【大学英语专业――美国文学史】American_Pre-Romantics

TheAgeofRomanticism1770—1875Teachingaims:•ToknowthebackgroundoftheemergenceofAmericanRomanticism•TomastertheimportantcharacteristicsofAmericanRomanticism•TogetfamiliarwiththerepresentativewritersofthedifferentperiodsofAmericanRomanticismLogicThreadAmericanRomanticismPre-romanticism1770s-1830sPost-romanticismFlowingtimebeforeAmericanCivilWar1830-1860DecliningtimeafterAmericanCivilWar1865-1875Representativefiguresofthetime:Pre-romanticism:WashingtonIrving,JamesFenimoreCooperWilliamCullenBryantWhatisRomanticism?Asanapproachinliterarycreation,romanticismiseverpresentinliteratureofalltimes.Butasaliterarytrendormovement,itoccurredanddevelopedinEuropeandAmericaattheturnofthe18thand19thcenturiesunderthehistoricalbackgroundoftheIndustrialRevolutionaround1760andtheFrenchRevolution(1789-1799).Theterm“Romantic”asadesignationforaschoolofliteratureopposedtotheClassicwasfirstusedbytheGermancriticFriedrichSchlegelatthebeginningofthe19thcentury.FromGermany,thismeaningwascarriedtoEnglandandFrance.Romanticismwasarebellionagainsttheobjectivityofrationalism.Forromantics,thefeelings,intuitionsandemotionsweremoreimportantthanreasonandcommonsense.Theystressedthecloserelationshipbetweenmanandnature,emphasizedindividualismandaffirmedtheinnerlifeoftheself.Theycherishedstronginterestinthepast,especiallythemedievalandwereattractedbythewild,theirregular,theindefinite,theremote,themysterious,andthestrange.AmericanRomanticismTheromanticperiodstretchesfromtheendoftheeighteenthcenturythroughtheoutbreakoftheCivilWar(1790-1865).1.Background(1)PoliticalbackgroundandeconomicdevelopmentTerritorialExpansionIndustrialGrowthTheCivilWar(2)RomanticmovementinEuropeancountriesDerivative–foreigninfluenceReasons(WhyRomanticismemerged?)•A.Fastdevelopmentofthenewnation(floodofimmigrants;pioneerspushingthefrontierfurtherwest;industrialization;economicboom;apromisingnewlandwithprevailedoptimisticmoods)B.Developmentofjounalism(Someinfluentialperiodicalsappeared,suchasTheAtlanticMonthly.Theyneedmoreliteraryproductions.)C.Foreigninfluence(ReviewhistoryofEnglishliterature.)(fromthe18thcenturyclassicismtosentimentalismtoPre-RomanticismtoRomanticismwhichcanbedividedintopassivegroupandactivegroup)(mostinfluentialBritishwriterstoAmericanRomanticists-WalterScott)GeneralfeaturesofRomanticism•A.StressingemotionratherthanreasonB.StressingfreedomandindividualityC.IdealismratherthanmaterialismD.Writingaboutnature,medievallegendsandwithsupernaturalelementsPre-romanticism1770-1830sDuringthisperiodsomeAmericanwritersdidbegintoattractnoticeabroad.AlthoughEnglishliterarymodelswerestilladmiredandfollowed,theAmericanwritersturnedtotheAmericansceneandcivilization,andfoundtheirmaterialsinthecultureandhistory,theloreandlandscapeoftheirnativeland.WashingtonIrving(1783-1859)华盛顿·欧文早期浪漫主义小说家•A.BorninarichmerchantfamilyB.LearnedlawbutmoreinterestedinwritingC.WenttoEnglandforfamilybusinessD.WrotetosupporthimselfafterbusinessfailureE.DiplomaticworkforaperiodFrom1836to1842IrvinglivedatSunnysidemanorhouse,Tarrytown,NewYork,wherehedied.Inthe1990sthevillageofNorthTarrytownwasrenamedSleepyHollow.SeveralnamesattachedtoIrving:a.HeisFatherofAmericanLiterature.HeisthefirstAmericanwriterofimaginativeliteraturetogaininternationalfame.ThroughIrving,Americanliteratureattaineditsindependentstatus.b.TheshortstoryasagenreinAmericanliteratureprobablybeganwithIrving'sTheSketchBookwhichmarksthebeginningofRomanticisminU.S.A.C.Heisconsideredastheprinceofstory-tellers,skillfulintellingastory.Works:AHistoryofNewYorkTheSketchBook(acollectionofessaysandshortstories)“TheLegendofSleepyHollow”RipVanWinkleByallmeansmarry.Ifyougetagoodwife,youwillbecomeveryhappy;ifyougetabadone,youwillbecomeaphilosopher—andthatisgoodforeveryman.无论如何，务必结婚。如果你娶到一位好太太，你将很幸福；如果娶到一位不好的太太，你将成为一个哲学家—那对每个男人都有好处。----Socrates苏格拉底RipVanWrinkleRipVanWinkleisanidle,ambitionless,andinaggressivemortal.Beingavictimofhiswife’snaggingathome,heseeksrefugeinthemountainswherehemeetsseveralmountainspiritsanttastestheliquorleftbythemoutofcuriosity.Overwhelmedbythemagicpowerofthedrink,Ripfallsintoatwenty-yearsleep.Whenhewakesup,everythinghasundergoneatremendouschange.Thevillageislargerandmorepopulousandyoungpeopleinthevillagedon’trecognizehim.Hisownhouseisnowemptyandapparentlyabandoned.Thevillageinnhasbeenreplacedbytheflagofstarsandstripes.Inplaceswhereheusedtoenjoypeaceandeasethereisnowquarrelanddisputesoverpartiesandheisevensuspectedasaspy.Finallyheisrecognizedbyhisdaughterandtakenhome.Hespendshislateyearstellinghisstoriestowhoevermightcaretolistentohim.Themeofthestory1)Superficially,theconflictbetweenhusbandandwifewaspresentedinthestory.Infact,thewritertriestoexpresshisidea:theconflictbetweendifferentideasofvalue.•wife:followerofFranklin(pragmatic)•husband:romanticpointofview•Franklin’sindividualism:----materialinterests----Howtoattainabetter,richerlifethroughindividualeffort----thewholesocietywillbecomeprosperous----influencedbyPuritanism----throughindustrialwork----livebetter•Irving’sindividualism:romantic----Whatkindoflifetoliveischosenbyindividualsel