美国文学史复习资料要点汇总整编【手动】

美国文学复习整理一、殖民主义时期的文学（colonial settlements)＆理性和革命时期文学（revolutionary period）（文艺复兴时期)1.清教主义的shaping influence2.代表人物“T he Tenth Muse”第一位移民诗人2. Philip Freneau 菲利普·佛瑞诺有宗教隐喻，关注本土地貌、人文.写印第安人故事。

美国诗歌之父 father of American poetry代表作《野金银花》The Wild Honey Suckle3。

Thomas Jefferson 托马斯·杰弗逊起草了独立宣言 The Declaration of Independence 17764.Thomas Paine 托马斯·佩因拥护独立宣言代表作：《常识》Common Sense《理性时代》The Age of Reason5.Jonathan Edwards乔纳森·埃德沃兹大觉醒运动的代表人物 the Great Awakening6.Benjamin Franklin 本杰明·富兰克林代表作：《自传》The Autobiography《穷理查德历书》Poor Richard's Almanac美国梦的代表二．浪漫主义时期的文学(American Romanticism）早期浪漫主义（Early Romantic Period）1.背景：1> 时间：18世纪末到内战爆发前夕（1861）2> 条件：○1国家的快速发展，大量移民和工业化发展错误!小说的发展，期刊杂志（periodical)出现错误!受英国文学的影响2.浪漫主义的基本特征1>Stressing emotion rather than reason2>Stressing freedom and individuality3>Idealism rather than materialism4>Writing about nature, medieval legends（中世纪传说）and with supernaturalelements。

美国文学复习资料美国文学复习资料美国文学是世界文学宝库中的重要组成部分，它以其独特的风格和丰富的内容吸引着广大读者和研究者。

在这篇文章中，我们将为大家提供一些关于美国文学的复习资料，希望能够帮助大家更好地了解和掌握这一领域的知识。

一、美国文学的起源美国文学的起源可以追溯到17世纪早期的殖民地时期。

当时，由于殖民者来自不同的国家和文化背景，美国文学呈现出多元化的特点。

早期的美国文学作品主要以宗教和探险为主题，其中最著名的作品包括《普利茅斯故事》和《马萨诸塞湾殖民地的历史》等。

随着时间的推移，美国文学逐渐发展壮大。

18世纪的启蒙时代，美国文学开始借鉴欧洲文学的思想和风格，融合了理性主义和启蒙思想。

这一时期的代表作品有本杰明·富兰克林的《自传》和托马斯·潘恩的《常识》等。

二、美国文学的经典作品美国文学的经典作品数不胜数，下面我们列举一些代表作品，供大家参考。

1. 马克·吐温的《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》：这是一部以南北战争时期为背景的小说，通过主人公哈克贝利的冒险经历，揭示了奴隶制度的黑暗面和人性的复杂性。

2. 纳撒尼尔·霍桑的《红字》：这是一部关于道德与罪恶的小说，讲述了一个女性因婚外情而被判刑的故事。

小说通过对社会道德观念的探讨，揭示了人性的复杂性和社会的偏见。

3. 威廉·福克纳的《喧哗与骚动》：这是一部以南方小镇为背景的小说，通过对人物内心世界的描写，探讨了种族、阶级和家庭关系等社会问题。

4. 埃米莉·狄金森的诗歌：狄金森是美国文学史上最重要的女性诗人之一，她的诗作以独特的风格和深刻的思想而著称，对后世的诗人产生了深远的影响。

三、美国文学的主题与风格美国文学的主题多种多样，涵盖了社会、政治、种族、性别、宗教等各个方面。

在风格上，美国文学也呈现出多样性，既有浪漫主义的热情奔放，也有现实主义的冷静客观。

此外，美国文学还有一些独特的风格流派，如南方文学、黑人文学和美国现代主义文学等。

Part I The Literature of Colonial AmericaI．Historical IntroductionThe colonial period stretched roughly from the settlement of America in the early 17th century through the end of the 18th. The first permanent settlement in America was established by English in 1607. ( A group of people was sent by the English King James I to hunt for gold. They arrived at Virginia in 1607. They named the James River and build the James town.)II．The pre-revolutionary writing in the colonies was essentially of two kinds:1) Practical matter-of-fact accounts of farming, hunting, travel, etc. designed to inform people "at home" what life was like in the new world, and, often, to induce their immigration2) Highly theoretical, generally polemical, discussions of religious questions. III．The First American WriterThe first writings that we call American were the narratives and journals of these settlements. They wrote about their voyage to the new land, their lives in the new land, their dealings with Indians.Captain John Smith is the first American writer.A True Relation of such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony (1608)A Map of Virginia: A Description of the Country (1612)General History of Virgini a (1624): the Indian princess PocahontasCaptain John Smith was one of the first early 17th-century British settlers in North America. He was one of the founders of the colony of Jamestown, Virginia. His writings about North America became the source of information about the New World for later settlers.One of the things he wrote about that has become an American legend was his capture by the Indians and his rescue by the famous Indian Princess, Pocahontas. IV．Early New England LiteratureWilliam Bradford and John WinthropJohn Cotton and Roger WilliamsAnne Bradstreet and Edward TaylorV．Puritan Thoughts1. The origin of puritanIn the mediaeval Europe, there was widespread religious revolution. In the 16th Century, the English King Henry VIII (At that time, the Catholics were not allowed to divorce unless they have the Pope's permission. Henry VIII wanted to divorce hiswife because she couldn't bear him a son. But the Pope didn't allow him to divorce, so he) broke away from the Roman Catholic Church & established the Church ofEngland. But there was no radical difference between the doctrines of the Church of England and the Catholic Church. A group of people thought the Church of England was too Catholic and wanted to purify the church. Then came the name Puritans.2. Puritanism -- based on Calvinism(1) predestination: God's electPuritans believed they are predestined before they were born.Nothing or no good work can change their fate.They believed the success of one's business is the sign to show he is the God's elect. So the Puritans works very hard, spend very little and invest more for the future business. They lived a very frugal life. This is their ethics.(2) Origianl sin and total depravityMan is born sinful. This determines some puritans pessimistic attitude towards life.(3) Limited atonement (the salvation of a selected few)(4) theocracyThey combined state with religion. Their government is at least not a liberal one.The Puritans established American tradition -- intolerant moralism. They strictly punished drunks, adultery & heretics.Puritans changed gradually due to the severity of frontier environment3. Influence on American Literature(1) Its optimismAmerican literature was from the outset conditioned by the Puritan heritage. It can be said American literature is based on the Biblical myth of the Garden of Eden. After that, man have an illusion to restore the paradise. The puritans, after arriving at America, believing that God must have sent them to this new land to restore the lost paradise, to build the wilderness into a new Garden of Eden. Fired with such a strong sense of mission, they treated life with a tremendous amount of optimism. The optimistic Puritan has exerted a great influence on American literature.(2) Puritan's metaphorical mode of perception changed gradually into a literary symbolism.Part II The Literature of Reason And RevolutionI．Historical IntroductionWith the growth, especially of industry, there appeared the intense strain with England. The British government did not want colonial industries competing with those in England. The British wanted the colonies to remain politically and economically dependent on the mother country. They took a series of measures to insure this dependence. They prevented colonial economy by requiring Americans to ship raw materials abroad and to import finished goods at prices higher than the cost of making them in this country. Politically, the British government forced dependenceby ruling the colonies from overseas and by taxing the colonies without giving them representation in Parliament.However, by the mid-eighteenth century, freedom was won as much by the fiery rhetoric of Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the eloquence of the Declaration of Independence as by the weapons of Washington. In the seventies of the 18th century, the English colonies in North America rose in arms against their mother country. The War for Independence lasted for 8 years (1776-1783) and ended in the formation of a federative bourgeois democratic republic -- the United States of America. II．American EnlightenmentIt was supported by all progressive forces of the country which opposed themselves to the old colonial order and religious obscurantism.It dealt a decisive blow upon the puritan traditions and brought to life secular education and literature. The spiritual life during that period was to a great degree moulded by it.The representatives set themselves the task of disseminating knowledge among the people and advocating revolutionary ideas.The writers injected an invigorating vein into the English language in America as they aimed at clarity and precision of their writings.At the initial period the spread of the ideas of the Enlightenment was largely due to journalism. Writings of Europe were widely read in America. The secular ideals of the American Enlightenment were exemplified in the life and career of Benjamin Franklin.III．Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)The AutobiographyPoor Richard’s AlmanacLifeBenjamin Franklin came from a Calvinist background.He was born into a poor candle-maker’s family. He had very little education. He learned in school only for two years, but he was a voracious reader.At 12, he was apprenticed to his elder half-brother, a printer.At 16, he began to publish essays under the pseudonym “Silence Do good” .At 17, he ran away to Philadelphia to make his own fortune.He set himself up as an independent printer and publisher. In 1727 he founded the Junto club.Multiple identities:a printera leading authora politiciana scientista inventora diplomata civic activistFranklin’s Contributions to SocietyHe helped found the Pennsylvania Hospital.He founded an academy which led to the University of Pennsylvania.And he helped found the American Philosophical Society.Franklin’s Contributions to ScienceHe was also remembered for volunteer fire departments, effective street lighting, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses and efficient heating devices.And for his lightning-rod, he was called “the new Prometheus who had stolen fire from heaven.”Franklin’s Contributions to the U.S.He was the only American to sign the four documents that created the United States:The Declaration of Independence,The Treaty of Alliance with France,The Treaty of Peace with England,The ConstitutionThe AutobiographyThe Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was probably the first of its kind in literature. It is the simple yet immensely fascinating record of a man rising to wealth and fame from a state of poverty and obscurity into which he was born, the faithful account of the colorful career of America’s first self-made man.The Autobiography is, first of all, a Puritan document. It is Puritan because it is a record of self-examination and self-improvement. The meticulous chart of 13 virtues he set for himself to cultivate to combat the tempting vices, the stupendous effort he made to improve his own person, the belief that God helps those who helps themselves and that every calling is a service to God – all these indicate that Franklin was intensely Puritan. Then, the book is also a convincing illustration of the Puritan ethic that, in order to get on in the world, one has to be industrious, frugal, and prudent.The Autobiography is also an eloquent elucidation of the fact that Franklin was spokesman for the new order of eighteenth-century enlightenment, and that he represented in America all its ideas, that man is basically good and free by nature, endowed by God with certain inalienable rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.A look at the style of The Autobiography will readily reveal that it is the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness and concision. The plainness of its style, the homeliness of imagery, the simplicity of diction, syntax and expression are some of the salient features we cannot mistake. The lucidity of the narrative, the absence ofornaments in wording and of complex, involved structures in syntax, and the Puritan abhorrence of paradox are all graphically demonstrated in the whole of the book. Taken as a whole, it is safe to say that the book is an exemplary illustration of the American style of writing.IV．Thomas Paine (1737-1809)Common SenseAmerican CrisisV．Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)The Declaration of IndependenceVI．Philip Freneau (1752-1832)“Poet of the American Revolution”“Father of American Poetry”“Pioneer of the New Romanticism”“A gifted and versatile lyric poet”Works“The Wild Honey Suckle”“The Indian Burying Ground”“To a Caty-Did”Freneau as Father of American Poetry: His major themes are death, nature, transition, and the human in nature. All of these themes become important in 19th century writing.Life Experience►He was born in New York.►At 16, he entered the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). He decided to do a postgraduate study in theology. But two years later he gave it up. While still an undergraduate, he wrote in collaboration with one of his friends (H. H. Brackenridge) a poem entitled “The Rising Glory of America”.►Later he attended the War of Independence, and he was captured by British army in 1780.►After being released, he published “The British Prison Ship” in 1781.►In the same year, he published “To the Memory of the Brave Americans”.►After war, he supported Jefferson, and contributed greatly to American government.►But after 50 years old, he lived in poverty. And at last he died in a blizzard.Main Works►“The Rising Glory of America” (1772) 《美洲光辉的兴起》►“The House of Night” (1779,1786) 《夜之屋》►“The British Prison Ship” (1781) 《英国囚船》►“To the Memory of the Brave Americans” (1781) 《纪念美国勇士》►“”The Wild Honey Suckle” (1786) 《野忍冬花》►“The Indian Burying Ground” (1788) 《印第安人墓地》野忍冬花（黄杲炘译）►美好的花呀，你长得：这么秀丽，却藏身在这僻静沉闷的地方——甜美的花儿开了却没人亲昵，招展的小小枝梢也没人观赏；没游来荡去的脚来把你踩碎，没东攀西摘的手来催你落泪。

