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美国文学史思考题

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Discuss the general philosophy of Transcendentalism on terms of its connections with romanticism, its “epistemology”, its emphasis on symbolic representation on individualism, and ifs philosophical sources.1.Transcendentalism’s connections with Romanticism:Transcendentalism energized the romantic movement that had started earlier, it is the peak of American romanticism.Transcendentalism shares the characteristics of romanticism such as: the importance of intuition, he exaltation of the individual over society, the new and thrilling delight in nature, fascination with the Gothic and the “Oriental”, and the desire to build a national literature and culture. In addition, Transcendentalism, as a type of romanticism peculiar to New England,took on a specific moral and philosophical tone.2.Transcendentalism, as an epistemology, believes that individuals can intuitively receivehigher truths otherwise unavailable through common methods of knowing, thus transcending the limits of rationalism.3.Transcendentalism reminds us of the Puritan belief in the “divine and supernaturallight” or the Quaker “inner light.” It encourages the young not to be enslaved by customs but to follow the God within , and to live every moment with a strenuousness such as found in the Puritan fathers. However, transcendentalists were too individualistic to agree to something uniform.4.Three philosophical sources can be identified:a)the first source is neo-Platonism, the belief that spirit prevails over matter and thatthere is an ascending scale of spiritual values rising to absolute Good.b)The second source is German romanticism, transmitted through the writings ofColeridge an Carlyle, which emphasizes intuition as a means of piercing to the realessence of things.c)The third source of influence is a certain version of Eastern mysticism, gleaned andinterpreted from ancient Asian scriptures, including, to a limited extent , those byConfucius.How is Thoreau’s revolt manifested both in his social actions and in his writing? What is the nature of his revolt? What is his role in Transcendentalism?1、Thoreau’s revolt in his social actions:On July 4,1845, Thoreau began living in a hut（built on Emerson’s land）by the Walden Pond. There he lived simply and deliberately, devoting his time to observations and reflections.This experiment he designed was to prove how far he could free himself from the hypocrisies and unnecessary complexities of the commercial society.Another social action is that he once refused to pay tax to protest against the Mexican War and was imprisoned for it.2、Thoreau’s revolt in his writing:There is a heightened passion, a natural and living energy in Thoreau whether he is criticizing or praising or arguing. The enthusiasm is balanced by a sense of wit, humor and irony. The most important part of Thoreau’s style is the mark of Transcendentalism: the style as the thinking in imagery. Thus , we see a free and natural mingling of natural images and moral/philosophical principles as the excursions into the wilderness become metaphysical, spiritual.3、The nature of Thoreau’s revolt:What Thoreau revolted against in Walden was the materialism of his day. Or, more specifically, he objected to the division of labor that the emerging industrialism threatened to bring about.He was the advocator of Ecological Movement, and he appreciate simplicity ,as well as spiritual self-cultivation. He insisted the oneness of man and nature.4、Thoreau’s role in Transcendentalism:Thoreau practiced the self-reflective and self-reliant Transcendentalism that Emerson preached. Emerson found Thoreau’s outdoor vigor and sharp individuality captivating.The value of Thoreau lies in the social criticism he made and the political stance he took;his value also lies in his belief that the gospel Emerson and the Transcendentalists preached must be able to inspire action.To sum up, Thoreau drove Transcendentalism to a higher level. To some extent, he inherited some of Emerson’s ideas, but he also had his own unique and deep insights. He played a very important role in Transcendentalism.What are “negative capabilities?”Briefly discuss how “negative capabilities”are manifested in Hawthorne , Melville and Poe.1、The phrase “negative capabilities”, was first used by the British romantic poet John Keats.Keats defined it as the capability in good poets of including uncertainties and other negative emotions without stretching for reason and without losing reason. The negative capability, by immersing us in ambiguities, doubts and other negative emotions, in fact strengthens us and improves our judgment by complicating our existing system of judgment. It is therefore a sign of the kind of aesthetic sophistication found in only good poets.2、How “negative capabilities” are manifested in Hawthorne , Melville and PoeHawthorne , Melville and Poe were healthy skeptics. Their ability in doubts, irony and detachment enabled them to interrogate the innocence of the age. To put it differently, it is a way to question the basis of optimism so that optimism is not built on illusions.a)Hawthorne:He is a member of the Club, but lived on the fringes of their philosophy. He was quite suspicious of their sunny optimism. He also disapproved of their experimentalcommunity called Brook Farm.A theme evident I Hawthorne’s writings is the guilty stains of human nature.The focus of his famous novel The Scarlet Letter is their moral situation in the longyears in which they have to endure suffering.In another novel Young Goodman Brown, the forest is the symbol of sin and evil.In the Minister’s Black Veil, the veil is a symbol of universal guilt concealed by hypocrisy.The themes of Hawthorne’s other novels are: the internal conflict , male withdrawal from marriage.b) Melville:Melville’s skepticism about transcendentalism is evident in what he says in Moby Dick: “He who hath more of joy than sorrow in him…cannot be true-not true, orundeveloped.”Melville’s varied experiences are reflected in the different aspects of his writing.Melville’s male central characters are the classic wanderers who struggle against oddsand are initiated into some harsh rite of passage.C)Poe:Poe is unique in that his interest in the complex dynamism of the human psyche made him a precursor to the 20th century phenomenon of psychoanalysis.。

