美國文學(xué)史及選讀期末考試

第第頁美國文學(xué)史及選讀期末考試Ⅰ.Writetheauthorofeachitem.10’

1．AnneBradstreet〔TheTenthMuseLatelySprungUpinAmerica〕

①Contemplation

②ToMyDearandLovingHusband

2.BenjaminFranklin

①TheAutobiography(earlyAmericanDream)

3.PhilipFreneau(PoetofAmericanRevolution;TheFatherofAmericanPoetry)

①TheWildHoneySuckle

②TheIndianBuryingGround

③ToaCaty-Did

4.WashingtonIrving(TheFatherofAmericanShortStory;firstAmericanwriterofimaginativeliteraturetogaininternationalfame;regardedasFatherofAmericanliterature.)

①ThelegendofSleepHollow

②RipVanWinkle

③TheSketchBook(thebeginningofAmericanRomanticism)

5.JamesFennimoreCooper

①TheLastMohicans

②LeatherStockingTales

6.WilliamCullenBryant

①Thanatopsis

②ToaWaterFowl

7.EdgarAllenPoe(FatherofModernShortStory;FatherofPsychoanalysiscriticism)

①ToHelen

②TheRaven

③TheFalloftheHouseofUsher

④TheBlackCat

8.RalphWaldoEmerson(leadingNewEnglandtranscendentalist)

①Nature

②Self-Reliance

③TheAmericanScholar

9.HenryDavidThoreau(anactivetranscendentalist)

①Walden

10.NathanielHawthorne(amasterofsymbolism;firstgreatAmericanwriteroffictiontoworkinmoralistictradition.combinedtheAmericanromanticismwithpuritanmoralism;createdanewgenrepsychologicalromance)

①TheScarletLetter

②TwiceToldTales

③TheMarbleFaun

④BlithedaleRomance

⑤TheMinister’sBlackVeil

11.HermanMelville

①M(fèi)obyDick

12.HenryWadsworthLongfellow(thefiresidepoet;loveofnature,loveforthepast)

①APsalmofLife

②TheSlave’sDream

③MyLostYouth

④TheSongofHiawatha

13.WaltWhitman

①LeavesofGrass(firstgenuineepicpoem)

②SongofMyself

③ISitandLookOut

④Beat！Beat！Drums！

14.EmilyDickinson(thethemeofherpoetryconcernreligion,life,death,marriage,immorality,natureetc.)

①ITasteaLiquorNeverBrewed

②IFeltaFuneral,inMyBrain

③ABirdCameDowntheWalk

④IDiedforBeauty___butWasScarce

⑤IHearaFlyBuzz___WhenIDied

⑥BecauseICouldnotStopforDeath

Ⅱ.TrueorFalsechoice.20’

Ⅲ.Choosethebestanswer10’

Ⅳ.Appreciation30’

TheScarletLetter

Author:NathanielHawthorne

Symbolism：

TheScarletLetter,Asymbolofshame,butinsteaditbecomesapowerfulsymbolofidentitytoHester.Theletter’smeaningshiftsastimepasses.OriginallyintendedtomarkHesterasanadulteress,the“A”eventuallycomestostandfor“Able.”

TheMeteor,toDimmesdale,themeteorimpliesthatheshouldwearamarkofshamejustasHesterdoes.Themeteorisinterpreteddifferentlybytherestofthecommunity,whichthinksthatitstandsfor“Angel”andmarksGovernorWinthrop’sentryintoheaven

TheRosebush,Ne*ttothePrisonDoor.Thenarratorchoosestobeginhisstorywiththeimageoftherosebushbesidetheprisondoor.Therosebushsymbolizestheabilityofnaturetoendureandoutlastman’sactivities.

Pearlisasortoflivingversionofhermother’sscarletletter.Sheisthephysicalconsequenceofse*ualsinandtheindicatorofatransgression(evildoing).UpwardAmericanspirit

Characteranalysis:

Hester:disloyalty,betrayal,deception,se*ualdesire,adultery.Face,correct,redeem,purify.Praise,content,conformability.

Dimmesdale:adultery,cowardice,hypocrisy,dishonesty,selfishness,toocowardtoconfess,torturedbyhisconscience.Sympathetic,disfavorhishesitation,indecisivenessandcowardice.

Chillingworth:revenge.Torturedbythedesireofrevenge,twistedandreducedtonothing.disgusted,thinkhecommittedgreatercrime.