美国文学史复习大纲一：作家作品1.Sherwood Anderson: Winesburg, Ohio(小镇畸人，1919) The Triumph of the Egg(鸡蛋的胜利，1921)2.John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath(愤怒的葡萄，1939，strong sociological novel,1940年获普利策奖（Pulitzer Prize)),1962年获诺贝尔文学奖①the foremost novelist of the American Depression.美国大萧条时期最杰出的小说家。

②代表作：“Of Mice and Men”《人鼠之间》portrayed the tragic friendship between two migrant workers “The Grapes of Wrath”《愤怒的葡萄》regarded as masterpiece ,showed the migration of the Okies from the Dust Bowls to California ,a migration that ended in broken dreams and misery but at the same time affirmed the ability of the common people to endure and prevail. Theme : strength comes from unity i-we ;faith in life; struggle to live better2.John Dos Passos: 约翰多斯帕索斯His trilogy U.S.A(美利坚)---The 42nd Parallel(北纬42度，1930), 1919(1932), The Big Money(1936), Three Soldiers。

美国文学史复习资料大全--最全必考考点集结本页仅作为文档页封面，使用时可以删除This document is for reference only-rar21year.MarchL e c t u r eⅠA B r i e f I n t r o d u c t i o n t o A m e r i c a nL i t e r a t u r efeatures of American writersIndependent, Individualistic, Critical, Innovative, HumorousI The Literature of Colonial and American PuritanismThe first American writer: Capitan John Smith.Philip Freneau:( Father of American Poetry)I I T h e L i t e r a t u r e o f R e a s o n a n d R e v o l u t i o n,E n l i g h t e n m e n t Jonathan Edwards: First modern American and the country’s last medieval manBenjamin Franklin: The AutobiographyThomas Paine :The American CrisisThomas Jefferson (“The Declaration of Independence” first established the identity of American people)John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, and JeffersonI I I T h e L i t e r a t u r e o f R o m a n t i c i s mWashing Irving欧文: His first book was “A History of New York ”.“The Sketch Book 美国信札” made him international famousJames Fenimore Cooper: 库伯“Leatherstocking Tales”, 皮袜子故事集a series of five novels about the frontier life of American settlers.Deerslayer (1843), Pathfinder (1841), Last of the Mohicans (1825), The Pioneer (1823),The Prairie ( 1827),Edgar Allan Poe艾伦·坡: Poe was sensitive enough to feel the pressure of a world where science and reason reign supreme, and one where there is neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor peace, nor help from God.“The Raven”, “Israfel”, “Sonnet—to Science” and “To Hellen”.His short stories: “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, “The Purloined Letter”, “The Gold Bug” and “The Mystery of Marie Roget”o f T r a n s c e n d e n t a l i s m先验主义A. Emphasis on Spirit (Oversoul)B. Emphasis on individualsC. Taking nature as the symbol of the Spirit (Oversoul)D. Brotherhood of man (equal and liberty)Ralph Waldo Emerson爱默生: Emerson created the school of transcendentalism. His famous essay “American Scholar” established the independence of A merican intellectual.“Nature”Henry David Thoreau梭罗: Walden瓦尔登湖Nathaniel Hawthorne 藿桑Twice-Told Tales ; Moses from an Old Manse, Scarlet Letter红字; The House of Seven Gables; The Blithedale Romance; The Marble FaunHerman Melville麦尔维尔:Moby Dick大白鲸Walt Whitman惠特曼: leaves of grass草叶集, song of myselfEmily Dickinson狄金森I V T h e L i t e r a t u r e o f R e a l i s mBeecher Stowe斯托夫人: “Uncle Tom’s Cabin汤姆叔叔的小屋”Henry James 詹姆斯and international theme: The Portrait of a Lady, The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl,5: American NaturalismStephen Crane克兰: Maggie: A Girl of the StreetsTheodore Dreiser德莱塞: Sister CarrieJack London杰克·伦敦: The Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Sea Wolf Martin Eden O. Henry欧·亨利 The Gift of the Magi, The Cop and the Athem6T w e n t i e t h-C e n t u r y L i t e r a t u r eEzra Pound庞德: In a Station of the MetroRobert Frost弗罗斯特: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy EveningScott Fitzgerald菲茨杰拉德 and The American Dream: The Great GatsbyErnest Hemingway海明威 and Iceberg Principle: The Sun Also Rises. A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the SeaSteinbeck斯坦贝克: The Grape of WrathWilliam Faulkner福克纳: The Sound and the Fury ,Light in AugustSherwood Anderson安德森: Winesburg, OhioSinclair Lewis路易斯: Main StreetP u r i t a n i s m（清教主义）Puritanism is the practices and beliefs of the Puritans. Puritans wanted to purity their religious beliefs and practices. They accepted the doctrine of predestination, original sin and total depravity, and limited atonement through a special infusion of grace from God. predestination（命运天定）, original sin（原罪）, total depravity（人类是完全堕落的，所以人要处处小心自己的行为，要尽可能做到最好以取悦上帝）,limited atonement（有限救赎，只有被上帝选中的人才能得到上帝的拯救）（启蒙运动）an intellectual movement in the seventeenth century and eighteenth. The common element was a trust in human reason as adequate to solve the crucial problems and to establish the essential norms in life, together with the belief that the application of reason was rapidly dissipating the remaining feudal traditions.（意象派）1912 and 1917. The typical Imagist poetry is written in free verse and undertakes to be as precisely and tersely as possible. Meanwhile, the Imagist poetry likes toexpress the writers’ momentary impression of a visual object or scene and often the impression is rendered by means of metaphor without indicating a relation.C o l o r i s m地方色彩文学a literary trend belonging to Realism. It refers to the detailed representation in prose fiction of the setting, dialect, customs, dress and ways of thinking and feeling which are distinctive of a particular region.the literature and art after WWII. Postmodernism involves not only a continuation, sometimes carried to an extreme, of the countertraditional experiments of modernism, but also diverse attempts to break away from modernist forms which had, inevitably, become in their turn conventional, as well as to overthrow the elitism of modernist “high art” by recourse to the models of “mass art”.（超验主义）in 1830s in US；emphasis on spirit or oversoul and stressing importance of the individual；regarding nature as symbols of the spirit or God and emphasis on brotherhood of man；representatives: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David ThoreauG e n e r a t i o n（迷惘的一代）American writers of the decade following the end of WWI, disillusioned by their war experience and alienated by what they perceived as the crassness of American culture are often tagged as Lost Generation. Their representatives are F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.（自然主义）Naturalists dismissed the validity of comforting moral truths. They attempted to achieve extreme objectivity and frankness, presenting characters of low social and economic classes who were determined by their environment and heredity. Inpresenting the extremes of life, the naturalists emphasized that the world was amoral, that men and women had no free will, that lives were controlled by heredity and environment, that the destiny of humanity was misery in life and oblivion in death.Lecture 2 Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)1.The theme in the scarlet letterThe sin of Puritanism on human nature(1)Sin: Hawthorne is haunted by his sense of sin and evil in life. Evil seems to be man’s birthmark. Sin will be punished. Hawthorne was predominantly concerned with the moral, emotional, and psychological effect of the sin on people in general. The story of Adam and Eve; Dimmesdale’s "Fall" is a descent from apparent grace to his own damnation; Chillingworth's misshapen body reflects the anger in his soul Pearl embodies the poison of her parents' guilt(2)Puritan legalism: Another theme is the extreme legalism of the Puritans and how Hester chooses not to conform to their rules and beliefs Because they rejected Hester, she spent her life mostly in solitude, and wouldn't go to church. As a result, She still sees her sin, but begins to believe that a person's earthly sins don't necessarily condemn them. She even thinks that their sin has been paid for by their daily penance and that their sin won't keep them from getting to heaven, however, the Puritans believed that such a sin surely condemns.When Dimmesdale dies, she knows she has to move on because she can no longer conform to the Puritan's strictness.Her thinking is free from religious bounds and she has established her own, different moral standards and beliefs(3)Past and present: Sins of Hawthorne’s ancestors. The wrong-doing of one generation lives into the successive ones.2.The symbolism in scarlet letter“A”-----adultery, able, angelPearl-----the unique pure person in the puritan communityChillingworth----a bad guyDimmesdale---someone who should be condemned for his evil and sinsLecture 3 Herman Melville 1819-18911. Themes in Moby-Dick:The world is Godless and purposelessThe loss of faith and the sense of futility and meaninglessnessAlienation between man and man, man and society, man and natureDeath-spiritual, emotional and physicalThis work also reveals the basic pattern of nineteenth century American life: loneliness and suicidal individualism in a self-styled democracy.2. Symbolism in Moby DickAhab（圣经中的异教徒国王，昏庸暴虐，在小说中过分自信，在船上如同一个独裁的暴君）and Ishmael （圣经中被抛弃的人，是一个流浪者，在小说里他也是一个被社会所抛弃的人）the voyage: the search for the ultimate truth of experienceMoby Dick: evil or goodness; corruption, purity, innocence, youth, the final mystery of the universePequod: the American soulLecture 4 Walt Whitman (The father of Free Verse) (1819-1892) 1. The definition of Free Verse:Free verse is a form of poetry that refrains from consistent meter patterns, rhyme,or any other musical pattern What is the difference between free verse and blank verse(blank verse has no rhyme, but it should be iambic pentameter)2. The theme of Leaves of GrassIn spite of the unconventionality of his poetic form and ideas, Whitman is related to the past in many ways. Whitman embraces idealism. Whitman extols the ideals of equality and democracy and celebrates the dignity, the self-reliant spirit and the joy of the common man. Parallelism.3. The features of Leaves of GrassA. He extols the ideals of equality and democracy and celebrates the dignity, the self-reliant spirit and the joy of the common man.B. employing “free verse” as the form of his poems with two characteristics: parallelism; phonetic recurrenceC. frankness of the commonplace and the ugly sides in human lifeD. direct, plain and even vulgar languageE. “untold latencies” (his poetry suggests rather than tell)F. great influence on the 20th century American poetsEmily Dickinson (1830-1886)4. The themes in Emily DickinsonFlowers and gardensThe Master , Jesus or Godillness, dying and death, immortalitythe mind and spiritA religious certainty, God’s help and good lifeNature, both kind and cruelIndividuality, free will, human responsibilitySympathy for the poor and the weakBeauty, truth and goodnessLecture5 Edgar Allan Poe (1819-1849)1. IntroductionThe father of detective fiction. He is the first professional writer.Poems:“The Raven”, “Annabel Lee”, “To Helen”Lecture 6 American realism (the late 19th century, esp. 1870s, 1880s)1. Features of American RealismA. reaction aga inst “the lie” of Romanticism (considering Romanticism made people escape from the social realities)B. theme: the world of experience of the commonplace and the familiar and the lowC. style: genteel, graceful prose by Howells and Henry James; plain and rough by Mark TwainD. vivid description of details from observation of actual lifeE. a reliance on the representative characterF. trying to hold an objective view of human nature and society2. Father of American realism:William Dean Howells (1837 – 1920)3. Features of Henry James’s workThe international theme:“the international theme”: the meeting of America and Europe, American innocence in contact and contrast with European decadence, and its moral and psychological complications.Special point of view: internal monologue (illumination of the situation and characters through one or several minds)Lecture 7 Local Colorism1. Mark Twain’s real nameSamuel Langhorne Clemens2. 4 classical novels:The Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Man that Corrupted HadleyburgRoughing It3. Trilogy of MississippiLife on the mississippiThe Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn4. The features of Mark Twain’s languageAnglo-Saxon in origin, short, concrete and direct in effect;sentence structure is mostly simple or compound;repetition of words;ungrammatical elementsMark Twain made the colloquial speech an accepted, respectable literary medium in the literary history of America.Lecture 8 Ernest Hemingway1. 4 novels of Ernest Hemingway:The Sun Also RisesFor Whom the Bell TollsThe Old Man and the SeaA Farewell to Arms2. The symbolism of The old man and the sea:Santiago – mankind;sea – nature and environment;marlin – purpose of life;shark – the evil force which control human’s fate3. The features in Ernest Hemingway:Hemingway situation: characterized by chaos and brutality and violence, by crime and death, by sports and sexHemingway theme: “grace under pressure”Lecture 9 American Naturalism1. Major feature of Naturalism godlessDeterminismThe universe is cold, indifferent, godless and hostile to human desires; life becomes a struggle for survivalThemes: social systems that destroy and dehumanize; individual experience of loss and failure3.differences between Realism and Naturalism4. The trilogy of fate:The FinancierThe TitanThe Stoic5. Masterpiece of Theodore Dreiser: Sister Carrie6. The real name of Jack London:John Ariffith London7. The masterpiece ofThe Gift of the MagiLecture 10 The southern renaissance1. 4 novels of William Faulkner:The Sound and the FuryLight in AugustAbsalom! Absalom!Go Down, MosesAs I lay Dyingthe Marble Faun2. The features of his novels:Theme: in praise of eternal virtues in human history, love, pity, honor and self-sacrifice (despair and destruction)multiple points of viewdislocation of timethe modern stream of consciousnesswords are often run together, with no capitalization and no proper punctuation interior monologuescolloquial and regional dialectsone fragment runs into another without proper noticeLecture 11 American Drama1. 4 novels of E ugene O’Neill:Beyond the HorizonLong Day’s Journey into NightThe Emperor JonesThe Hairy Ape2. Themes of The Hairy Ape:The industrial environment is presented as toxic and dehumanizing; the world of the rich, superficial and dehumanized. Yank has also been interpreted as representative of the human condition, alienated from nature by his isolated consciousness, unable to find belonging in any social group or environment.3. Major themes in A Streetcar Named Desire:Fantasy/IllusionBlanche dwells in illusion; fantasy is her primary means of self-defense.Fantasy has a liberating magic that protects her from the tragedies she has had to endure.Blanche's dependence on illusion is contrasted with Stanley's steadfast realism, and in the end it is Stanley and his worldview that win.To survive, Stella must also resort to a kind of illusion, forcing herself to believe that Blanche's accusations against Stanley are false so that she can continue living with her husband.4. Themes in Death of a Salesman:The American DreamAbandonmentBetrayalLecture 12 Postwar American Literature1. The definition of black humor:Black humor is a way to criticize the army, the bureaucracy and government. Humor—deep, strong, melancholy, self-mocking; to express the most helpless feeling by using seemingly light-hearted treatment;2. Features of the beat generation:free from all formalitiesanti-reasonbreaking down the limitations between poetry and proseThey shock their listeners by reading their works aloud in coffee houses and bars. They lived in a wild way, anti-traditional and rebellious.They cherished a rebellious attitude toward sex, living in groups and engaging themselves in homosexual activities.3. Definition of postmodernism:In general, the postmodern view is cool, ironic, and accepting of the fragmentation of contemporary existence. It tends to concentrate on surfaces rather than depths, to blur the distinctions between high and low culture, and as a whole to challenge a wide variety of traditional cultural values.4. Features of the confessional school:They wrote about themselves, cultivating the inner world of each private individual and challenging the traditional values.They describe personal experience and family problems.A ruthless, excruciating self-analysis of one’s own background and heritage, one’s own most private desires and fantasies etc., and the urgent “I’ll-tell-it-all-to-you” impulse.5. Postwar novels;Saul Bellow : Henderson the Rain King, More Die of Heartbreak;. Salinger : The Catcher in the Rye;John Updike: Rabbit pentalogy,Flannery O'Connor.Joseph Heller: Catch-22Alice Walker 艾丽斯.沃克 :The Color Purple 《紫色》Martin Luther King :I Have a DreamAmy Tan :The Joy Luck Club (1989) 《欣幸俱乐部》。