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童明《美国文学史》课后习题详解(1945年以来的诗学倾向)【圣才出品】

童明《美国文学史》课后习题详解(1945年以来的诗学倾向)【圣才出品】

第24章1945年以来的诗学倾向Questions for Discussion and Writing Assignments1. How does Theodore Roethke convey personal anguish? What kind of journey does his poetry undertake? Answer by explicating “Cutting.”Key: Much of his poetry conveys intense personal anguish through private imagery and through symbolism drawn from nature.Roethke approaches his subjects in poetry in a dramatic fashion. And his forms are wide-ranging, including free verse, and long-cadenced varieties of traditional structures. His poetry is thus serious and difficult, but it is often seasoned with wit and humor. T ake “Cuttings (later)” for example. Here, fert ility in nature is combined with physical and psychological regression. A cutting, in terms of gardening or farming, is a stem of plant cut for the purpose of being planted. The first two lines of the poem present a powerful image of the urge towards life: “This urge, wrestle, resurrection of dry sticks/Cut stems struggling to put down feet.” Through pure empathy, the poet becomes the cuttings struggling to put down roots and through psychological regression, he re-experiences his own birth and the trauma a ccompanying it: “I quail, lean to beginnings, sheath-wet,” thus completing a psychological and metaphorical transformation.2. What characterizes Elizabeth Bishop’s observation of the external world and how does she apply such observations to the internal and external experiences? With her style in mind, explicate “The Fish.” Does the grotesqueness of the poem mean the same as it does in Anderson or Flannery O’Connor?Key: Bishop observes the external world and relates her observations to her internal and external experiences. But she does so with such detachment that the external world seems to exist as a separate entity. “The Fish” is Bishop’s best-known poem. The speaker captures a fish, and when she examines it closely, she notices the external ugliness and decay and reflects on the beautiful entrails with their “dramatic reds and blacks.”The interaction of nature with the things humans do is the constant subject of Bishop’s poetry. Such interaction, however, is seen in its grotesqueness. So, we can say that this grotesqueness is different from that in Anderson’s or Flannery O’Connor’s works.3. What is a “confessional” poet? Name some of them.Key: “Confessional” poets refer to poets in the 1950s and 1960s who adapted certain techniques of the novel for their poems. Since modernist poetics generally favor the distance between the poet(or author) and the speaker (or narrator) for the effect of impersonality and irony, most poets designated as “confessional” dislike the name, fearing its connotations of b eing artless and sensational. But there are also advantages for the “confessionals.” Confessionalpoets, closing the gap between the poet and the speaker (in contrast to modernist poetics that favor such a gap), were able to explore more intensely their dark selves and in so doing, associate themselves with the Puritan authors. Robert Lowell and Sylvia Plath were repre sentative “confessional” poets.4. How does Robert Lowell “confess?” Why is “Walking in the Blue” a good example?Key: Lowell “confessed” wi th free verse and prose poetry, together with a variety of stanzaic and rhymed forms, including sonnet sequences and couplets in iambic pentameter.“Waking in the Blue” is a depiction of Lowell’s stay at McLean Hospital. The poem shows the process in which Lowell, poet and speaker as one, comes to terms with harsh realities.5. What is that deeply human quality in Plath’s expression of pessimism? Explain “The Arrival of the Bee Box.”Key: Plath’s poems communicate a deep sense of pessimism, suggesting the insecure and ephemeral nature of life, conveying a choking restriction of domestic life, expressing a frustration at the difficulty of achieving self- fulfillment and venting, sometimes, her resentment, even hatred, towards the father and the husband.Analogously, therefore, the bee box indicates the conflicting forces in herpsyche. The box, in that it is something she requests, something mysterious and which causes anxiety, is also a metaphor for her pregnancy.6. Adrienne Rich’s definition of “revision” is well known and cited. Why does she say that revision is