美國文學(xué)史復(fù)習(xí)知識點(diǎn)

1、精選優(yōu)質(zhì)文檔-傾情為你奉上PuritanismFeatures of Puritanism1. Purification of the church2. Calvinism (John Calvin, 1509-1564, French protestant reformer) (1). Emphasis of Predestination “預(yù)定論” (2). Total depravity (Original Sin) 徹底的墮落 (因原罪而起） (3). Limited atonement 有限的贖罪Anne Bradstreet (1612 1672)First famous poet

2、 in North America, known as the “Tenth Muse”最早寫出真正有價值的英文詩歌的女詩人Major works: the first collection of poems in North America. The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America (1650) 最近在美洲出現(xiàn)的第十位繆斯 Contemplations 沉思錄Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790 )Statesman, essayist, orator, philosopher, ambassador, scientist,

3、inventor, publisher“master of each and mastered by none”Herman Melville One of the Founding Fathers of America Symbol of America in the Age of Enlightenment The only American to sign the four documents that created the United States: the Declaration of Independence the treaty of alliance with France

4、the treaty of peace with Englandthe constitution The symbol of American Dream, a self-made manHis Major Works Poor Richards Almanac (1732) 格言歷書 poems and essays a good many adages and common sense witticisms Autobiography (1868) the simple yet immensely fascinating record of a man rising to wealth a

5、nd fame from a state of poverty and obscurity the faithful account of the colorful career of Americans first self-made man. a Puritan document (self-examination and self-improvement; illustration of Puritan ethics ) a story of the fulfillment of American dream. Thirteen virtues from The Autobiograph

6、y1. Temperance節(jié)制. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.2. Silence沉默. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.3. Order秩序. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.4. Resolution決心. Resolve to perfor

7、m what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.5. Frugality節(jié)儉. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself, i.e., waste nothing.6. Industry勤奮. Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. 7. Sincerity誠實(shí). Use no harmful deceit; thi

8、nk innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.8. Justice公正. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.9. Moderation適度. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.10. Cleanliness清潔. Tolerate no uncleanlinessi

9、n body, clothes, or habitation.11. Tranquility寧靜. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.12. Chastity貞潔. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of our own or anothers peace or reputation. 13.  Humility謙虛. I

10、mitate Jesus and Socrates.The Style of Puritan Writing 1. Protestant - against ornateness; reverence for the Bible. The Puritans chose the Bible as the guidebook to their Promised Land. 2. Puritan writing reflected the character and scope of the reading public, which was literate and well-grounded i

11、n religion.American RomanticismTime Range:From the end of the 18th century through the outbreak of the Civil War.Historical Background:National independence, democracyRising materialism and business: leisure and wealthReligious dogma, rationalismFeatures:American Romanticism was both imitative and i

12、ndependent.Imitative: English and European Romanticists, about home, family, nature, children and idealized love, etc.Independent: Emerson and Whitman, on major problems of American life, like the westward expansion and democracy and equality, etc.1. Romantic Subject Matter (1). The quest for beauty

13、: non-didactic, "pure beauty." (Allan Poe)(2). The use of the far-away and non-normal - antique and fanciful (Hawthorn, Poe) (3). Escapism - from American problems (Irving). (4). Interest in external nature - for itself, for beauty(Emerson, Thoreau)2. Romantic Attitudes :(1). Appeals to im

14、agination:remoteness of settings in time and space. improbable plots. (2). Stress on emotion rather than reason; optimism, (3). Authorial subjectivity: in form and meaning.3. Major Themes:a.Primitivism and the cult of the “noble savage”(Hiawatha 海華沙);b.The celebration of natural beauty and the simpl

15、e life (Cooper, Emerson, Thoreau); c.Common man, uncorrupted by civilization (Whittier, Cooper);d.Interest in the picturesque past (Irving, Hawthorne); e.Interest in the remote places (Melville); medievalism (Longfellow); Representitive Writers and WorksWashington Irvings The Sketch Book 見聞札記 marks

16、the beginning of American Romanticism.Whitmans (慧特曼) Leaves of Grass 草葉集) is the last masterpiece of American Romanticism.James Fenimore Coopers Leatherstocking Tales 皮裹腿故事集depicts as a pioneer, effectively approximates the American national experience of adventure into the West.Washington Irving（17