（完整word版）美国文学史复习要点整理【手动】美国文学史整理一、Colonial America 殖民时期1、New England：Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, andConnecticut.2、Doctrines of Puritanism清教American Puritanism stressed predestination（命运神定), original sin（原罪）, total depravity (彻底的堕落), and limited atonement (有限的赎罪)from God’s grace.3、Writing style：fresh, simple and direct and with a touch of nobility；the rhetoric is plain andhonest.4、Life style：hard work, thrift, piety, and sobriety.5、Main writer:①Thomas Paine 托马斯·潘恩work：Common Sense (1776) 《常识》American Crisis (1776-1783)《美国危机》The Rights of Man《人权》The Age of Reason《理性时代》②Benjamin Franklin（本杰明·富兰克林）Poor Richard’s Almanac《穷查理历书》Autobiography 《富兰克林自传》③Thomas Jefferson 托马斯·杰弗逊Declaration of Independence (1776)《独立宣言》二、American Romanticism (early period) 浪漫主义前期1、Characteristics：①A rebellion against the objectivity of rationalism.反对理性主义的客观性。

美国文学史复习要点手动1.早期美国文学（17世纪-18世纪）-早期美国文学的发展受到清教徒移民和殖民地环境的影响。

-早期作品主题包括宗教信仰、苦难和恐惧。

-著名作家有威廉·布拉德福和乔纳森·爱德华兹。

2.启蒙时期文学（18世纪）-美国启蒙时期的文学受到欧洲启蒙思想的影响。

-作品主题包括理性、自由和平等。

-著名作家有本杰明·富兰克林和汤玛斯·潘恩。

3.罗曼主义时期文学（19世纪早期）-罗曼主义时期美国文学反对启蒙时期的理性主义。

-作品主题包括个人感情、自然和超自然。

-著名作家有华盛顿·欧文和爱默生。

4.特拉华文学（19世纪中期）-特拉华文学是19世纪中期美国文学的重要流派。

-作品主题包括农民和工人的生活以及美国西部探险精神。

-著名作家有赫尔曼·梅尔维尔和华尔特·惠特曼。

5.现实主义和自然主义时期文学（19世纪末-20世纪初）-现实主义和自然主义时期的文学关注社会问题和个人命运。

-作品主题包括工业化、城市化和阶级冲突。

-著名作家有马克·吐温和斯蒂芬·克莱恩。

6.现代主义时期文学（20世纪初-中期）-现代主义时期的文学反对传统形式和价值观。

-作品表现迷失、不安和心理困惑。

-著名作家有欧内斯特·海明威和F·斯科特·菲茨杰拉德。

7.后现代主义时期文学（20世纪中期-现在）-后现代主义时期的文学拒绝一切形式的正统和稳定性。

-作品表现多样化的语言和视觉实验。

-著名作家有托尼·莫里森和大卫·福斯特·华莱士。

ⅠColonial America(17th century)殖民主义时期文学1.In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered America and he mistook the native people onthe new continent for Indians.Character of colonial literature:a.content: religious, politicalb.form: diary, journal, letters, travel books, sermons, history (personalliterature)c.Style: simple. direct, concised.out of humble originsEarly in the 17th century, the English settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts began the main stream of what we recognize as the American national history.The earliest settlers in America included Dutch, Swedes, Germans, French, Spaniards, Italians and Portuguese.The first permanent English settlement in North America was established at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607(北美弗吉尼亚詹姆斯顿)2.Captain Town Smith, the first American writer3.Puritan Thoughts: hard work, thrift(节俭), piety(虔诚), sobriety(节制), 这些也成了早期美国作品主导思想.典型的清教徒：John Cotton & Roger William, John Cotton was called “the Patriarch of New England(新英格兰教父)”清教徒采用的文学体裁：narratives(日记) and journals(游记)清教徒在美国的写作内容：1）Their voyage to the new land2）Adapting themselves to unfamiliar climates and crops3）About dealing with Indians4）Guide to the new land, endless bounty, invitation to bold spirit4.Private literature: theological, moral, historical, political5.The work of two writers, Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor, rose to the level of realpoetry. Anne Bradstreet is one of the most interesting of the early poets, 英国最早移民到美国的诗人. The best of the Puritan poets was Edward Taylor.ⅡReason and Revolution(18th century)理性和革命时期文学1.The War for Independence (1776-1783) ended in the formation of a Federative bourgeoisdemocratic republic - the United States of America.2.Bourgeois Enlightenment3.Benjamin Franklin: Poor Richard’s Almanac(穷人理查德的年鉴), an annual collection ofproverbs.The Autobiography, 18世纪美国唯一流传至今的自传⏹The Autobiography is, first of all, a Puritan document. It is Puritan because it is a recordof self-examination and self-improvement. The Puritans, as a type, were very much given to self-analysis.⏹The Autobiography shows Franklin was spokesman for the new order of 18th-centuryEnlightenment, and that he represented in America all its ideas, that man is basically good and free, by nature endowed by God with certain inalienable rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.⏹It is the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision. The plainness of its style,the homeliness of imagery, the simplicity of diction, syntax and expression are some of the obvious features we cannot mistake.⏹Tone: OptimismThe American dream began with the settlement of the American continent –the Promised Land – the Garden of Eden – optimistic about the future4.Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, 极大恢复士气5.Thomas Jefferson:The Declaration of Independence6.Philip Freneau, Father of American Poetry: The Indian Burring Ground(印第安人的坟地)The Wild Honey Suckle(野忍冬花)⏹The poem is an indication of the poet’s dedication to American subjectmatter and the natural scenes on the new continent.⏹Here in this poem Freneau deals with the themes of loveliness and thetransience of life.⏹This poem, well within the melancholy genre, consists of the poet’s pensivemusings on the flower’s story.⏹The first two stanzas picture the advantages of the flower’s country retreat.⏹The next two stanzas unite the theme of the seasons with the thought that allmust die. Death and decay, as well as creation, are so common, so much a part of the universal law.ⅢRomanticism(end of the 18th century——Civil War)浪漫主义文学1.Washington Irving, Father of American literature: Sketch Book(见闻札记, the firstmodern short stories and the first great American juvenile literature, a collection of essays, sketches, and tales)2.James Fenimore Cooper: The Leatherstocking Tales(皮袜子故事集, the AmericanNational Epic) contains of The Deerslayer(杀鹿者), The Last of the Mohicans(最后的莫希干人), The Pathfinder(探路人), The Pioneers(拓荒者), and The Prairie(大草原).3.Edgar Allan Poe: The Raven(乌鸦), Annabel Lee(安娜贝尔·李), The Fall of the House ofUsher(鄂榭府崩溃记)To Helen○Edgar Allan Poe wrote “To Helen” as a reflection on the beauty of Mrs. Jane Stith Stanard, of Richmond, Va., who died in 1824. She was the mother of one of Poe’s school classmates, Robert Stanard. When Robert invited Edgar, then 14, to his home (at 19th and East Grace Streets in Richmond) in 1823, Poe was greatly taken with the 27-year-old woman, who is said to have urged him to write poetry. He was later to write that she was his first real love.○ 1 stanza⏹Helen: An allusion to Helen of Troy in Greek mythology.⏹Nicean: Of or from Nicea (also spelled Nicaea), a city in ancient Bithynia (nowpart of present-day Turkey) near the site of the Trojan War.⏹Barks: small sailing vessels.⏹End rhyme: A, B, A,B, B.○ 2 stanza⏹wont: accustomed to⏹Naiad: Naiads were minor nature goddesses in Greek and Romanmythology. They inhabited and presided over rivers, lakes, streams, and fountains.⏹Naiad airs: Peaceful, gentle breezes or qualities⏹The glory that . . .Rome: These last two lines, beginning with the glorythat was, are among the most frequently quoted lines in world literature.⏹End rhyme: A, B, A, B, A.Half rhyme: Face and Greece○ 3 stanza⏹Psyche: In Greek and Roman mythology, Psyche was a beautifulprincess dear to the god of love, Eros (Cupid), who would visit her in a darkened room ina palace. One night she used an agate lamp to discover his identity. Later, at the urging ofEros, Zeus gave her the gift of immortality. Eros then married her.⏹End rhyme: A, B, B, A, B.⏹from the regions which are Holy Land: from ancient Greece and Rome;from the memory Poe had of Mrs. Stanard○Theme■Beauty, as Poe uses the word in the poem, appears to refer to the woman's soul as well as her body. On the one hand, he represents her as Helen of Troy–the quintessence of physical beauty–at the beginning of the poem. On the other, he represents her as Psyche–the quintessence of soulful beauty–at the end of the poem. In Greek, psyche means soul.4.Transcendentalism(超验主义):❖19th-century movement of writers and philosophers in New England who were loosely bound together by adherence to an idealistic system of thought based on a belief in the essential unity of all creation, the innate goodness of man, and the supremacy of insight over logic and experience for the revelation of the deepest truths. In their religious quest, the Transcendentalists rejected the conventions of 18th-century thought; and what began in dissatisfaction with Unitarianism developed into a repudiation of the whole established order.❖Representative figures: some 30 men and a couple of women such as Emerson, Thoreau, Bronson Alcott, and Margaret Fuller, most of them teachers or clergymen, radicals against rigid rationalism of Unitarianism.❖Time: 1836-1855❖Essence: “Transcendentalism is idealism” in essence❖Major Features:A.Emphasis on spirit;B.The importance of the individual as the most important element ofsociety;C．N ature as symbolic of the Spirit or GodRalph Waldo Emerson, Father of American Essay, Essayist, poet, philosopher, orator, critic : Nature(the Bible and manifesto(宣言) of the New England Transcendentalism), Self-relianceHenry David Thoreau(The Prophet(提倡者) of Non-Violence Movement, he wasEmerson’s truest disciple, who put into practice many of Emerson’s theories): Walden5.Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter⑴女主角honest, calmly face fault 诚实，坦然的面对罪过。

