美國文學(xué)教學(xué)課件

1、American literature Definition of American Literature American literature is the literature produced in American English by American citizens.1607the Independence Warthe settlement of North America1783Major topic:American PuritanismI. Colonial PeriodHistorical Background1.Early history:1) In 1542, C

2、hristopher Columbus found the new continent called America.2) In 1607, Captain John Smith led some Englishmen across the ocean.3) In 1620, 102 passengers sailed on the ship Mayflower across the sea and settled on the new continent “New England”.Historical Background2. People:native inhabitants: Indi

3、ans Immigrants mostly from Europe: Spanish; Dutch; FrenchEnglish immigrants, Jamestown, Virginia, 1607 Puritansa group of religious peopleadvocated religious &moral principlesHistorical Background3. Belief-PuritanismPuritans wanted to “purify the church” to its original state, because they thought t

4、he church was corrupted and had too many ritualsa code of values a philosophy of life a point of viewCalviniststook roots in the New WorldDoctrines of Puritanstaking religion as the most important thing; living for glorifying God; believing predestination（命運(yùn)天定）; original sin(原罪，人生下來就是有罪的，因?yàn)槿祟惖淖嫦葋啴?dāng)和夏

5、娃是有罪的); total depravity(人類是完全墮落的，所以人要處處小心自己的行為，要盡可能做到最好以取悅上帝);limited atonement (有限救贖，只有被上帝選中的人才能得到上帝的拯救) American PuritanismFeatures of American Puritanidealistdreamthey would build the new land to an Eden on earth.more practical, tougher, pragmaticthe severe conditionsstruggle for survivalpreoccup

6、ied with business and profitsAmerican PuritanismEnduring shaping influence on literatureBasis of American literaturewent into the making of American literaturedreamed of living under a perfect order worked with courage hoped to build an Eden of Garden on earth faced the worst of life with optimismAl

7、l literature is based on a myth garden of Eden.American PuritanismContributing to the development of Symbolism（象征主義）: a technique, widely usedPuritans thought that all the simple objects existing in the world connoted deep meaning.Symbolism means using symbols in literary works. The symbol means som

8、ething that represents or stands for abstract deep meaning.American Puritanism Influencing the style of literature: simple, fresh and direct (just as the style of the Authorized Version of Holy Bible)Without understanding of Puritanism, there can be no good understanding of American culture and lite

9、rature.II. The period of Enlightenment & Independent WarHistorical IntroductionBenjamin FranklinThomas PaineThomas JeffersonPhilip FreneauBenjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin The only good writer of the colonial period.Printer, enlightener, inventor, scientist, statesman, diplomatAid Jefferson in writ

10、ing The Declaration of Independence.Seeking help from France in American Independent War.Why Franklin is admired and read widely?He is a typical American, model of the self-made man, a cultural hero whose life exemplified the American dream of the poor boy who made good.He stressed the importance of

11、 working hard to make money, happiness depending in the first place on economic success and optimistically believed that every American could do so.He was convinced that no man could be virtuous or happy unless he did his best to improve the life of his society and his own life.Why say Franklin is t

12、he representative of American Enlightenment?1.He believed in reason or rationality, the scientific method, equality and human beings ability to perfect themselves and their society. 2. He opposed intolerance, restraint, spiritual authority and revealed religion. 3. He favored the education. Self-edu

13、cation, educating and disseminating knowledge among people by his newspaper and Autobiography, establishing learning club, college and library.4. He favored freedom of thoughts. He set up the ideas of democracy in the USA.Thomas PainePropagandist, pamphleteer, a master of persuasion who understands

14、the power of language to move a man to action.Main works: The American CrisisCommon Sense The rights of man The Age of ReasonThomas Jefferson（1）Enlightener, planter, aristocrat, lawyer, a symbol of American democracy.Man of many talents: scientist, inventor, musician, linguist, architect, diplomat a

15、nd writer. Political Career: He served his country as Minister to France(1784-1789), Secretary of State(1789-1793), Vice President (1791-1801) and third President (1801-1809)Thomas Jefferson （2）The Declaration of Independence: The essay, adopted July 4, 1776, not only announced the birth of a new na