an act of survival for women? With this definition in mind, read and explain poems by feminist poets such as H.D.’s “Helen” (review Chapter 17). Write a short essay to explicate two feminist revisionist poems of your choice.Key: Re-vision—the act of looking back, of seeing with fresh eyes, of entering an old text from a new critical direction—is for women more than a chapter in cultural history; it is an act of survival. Until we can understand the assumption in which we are drenched we cannot know ourselves. And this drive to self-knowledge, for women, is more than a search for identity; it is part of our refusal of the self-destructiveness of male- dominated society.(Essay Writing is omitted.)7. In “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,” what do we learn about Aunt Jennifer and what more do we learn about her through the tiger she creates?Key: Aunt Jennifer has suffered in an oppressive marriage, as indicated by the “massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band.” She has been so frightened in this stifling marriage that when she dies “her terrified hands will lie/Still ringed wit h ordeals she was mastered by.”The speaker tells the story with sympathy and in a coded language, allowing us to see the contrast betwee n Aunt Jennifer’s intimidated personality and the proudly prancing tigers she creates.8. In the “Diving Into the Wreck,” how is the speaker equipped for the diving? Are the “equipments” not strange? What is discovered at the bottom of the ocean? What is all this a metaphor for?Key: The speaker puts on the body-armor of black rubber, the absurd flipper, and the grave and awkward mask.Yes, the “equipments” are strange.The wretch is discovered at the bottom of the ocean. The bottom of the ocean seems a mothering environment where she feels less restricted. On the other hand, the poem has been interpreted by critics as a metaphorical description of the demise—hence the “wreck”—of a patriarchal society.9. What is the counterculture created by the “beat generation?” What are the two meanings of “beat?” In this context, what is Allen Ginsberg’s poetry generally about?Key: To reject middle-class lifestyles and values, the beat generation pursued ecological preservation of nature, transcendental values, communalism (not quite the same as communism), primitivism and turned to Zen Buddhism and other beliefs outside the mainstream Western culture. At the same time, their“romanticism” meant that the generation also chose to experiment with drugs and to experience uninhibited sexThe word “beat” means: (1) beat down, and (2) beatific. The two meanings combined conjure up a more accurate image of the beat generation and their counterculture.Both Ginsberg’s poetry and style of living are meant to challenge social values and to impart spiritual instruction to the young in the counterculture. But he does not just play that role. Much of his poetic expression is directed to the larger American readership on the directions of American society.10. What is Allen Ginsber g’s poetic style like? Answer by explicating “Howl.”Key: Ginsberg writes in a style of free verse more free than Whitman’s. He uses ordinary words and what might be called “breath lines.” He bases the len gth of his lines on his breath.In “Howl”, there is“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix ...” Thus, the poem moves on, in long breath lines, to chronicle how the destruction is done, to give a deep, personal howl of anguish and alienation.11. How is Gary Sherman Snyder connected with Chinese and Japanese cultures?Key: Although Snyder had got a B.A. in anthropology at Reed College and。

(完整版)(0097)美国文学史复习思考题

(完整版)(0097)美国文学史复习思考题

（0097)《美国文学史》复习思考题I。

Write out the authors’ names of the following works。

(15) 1。

Poor Richard’s Almanac 2。

The Wasteland3。

The Pioneers 4。

The Leaves of Grass5. Go Tell it on the Mountain6. For Whom the Bell Tolls?7。

Catch 22 8。

Of Mice and Men9. The Sound and the Fury 10.Huck Finn11。

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 12. The Old Man and the Sea13. Mending Walls 14. Beloved15. Invisible Man 16. Beyond the Horizons17. Of Mice and Men 18. The Raven19. The Great Gatsby 20. The Streetcar Named Desire21. Rip van Winkle 22。

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening23. The Scarlet Letter 24. Moby Dick25. Desire Under the Elms 26。