Part I The Literature of Colonial AmericaI．Historical IntroductionThe colonial period stretched roughly from the settlement of America in the early 17th century through the end of the 18th. The first permanent settlement in America was established by English in 1607. ( A group of people was sent by the English King James I to hunt for gold. They arrived at Virginia in 1607. They named the James River and build the James town.)II．The pre-revolutionary writing in the colonies was essentially of two kinds:1) Practical matter-of-fact accounts of farming, hunting, travel, etc. designed to inform people "at home" what life was like in the new world, and, often, to induce their immigration2) Highly theoretical, generally polemical, discussions of religious questions. III．The First American WriterThe first writings that we call American were the narratives and journals of these settlements. They wrote about their voyage to the new land, their lives in the new land, their dealings with Indians.Captain John Smith is the first American writer.A True Relation of such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony (1608)A Map of Virginia: A Description of the Country (1612)General History of Virgini a (1624): the Indian princess PocahontasCaptain John Smith was one of the first early 17th-century British settlers in North America. He was one of the founders of the colony of Jamestown, Virginia. His writings about North America became the source of information about the New World for later settlers.One of the things he wrote about that has become an American legend was his capture by the Indians and his rescue by the famous Indian Princess, Pocahontas. IV．Early New England LiteratureWilliam Bradford and John WinthropJohn Cotton and Roger WilliamsAnne Bradstreet and Edward TaylorV．Puritan Thoughts1. The origin of puritanIn the mediaeval Europe, there was widespread religious revolution. In the 16th Century, the English King Henry VIII (At that time, the Catholics were not allowed to divorce unless they have the Pope's permission. Henry VIII wanted to divorce hiswife because she couldn't bear him a son. But the Pope didn't allow him to divorce, so he) broke away from the Roman Catholic Church & established the Church ofEngland. But there was no radical difference between the doctrines of the Church of England and the Catholic Church. A group of people thought the Church of England was too Catholic and wanted to purify the church. Then came the name Puritans.2. Puritanism -- based on Calvinism(1) predestination: God's electPuritans believed they are predestined before they were born.Nothing or no good work can change their fate.They believed the success of one's business is the sign to show he is the God's elect. So the Puritans works very hard, spend very little and invest more for the future business. They lived a very frugal life. This is their ethics.(2) Origianl sin and total depravityMan is born sinful. This determines some puritans pessimistic attitude towards life.(3) Limited atonement (the salvation of a selected few)(4) theocracyThey combined state with religion. Their government is at least not a liberal one.The Puritans established American tradition -- intolerant moralism. They strictly punished drunks, adultery & heretics.Puritans changed gradually due to the severity of frontier environment3. Influence on American Literature(1) Its optimismAmerican literature was from the outset conditioned by the Puritan heritage. It can be said American literature is based on the Biblical myth of the Garden of Eden. After that, man have an illusion to restore the paradise. The puritans, after arriving at America, believing that God must have sent them to this new land to restore the lost paradise, to build the wilderness into a new Garden of Eden. Fired with such a strong sense of mission, they treated life with a tremendous amount of optimism. The optimistic Puritan has exerted a great influence on American literature.(2) Puritan's metaphorical mode of perception changed gradually into a literary symbolism.Part II The Literature of Reason And RevolutionI．Historical IntroductionWith the growth, especially of industry, there appeared the intense strain with England. The British government did not want colonial industries competing with those in England. The British wanted the colonies to remain politically and economically dependent on the mother country. They took a series of measures to insure this dependence. They prevented colonial economy by requiring Americans to ship raw materials abroad and to import finished goods at prices higher than the cost of making them in this country. Politically, the British government forced dependenceby ruling the colonies from overseas and by taxing the colonies without giving them representation in Parliament.However, by the mid-eighteenth century, freedom was won as much by the fiery rhetoric of Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the eloquence of the Declaration of Independence as by the weapons of Washington. In the seventies of the 18th century, the English colonies in North America rose in arms against their mother country. The War for Independence lasted for 8 years (1776-1783) and ended in the formation of a federative bourgeois democratic republic -- the United States of America. II．American EnlightenmentIt was supported by all progressive forces of the country which opposed themselves to the old colonial order and religious obscurantism.It dealt a decisive blow upon the puritan traditions and brought to life secular education and literature. The spiritual life during that period was to a great degree moulded by it.The representatives set themselves the task of disseminating knowledge among the people and advocating revolutionary ideas.The writers injected an invigorating vein into the English language in America as they aimed at clarity and precision of their writings.At the initial period the spread of the ideas of the Enlightenment was largely due to journalism. Writings of Europe were widely read in America. The secular ideals of the American Enlightenment were exemplified in the life and career of Benjamin Franklin.III．Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)The AutobiographyPoor Richard’s AlmanacLifeBenjamin Franklin came from a Calvinist background.He was born into a poor candle-maker’s family. He had very little education. He learned in school only for two years, but he was a voracious reader.At 12, he was apprenticed to his elder half-brother, a printer.At 16, he began to publish essays under the pseudonym “Silence Do good” .At 17, he ran away to Philadelphia to make his own fortune.He set himself up as an independent printer and publisher. In 1727 he founded the Junto club.Multiple identities:a printera leading authora politiciana scientista inventora diplomata civic activistFranklin’s Contributions to SocietyHe helped found the Pennsylvania Hospital.He founded an academy which led to the University of Pennsylvania.And he helped found the American Philosophical Society.Franklin’s Contributions to ScienceHe was also remembered for volunteer fire departments, effective street lighting, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses and efficient heating devices.And for his lightning-rod, he was called “the new Prometheus who had stolen fire from heaven.”Franklin’s Contributions to the U.S.He was the only American to sign the four documents that created the United States:The Declaration of Independence,The Treaty of Alliance with France,The Treaty of Peace with England,The ConstitutionThe AutobiographyThe Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was probably the first of its kind in literature. It is the simple yet immensely fascinating record of a man rising to wealth and fame from a state of poverty and obscurity into which he was born, the faithful account of the colorful career of America’s first self-made man.The Autobiography is, first of all, a Puritan document. It is Puritan because it is a record of self-examination and self-improvement. The meticulous chart of 13 virtues he set for himself to cultivate to combat the tempting vices, the stupendous effort he made to improve his own person, the belief that God helps those who helps themselves and that every calling is a service to God – all these indicate that Franklin was intensely Puritan. Then, the book is also a convincing illustration of the Puritan ethic that, in order to get on in the world, one has to be industrious, frugal, and prudent.The Autobiography is also an eloquent elucidation of the fact that Franklin was spokesman for the new order of eighteenth-century enlightenment, and that he represented in America all its ideas, that man is basically good and free by nature, endowed by God with certain inalienable rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.A look at the style of The Autobiography will readily reveal that it is the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness and concision. The plainness of its style, the homeliness of imagery, the simplicity of diction, syntax and expression are some of the salient features we cannot mistake. The lucidity of the narrative, the absence ofornaments in wording and of complex, involved structures in syntax, and the Puritan abhorrence of paradox are all graphically demonstrated in the whole of the book. Taken as a whole, it is safe to say that the book is an exemplary illustration of the American style of writing.IV．Thomas Paine (1737-1809)Common SenseAmerican CrisisV．Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)The Declaration of IndependenceVI．Philip Freneau (1752-1832)“Poet of the American Revolution”“Father of American Poetry”“Pioneer of the New Romanticism”“A gifted and versatile lyric poet”Works“The Wild Honey Suckle”“The Indian Burying Ground”“To a Caty-Did”Freneau as Father of American Poetry: His major themes are death, nature, transition, and the human in nature. All of these themes become important in 19th century writing.Life Experience►He was born in New York.►At 16, he entered the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). He decided to do a postgraduate study in theology. But two years later he gave it up. While still an undergraduate, he wrote in collaboration with one of his friends (H. H. Brackenridge) a poem entitled “The Rising Glory of America”.►Later he attended the War of Independence, and he was captured by British army in 1780.►After being released, he published “The British Prison Ship” in 1781.►In the same year, he published “To the Memory of the Brave Americans”.►After war, he supported Jefferson, and contributed greatly to American government.►But after 50 years old, he lived in poverty. And at last he died in a blizzard.Main Works►“The Rising Glory of America” (1772) 《美洲光辉的兴起》►“The House of Night” (1779,1786) 《夜之屋》►“The British Prison Ship” (1781) 《英国囚船》►“To the Memory of the Brave Americans” (1781) 《纪念美国勇士》►“”The Wild Honey Suckle” (1786) 《野忍冬花》►“The Indian Burying Ground” (1788) 《印第安人墓地》野忍冬花（黄杲炘译）►美好的花呀，你长得：这么秀丽，却藏身在这僻静沉闷的地方——甜美的花儿开了却没人亲昵，招展的小小枝梢也没人观赏；没游来荡去的脚来把你踩碎，没东攀西摘的手来催你落泪。

一、殖民主义时期 The Literature of Colonial America1．船长约翰•史密斯 Captain John Smith《自殖民地第一次在弗吉尼亚垦荒以来发生的各种事件的真实介绍》“A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony”《弗吉尼亚地图，附：一个乡村的描述》“A Map of Virginia: with a Description of the Country”《弗吉尼亚通史》“General History of Virginia”2．威廉•布拉德福德 William Bradford 《普利茅斯开发历史》“The History of Plymouth Plantation”3．约翰•温思罗普 John Winthrop《新英格兰历史》“The History of New England”4．罗杰•威廉姆斯 Roger Williams《开启美国语言的钥匙》”A Key into the Language of America”或叫《美洲新英格兰部分土著居民语言指南》Or “ A Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New England ”5．安妮•布莱德斯特 Anne Bradstreet 《在美洲诞生的第十个谬斯》”The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in Americ a”二、理性和革命时期文学 The Literature of Reason and Revolution1。

本杰明•富兰克林 Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)※《自传》“ The Autobiography ”《穷人理查德的年鉴》“Poor Richard’s Almanac”2。

History And Anthology of American Literature (VolumeⅠⅡ)美国文学史及选读1、2PartⅠThe Literature of Colonial America殖民主义时期的文学1.17世纪早期English and European explorers开始登陆美洲。

在他们之前100多年Caribbean Islands, Mexico andother Parts of South America已被the Spanish占领。

2.17th早期English settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts(弗吉尼亚和马萨诸塞)开始了美国历史3.美国最早殖民者(earliest settlers)included Dutch ,Swedes ,Germans ,French ,Spaniards ,Italians and Portuguese(荷兰人，瑞典人，德国人，法国人，西班牙人，意大利人及葡萄牙人等)。

4.美国早期文学主要为the narratives and journals of these settlements采用in diaries and in journals(日记和日志)，他们写关于the land with dense forests and deep-blue lakes and rich soil.5.第一批美国永久居民：the first permanent English settlement in North America was established atJamestown,Virginia in 1607(北美弗吉尼亚詹姆斯顿)。

6.船长约翰·史密斯Captain John Smith他的作品(reports of exploration)17th早期出版，被认为是美国第一部真正意义上的文学作品in the early 1600s,have been described as the first distinctly American literature written in English.他讲述了filled with themes, myths, images, scenes, character and events,吸引了朝圣者和清教徒前往lure the Pilgrims and the Puritans.7.美国第一位作家：1608年Captain John Smith写了封信《自殖民地第一次在弗吉尼亚垦荒以来发生的各种事件的真实介绍》“A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony”.8.他的第二本书1612年《弗吉尼亚地图，附：一个乡村的描述》“A Map of Virginia: with a Description of theCountry”.9.他一共出版了八本书，其中有关于新英格兰的历史及描述。

