美国文学史史记纲要.docx
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美国文学史史记纲要.docx
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美国文学史史记纲要
SummitofRomanticism–AmericanTranscendentalism
Itisa19th-centurymovementofwritersandphilosophersinNewEnglandwhowerelooselyboundtogetherbyadherencetoanidealisticsystemofthought.
Emersondefineditas“idealism”simply.Inrealityitwasfarmorecomplexcollectionofbeliefs:
thatthesparkofdivinitylieswithinman;thateverythingintheworldisamicrocosmofexistence;thattheindividualsoulisidenticaltotheworldsoul,orOver-Soul.Bymeditation,bycommuningwithnature,throughworkandart,mancouldtranscendhissensesandattainanunderstandingofbeautyandgoodnessandtruth.
Inapplication,Americantranscendentalismurgedareforminsociety,andthatsuchareformmaybereachedifindividualsresistcustomsandsocialcodes,andrelyratheronreasontolearnwhatisright.Ultimately,transcendentalistsbelievedthatoneshouldtranscendsocialcodeofethicsandrelyonpersonalintuitioninordertoreachabsolutegoodness,orAbsoluteTruth.
Background:
foursources
1.Unitarianism
(1)FatherhoodofGod
(2)Brotherhoodofmen
(3)LeadershipofJesus
(4)Salvationbycharacter(perfectionofone’scharacter)
(5)Continuedprogressofmankind
(6)Divinityofmankind
(7)Depravityofmankind
2.RomanticIdealism
Centeroftheworldisspirit,absolutespirit(Kant)
3.Orientalmysticism
Centeroftheworldis“oversoul”
4.Puritanism
Eloquentexpressionintranscendentalism
WhatarethedoctrinesofTranscendentalism?
Themostimportantthingintheuniverseisspirit,ortheOversoul.
TheTranscendentalistsstresstheimportanceoftheindividual.Theidealtypeofmanistheself-reliantindividualthroughtheperfectionofwhomtheregenerationofsocietycanbeachieved.
3.TheTranscendentalistshaveafreshperceptionofnatureasthesymboleofGod.NatureisthegarmentoftheOversoul.
II.Appearance
1836,“Nature”byEmerson
III.Features:
1.spirit/oversoul
2.importanceofindividualism
3.nature–symbolofspirit/God
garmentoftheoversoul
4.focusinintuition(irrationalismandsubconsciousness)
RalphWaldoEmerson(1803—1882
WhatdoesEmersonwrite?
Nature,theBibleofTranscendentalism
“TheAmericanScholar”
“ThePoet”
“Self-Reliance”
“EachandAll”
“Rhodora”
WhatdoesEmersonbelievein?
1.thetranscendenceoftheOversoul.HisNaturerecordshis“momentofecstasy”,themomentoflosingone’sindividuality.
2.theinfinitudeofmanandhumanperfectibility.Emersonbelievesthatthepossibilitiesformantodevelopandimprovehimselfareinfinite.
3.natureassymbolicofGod.IntheeyesofEmerson,“natureisthevehicleofthought,”and“particularnaturalfactsaresymbolsofparticularspiritualfacts”.
HowimportantisEmersoninhistory?
Heembodiedanewnation’sdesireandstruggletoassertitsownidentityinitsformativeperiod.
HisaestheticsmarkedthebirthoftrueAmericanpoetry.
Hecalledforanindependentculture,whichrepresentedthedesireofthewholenationtodevelopacultureofitsown.
Hisreputationdeclinedsomewhatinrecentyearsbecauseofhischeerfuloptimism.
HenryDavidThoreau(1817—1862):
1.life
2.Works
“CivilDisobedience”(1849)
“LifeWithoutPrinciple”(1863)
“AWeekontheConcordandMerrimarkRivers”
Walden
Evaluationtohim
1.HewasoneofthethreegreatAmericanauthorsofthe19thcenturywhohadnocontemporaryreadersandyetbecamegreatinthe20thcentury,theothertwobeingHermanMelvilleandEmilyDickinson.
2.Hismasterpiece“Walden”holdsthatthemostimportantthingformentodowiththeirlivesistoself-sufficientandstrivetoachievepersonalspiritualperfection.
3.WaldenexhibitsThoreau’scalmtrustinthefutureandhisardentbeliefinanewgenerationofmen.
4.HehasbeenregardedasaprophetofindividualisminAmericanliterature.
5.Hewasverycriticalofmoderncivilization.Hethoughtmoderncivilizedlifehasdehumanizedmanandplacedhiminaspiritualquandary,bytryingtoamassmaterialpossessions,manisnotreallyliving;heisdigginghisowngrave.
LateRomanticism
NathanielHawthorne
1.life
2.works
(1)Twocollectionsofshortstories:
Twice-toldTales,MossesfromandOldManse
(2)TheScarletLetter
(3)TheHouseoftheSevenGables
(4)TheMarbleFaun
1.Life
A.HewasborninaprestigiousNewEnglandfamilycloselyrelatedwithPuritanchurch;hisancestorsattendedthepersecutionofpeoplebelongingtodifferentchurches,suchasQuakers教友派信徒,贵格会会员.
B.Whenhewasborn,hisfamilydeclined.Hewasawareofhisancestors‘misdeedsandthus“blacknessofHawthorne”formed.Hethoughtthatthereasonofhisfamily’sdeclineishisancestors‘misdeeds.Andhedidn’tagreewiththeoptimismheldbyTranscendentaliststowardshumannature.Hewrotelotsofworksoneverlastingevilsideinhumannature.