PuritanisminTheScarletLetter

Puritanbackground:setting,events,characters,thoughts,behaviors.

Puritandoctrines:originalsin,totaldepravity,predestination,limitedatonement.

RalphWaldoEmerson

1.Nature

ThedeclarationofTranscendentalism

Analysisof“Nature”

Alongessaywhichhaseightparts:theopening,commodity,beauty,language,discipline,Idealism,spiritandprospects.Ourselectionistakenfromtheopening.Takenasawhole,“Nature”e*pressesEmerson’sphilosophyinamoresystematicfashionthananyotherworkofhis.

Meaningsofnature

IBeauty

Natureisbeautiful.:thecomplete,mysterious,usefulandmoralbeautyofnature.First,nature’sbeautyliesinitscompleteness.Second,nature’sbeautyliesinitsmystery.cannotbemanipulated.Onlywhenheholdsasincererespectfornature,canmanfeelthemysteriousbeautyofnature.Third,nature’sbeautyliesinitsusefulness.Natureprovidesmanwithoutanybenefit

IINatureIsDivine

Natureisdivineandhastheeternalorderwhichshouldnotbeviolated.Influencedinawayby

Chineseancientphilosophy,EmersonbelievesthatallthethingsintheworldcomefromthesameroottheOversoul.

EmersonbelievesthatmancanfindGodinhisownheartbydirectcontactwithnatureNaturehaspermeated(penetrate)allaspectsofhumanlife.Spiritembodiedinnaturehas

influenceuponus.Natureinspiresmanandgiveshim\herpower.Manshouldfindthetruth,goodnessandbeautyinhisownsoulandbringintoplayhispotentialityashumanbeing.Then,hewillbecomehimself“AllthatAdamhad,allthatCaesarcould,youhaveandcando.

ForEmerson,theindividualispotentiallythemostdivineandanyorganizationore*istingidea

cannotlimitthedevelopmentofindividual.

IIINatureIsChanging

Everythinginnatureisinaprocessgrowing,withdrawingandfallingintotheground.Theflowingofnaturecomesfromaforcewhichimpelsittodevelop.Forinstance,ariverisalwaysinconstantlyflowing.Itoriginatesfrommountains,flowsalonggreatplainsandultimatelyconvergesintothesea.Transcendentalphilosophy

Naturesymbolizesfreedom,independenceandchange.TheseareIndividualismelementswhichattendtosignificanceofcommonlife.ThereforeEmerson'snatureisthetheoreticalbaseofAmericanIndividualismoneofthecharacteristicsofAmericanculture.AsthesymbolofSpirit,naturehelpstoprovethatman'ssoulisbeautiful,divineandfluid.Manshouldpursuespiritualfulfillment

E*cerptfromNature:inNatureEmersonputsforwardeveryphenomenonofthenaturetherewasthespiritofthespiritofthenature.

Herefromthisparagraphwecouldseethatemersonfoundthebeautyinthewildnessnatureratherthanthevillageorsomething.“inthewildness,Ifindsomethingmoredearandconnatethaninstreetsorvillages.”Inthewildnessofthenature,emersoncantranscendphysicalbodytothespiritoftheGodandhecanbecomeonepartofthespirit.

Heemergesintothenature,andthenhegoesintotheOversoul.“IampartorparticleofGod.”“Iamnothing;Iseeall”.Thissentenceclearlyshowsthatemersonmergesintothesporit.Andinthenaturewecouldgettheeternalbeauty.

2.Self-Reliance

①“TheConfidence”.amanmustshowhisopinionconfidentlyandbravelyinspiteofdifferentideas.②“TheIndependence”.Amanshouldkeephimselffirmly;notbeeasilyinfluencedbyenvironment.

③Keeppersonality,whichiscloselyrelatedtotheconfidenceandtheindependence.amanmustkeephispersonalityandconformtohisownprinciples.

④“ShowingnoSympathytothePoor”showsthatwhythepoorarepoorismainlyduetotheirbackwardthinking.Showinghelptothiskindofpeoplemeansdoingharmtothem.

Comment:InSelf-reliance,Emersone*pressedtheromanticideaofindividualism,withanemphasisonbeingself-sufficient.Hepromotedrelyingononeselfratherthanonestablishedsociety.Emersonwasknownforhisrepeateduseofphrase“trustthyself”.“Self-reliance”ishise*planationbothsystematicandpassionateofwhathemeantbythis,andwhyhewasmovedtomakeithiscatchphrase.Everyindividualpossessesauniquegenius,Emersonargues,thatcanonlyberevealedwhenthatindividualhasthecouragetotrusthisorherownthoughts,attitudes,andinclinationsagainstallpublicdisapproval.

