美国文学史名词解释

名词解释Terms1.TranscendentalismTranscendentalismreferstothereligiousandphilosophicaldoctrinesofRalphWaldoEmersonandothersinNewEnglandinthemiddle1800’s,whichemphasizedtheimportanceofindividualinspirationandintuition,theOversoul,andNature.OtherconceptsthataccompaniedTranscendentalismincludetheideathatnatureisennoblingandtheideathattheindividualisdivineand,therefore,self-reliant.NewEnglandTranscendentalismistheproductofacombinationofnativeAmericanPuritanismandEuropeanRomanticism.特点：1）asamoralphilosophy,transcendentalismwasneitherlogicalnorsystematized.Itexaltedfeelingoverreason,individualexpressionovertherestraintsoflawandcustom.不讲逻辑，不讲系统，只强调超越理性的感受，超越法律和世俗束缚的个人表达。2)theyspokeforculturalrejuvenationandagainstthematerialismofAmericansociety.呼吁文化复兴，反对美国社会的拜金主义。3）theybelieveinthetranscendenceofoversoul,anall-pervadingpowerforgoodnessfromwhichallthingscomeandofwhichallthingsareapart.相信精神上的超越，相信无所不能的善的力量，强调善为万物之源。代表作家RalphWaldoEmersion拉尔夫.沃尔多.爱默生③作品：“Nature”《论自然》、“Essays”《随笔录》、“TheAmericanScholar”《美国学者》,ourintellectualDeclarationofIndependence.我们知识分子的独立宣言。④hismostimportantworksare“RepresentativeMen”《代表》and“EnglishTraits”《英国人》、“Poems”《诗集》⑤摘自《论自然》：Standingonthebareground,-myheadbathedbytheblitheair,andupliftedintoinfinitespace,-allmeanegotismvanishes.Ibecomeatransparenteye-ball.人形的约束没有了。2.NaturalismNaturalism,amoredeliberatekindofrealism,usuallyinvolvesaviewofhumanbeingsaspassivevictimsofnaturalforcesandsocialenvironment.Asaliterarymovement,naturalismwasinitiatedinFranceanditcametobeledbyZola,whoclaimedat“scientific”statusforhisstudiesofimpoverishedcharactersmiserablysubjectedtohunger,sexualobsession,andhereditarydefects.Naturalfictionaspiredtoasociologicalobjectivity,offeringdetailedandfullyresearchedinvestigationsintounexploredcornersofmodernsociety.Thenaturalistsemphasizedthattheworldwasamoral,thatmenandwomenhadnofreewill,thattheirliveswerecontrolledbyheredityandtheenvironment,thereligious“truths”wereillusory,thatthedestinyofhumanitywasmiseryinlifeandoblivionindeath.ThemostsignificantworkofnaturalisminEnglishbeingDreiser’sSisterCarrie.3.AmericanDreamTheAmericanDreamisthefaithheldbymanypeopleintheUnitedStatesofAmericathatthroughhardwork,courageanddeterminationonecanachieveabetterlifeforoneself,usuallythroughfinancialprosperity.ThesewerevaluesheldbymanyearlyEuropeansettlers,andhavebeenpassedontosubsequentgenerations.4.TheLostGenerationThetermLostGenerationwascoinedbyGertrudeSteintorefertoagroupofAmericanLiterarynotableswholivedinParisfromthetimeperiodwhichsawtheendofWorldWarItothebeginningoftheGreatDepression.SignificantmembersincludedErnestHemingway,F.ScottFitzgerald,EzraPound,SherwoodAnderson,T.S.Eliot,andGertrudeSteinherself.Hemingwaylikelypopularizedtheterm,quotingStein(“Youareallalostgeneration”)asepigraphtohisnovelTheSunAlsoRises.Moregenerally,thetermisbeingusedfortheyoungadultsofEuropeandAmericaduringWorldWarI.Theywere“lost”becauseafterthewarmanyofthemweredisillusionedwiththeworldingeneralandunwillingtomoreintoasettledlife.ScottFitzgerald,“TheGreatGatsby”《了不起的盖茨比》novelErnestHemingway“TheSunAlsoRises”《太阳照样升起》“AFarwelltoArms”《告别了，武器》5.ModernismModernwritingismarkedbyastrongandconsciousbreakwithtraditionalformsandtechniquesofexpression;itbelievesthatwecreatetheworldintheactofperceivingit.Modernismimplieshistoricaldiscontinuity,asenseofalienation,ofloss,andofdespair.Itelevatestheindividualandhisinnerbeingoversocialmanandpreferstheunconscioustotheself-conscious.T.S.Eliot’s“TheWasteLand”,themostsignificantAmericanpoemofthetwentiethcentury,helpedtoestablishamoderntraditionofliteraturerichwithlearningandallusivethought.6.RomanticismRomanticismasaliterarymovementcameintobeinginEnglandinthelaterhalfofthe18thcentury.ItfirstmadeitsappearanceinEnglandasarenewedinterestinmedievalliterature.WilliamBlakeandRobertBurnsrepresentedthespiritofwhatisusuallycalledPre-Romanticism.WiththepublicationofWilliamWordsworth’sLyricalBalladsincollaborationwithS.T.Coleridge,romanticismbegantobloomandfoundafirmplaceinhistoryofEnglishliterature.Infact,thefirsthalfthe19thcenturyrecordedthetriumphofRomanticism.Romanticism的特点：frequentlysharedcertaingeneralcharacteristics,moralenthusiasm,faithinthevalueofindividualismandintuitiveperception,andapresumptionthathenaturalworldwasasourceofcorruption.浪漫主义之间大多是相通的，都注重道德，强调个人主义价值观和直觉感受，并且认为自然是美的源头，人类社会是腐败之源。WashingtonIrving华盛顿.欧文①thefirstgreatprosestylistofAmericanromanticism.美国第一位浪漫主义散文文体作家7.PuritanismTheprinciplesandpracticesofpuritanswerepopularlyknownasPuritanism.PuritanismacceptedthedoctrinesofCalvinism:thesovereigntyofGod;thesupremeauthorityoftheBible;theirresistibilityofGod’swillformanineveryactoflifefromcradletograve.ThesedoctrinesledthePuritanstoexaminetheirsoulstofindwhethertheywereoftheelectandtosearchtheBibletodetermineGod’swill.thebestofPuritanpoetsisEdwardTayor.