美国文学重点整理O u t l i n e o f A m e r i c a n L i t e r a t u r e1.T h e L i t e r a t u r e o f C o l o n i a lA m e r i c a殖民地时期美国文学 (17t h c e n t u r y)2.T h e L i t e r a t u r e o f R e a s o n a n d R e v o l u t i o n理性和革命时期文学（18t h C）3.T h e L i t e r a t u r e o f R o m a n t i c i s m 浪漫主义文学（19t h C）4.T h e L i t e r a t u r e o f R e a l i s m理性主义文学（19t h C）5.T w e n t i e t h-c e n t u r y L i t e r a t u r e 现代主义文学（20t h C）O u t l i n e o f E n g l i s h L i t e r a t u r e1.m e d i a e v a l l i t e r a t u r e中世纪文学（约5世纪—1485）2.R e n a i s s a n c e l i t e r a t u r e文艺复兴时期文学（15世纪后期—17世纪初）3.17t h C e n t u r y L i t e r a t u r e17世纪文学4.L i t e r a t u r e E n l i g h t e n m e n t p e r i o d启蒙时期文学（17世纪后期—18世纪中期）5.R o m a n t i c l i t e r a t u r e p e r i o d浪漫主义时期文学1798-1832）6.R e a l i s m p e r i o d现实主义时期文学 (19世纪30年代-1918）7.M o d e r n L i t e r a t u r e p e r i o d现代主义文学时期（1918-1945）8.C o n t e m p o r a r y L i t e r a t u r e当代文学（1945—今）P a r t I.T h e L i t e r a t u r e o f C o l o n i a l A m e r i c a殖民地时期美国文学1.E a r l y i n t h e17t h C.,t h e E n g l i s h s e t t l e m e n t s i n V i r g i n i a a n d M a s s a c h u s e t t s b e g a n t h e m a i n s t r e a m o f A m e r i c a n n a t i o n a l h i s t o r y.2.I n1607,t h e f i r s t p e r m a n e n t E n g l i s h s e t t l e m e n t i n N o r t h A m e r i c aw a s e s t a b l i s h e d a t J a m e s t o w n, V i r g i n i a. T h i s y e a r i s o f t e n c o n s i d e r e da s t h eb e g i n n i n g o f A m e r ic a n h i s t o r y.3.C a p t a i n J o h n S m i t h---f i r s t A m e r i c a n w r i t e r,p u b l i s h e d8w o r k s i na l l.H i s r e p o r t s o f e x p l o r a t i o n h a v e b e e n d e s c r i b e d a s t h e f i r s td i s t i n c t l y A me r i c a n l i t e r a t u r e t o b e w r i t t e n i n E n g l i s h.h i sd e s c r i p t i o n o f A m e r i c a w e r e f i l l e d w i t h t h e m e s,m y t h s,i m a g e s,s c e n e s,c h a r a c t e r s a nde v e n t s t h a t w e r e af o u n d a t i o n f o r t h e n a t i o n’s l i t e r a t u r e.4.P u r i t a n w r i t e r s：t w o P o e t s：A n n eB r a d s t r e e t（T h e T e n t h M u s e L a t e l y S p r u n g u p i n A m e r i c a--《美国新崛起的第十位缪斯女神》）H e r w o r k s e r v e s a s a d o c u m e n t o f t h e s t r u g g l e s o f a P u r i t a n w i f e a g a i n s t t h e h a r d s h i p s o f N e w E n g l i s h c o l o n i a l l i f eE d w a r d T a y l o r①R e g a r d e d a s t h e b e s t o f t h e P u r i t a n p o e t s.②R e l i g i o u s t h e m e s.③B a s e d d i r e c t l y o n t h e P s a l m s(圣诗).P u r i t a n v a l u e s(e n d u r i n g持久的 i n f l u e n c e)s t r e s s e d h a r d w o r k,t h r i f t, p i e t y,s o b r i e t y（节制)T h e y r e g a r d e d t h e m s e l v e s a s c h o s e n p e o p l e o f G o d.T h e y e m b r a c e dh a r d s h i p s,i n d u s t r y a n d f r u g a l i t y(节俭).T h e y f a v o r e d a d i s c i p l i n e d,h a r d,s o m b e r,a s c e t i c(禁欲的)a n d h a r s h l i f e.T h e y o p p o s e d反对 a r t s a n d p l e a s u r e.T h e y s u s p e c t j o y a n d l a u g h t e r a s s y m p t o m s o f s i n.(c a n’t s m i l e i n t h e c h u r c h)P a r t I I.T h e L i t e r a t u r e o f R e a s o n a n d R e v o l u t i o n(18t h C)R e a s o n----- A m e r i c a n E n l i g h t e n m e n t1) P h i l o s o p h i c a l a n d i n t e l l e c t u a l m o v e m e n t.2)A d v o c a t e d r e a s o n(理性)o r r a t i o n a l i t y,t h e s c i e n t i f i c m e t h o d,e q u a l i t y a n d h u m a n b e i n g s'a b i l i t y t o p e rf e c t t h e m s e l v e s a n d t h e i rs o c i e t y.3. A g r e e d o n f a i t h i n h u m a n r a t i o n a l i t y a n d e x i s t e n c e o f d i s c o v e r a b l ea n d u n i v e r s a l l y v a l i d(有效的)p r i n c i p l e s g o v e r n i n g h u m a nb e i n g s,n a t u r ea n d s o c i e t y.4. O p p o s e d i n t o l e r a n c e, r e s t r a i n t, s p i r i t u a l a u t h o r i t y a n d r e v e a l e d r e l i g i o nB e n j a m i n F r a n k l i n(1706-1790)—T h e e p i t o m e(集中体现)o f t h e A m e r i c a n E n l i g h t e n m e n tM a i n W o r k s:P o o r R i c h a r d’s A l m a n a c《穷理查德年鉴》/《格言历书》 A c o l l e c t i o n o f p r o v e r b sA u t o b i o g r a p h y《自传》W i t h i t h e s e t t h e f o r m f o r a u t o b i o g r a p h y a s a g e n r e.建立了传记文学传统（A n i n s p i r i n g a c c o u n t o f a p o o r b o y’s r i s e t o a h i g h p o s i t i o n.I t i s a h o w-t o-d o-i t b o o k,o n e o n t h e a r t o f s e l f-i m p r o v e m e n t./S i g n i f i c a n c e:I t p r e s e n t s a p r o t o t y p e(原型)o f A m e r i c a n s u c c e s s w h i c h i n s p i r e d g e n e r a t i o n s o f A m e r i c a n s.I t i s a n e m b o d i m e n t体现 o f P u r i t a n i s m a n d e n l i g h t e n i n g s p i r i t.）S t y l e:h e d e v e l o p e d a n u t i l i t a r i a n(实利主义的 )a n d d i d a c t i c s t y l e.H i s s t y l e i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y s i m p l i c i t y,f r a n k n e s s,w i t,c l a r i t y, l o g i c a n d o r d e r.T h o m a s P a i n e托马斯佩恩(1737-1809)——F o u n d i n g F a t h e r o f U S AO f a l l t h e w r i t e r s o f t h e A m e r i c a n R e v o l u t i o n,h e w a s t h e l e a s t A m e r i c a n i n b a c k g r o u n d,i n s p i r i t a n d i n p u r p o s e.M a i n w o r k s:C o m m o n S e n s e《常识》T h e A m e r i c a n C r i s i s《美国危机》T h e r i g h t s o f m a n《人的权利》T h e A g e o f R e a s o n《理性时代》 D o w n f a l l o f D e s p o t i s m《专制体制的崩溃》“T h e m o s t b r i l l i a n t p a m p h l e t w r i t t e n i n A m e r i c a n R e v o l u t i o n,a n d o n e o f t h e m o s t b r i l l i a n t p a m p h l e t s e v e r w r i t t e n i n t h e E n g l i s h l a n g u a g e.”————C o m m o n S e n s e“T h e s e a r e t h e t i m e s t h a t t r y m e n's s o u l s."T h i s s i m p l e q u o t a t i o n n o t o n l y d e s c r i b e s t h e b e g i n n i n g s o f t h e A m e r i c a n R e v o l u t i o n,b u t a l s o t h e l i f e o f P a i n e h i m s e l f.“I l o v e t h e m a n t h a t c a n s m i l e i n t r o u b l e,t h a t c a n g a t h e r s t r e n g t h f r o m d i s t r e s s,a n d g r o w b r a v e b y r e f l e c t i o n.”T h o m a s J e f f e r s o n托马斯·杰斐逊（1743－1826）s y m b o l o f A m e r i c a n d e m o c r a c y.P o l i t i c a l l y, h e i s c o n s i d e r e d t h e f a t h e r o f t h e d e m o c r a t i c s p i r i t i n h i s c o u n t r y.T h e D e c l a r a t i o n o f I n d e p e n d e n c e《独立宣言》:T h e e s s a y,a d o p t e d J u l y4, 1776,n o t o n l y a n n o u n c e d t h e b i r t h o f a n e w n a t i o n,b u t a l s o s e t f o r t h a p h i l o s o p h y o f h u m a n f r e e d o m w h i c h s e r v e d a s u n i m p o r t a n t f o r c e i n t h e w e s t e r n w o r l d.I t i s a s t a t e m e n t o f A m e r i c a n p r i n c i p l e s a n d a r e v i e w o f t h e C a u s e s o f t h e q u a r r e l w i t h B r i t a i n, p r e s e n t e d t h e A m e r i c a n v i e w t o t h e w o r l d w i t h c l a s s i c d i g n i t y.I t i n s t i l l e d(逐步灌输)a m o n g t h e c o m m o n p e o p l e a s e n s e o f t h e i r o w n i