HenryWadsworthLongfellow

1.APsalmofLife

①Loveofnature,loveforthepast②Trochaictetrameter

③constantthemeforpoets:Therelationshipoflifeanddeath.④Hee*presseshispertinentinterpretationtothatbywarningusthatthoughlifeishardandeverybodymustdie,timefliesandlifeisshort,yet,humanbeingsoughttobehold“toact,”tofacetherealitystraightlysoastomakeotherwisemeaninglesslifesignificant.

2.MyLostYouth

Ⅴ.Terms10’

NewEnglandPoets

ThenewEnglandpoetsweretherepresentativesofimitation,authorslikeIrving,WilliamCullenBryant,HenrywadsworthLongfellowetc.triedtoimitatetheformsandthemesoftheirEnglishbrothers,suchasAle*anderPope,RobertBurns,ThomasGray,wordsworthandsoon.

Ripvanwinkle

ThisisonestoryinWashingtonIrving’sSketchBook.Ittellsastoryofakindbuthen-peckedmanripvanwinkle.Theprotagonistdoesnottakecareofhisownfamilyverywellandjustwantstoliveidly.Buthiswifedoesnotwanthimtolivethelifelikethatandkeepstalkingtohim.Unhappyathome,heentersinthemountainwithhisgunanddog.Oneafternoon,hemeetssomestrangerslookingpeopleplayingatninepins.Outofcuriosity,hedrinksthewineandfallsintosleep.Whenhewakesup,hefindshisdogmissingandhisgunrusted.Hehastogobacktothevillageagain.Butcannotrecognizethevillageandthefolks.Laterhissurprise,hehasbeensleptfor20years.Andhiswifehasbeendeadandhischildrengrowup.Attheendofstory,hisdaughtertakeshimhomeandhestilllivesthelifeashewasusedto.

Ⅵ.Comment20’

1.CommentonMobyDick:

a.AlthoughthenarratorseesinsanityinAhab,Melville’semotionalsympathyiswiththedeficientAhab.Hebeginswithanobleintentiontocrushevil,butintakingthistothee*treme,hebecomesevilhimself.Heisdestroyedbyhisconsumingdesiretorootoutevil.

b.MobyDickisasymboltorepresentcruel,brutal,maliciouspowersofnature.Natureiscapableofdestroyingthehumanworld.Naturethreatenshumanitythuscallsouttheheroicpowersofthehumanbeings.Sothepoweroftheuniverseisbothofblessingandcurse.Inthisway,theauthorconstructsacomplicatedstatementaboutAmericanviewofnature.

2.Compare:EmilyDickinsonwithWaltWhitmanintheirwritingstyle.

Similarities

①AlongwithEmilyDickinson,WaltWhitmanstandsasoneofthetwogiantsofAmericanpoetryinthenineteenthcentury.

②Pioneersofimagism

③PartofAmericanRenaissance

④Influencedbytranscendentalism

⑤Thematically,theybothe*tolledintheirdifferentwaysandemergentAmerica,itse*pansion,itsindividualismanditsAmericanness,theirpoetrybeingpartof“AmericanRenaissance”

⑥Technically,theybothaddedtotheliteraryindependenceofthenewnationbybreakingfreeoftheconventionoftheiambicpentameterande*hibitingafreedominformunknownbefore:theyarepioneersinAmericanpoetry.

Differences

①Whitmanseemstokeephiseyesonsocietyatlarge;Dickinsone*plorestheinnerlifeoftheindividual.

②WhereasWhitmanis“national”inhisoutlook.Dickinsonis“regional”

③Whitmanhasthe“cataloguetechniques”,all-inclusivecatalogue.WhereasDickinson’sconcise,direct,simpledictionandsynta*

Ⅰ.Writetheauthorofeachitem.10’

1．AnneBradstreet〔TheTenthMuseLatelySprungUpinAmerica〕

①Contemplation

②ToMyDearandLovingHusband

2.BenjaminFranklin

①TheAutobiography(earlyAmericanDream)

3.PhilipFreneau(PoetofAmericanRevolution;TheFatherofAmericanPoetry)

①TheWildHoneySuckle