The Gilded Age27。

The Sound and Fury 28。

The Road Not Taken29. The Death of a Salesman 30。

The Pathfinder31. Walden 32. Daisy Miller33。

Song of Myself 34. The Call of the Wild35。

Martin Eden 36。

欧美文学史 第三章第四章思考题

欧美文学史 第三章第四章思考题

第三章文艺复兴时期文学一、名词解释：1．文艺复兴：是14-17世纪初欧洲一系列新兴资产阶级思想文化运动的总称。

文艺复兴虽以发掘、整理和研究古希腊罗马的文化遗产、复苏古典文化为标志，但实质上并不是为了恢复古代的旧文化，而是借此反对封建观念，摆脱中世纪宗教教义和封建思想的桎梏，建立适应资本主义生产关系和资产阶级需要的新思想、新文化。

文艺复兴开辟了欧洲历史上的新纪元，它是西方近代文化的开端2．人文主义：是文艺复兴时期新兴资产阶级反封建反教会斗争中形成的思想体系、世界观或思想武器，也是这一时期资产阶级进步文学的中心思想。

它主张一切以人为本，反对神的权威，把人从中世纪的神学枷锁下解放出来。

对“人”的肯定成了人文主义思想的核心。

主要内容：①用人性反对神权。

②用个性解放反对禁欲主义。

③用理性反对蒙昧主义。

④拥护中央集权，反对封建割据。

3.流浪汉小说：产生于16世纪中叶，受中世纪市民文学的影响，以城市中下层人物的活动为中心，用人物流浪史的形式、幽默俏皮的风格、简洁流畅的语言，广泛反映当时的社会生活。

小说一般采用第一人称，描写主人公的所见所闻，对欧洲近代长篇小说产生了深远影响。

代表作为西班牙无名氏的《小癞子》。

4．莎士比亚化：是马克思提出的美学原则，即要求戏剧创作从现实生活出发，而不是从抽象的概念出发，通过生动丰富的情节和个性鲜明的人物形象、优美的语言，创作出富有艺术感染力的作品。

二、问答：1.人文主义文学的特点。

答：①人文主义者通过艺术形象的描绘，颂扬人的理性和力量、价值与尊严。

鲜明地提出“人不认识自己，就不能认识上帝”的口号，坚信人是“宇宙的精华，万物的灵长”，在这一认识基础上，着力塑造无论在智力还是在体力上均具有“巨人”风采的崭新形象。

②着力描写现世生活，以人文主义为武器，对封建制度和道德及宗教禁欲主义进行抨击，对封建贵族和僧侣上层的恶德败行加以嘲讽，并积极传播人性、人权、现世幸福、科学知识和国家统一等新的思想观念，展现巨大的生命能量和强烈的生命激情，和中世纪文学的干瘪、僵化、苍白与死气沉沉形成鲜明对比。

童明《美国文学史》（增订版）笔记和课后习题（含考研真题）详解

童明《美国文学史》（增订版）笔记和课后习题（含考研真题）详解

我国各大院校一般都把国内外通用的权威教科书作为本科生和研究生学习专业课程的参考教材，这些教材甚至被很多考试（特别是硕士和博士入学考试）和培训项目作为指定参考书。

为了帮助读者更好地学习专业课，我们有针对性地编著了一套与国内外教材配套的复习资料，并提供配套的名师讲堂、电子书和题库。

《美国文学史》（增订版）（童明主编）一直被用作高等院校英语专业英美文学教材，被很多院校指定为英语专业考研必读书和学术研究参考书。

为了帮助读者更好地使用该教材，我们精心编著了它的配套辅导用书。

作为该教材的学习辅导书，全书遵循该教材的章目编排，共分27章，每章由三部分组成：第一部分为复习笔记（中英文对照），总结本章的重点难点；第二部分是课后习题详解，对该书的课后思考题进行了详细解答；第三部分是考研真题与典型题详解，精选名校经典考研真题及相关习题，并提供了详细的参考答案。