C.HegraduatedfromBowdoinCollege.HenryWadsworthLongfellowandMr.Pierce,the14thAmericanpresidentwerehisclassmates.
D.Aftergraduation,helivedinseclusionandwrote.
E.Later,heworkedintheUSCustomHouse.
F.AfterPiercebecamepresident,hewasaskedtobetheconsul(领事)inLiverpoolandItaly.
2.Majorworks
1)Shortstorycollections:
Twice-ToldTales《故事新编》;
MosesfromanOldManse《古屋青苔》
2)Novels:
ScarletLetter《红字》;
TheHouseofSevenGables
《七个尖角阁的房子》;
TheBlithedaleRomance《福谷传奇》;
TheMarbleFaun《大理石神像》
3.pointofview
(1)Evilisatthecoreofhumanlife,“thatblacknessinHawthorne”
(2)Wheneverthereissin,thereispunishment.Sinorevilcanbepassedfromgenerationtogeneration(causality).
(3)Heisoftheopinionthatevileducates.
(4)Hehasdisgustinscience.
Hawthorne'sAestheticThinking
(1)Hetookagreatinterestinhistoryandantiquity.Tohimthesefurnishthesoilonwhichhismindgrowstofruition.
(2)HewasconvincedthatromancewasthepredestinedformofAmericannarrative.Totellthetruthandsatirizeandyetnottooffend:
ThatwaswhatHawthornehadinmindtoachieve.
(3)Paradoxicalthinking
InfluencedbyPuritanism
HoldingPuritanbeliefsascriterionofviewingtheworld
DislikethedarksideofPuritanism:
itsharshnessandpersecutionsofheresies
InfluencedbyTranscendentalism
Disliketheclamorofindustrializedsociety
DoubttheoptimismofTranscendentalists
ConservativeAestheticthinking
ComplainAmericalackingofmaterialsforwriting
Sourceofwriting:
Recallingthe“usablepast”
5.style–typicalromanticwriter
(1)theuseofsymbols
(2)revelationofcharacters’psychology
(3)theuseofthesupernaturalmixedwiththeactual
(4)hisstoriesareparable(parableinform)–toteachalesson
(5)useofambiguityterrorintheworldofuncertainty–multiplepointofview
TheScarletLetter
Studyofthetheme(symbolisminthenovel)
Thisnovelisaboutadultery,orevenreallyaboutsin.Itisabouttheeffectsofthesinonthosewhomittouches.Ittellsmoreaboutmen’ssoulthanabouttheiractions.Thebestwaytoappreciatethecharactersandtheirfunctioninthenovelistostudytheirrelationshiptothecentralsinandthemannerinwhichthatsinlaysbarelytheirsouls.AndthroughthestudywecanalsoknowthatHawthorne’scontradictoryattitudestoPuritanism---hatredandrespect.
1)Characters:
HesterPrynne:
youngandbeautiful,kind-hearted,brave;calmlyconfrontherselfwithhersinandwinsmoralvictoryintheend
Hester,agoddessinGreekMythology,friendly,amiableandgenerous
ArthurDimmesdale:
respectablebrilliantyoungclergyman;Sensitiveandkind-hearted;diedhonestlybyadmittinghisrelationshipwithHester,thoughdidnotconfesshissinattheverybeginning
Dim:
notbright;dale:
valley
RogerChillingworth
:
anagingEnglishscholar,cleverbutrevengeful
Violatesthehumanheartandthuscommits“theunpardonablesin”
Chill:
makeonefeelcold
Pearl:
Aforsakenchilddesiringforrecognition
Mischievous,naughty,unusuallyinterestedinnature
pearl:
preciousandvaluable
Symbolizessinaswellasloveandhope
2)SymbolicmeaningoftheLetter“A”
ForHester
atokenofshame“adultery”
thesymbolof“able”and“angel”
ForDimmesdale
Atokenof“agony”
“Affectionandamour”
Evaluationtohim:
1.He,thefirstgreatAmericannovelist,isanextremelyparadoxicalfigure.ExceptforWhitmanhewasthemostdemocraticofallourgreatnineteenthcenturywritersbuthewasalso,inmanyofhisviewsandhispoliticalaffiliation,themostconservative.
2.Inanageofardentreformershewascertainthatsocietycouldbechangedonlygradually.Inaperiodofunbridledindividualismhethoughtthatthegreatestthreattoman’shappinesslayinhisgrowingapartfromhisfellowmen.Inatimeofincreasingnationalpowerandprosperity,whenboththesmallbutimportantgroupofintellectualsandthegreatmassofpracticalmenwerealtogetheroptimistic,hefeltthatsomehowthingsweregoingwrong,thatitwaslessandlesspossibleformantolivethroughoutthewholerangeofhisfacultiesandsensibilities.
HermanMelville(1819-1891)
Threeimportantthingsinhislife:
1)Goingouttosea
Experiencesandadventuresontheseafurnishedhimwithabundantmaterialforfiction
2)hismarriage:
InthehistoryofAmericanliterature,twoauthorshadsimilarmarriages.MelvilleandScottFitzgerald,bothmarriedabovethemandhadtodohackwork(纯粹为糊口而写的东西,庸俗作品)forthemoneytheyneededtokeeptheirwivesintheirextravagantstyle.
3)Duringthesummerof1890MelvilleandHawthornemetandbecamegoodfriends.Theysharedsimilarideasandopinionsonmostkindsoffields.
HermanMelville
1.life
2.works
(1)Typee
(2)Omio
(3)Mardi
(4)Redburn
(5)WhiteJacket
(6)MobyDick
(7)Pierre
(8)BillyBudd
3.pointofview
(1)Heneverseem
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