m p o r t a n c e a n d i n s p i r e d s t r u g g l e f o r p e r s o n a l f r e e d o m,s e l f g o v e r n m e n t a n d a d i g n i f i e d p l a c e i n s o c i e t y.P h i l i p F r e n e a u（佛瑞诺）(1752-1832)f a t h e r o f A m e r i c a n P o e t r y &l e a d e r o f18t h c e n t u r y n a t u r a l i s m‘P o e t o f t h e A m e r i c a n R e v o l u t i o n’T h e f i r s t A m e r i c a n-b o r n p o e t.H i s p o e m s p r e s e n t e d R o m a n t i c s p i r i t s b u t h i s f o r m w a s m a i n l y i n f l u e n c e d b y C l a s s i c i s m. M a i n W o r k s:T w o t h e m e s：n a t u r e a n d t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n m e n a n d n a t u r e&t h e A m e r i c a n R e v o l u t i o n.T h e R i s i n g G l o r y o f A m e r i c a《蒸蒸日上的美洲》(1772) T h e B r i t i s h P r i s o n S h i p《英国囚船》 (1781)T o t h e M e m o r y o f t h e B r a v e A m e r i c a n s《纪念美国勇士》--同类诗中最佳T h e I n d i a n B u r y i n g G r o u n d《印第安人墓地》 (1788)T h e W i l d H o n e y S u c k l e《野生的金银花》 (1786)Q u e s t i o n s：W h a t’s t h e p o e t’s t o n e i n t h e p o e m,o p t i m i s t i c o r p e s s i m i s t i c?W h a t a r e t h e t h e m e s? W h a t c a n w e l e a r n f r o m t h e p o e m?S t a n z a1T h e f i r s t s t a n z a o f t h e p o e m t r e a t s t h e a d v a n t a g e s a s w e l l a s d i s a d v a n t a g e s o f t h e f l o w e r’s m o d e s t r e t i r e m e n t(隐居)—i t i s d e s i g n e d w i t h b e a u t y(f i r s t2l i n e s)a n d w e l l p r o t e c t e d(t h e l a s t2l i n e s) i n s o l i t u d e;w h e r e a s i t s b e a u t y m i g h t b e a d m i r e d b y f e w(t h e3r d &4t h l i n e s).S t a n z a2T h e s e c o n d s t a n z a s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e h o n e y s u c k l e b e a r s a s p e c i a l r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h n a t u r e w h i c h h a s a d v i s e d i t t o k e e p a w a y f r o m“v u l g a r e y e”,i t h a s s e n t t h e s o f t w a t e r s f l o w i n g g e n t l y b y.H o w e v e r,i n s p i t e o f a l l t h e n a t u r e’s k i n d n e s s,t h e f l o w e r c a n n o te s c a p e i t s d o o m(d e s t i n y).T h e b e s t t i m e of i t s l i f e i s f a d i n g,f o r d e a t h i s w a i t i n g.Q u e s t i o n s f o r D i s c u s s i o n：.F r e n e a u w a s e x t r e m e l y s e n s i t i v e t o t h e b e a u t i e s o f n a t u r e.I n t h i s p o e m h e e x p r e s s e s a k e e n a w a r e n e s s o f t h e l o v e l i n e s s a n d t r a n s i e n c e（短暂）o f n a t u r e.W h a t i m p r e s s i o n o f t h e f l o w e r i s g i v e n i n t h e f i r s t t w o s t a n z a s p a r t i c u l a r l y t h r o u g h t h e p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n o f n a t u r e?S t a n z a3T h e t h i r d s t a n z a r e v e a l s t h e i n d i f f e r e n c e o f n a t u r e---t h e “u n p i t y i n g f r o s t s” a r e a s m u c h a p a r t o f n a t u r e a s t h e“s o f t w a t e r s”. T h u s,t h e n o t i o n t h a t n a t u r e h a s p r o v i d e d a“g u a r d i a n s h a d e” f o r t h e p r o t e c t i o n o f t h e h o n e y s u c k l e i s a s e n t i m e n t a l f a n c y.W h y d o e s t h e p o e t f e e l g r i e f悲痛 a b o u t t h e f l o w e r’s d o o m? T o w h a t d o e s h e c o m p a r e i t s c h a r m s?S t a n z a4I n t h e f o u r t h s t a n z a,t h e p o e t s e e s h i s f a t e m i r r o r e d i n t h a t o f t h e f l o w e r. H u m a n b e i n g s, a s a n y o t h e r c r e a t u r e s o r f l o w e r s, a r e a p a r t o f n a t u r e.T h e y o r i g i n a t e d f r o m n a t u r e a n d w i l l s u r e l y r e t u r n t o n a t u r e s o m e d a y,t h u s t h e i r r e d u c t i o n t o n a t u r e i n t h ed a y a he a d w i l l c o n s t i t u t e n o r e a l l o s s.1.W h a t c o n c l u s i o n d o e s t h e p o e t d r a w i n t h e l a s t s t a n z a?2.D o y o u t h i n k F r e n e a u i s c o m p a r i n g t h e l i f e o f a f l o w e r w i t h t h e l i f e o f m a n?E x p l a i n y o u r r e a s o n i n g.W h a t m e a n i n g i s s u g g e s t e d b y t h e p h r a s e“b u t a n h o u r”?C o m m e n t o n“T h e W i l d H o n e y S u c k l e”：I t i s a d e i s t i c（自然神论的）c e l e b r a t i o n o f n a t u r e, r o m a n t i c u s e o f s i m p l e n a t u r e i m a g e r y, i n s p i r e d b y t h e m e s o f d e a t h a n d t r a n s i e n c e（短暂）.M u c h o f t h e b e a u t y o f t h e p o e m l i e s i n t h e s o u n d s o f t h e w o r d s a n d t h e e f f e c t s c r e a t e d t h r o u g h c h a n g e s i n r h y t h m(a b a b c c).F l o w e r v s H u m a n B e i n g& D u r a t i o n持久 v s L i f eS h o w u s h o w t o l i v e a n u s e f u l l i f e. I n a r e v o l u t i o n,o n e s h o u l d n o t d o n o t h i n g f o r h i s c o u n t r y f o r f e a r o f b e i n g h u r t,h a r m e d a n d d e s t r o y e d.D i f f e r e n t c o m m e n t s o n t h e p o e m：（1）T h e p o e m i s a b o u t l i f e.T h e f i r s t s t a n z a d e s c r i b e s a b a b y i n t h e w o m b.U n t o u c h e d,u n s e e n,a n d p r o t e c t e d.T h e s e c o n d t a l k s a b o u t c h i l d h o o d,b e i n g p r o t e c t e d i n s h a d e a n d f r o m v u l g a r i t y.T h e t h i r d i s a b o u t a g i n g t o t h e p r i m e o f l i f e“n o r w e r e t h o s e f l o w e r sm o r e g a y,T h e f l o w e r s t h a t d i d i n E d e n b l o o m.” F r e n e a u i n c l u d e s f o r e s h a d o w i n g o f t h e i m p e n d i n g（临近）d e c a y.T h e f l o w e r d i e s i n t h e f o u r t h s t a n z a a n d l e a v e s n o t r a c e. I t’s a l m o s ta s i f i t w a s n e v e r t h e r e.A l t h o u g h t h e h o n e y s u c k l e h a s g o n e t h r o u g ht h e s e c h a n g e s,i t's l i f e w a s s h o r t.B a s i c a l l y,F r e n e a u t e l l s u s t h a t o u r l i v e s a r e a l s o f r a i l a n d s h o r ta n d a r e a l l e q u a l i n d e a t h.（2）I m a g e r y意象P h i l i p F r e n e a u e m p l o y s a l a n g u a g e f u l l o f i m a g e r y.E s p e c i a l l y p e r s o n i f i c a t i o n s c o n s t i t u t e a m a i n p a r t o f“T h e W i l d H o n e yS u c k l e”.M o r e o v e r,t h e f l o w e r i t s e l f i s p e r s o n i f i e d.T h e n a r r a t o rt a l k s t o t h e f l o w e r a s i f i t w e r e a h u m a n b e i n g. H e e x p r e s s e s t h a tt h e“l i t t l e b r a n c h e s g r e e t” (l i n e4),h o p e s t h a t t h e r e w i l l b e n o “t e a r” (6) o f t h e f l o w e r a n d a d v i c e s i t t o“s h u n t h e v u l g a r e y e” (8).T h e“r o v i n g f o o t”a n d t h e“b u s y h a n d”(5f)a r e m e t a p h o r s o f t h ed e s t r u c t i o n o f n a t u r e b y m e n. N a t u r e i t s e l f i s p e r s o n i f i e d a s“N a t u r e’s s e l f” (7)w h i c h a r r a y e d t h e f l o w e r s“a n d p l a n t e d h e r e t h e g u a r d i a ns h a d e a n d s e n t s o f t w a t e r s m u r m u r i n g b y”(9f).T h e w a t e r s a r ep e r s o n i f i e d a s w e l l,b e i n g s m o o t h a n d p r o d u c i n g s o u n d s l i k e s i l e n tt a l k i n g.总结：这是一首脍炙人口的小诗，诗人以敏锐的观察力，浅俗的词汇，优美的韵律和清晰的意象，细腻生动地描述了盛开于北美大地不为人们注意的野金银花。