17、83-1859）Father of the American short stories； the first great American writer；the first American writer of imaginative literature to gain international fame.Masterpiece: The Sketch Book (1820） marks the beginning of American Romanticism.Rip Van Winkle （瑞普·凡·溫克爾）The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

18、（睡谷的傳說）James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851)One of the first authors to write about the American Westward movement. The creation of a myth about the formative period of the American nation.The introduction of the “Western” tradition into American literature.Masterpiece:Leatherstocking Tales 皮裹腿故事集（a col

19、lection of tales）The Pioneer, 1823; 拓荒者The Last of the Mohicans, 1826;最后的莫西干人The Prairie, 1827; 大草原The Pathfinder, 1840; 探路人The Deerslayer, 1841.殺鹿者TranscendentalismFeatures:1. Oversoul2. Individualism3. NatureThe Transcendentalists: The Big Three: 1. Ralph Waldo Emerson; 2. Henry David Thoreau; 3.

20、Margaret FullerThree sources:1. A thoughtful revolt against Puritanism (total depravity, the original sin etc.).2. German philosophers of the 18th century.3. The effect of oriental thought on the Western world. Ralph Waldo EmersonMajor Works: 1. Nature: Emersons best know workThe bible of New Englan

21、d transcendentalism2.“Divinity School Address”attacks organized Christianityargues for “moral sentiment” - essence of all religionsurges the listeners to be the true teacher: offering first-hand revelations3. “The American Scholar”:Americas declaration of Intellectual Independenceasserts nature as a

22、 teacher that instructs man to see his connection with the worldmaintains creation is continuous and each age must have its own booksdeclares self-trust and independent thinking a necessity for the new scholar.Henry David ThoreauMajor Works:1. WaldenA book on self-culture and human perfectibilitycar

23、rying out an experimentrecording in great detail a spiritually rewarding yet simple lifereflecting on natures restorative influence A book that inspired modern nature preservation2. Civil DisobedienceNathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864)Major Works:(1). Fanshawe范肖(2). The Token were reprinted in Twice-told

24、 Tales. 重述一遍的故事(3). Twice-Told Tales, 1837; 重述一遍的故事(4). Mosses from an Old Manse, 1846; 古屋青苔 ,including “Young Goodman Brown”年輕的古德曼·布朗, “Rappaccinis Daughter”拉帕西尼的女兒, “The Artist of the Beautiful”, “The Birthmark”, and “Roger Malvins Burial”.(5). Books for children:Grandfathers Chair(1841); Fam

25、ous Old People(1841), Liberty Tree(1841), Biographical Stories for Children(1842)(6). The Scarlet Letter, 1850; 紅字(7). The Snow-Image and Other Twice-Told Tales (1851)(8). The House of Seven Gables , 1851; 七個尖角閣的房子(9). The Blithedale Romance, 1852; 福谷傳奇(10). The Marble Faun , 1860; 玉石雕像(11). The Cen

26、tenary Edition of the Works of Hawthorne, 18 vols. ed. W. Charvat et al., 1962-1987.Masterpieces:The Scarlet Letter (1850), written after Hawthorns dismissal from his post owing to a change of administrations, proved to be his greatest work, and indeed summed up in classic terms the Puritan dilemma

27、that had so long occupied his imagination.Other Important books:The House of the Seven Gables (1851); is another great romance, concerned with the decadence of Puritanism, a novel based upon colonial America and filled with mysticism.The Blithedale Romance, (1852) in which he tuned to the contempora

28、ry scene and his Brook Farm experiences;The Scarlet Letter (1850)人物:1. Wife: Hester Prynne2. 丈夫改名后: Roger Chillingworth3. Priest: Arthur DimmesdaleWalt Whitman (1819-1891)Whitmans (慧特曼) Leaves of Grass 草葉集) is the last masterpiece of American Romanticism.Free verse1. without a fixed, traditional rhy

29、me scheme 2. It is sometimes referred to as “open form” verse, or by the French term vers libre.Whitmans statusWhitman stands as one of two giants of American poetry in 19th C.found new subjects for typical American type of poetry.rejected conventional themes, traditional rhymeHe influenced Harlem R

30、enaissance writers as Langston Hughes and James Weldon Johnson.Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot (Modernist poets) were also influenced by Whitman.Major Works:1. Leaves of Grass2. Song of Myself3. Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking4. When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomd 紀(jì)念林肯Edgar Allan Poe1. Position(1). P

