The+American+Literature+of+Colonia+Period侯璐

OUTLINETheAmericanLiteratureofColonialPeriodPuritans&AmericanPuritanismCharacteristicsRepresentativeWritersEnlightenmentMovementReadingandDiscussion※※ColonialPeriod…theperiodstretchingroughlyfromthesettlementofNorthAmericaintheearlyseventeenthcenturythroughtheendoftheeighteenth.(常耀信:“Introduction”)Thecolonialperiodcoversalmosttheentiretyofthe17thcenturyandagreatportionofthe18thcentury.Marking1620asthebeginningofthecolonialsettlementallowsustoseePuritanismamajorinfluenceincolonialAmerica,althoughthischoiceis,admittedly,arbitrary,consideringthatthesettlementinJamestown,Virginia,hadalreadytakenplacethirteenyearsearlier,in1607.1763isgenerallyconsideredasthesymbolicendofthecolonialperiod.(童明：12)RomanCatholicismTheChurchofEngland(ProtestantNationalChurch)PuritanismPuritansHistoryTheterm“Puritan”hasbeenappliedtothosesettlerswhooriginallyweredevoutmembersoftheChurchofEngland.↓↓MayfloweronSeptember16,1620Puritans“ACityuponthehill”(JohnWinthrop)PuritansTorestoreLostParadiseandbuildanewGardenofEdenComeoutfromamongthemandbeyeseparate,saiththeLord.——(2Corinthians6:17)AmericanPuritansTothem,religionwasamatterofprimaryimportance.TheymadeittheirchiefbusinesstoseethatmanlivedandthoughtandactedinawaywhichtendedtothegloryofGod.Overtheyears,thePuritansbuiltawayoflifethatwasinharmonywiththeirsomberreligion,onethatstressedhardwork,thrift,piety,andsobriety.ThesewerethePuritanvaluesthatdominatedmuchoftheearliestAmericanwritings.InthegrimstruggleforsurvivalthatfollowedimmediatelyaftertheirarrivalinAmerica,thecharacterofthepeopleunderwentasignificantchange.Pushingthefrontierswiththemastheymovedfurtherandfurtherwestward,theybecamemoreandmorepreoccupiedwithbusinessandprofits.Theybecame,inaword,morepractical,asindeedtheyhadtobe.AmericanPuritans“Hewasavisionarywhoneverforgetsthattwoplustwoequalsfour;hewasasoldierofJehovahwhonevercameoutonthelosingsideofabargain….Hewasapracticalidealist….HecametoNewEnglandtofoundtheperfectsocietyandtheKingdomoftheelectandneverexpectedittobeperfect,butonlythebestthatfalliblemencouldmake.HiscreedwastherevealedwordofGodandhislifewastheruleofmoderation;hisbeliefswerehandeddownonhighandhisconductwasregulatedbyexpediency….Hewasadoctrinaireandanopportunist”(Waller20).PerryMillerWithregardtotheirwriting,thestyleisfresh,simpleanddirect;therhetoricisplainandhonest,notwithoutatouchofnobilityoftentraceabletothedirectinfluenceoftheBible.Nothingwaswrittenformereamusement.Aplainstyleexisted,withoutunnecessaryornamentandwithoutreferenceswhichthecommonpersonwouldnotunderstand.TheyreliedontheBible.NotonlydidtheyarguebyquotingtheBible,buttheysawtheirwholesituationinBiblicalterms,andthereforeallevents,howeversmall,werecreatedbyGod,orelsetheDevil.Thewriting,therefore,heldthesermonasoneofitshighestforms.JohnCalvin(1509-1564)†originalsin&totaldepravity†limitedatonement(thesalvationofaselectedfew)†predestination（预定论）•TheAmericanPuritansfollowedtheideasoftheFrenchreformerandtheologianJohnCalvin:theyacceptedthedoctrineofpredestination,originalsinandtotaldepravity,andlimitedatonementthroughaspecialinfusionofgracefromGod.AmericanPuritansPredestinationGodpredetermineswhoistobechosen(God'select)andwhoispredestinedtobedamnedtohell.OnlythosewholeadapoorandsimplelifeandhavenomuchdesirecanbechosenastheGod’select.Soeveryonemustworkhard,spendlittleandinvestformorebusiness.Workinghardandlivingamorallifeweretheirethics.Humandepravity(corruption):It’sbasedonliteralinterpretationofthestoryoffall(Adam&Eve).Maybewhat’simportantisGod’sorder,notthefruititself.OriginalsinisdisobedienceofGod’sorder,notthatparticularfruit.OriginalsinisalwaysattheheartofPuritanism.Allhumanbeingsareinclinedtosin,whichisinherited.Sinisuniversal.Originalsinisthesourceofallevilsintheworld.Becauseoforiginalsin,mancannotsavehimself.OnlyJesusChristcanredeembyhislife,crucifixion.OriginalSin&TotalDepravityAdamsinned.Therefore,“InAdam’sfall,wesinnedall.”Genesis3:6-7☺ThefirstsettlerscametoAmericaoutofvariousreasons,butitshouldberememberedthattheywereagroupofserious,religiouspeople,advocatinghighlyreligiousandmoralprinciples.AmericanPuritanism☺TheycarriedwiththemtoAmericaacodeofvalues,aphilosophyoflife,apointofviewwhich,intime,tookrootintheNewWorldandbecamewhatispopularlyknownasAmericanPuritanism.☺PuritanismcontinuedtoexistandinfluencetheAmericanpeople,esp.thedecadebefore1691,desperateattemptstorevitalizePuritancontrol,tocontinuePuritancontrol.TheGreatAwakening(aseriesofreligiousrevivalswhichoccurredinthe1730sand1740s):themostfamousoneJonathanEdwards,“HefannedthedyingfiresofCalvinismtowhiteheat.”---RobertSpillerEnlightenmentMovementWhenonesidegoestotheextreme,therearealwayssomeforcesdevelopedtobalanceitiftheculturedevelopshealthily.TheforcetobalancePuritanism—Enlightenment;TwooppositestrainsofAmericanculturein18thc.StartedinEuropeinthelate17thc,centeredinFrance.Themostinfluentialintellectualtrendin18thc(theAgeofReason).Infact,theEnlightenmentMovementisacontinuationandfurtherdevelopmentofRenaissancehumanismandRenaissanceexploringspirit.EnlightenmentMovementE