美国文学史考试复习资料全1美国文学史复习（colonialism)第一部分殖民主义时期的文学一、时期综述1、清教徒采用的文学体裁：a、narratives 日记b、journals 游记2、清教徒在美国的写作内容：1）their voyage to the new land2) Adapting themselves to unfamiliar climates and crops 3) About deal ing with Indians4) Guide to the new land, endless bounty, invitation to bold spirit3、清教徒的思想：1）puritan want to make up pure their religious beliefs and practices 2) Wish to restore simplicity to church and the authority of the Bible to the theology.3look upon themselves as chosen people, and it follow logically tha t anyone who challenged their way of life is opposing God's will and is not to be accepted.4）puritan opposition to pleasure and the arts sometimes has been exagge rated. 步5）religious teaching tended to emphasize the image of a wrathful God.。

4、典型的清教徒：John Cotton & Roger William他们的不同：John Cotton was much more concerned with authority thanwith democrac y;William begins the history of religious toleration in America.5、William的宗教观点：Toleration did not stem from a lack of religious convictions. Instead , it sprang from the idea that simply to be virtuous in conduct an d devout in belief did not give anyone the right to force belief o n others. He also felt that no political order or church system cou ld identify itself directly with Go6、英国最早移民到美国的诗人：Anne Bradstreet7、在殖民时期最好的清教徒诗人：the best of Puritan poets is Edward Tayor.学习指南：1、Could you give a description of American Puritans? 关于美国清教徒的描绘Like their brothers back in England, were idealists, believing that the church should be restored to the "purity" of the first·c entury church as established by Jesus Christ himself. To them religion was a matter of primary importance. They made it their chief busi ness to see that man lived and thought and acted in a way which t ended to the glory of God. They accepted the doctrine of predestinat ion, original sin and total depravity, and limited atonement through a special infusion of grace from God, all that John Calvin, the gre at French theologian who lived in Geneva had preached It was this kind of religious belief that they brought with them into the wild ness. There they meaant to prove that were God's chosen people enjoy ing his blessings on this earth as in Heaven.2，，Hard work, thrift, piety and sobriety were the Puritan valuesthat d ominated much of the earliest American writing.3、The work of two writers, Anne Bradstreet & Edward Taylor, rose to t he level of real poetry.4．The earliest settlers included Dutch, Swedes, Germans, French, Spani ards Italian, and Portuguese.美国文学史复习2（reasoning and revolution) )一、美国的性质：The war for Independence ended in the formation of a Federative bourgeois democratic republic - the United States of America. 联邦的资产阶级民主共和国--美利坚合众国。

H i s t o r y A n d A n t h o l o g y o f A m e r i c a n L i t e r a t u r e(V o l u m eⅠⅡ)美国文学史及选读1、2PartⅠThe Literature of Colonial America殖民主义时期的文学1.17世纪早期English and European explorers开始登陆美洲。

在他们之前100多年Caribbean Islands, Mexicoand other Parts of South America已被the Spanish占领。

2.17th早期English settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts(弗吉尼亚和马萨诸塞)开始了美国历史3.美国最早殖民者(earliest settlers)included Dutch ,Swedes ,Germans ,French ,Spaniards ,Italians and Portuguese(荷兰人，瑞典人，德国人，法国人，西班牙人，意大利人及葡萄牙人等)。

4.美国早期文学主要为the narratives and journals of these settlements采用in diaries and in journals(日记和日志)，他们写关于the land with dense forests and deep-blue lakes and rich soil.5.第一批美国永久居民：the first permanent English settlement in North America was established atJamestown,Virginia in 1607(北美弗吉尼亚詹姆斯顿)。

6.船长约翰·史密斯Captain John Smith他的作品(reports of exploration)17th早期出版，被认为是美国第一部真正意义上的文学作品in the early 1600s,have been described as the first distinctly American literature written in English.他讲述了filled with themes, myths, images, scenes, character and events,吸引了朝圣者和清教徒前往lure the Pilgrims and the Puritans.7.美国第一位作家：1608年Captain John Smith写了封信《自殖民地第一次在弗吉尼亚垦荒以来发生的各种事件的真实介绍》“A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony”.8.他的第二本书1612年《弗吉尼亚地图，附：一个乡村的描述》“A Map of Virginia: with a Description of theCountry”.9.他一共出版了八本书，其中有关于新英格兰的历史及描述。