16、tion, but also set forth a philosophy of human freedom which served as unimportant force in the western world. It is a statement of American principles and a review of the Causes of the quarrel with Britain, presented the American view to the world with classic dignity. It instilled among the common

17、 people a sense of their own importance and inspired struggle for personal freedom, self government and a dignified place in society. Philip FreneauFather of American PoetryTeacher, political journalist, seaman, humanitarian, polemist, propagandist, satirist, loyal follower of JeffersonMain Works: T

18、he Rising Glory of America (1772)The British Prison Ship (1781) The Wild Honey Suckle (1786)The Indian Burying Ground (1788) III.The Romantic Period (1800-1865)The Romantic Period,one of the most important periods in the history of American literature, stretches from the end of the 18th century to t

19、he outbreak of the Civil War. It started with the publication of Washington Irvings The Sketch Book and ended with Whitmans Leaves of Grass.It is a great flowering of American literature; It is also called “the American Renaissance”.The period before the American Civil War is commonly referred as th

20、e Romantic period. (Ref. 序言p5)Romanticism: as a term, derives from romance which means a story that is adventurous and improbable.Time:1783the Civil Warthe Independence War1861American ideal of democracy & equality, industrialization, westward expansion, foreign influencesliterary expansion & expres

21、sionpossible & inevitableBackgrounds of American RomanticismThe development of the America society nurtured the literature of a great nation. America was flourishing into a politically, economically and culturally independent country.I. National influencesII. International influencesI. National infl

22、uencesIn politics: Democracy and political equality became the ideals of the new nation. Radical changes came about in the political life of the country. Parties began to squabble and scramble for power, and new system was in the making. In economics: The spread of industrialism, the sudden influx o

23、f immigration, and the pioneers pushing the frontier further west, all these produced something of an economic boon and with it, a tremendous sense of optimism and hope among the people. In culture: the publication of Websters Dictionary marked the beginning of the American English; the appearance o

24、f many magazines and newspapers.I. National influences華盛頓 歐文（Washington Irving, 1783-1859）Father of America LiteratureII.International influencesC.f. Romanticism period Britain: 1790s1830s VS America :1800 1860sRomantic Movement in England and Europe proved to be a decisive influence;Many English an

25、d European masters of poetry and prose made stimulating impact on American Romanticism. Characteristics of American RomanticismI. American Puritanism as a cultural heritage exerted great influences over American Romanticism: 1.American romantic writers tended more to moralize than their English and

26、European counterparts. 2.Besides a preoccupation with the Calvinistic view of original sin and the mystery of evil marked the works of Hawthorne, Melville and a host of lesser writers. Characteristics of American Romanticism3.With the growth of American national consciousness, American character typ

27、es speaking local dialects appeared in poetry and fiction with increasing frequency. 4.New England Transcendentalism is the most clearly defined Romantic literary movement in this period. Distinct Feature of American Romanticism1.It was the expression of “a real new experience”; 2.It tended to be di

28、dactic because of Puritan influence;3.It was both imitative and independentHistorical BackgroundFeaturesWashington IrvingJames Fenimore CooperWilliam Cullen BryantEdgar Allan PoeRalph Waldo EmersonHenry David ThoreauNathaniel HawthorneHerman MelvilleHenry Wadsworth LongfellowAmerican LiteratureIII.

29、The Romanticism Period Romantic NovelistsWashington IrvingJames Fenimore Cooper The Sketch Book 見聞札記Leather Stocking Tales 皮襪子的故事 FatherofAmericanLiteratureWashingtonIrving wascalled“fatherofAmericanLiterature”andhisstories“RipVanWinkle”and“TheLegendofSleepyHollow”arewidelyread.He was the first impo

30、rtant writer in American literature who earned an international fame on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.Summit of Romanticism-Transcendentalism (American Renaissance)Ralph Waldo EmersonHenry David ThoreauThe ideal individual should be a self-reliant man.Go back to nature, sink yourself back into it