本书具有以下几个方面的特点：1．梳理章节脉络，归纳核心考点。

每章的复习笔记以该教材为主并结合其他教材对本章的重难点知识进行了整理，并参考了国内名校名师讲授该教材的课堂笔记，对核心考点进行了归纳总结。

2．中英双语对照，凸显难点要点。

本书章节笔记采用了中英文对照的形式，强化对重要难点知识的理解和运用。

3．解析课后习题，提供详尽答案。

本书对童明主编的《美国文学史》（增订版）每章的课后思考题均进行了详细的分析和解答，并对相关重要知识点进行了延伸和归纳。

4．精选考研真题，补充难点习题。

本书精选名校近年考研真题及相关习题，并提供答案和详解。

所选真题和习题基本体现了各个章节的考点和难点，但又不完全局限于教材内容，是对教材内容极好的补充。

第1部分　早期美国文学：殖民时期至1815年第1章　“新世界”的文学1.1　复习笔记1.2　课后习题详解1.3　考研真题和典型题详解第2章　殖民地时期的美国文学：1620—1763 2.1　复习笔记2.2　课后习题详解2.3　考研真题和典型题详解第3章　文学与美国革命：1764—18153.1　复习笔记3.2　课后习题详解3.3　考研真题和典型题详解第2部分　美国浪漫主义时期：1815—1865第4章　美国浪漫主义时期4.1　复习笔记4.2　课后习题详解4.3　考研真题和典型题详解第5章　早期浪漫主义5.1　复习笔记5.2　课后习题详解5.3　考研真题和典型题详解第6章　超验主义和符号表征6.1　复习笔记6.2　课后习题详解6.3　考研真题和典型题详解第7章　霍桑、麦尔维尔和坡7.1　复习笔记7.2　课后习题详解7.3　考研真题和典型题详解第8章　惠特曼和狄金森8.1　复习笔记8.2　课后习题详解8.3　考研真题和典型题详解第9章　文学分支：反对奴隶制的写作9.1　复习笔记9.2　课后习题详解9.3　考研真题和典型题详解第3部分　美国现实主义时期：1865—1914第10章　现实主义时期10.1　复习笔记10.2　课后习题详解10.3　考研真题和典型题详解第11章　地区和地方色彩写作11.1　复习笔记11.2　课后习题详解11.3　考研真题和典型题详解第12章　亨利·詹姆斯和威廉·迪恩·豪威尔斯12.1　复习笔记12.2　课后习题详解12.3　考研真题和典型题详解第13章　自然主义文学13.1　复习笔记13.2　课后习题详解13.3　考研真题和典型题详解第14章　女性作家书写“女性问题”14.1　复习笔记14.2　课后习题详解14.3　考研真题和典型题详解第4部分　美国现代主义时期：1914—1945第15章　美国现代主义15.1　复习笔记15.1　复习笔记15.2　课后习题详解15.3　考研真题和典型题详解第16章　现代主义的演变16.1　复习笔记16.2　课后习题详解16.3　考研真题和典型题详解第17章　欧洲的美国现代主义17.1　复习笔记17.2　课后习题详解17.3　考研真题和典型题详解第18章　两次世界大战间的现代小说18.1　复习笔记18.2　课后习题详解18.3　考研真题和典型题详解第19章　现代美国诗歌19.1　复习笔记19.2　课后习题详解19.3　考研真题和典型题详解第20章　非裔美国小说和现代主义20.1　复习笔记20.2　课后习题详解20.3　考研真题和典型题详解第5部分　多元化的美国文学：1945年至新千年第21章　新形势下的多元化文学21.1　复习笔记21.2　课后习题详解21.3　考研真题和典型题解析第22章　美国戏剧：三大剧作家22.1　复习笔记22.2　课后习题详解22.3　考研真题和典型题详解第23章　主要小说家：1945年至60年代23.1　复习笔记23.2　课后习题详解23.3　考研真题和典型题详解第24章　1945年以来的诗学倾向24.1　复习笔记24.2　课后习题详解24.3　考研真题和典型题详解第25章　20世纪60年代以来的小说发展状况25.1　复习笔记25.2　课后习题详解25.3　考研真题和典型题详解第26章　当代多民族文学和小说26.1　复习笔记26.2　课后习题详解26.3　考研真题和典型题详解第27章　美国文学的全球化：流散作家27.1　复习笔记27.2　课后习题详解27.3　考研真题和典型题详解第1部分　早期美国文学：殖民时期至1815年第1章　“新世界”的文学1.1　复习笔记Ⅰ. Discoveries of America（发现美洲大陆）Who discovered America?谁发现了美洲？1 The credit is often attributed to Christopher Columbus. Yet this argument is controversial.一种说法是哥伦布发现了美洲大陆。