10.Herman MelvilleBut it is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great.(1819-1891)Teaching ObjectivesMelville‘s Life and Main WorksMelville‘s masterpiece Moby DickThe Main Plot, Major characters, theme, SymbolsSocial significance of Moby DickLife Experienceborn on August 1, 1819 in New York City into an established merchant family, the third of 8 children. His father became bankrupt and insane, dying when Melville was 12. His sea experiences and adventures furnished him with abundant materials, and resulted in five novels that brought him wide fame as a writer of sea stories.In 1850, he met Hawthorne and they became good friends. He read Hawthorne‘s books and was deeply impressed by Hawthorne‘s black vision.His fame was recognized after his death.Melville‘s Major Works1) Typee «泰皮»2) Omoo «欧穆»3) Mardi «玛地»4) Bedburn «雷得本»5) White Jacket «白外衣»from his adventures among the people of the South Pacific islandsan account of his voyage to Englandhis life on a United States man-of-war6) Pierre «皮埃尔»7) Billy Budd 《比利•巴德》(a sign that he had resolved his quarrel with God) Clarel 《克拉莱尔》( a poem)Moby-Dick «白鲸»，«莫比•狄克»an encyclopedia of everythinghistory, philosophy, religion, the whaling industrya Shakespearean tragedy of man fighting against fatesHis Tragic Influence from Literary TraditionAt the time of writing, Melville was reading Greek tragedy, especially the Orestia (奥瑞斯提亚）of AeschylusImmersed in the tragedies of Shakespeare – King Lear, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth Epic poetry, HomerMoby Dick (1)This book is dedicated to Hawthorne, for Hawthorne encourged Melville to change this novel from a story full of details about whaling, into an allegorical novel.Moby Dick (2)Epic in scope.It consists of 135 chapters.- the long and arduous journey- the great battleDefined as an epic, which contains a tragic drama, a tragedy of pride, and pursuit and revenge, which is also a tragedy of thought与白鲸有关的背景对爱斯基摩人来说，白鲸也是非常重要的，不仅因为其肉好吃，而且它们的油用来点灯不仅明亮，还能释放出大量热量，使简陋的冰屋保持温暖。

（完整版）美国文学史-知识点梳理Part I The Literature of Colonial AmericaI．Historical IntroductionThe colonial period stretched roughly from the settlement of America in the early 17th century through the end of the 18th. The first permanent settlement in America was established by English in 1607. ( A group of people was sent by the English King James I to hunt for gold. They arrived at Virginia in 1607. They named the James River and build the James town.)II．The pre-revolutionary writing in the colonies was essentially of two kinds:1) Practical matter-of-fact accounts of farming, hunting, travel, etc. designed to inform people "at home" what life was like in the new world, and, often, to induce their immigration2) Highly theoretical, generally polemical, discussions of religious questions. III．The First American WriterThe first writings that we call American were the narratives and journals of these settlements. They wrote about their voyage to the new land, their lives in the new land, their dealings with Indians.Captain John Smith is the first American writer.A True Relation of such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony (1608)A Map of Virginia: A Description of the Country (1612)General History of Virgini a (1624): the Indian princess PocahontasCaptain John Smith was one of the first early 17th-century British settlers in North America. He was one of the founders ofthe colony of Jamestown, Virginia. His writings about North America became the source of information about the New World for later settlers.One of the things he wrote about that has become an American legend was his capture by the Indians and his rescue by the famous Indian Princess, Pocahontas. IV．Early New England LiteratureWilliam Bradford and John WinthropJohn Cotton and Roger WilliamsAnne Bradstreet and Edward TaylorV．Puritan Thoughts1. The origin of puritanIn the mediaeval Europe, there was widespread religious revolution. In the 16th Century, the English King Henry VIII (At that time, the Catholics were not allowed to divorce unless they have the Pope's permission. Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife because she couldn't bear him a son. But the Pope didn't allow him to divorce, so he) broke away from the Roman Catholic Church & established the Church ofEngland. But there was no radical difference between the doctrines of the Church of England and the Catholic Church. A group of people thought the Church of England was too Catholic and wanted to purify the church. Then came the name Puritans.2. Puritanism -- based on Calvinism(1) predestination: God's electPuritans believed they are predestined before they were born.Nothing or no good work can change their fate.They believed the success of one's business is the sign to show he is the God's elect. So the Puritans works very hard, spend very little and invest more for the future business. They lived avery frugal life. This is their ethics.(2) Origianl sin and total depravityMan is born sinful. This determines some puritans pessimistic attitude towards life.(3) Limited atonement (the salvation of a selected few)(4) theocracyThey combined state with religion. Their government is at least not a liberal one.The Puritans established American tradition -- intolerant moralism. They strictly punished drunks, adultery & heretics.Puritans changed gradually due to the severity of frontier environment3. Influence on American Literature(1) Its optimismAmerican literature was from the outset conditioned by the Puritan heritage. It can be said American literature is based on the Biblical myth of the Garden of Eden. After that, man have an illusion to restore the paradise. The puritans, after arriving at America, believing that God must have sent them to this new land to restore the lost paradise, to build the wilderness into a new Garden of Eden. Fired with such a strong sense of mission, they treated life with a tremendous amount of optimism. The optimistic Puritan has exerted a great influence on American literature.(2) Puritan's metaphorical mode of perception changed gradually into a literary symbolism.Part II The Literature of Reason And RevolutionI．Historical IntroductionWith the growth, especially of industry, there appeared the intense strain with England. The British government did not wantcolonial industries competing with those in England. The British wanted the colonies to remain politically and economically dependent on the mother country. They took a series of measures to insure this dependence. They prevented colonial economy by requiring Americans to ship raw materials abroad and to import finished goods at prices higher than the cost of making them in this country. Politically, the British government forced dependenceby ruling the colonies from overseas and by taxing the colonies without giving them representation in Parliament.However, by the mid-eighteenth century, freedom was won as much by the fiery rhetoric of Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the eloquence of the Declaration of Independence as by the weapons of Washington. In the seventies of the 18th century, the English colonies in North America rose in arms against their mother country. The War for Independence lasted for 8 years (1776-1783) and ended in the formation of a federative bourgeois democratic republic -- the United States of America. II．American EnlightenmentIt was supported by all progressive forces of the country which opposed themselves to the old colonial order and religious obscurantism.It dealt a decisive blow upon the puritan traditions and brought to life secular education and literature. The spiritual life during that period was to a great degree moulded by it.The representatives set themselves the task of disseminating knowledge among the people and advocating revolutionary ideas.The writers injected an invigorating vein into the English language in America as they aimed at clarity and precision oftheir writings.At the initial period the spread of the ideas of the Enlightenment was largely due to journalism. Writings of Europe were widely read in America. The secular ideals of the American Enlightenment were exemplified in the life and career of Benjamin Franklin.III．Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)The AutobiographyPoor Richard’s AlmanacLifeBenjamin Franklin came from a Calvinist background.He was born into a poor candle-maker’s family. He had very little education. He learned in school only for two years, but he was a voracious reader.At 12, he was apprenticed to his elder half-brother, a printer.At 16, he began to publish essays under the pseudonym “Silence Do good” .At 17, he ran away to Philadelphia to make his own fortune.He set himself up as an independent printer and publisher. In 1727 he founded the Junto club.Multiple identities:a printera leading authora politiciana scientista inventora diplomata civic activistFranklin’s Contributions to SocietyHe helped found the Pennsylvania Hospital.He founded an academy which led to the University of Pennsylvania.And he helped found the American Philosophical Society.Franklin’s Contributions to ScienceHe was also remembered for volunteer fire departments, effective street lighting, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses and efficient heating devices.And for his lightning-rod, he was called “the new Prometheus who had stolen fire from heaven.”Franklin’s Contributions to the U.S.He was the only American to sign the four documents that created the United States:The Declaration of Independence,The Treaty of Alliance with France,The Treaty of Peace with England,The ConstitutionThe AutobiographyThe Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin was probably the first of its kind in literature. It is the simple yet immensely fascinating record of a man rising to wealth and fame from a state of poverty and obscurity into which he was born, the faithful account of the colorful career of America’s first self-made man.The Autobiography is, first of all, a Puritan document. It is Puritan because it is a record of self-examination and self-improvement. The meticulous chart of 13 virtues he set for himself to cultivate to combat the tempting vices, the stupendous effort he made to improve his own person, the belief that God helps those who helps themselves and that every calling is a service to God – all these indicate that Franklin was intensely Puritan. Then, the book is also a convincing illustration of thePuritan ethic that, in order to get on in the world, one has to be industrious, frugal, and prudent.The Autobiography is also an eloquent elucidation of the fact that Franklin was spokesman for the new order of eighteenth-century enlightenment, and that he represented in America all its ideas, that man is basically good and free by nature, endowed by God with certain inalienable rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.A look at the style of The Autobiography will readily reveal that it is the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness and concision. The plainness of its style, the homeliness of imagery, the simplicity of diction, syntax and expression are some of the salient features we cannot mistake. The lucidity of the narrative, the absence ofornaments in wording and of complex, involved structures in syntax, and the Puritan abhorrence of paradox are all graphically demonstrated in the whole of the book. Taken as a whole, it is safe to say that the book is an exemplary illustration of the American style of writing.IV．Thomas Paine (1737-1809)Common SenseAmerican CrisisV．Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)The Declaration of IndependenceVI．Philip Freneau (1752-1832)“Poet of the American Revolution”“Father of American Poetry”“Pioneer of the New Romanticism”“A gifted and versatile lyric poet”Works“The Wild Honey Suckle”“The Indian Burying Ground”“To a Caty-Did”Freneau as Father of American Poetry: His major themes are death, nature, transition, and the human in nature. All of these themes become important in 19th century writing.Life ExperienceHe was born in New York.At 16, he entered the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). He decided to do a postgraduate study in theology. But two years later he gave it up. While still an undergraduate, he wrote in collaboration with one of his friends (H. H. Brackenridge) a poem entitled “The Rising Glory of America”.Later he attended the War of Independence, and he was captured by British army in 1780.After being released, he published “The British Prison Ship” in 1781.In the same year, he published “T o the Memory of the Brave Americans”.After war, he supported Jefferson, and contributed greatly to American government.But after 50 years old, he lived in poverty. And at last he died in a blizzard.Main Works“The Rising Glory of America” (1772) 《美洲光辉的兴起》“The House of Night” (1779,1786) 《夜之屋》“The British Prison Ship” (1781) 《英国囚船》“To the Memory of the Brave Americans” (1781) 《纪念美国勇士》?“”The Wild Honey Suckle” (1786) 《野忍冬花》“The Indian Burying Ground” (1788) 《印第安人墓地》野忍冬花（黄杲炘译）美好的花呀，你长得：这么秀丽，却藏身在这僻静沉闷的地方——甜美的花儿开了却没人亲昵，招展的小小枝梢也没人观赏；没游来荡去的脚来把你踩碎，没东攀西摘的手来催你落泪。