31、s influence and youll become spiritually whole again.。 Walden 沃爾登American Transcendentalismp18-19 & p45-47 The Transcendentalists believe that, first, nature is ennobling, and second, the individual is divine（神圣的；非凡的）.In the period of Romanticism in the history of American literature, Transcendental

32、ist group includes Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau as the most significant writers America has produced so far. Romanticism NovelistsNathaniel HawthorneP26-27Herman MelvilleP35-36not optimisticThe Scarlet Letter concerns most concentrated the Calvinistic(加爾文主義的)view of original sin.In hi

33、s masterpiece The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne fully displayed his understanding of the colonial history in Deep South，his apparent preoccupation with the moral issues of sin and guilt，his keen psychological analysis of people. Nathaniel Hawthorne:The Scarlet Letter Herman Melville: Moby DickFor Melvil

34、le, as well as for the reader and Ahab, the narrator (Ishmael), Moby Dick is still a mystery, an ultimate mystery of the universe. The great sea adventure story Moby Dick is usually considered an adventurous exploration into mans relationship with nature.Moby Dick Questions: p431.WhatarethestoriesIs

35、maeltellsaboutMobyDick?IshmaelcomparesthelegendofMobyDicktohisexperienceofthewhale.Henotesthatspermwhaleattackshaveincreasedrecentlyandthatsuperstitioussailorshavecometoregardtheseattacksashavinganintelligent,evensupernaturalorigin.Inparticular,wildrumorsaboutMobyDickcirculateamongwhale men, suggest

36、ingthathecanbeinmorethanoneplaceatthesametimeandthatheisimmortal.Ishmaelremarksthateventhewildestofrumorsusuallycontainssometruth.MobyDick,whohasdefiedcapturenumeroustimes,exhibitsan“intelligentmalignity”（惡意）initsattacksonmen. What is the theme of the novel?A tragedy of man fighting against overwhel

37、ming odds in an indifferent and even hostile universe.Questions: p432.WhydoesAhabreactsoviolentlyagainstthewhitewhale? A. Ahablostoneofhislegsbecauseofthewhitewhale.He couldnt free himself from the idea of revenge. B. AhabconsidersMobyDicktheembodimentofevilintheworld,andhepursuestheWhiteWhale,becau

38、sehebelievesithisinescapablefatetodestroythisevil.What is the symbolic meaning of the white whale?The white whale stands for the mystery of the universe.IshmaelsuggeststhatAhabis“crazy”andcallhim“araving(瘋狂的)lunatic.”（p41)Doyouagreewithhim?Whyorwhynot?IshmaeldescribesAhabasmadinhisnarration,anditdoe

39、sindeedseemmadtotrytofighttheforcesofnatureorGod.3.Whatnarrativefeaturescanyoufindintheselectedchapter?Intheselectedchapter,MelvilleemployedthetechniqueofmultipleviewofhisnarrativetoportrayMobyDicktoachievetheeffectofambiguityandletreadersjudgethemeaning.19th century American Poetsp53-66Henry Wadswo

40、rth LongfellowIShotanArrow 我射出一支箭 -HenryWadsworthLongfellowIshotanarrowintotheair,我把一支箭射向空中ItfelltoearthIknewnotwhere;不知它落在何方Forsoswiftlyitflewthesight飛得那么快Couldnotfollowitinitsfight.眼睛難以追尋它的方向Ibreathedasongintotheair,我對(duì)著天空輕輕唱歌ItfelltoearthIknewnotwhere;不知它消逝在何方Forwhohasthesightsokeenandstrong誰的眼光能如

41、此敏銳犀利Thatcanfollowtheflightofasong.能跟上歌聲的翅膀Long,longafterwardsinanoak,很久很久以后，在一棵橡樹上Ifoundthearrowstillunbroke;我找到了那支箭，仍未折斷Andthesong,frombeginningtoend,也發(fā)現(xiàn)了那支歌，自始自終Ifoundagainintheheartofafriend.在朋友的心中歡唱Questions: p541.Whydidthespeakerlosesightofhisarrowandsong?Thearrowfliestooswiftlyandtoofarawayto

