasisonimagination

　　（3）emphasisonindividualism每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每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每beautiful

（1）gentility,urbanity,pleasantness

（2）avoidingmoralizing每amusingandentertaining

　　（3）envelopingstoriesinanatmosphere

　　（4）vividandtruecharacters

　　（5）humour每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.pointofviewhethemeofwildernessvs.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每AmericanTranscendentalismI.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每symbolofspirit/God

　　garmentoftheoversoul

　　4.focusinintuition（irrationalismandsubconsciousness）

　　IV.    Influence

　　1.Itservedasanethicalguidetolifeforayoungnationandbroughtabouttheideathathumancanbeperfectedbynature.Itstressedreligioustolerance,calledtothrowoffshacklesofcustomsandtraditionsandgoforwardtothedevelopmentofanewanddistinctlyAmericanculture.

　　2.Itadvocatedidealismthatwasgreatneededinarapidlyexpandedeconomywhereopportunityoftenbecameopportunism,andthedesireto※geton§obscuredthemoralnecessityforrisingtospiritualheight.

　　3.IthelpedtocreatethefirstAmericanrenaissance每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.

　　Section3LateRomanticismI.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）Hewasconvincedthatromancewasthepredestined