美国文学名词解释

1、puritanthought:i:tomakepuretheirreligiousbeliefsandpracticesii:wishtorestoresimplicitytochurchservicesandtheauthorityoftheBibleiii:Puritansshouldincludeallkindsofpeople,humblestloftiest(最高贵的),poorandrich.iiii:Puritansoppositiontopleasureandtheirlivesweredisciplinedandhardiiiii:Puritanreligiousteachingtendedtoemphasizetheimageofawrathful(愤怒的)GodandforgetHismercy.2、Transcendentalism(超验主义)AmericanRomanticismculminatedaroundthe1840sinwhathascometobeknownas“NewEnglandTranscendentalism”or“AmericanRenaissance”.Itservedasanethicalguidetolifeforayoungnationandbroughtabouttheideathathumancanbepefectedbynature.Itstressedreligioustolerance,calledtothrowoffshacklesofcustomsandtraditionsandgoforwardtothedevelopmentofanewanddistinctlyAmericanculture.TheleadingtranscendentalistRalphWaldoEmerson,whoseNaturehasbeencalled“TheManifestoofAmericanTranscendentalism”andwhose“TheAmericanScholar”hasbeenrightlyregardedasAmerica’s“DeclarationofIntellectualIndependence”,advocatedadirectintuitionofaspiritualandimmanentGodinnature.Likehim,mosttranscendentalistsadvocatedidealismthatwasgreatneededinarapidlyexpandedeconomywhereopportunityoftenbecameopportunism,andthedesireto“geton”obscuredthemoralnecessityforrisingtospiritualheight.TheviewstheykepthelpedtocreatethefirstAmericanRenaissance-oneofthemostprolificperiodinAmericanliterature.3、TheLostGenerationAftertheFirstWorldWar,someyoungwritersvoluntarilyleftAmericaandsettledinParis,andotherswhostayedbehindfeltthemselvestobeexilesinspirit.Allofthemwere“outsiders”whoobservedAmericasocietyandcultureobjectively,fromdistanceandtriedtocreatenewtypesofwriting.ManyofthemtookpartinthewarinEurope,experiencingshock,woundsandthedeathofclosefriends.Theyshunned避开thefalseideaofsuccessputforthbythesocialsystemandlookedonartasbotharefuge庇护frombourgeoissocietyandmirrorinwhichAmericacouldbeshownitstrueface.Cutofffromthelifeoftheirowncountrybychoice,cutofffromasenseofhistoricalcontinuitybytheFirstWorldWar,theywerenamed“theLostGeneration”.Hemingway,CummingsandPoundhavebeentherepresentativesofsuchwriters.(AnAmericanwomanwriternamedGertrudeStein(1874-1949),WhohadlivedinParissince1903,welcomedtheseyoungwriterstoherapartmentwhichwasalreadyfamousasaliterarysalon.Steinwastheadvisor,friend,andconfidanteofsomeofthegreatfriend,andconfidanteofsomeofthegreatFrenchandAmericanartistsandwritersofthetime.Intheearly1920EzraPoundjoinedhergroupandtogethertheyencouragedandhelpedsuchyoungwritersasHemingwayandCummings,bothhadsufferedinthewar.Shecalledthem“TheLostGeneration”anamewhichstucktothem,becausetheyhadcutthemselvesofffromtheirpastinAmericainordertocreatenewtypesofwritingwhichhadneverbeentriedbefore.)4、TheSouthernLiteratureTheAmericanSouthisaverydistinctiveregion.TheinhabitantsaredistinguishedfromotherAmericansbytheirSouthernaccent口音,cultureandoutlook,andtheirspecialhistory.TheCivilWardefeatedanddestroyedtheSouth.Thelandownersbecamepoorandbackwardandembittered受苦的.Intime,anewclasswasformedbylow-class,landlesspeople.Theylearnedmodernmethodsofbusinessandfarming,andbegantoreplacedthetraditionalrulingclassinpositionofpower.Theseharsh苛刻的conflictingsocialelementsformthebackgroundof“SouthernFiction”,whichisoftentwisted,violentandpessimistic.SouthernfictionhaditsrootsinEdgarAllenPoe(1809-1849),whosestrange,frighteningtaleshadadark,nightmarishqualityevenbeforetheCivilWar.TheforemostSouthernwriterof20thcenturywasWilliamFaulkner(1897-1962).Hewrotefeelinglyofthedecayingwhiteupperclassandcrude,energeticwhiteupstarts暴发户.FaulknerwasfollowedbysomeoutstandingwritersasThomasWolfe,RobertPennWarrenandKatherineAnnePorter,CarsonMc-Cullers.Thelatertwowerefemalewriterwhoseworkcontainedmoredelicatenuances细微差别offeelingandwerequiteoriginal.5、TheJewishLiteratureItisdifficulttostateexactlywhatismeantbyJewishLiteratureinAmericabecauseallJewishwritersdonotconcernthemselvesonlywithJewishsubject.NormanMailer,AllenGinsbergandthelikearenotnecessarilyidentifiableas“Jewishwriters”thoughtheywerefromJewishfamily,butSaulBellow,BernardMalamud,IsaacBashevisSingerareoftenidentifiedastherepresentativesofJewishLiteratureinUS,fortheyhabituallywritefromaJewishpointofviewandusuallychooseJewastheheroesoftheirbooks.ThemostimportantelementintheirpointofviewistheemphasiswhichJewplaceuponthepowerofintellect智力.Thepowertounderstandtheirownexperience,tojudgetheirlivesrationally,tothinkwell,isconsideredahighvirtue.6、TheFeministLiteratureEducatedwomeninUStookanactivepartintheAnti-SlaveryMovement.ThetwoWorldWarsproducedademandforlaborwhichagainchangedtheroleofwomen.Buteducatedwomenstillfoundtheirpositionsarelowerthanthatofmen’sinmanywalksoflife,whichgaverisetotheWomen’sLiberation.Seriouswomenwritersofthe1960’sand1970”shavebeeninfluencedbythephilosophyoftheWomen’sLib,whethertheytookpartinitornot.Asagroup,theyarenolongerwillingtoacceptthetraditionalrolesofwomen;theyareself-conscious,determinedpathfinders开创者inasociety.Present-daywomen’swritinggoesfrompoliticalessaystohighsensitive,pessimistic,evensuicidalpoetry.GloriaSteinem,JoyceCarolOates,andSylviaPlatharethethreeofbest-known.7、TheBeat