42、beseenbythespeaker;whereasthesongisnaturallyinvisible.2.Inwhatcircumstancesdidhefindthemagain?Hefindsthemunexpectedlyyearslaterfromthetrunkofatreeandtheheartofafriend.3.Whatdoarrowandsongstandforinthispoem?Theimagesofarrowandsongheremaystandforfriendship.4. What is the poetic form (rhyme and meter)

43、of last stanza? ddee19th century American PoetsWalt WhitmanP60-62Emily DickensonP63-66The characteristics of Whitmans poetic style1. The use of “free verse”(innovation in the terms of the form of his poetry).2. The use of parallelism and phonetic recurrence(循環(huán))at the beginning of the lines.3. The us

44、e of the poetic “I”.CF. Whitman & Dickinson Though Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson were romantic poets in theme and technique, they differ from each other in a variety of ways. For one thing, whereas Whitman likes to keep his eye on human Society at large, Dickinson often addresses such issues as d

45、eath, immortality, religion, love and nature.CF. Whitman & Dickinson In his poems, Walt Whitman is innovative in the terms of the form of his poetry, which is called “ free verse”(自由體詩）.Emily Dickinson wrote many short poems on Religion, Life and death, Love and marriage and various aspects of life.

46、 However, War and peace is not a usual subject of her poetic expression.O Captain! My Captain! p62O Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done, 啊！船長！我的船長！可怕的航程已完成；The ship has weatherd every rack, the prize we sought is won, 這船歷盡風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，企求的目標(biāo)已達(dá)成。The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exult

47、ing, 港口在望，鐘聲響，人們?cè)跉g欣。While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; 千萬雙眼睛注視著船平穩(wěn)，勇敢，堅(jiān)定。But O heart! heart! heart! 但是痛心??！痛心！痛心！O the bleeding drops of red! 瞧一滴滴鮮紅的血！Where on the deck my Captain lies, 甲板上躺著我的船長，F(xiàn)allen cold and dead. 他倒下去，冰冷，永別。O Captain! my Captain! Rise up and hear the

48、bells; 啊，船長！我的船長！起來吧，傾聽鐘聲；Rise up -for you the flag is flung -for you the bugle trills, 起來吧，號(hào)角為您長鳴，旌旗為您高懸：For you bouquets and ribbond wreaths-for you the shores crowding, 迎接您，多少花束花圈候著您，千萬人峰擁岸邊；For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; 他們向您高呼，擁來擠去，仰起殷切的臉；Here, Captain! dear fat

49、her! 啊，船長！親愛的父親！This arm beneath your head; 我的手臂托著您的頭！It is some dream that on the deck 莫非是一場(chǎng)夢(mèng)：在甲板上You ve fallen cold and dead. 您倒下去，冰冷，永別。My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, 我的船長不作聲，嘴唇慘白，毫不動(dòng)彈；My father does not feel my arm , he has no pulse nor will; 我的父親沒感到我的手臂，沒有脈搏，沒有遺言；The s

50、hip is anchord safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; 船舶拋錨停下，平安抵達(dá)；船程終了；From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; 歷經(jīng)難險(xiǎn)返航，奪得勝利目標(biāo)。 Exult O shores! and ring, O bells! 啊，岸上鐘聲齊鳴，啊，人們一片歡騰！But I, with mournful tread, 但是，我在甲板上，在船長身旁，Walk the deck my captain lies, 心悲切，步履沉重；Fallen cold a

51、nd dead. 因?yàn)樗瓜氯?，冰冷，永別。OCaptain!MyCaptain! p621.WhyisthewordCaptaincapitalizedthroughoutthepoem?Inthispoemtheword“Captain”speciallyreferstoAbrahamLincoln,presidentoftheUnitedStates.2.Whatoverallmetaphordoesthepoetemployinthispoem?To compare America to a ship.3.Whydopeopleontheshoresexult (歡欣鼓舞)andbel

52、lsring,whilethespeakerremainssosad?Theywelcometheshipreturningfromitshardtrip,whereasthespeakerissadbecausethecaptainfailstoreceivehisownhonor.To make a prairie 去造一個(gè)草原 -by Emily Dickinson To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One clover and a bee, And revery. Revery alone will do, If bees