31、oet, short-story writer and critic.(2). Unique position in the history of American literature:a. ancestor of the detective story (influencing Conan Doyle) b. forefather of psychological novels (psychological analysis)c. the first important American critic and father of psychoanalytic criticismd. (be

32、 regarded as) one of the first aesthetes in literary historyHowever, Poe may be the most controversial and most misunderstood literary figure in the history of American literature. 2. Masterpieces: The Raven (1844)one of his most enduring worksTo HelenHerman Melville:major theme: aliennationMasterpi

33、ece: Moby Dick 白鯨人物:1. Ishmael2. 船長: Ahab3. 白鯨: Moby Dick4. 船: PequodA common Theme: one of“Rejection and quest”1. 19世紀(jì)中期2. Cooper, Hawthorne, MelvilleEmily Dickinson (1830-1886)1. Pioneer of Imagism2. Calvinist family詩歌特點(diǎn):1. Love: “With a Flower”, “Proof” 2. Nature: “A Service of Song”, “Summer Sho

34、wer”3. Death and immortality: “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”4. Miscellaneous: “Tell all the Truth but tell It Slant”Her techniques originality:1. Capitalizations and dashes2. Metaphors3. symbolismDickinsons status1. Her unconventionality influenced modern poets like Adrienne Rich, Richard Wilb

35、ur, and William Stafford.Along with Walt Whitman, Dickinson is considered a true genius of American poetry of the 19th C.Works1. Because I could not 2. Tell all the Truth but tell it slant-3. With A Flower4. Proof5. A Service of Song6. This is my letterAmerican RealismTime Range: 1865 1910Background

36、:1. Aftermath of the Civil Wara.Social Problems: deterioration of moral values; extremes of wealth and poverty; majority struggled for survival b.Question on the Transcendentalists assumptions2. A great interest in the realities of life3. The close of the frontierFeatures:1. Anti-romantic, anti-sent

37、imental ; truthful description of life真實(shí)性 2. Typical character and plot under typical setting人物情節(jié)與背景的典型性、代表性 3. Objective rather than idealized view of human nature and experience客觀性 4. Concern for social and psychological problems關(guān)注社會與個人心理問題Realistic Techniques (1). Settings thoroughly familiar to

38、the writer(2). Plots emphasizing the norm of daily experience(3). Ordinary characters, studied in depth(4). Complete authorial objectivity(5). Responsible morality; a world truly reported Representative Writers and Works:1. William Dean Howells is the the champion of literary realism in America. His

39、 The Rise of Silas Lapham, is about critical of the rise of materialism in American life2. Henry James is the forefather of psychological analysis and stream of consciousness.His famous work is The Portrait of a Lady.3. Mark Twain represents social life through portraits of local places which he kne

40、w best.His famous word is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.William Dean Howells （1837 1920）1. middle class2. smiling aspect3. Lacking of psychological depth Major Works1. The Rise of Silas Lapham （1885） 塞拉斯·拉帕姆的發(fā)跡Protagonist: Silas Lapham, a self-made man , a upstart2. A Modern Instance （1881） 現(xiàn)代婚姻

41、3. Indian Summer （1886） 晚秋之曖4. Annie Kilburn （ 1888） 安妮·吉爾伯恩5. A Hazard of New Fortunes （1890） 時來運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)6. A Chance AcquaintanceHenry James（1843 1916）1. upper class2. Harvard3. Novelist, critic, playwright, essayist4. Forefather of psychological analysis and stream of consciousness5. International t

42、heme: American innocence in face of European sophisticationMajor Works:1. The American （1877） 美國人2. Daisy Miller （1879） 苔瑟·密勒3. The Portrait of a Lady （1881） 貴婦人的畫像4. The Bostonians （1886） 波士頓人5. The Princess Casamassima （1886） 卡薩瑪西瑪公主6. What Maisie Knew （1897） 梅吉的見聞7. The Turn of the Screw 擰螺絲

43、Three great novels8. The Wings of the Dove （1902） 鴿翼9. The Ambassadors （1903） 專使10. The Golden Bowl （1904） 金碗Local Colorism (1860s - 1900) 鄉(xiāng)土文學(xué)Features1. Emphasis of elements which characterize a local culture, such as speech, customs, and mores peculiar to one particular place.2. Emphasis of physic