53、 are few. 造就一個(gè)草原需要一株三葉草，一只蜜蜂，一株三葉草，一只蜜蜂，再加一個(gè)夢(mèng)。要是沒有蜜蜂，光靠夢(mèng)也成。Understanding: To make a prairie 去造一個(gè)草原 -by Emily Dickinson 1.What things are needed to “make” a prairie? Somegrass(clover) andinsects (bee).2. Howcanreveryalonecreateaprairie? Theprairiestaysinonesmind.3. In what sense can one really do it

54、(“make” a prairie)? Peoplecanmakeaprairiewiththeirimagination (revery).ImNobody!(我是無名之輩) -ByEmilyDickinson 我是無名之輩，你是誰？ 你也是無名之輩嗎？那么，咋倆是一對(duì)切莫聲張！你懂嗎，他們?nèi)莶坏谜z！做個(gè)名人多無聊！ 像只青蛙到處招搖 向一洼仰慕的泥塘 把自己的大名整天宣揚(yáng)！Imnobody! Whoareyou?Areyou nobody,too?Thentheresapairofus-donttell!Theydbanishus,youknow!Howdrearytobesomebod

55、y!Howpublic,likeafrogTotellyournamethelivelongdayToanadmiringbog!ImNobody!-Emily Dickinson1.Whoarethepairofusandtheyinthispoem?Thepairofusreferstothespeakerinthepoemandthereader,andtheyreferstothepublic,especiallythoseinpower.2.Whatdoesanadmiringbogreallymean?ItImpliesthevainandemptycommonpeople,who

56、arealwaysadmiringandpursuingthecelebrities.3.Whatisthethemeofthispoem?Therealadmirablelifeisasecludedandcommonone.4.Doyouwanttobe“nobody”or“somebody”?Explainyourreasons?Differentpersonswouldhavedifferentanswerstothisquestion.Personally,Iprefertobenobody.Romantic Novelist & PoetEdgar Allen Poethe mos

57、t controversial & the most misunderstoodHelen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nican barks of yore,That gently, oer a perfumed sea, The weary, way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore.On desperate seas long wont to roam,Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face,Thy Naiad airs have brought me homeTo t

58、he glory that was GreeceAnd the grandeur that was Rome.Lo! In yon brilliant window-niche How statue-like I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand!Ah, Psyche, from the regions whichAre Holy-Land!To Helen給海倫（To Helen）余光中譯海倫，你的美貌對(duì)于我， 象古代奈西亞的那些帆船， 在芬芳的海上悠然浮起， 把勞困而倦游的浪子載還， 回到他故國的港灣。 慣于在驚險(xiǎn)的海上流浪， 你

59、風(fēng)信子的柔發(fā)，古典的面孔，你女神的風(fēng)姿已招我回鄉(xiāng)，回到昨日希臘的光榮，和往昔羅馬的盛況?？?！那明亮的窗龕中間， 我見你象一座神像站立， 瑪瑙的亮燈擎在你手里，哦！賽琪，你所來自的地點(diǎn)原是那遙遠(yuǎn)的圣地!1 Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nican barks of yore, That gently, oer a perfumed sea, The weary, way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore. Helen: Helen of Troy, 特洛伊的海倫是希臘神話中的絕世美女，原是希臘南部斯

60、巴達(dá)國國王 Menelaus的妻子，特洛伊的王子Paris貪戀她的美貌，在愛與美之神Aphrodite的幫助下，把Helen誘拐了。國王當(dāng)時(shí)出遠(yuǎn)門了，回來得知后大怒，發(fā)誓要血洗特洛伊。就這樣兩國展開了十年之久的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，雙方死傷無數(shù)，最后希臘采用了“木馬計(jì)”the Trojan Horse,戰(zhàn)勝了Troy，殺死了Paris，搶回了Helen。 Nican:尼西亞的，小亞細(xì)亞舊都。 barks: small sailing vessels 帆船 Why does the poet compare Helens beauty to “those Nicean barks of yore”? p59Th