44、al setting and those distinctive qualities of landscape which condition human thought and behavior. 3. dialect4. frame storyMark Twain（ 1835 1910）1. lower class2. social critic, local colorist3. colloquial speech4. southwestern humor 5. stories peculiar to Mississippi and WestMajor Works1. 卡拉韋拉斯縣馳名的

45、跳蛙The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County 第一個成功文學(xué)作品2.鍍金時代（The Gilded Age, 1873）3.湯姆·索耶歷險記（The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876）4.王子與貧兒（The Prince and the Pauper, 1881）5.密西西比河上（Life on the Mississippi, 1883）6.哈克貝利·費(fèi)恩歷險記（The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1886）7. 傻瓜威爾遜Pudnhead Wilson

46、（1893） 8. 圣女貞德Personal Reflections of Joan of Arc （1896） Following the Equator （1897）赤道旅行記9. 敗壞了赫德萊堡的人The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg (1900) 10. 傻子國外旅行記Innocents Abroad (1869) 11. 神秘的來客The Mysterious Stranger (1906)12. 人是怎么一回事What Is Man (1906) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)人物:1. Huckle

47、berry Finn: Main character of the book, who runs away from his adopted family to be free of society and civilization.2. Tom Sawyer: Huck's best friend who freely spins lies and loves adventure.3. Widow Douglas: Adopts Huck to try and civilize him.4. Miss Watson: Sister of the Widow Douglas. She

48、tries to teach Huck religion and how to spell.5. Jim: Miss Watson's slave. He runs away and journeys down the Mississippi River with Huck. 6. Pap: Huck's drunkard father.7. The King and the Duke: two swindlersComparison of the three “giants”1. Theme Howells middle class James upper class Twa

49、in lower class 2. ToneHowells smiling/genteel realism James psychological realism Twain local colourism and colloquialism American NaturalismTime Range:1890 - 1920Background:1. Emergence of “Modern America” : financial giants vs. industrial proletariat2. New ideas about man and mans place in the uni

50、verse: in a cold, indifferent andGodless world, man is insignificant without freedom of will.3. Younger generation of writers thought Howellsian realism was too restrained andgenteel to tell the truth of the harsher realities of American life. Definition:a critical term applied to the method of lite

51、rary composition that aims at a detached, scientific objectivity in the treatment of natural man. It is thus more inclusive and less selective than realism, and holds to the philosophy of determinism. It conceives of man as controlled by his instincts or his passions, or by his social and economic e

52、nvironment and circumstances. Since in this view man has no free will, the naturalistic writer does not attempt to make moral judgments, and as a determinist he tends toward pessimism. (The Oxford Companion to American lit.)Features:1. Humans are controlled by some deterministic forces, both interna

53、l (heredity) and external (environment)2. The universe is indifferent and hostile.3. The literary naturalists have a major difference from the realists. They described the violent, sensational, sordid, unpleasant, and ugly aspects of life instead of the averageInstead of reflecting the middle-class

54、life, they would rather write about the life of failure, poverty and even crime.4. general tone: hopelessness, despair, gloom, pessimism Representative Writers and Works1. as a response to a darkening social outlook: the harsh futility of life in nature, on the farm, or in the city (Stephen Crane) M

55、aggie: A Girl of the Street (1893)2. Theodore Dreiser Sister Carrie is a spiritual tragedy. 3. the political implications of economic forces (Frank Norris) McTeagueStephen Crane (1871-1900)1. Pioneer in the field of Modern poetry : One of the two precursors of Imagist, the other being Emily DicksonM

56、ajor Works:1. Maggie: A Girl of the Street (1893) 街頭女郎梅季a. A masterpiece of Am. naturalism, the first naturalistic novel in American Literature. b. Tragic lifec. died in riverd. Pete seduces and abandons Maggie2. The Red Badge of Courage (1895)紅色英勇勛章3. The Open Boat海上扁舟 (1897)4. The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky新娘來到黃天鎮(zhèn)5. The Blue Hotel藍(lán)色旅館6. An Experiment in Misery7. Collection: The Black Riders and Other Lines黑衣騎士及其他(1895）8. Long poem: War Is Kind戰(zhàn)爭是仁慈的（1899）9. A Man Said to the Universe