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ChapteroneTheearlyAmericanLiteratureAssignments1.WhatisPuritanism?2.HowdoesitinfluenceAmericanliterature?3.CanyoufindsometraitsofPuritanisminAmericanwriters,theirwritingsandevenAmericanculture?Puritanismisareligious-politicalmovementthatdevelopedinEnglandaboutthemiddleofthe16thcenturywhenaclassofEnglishProtestantsoriginallyoftheChurchofEnglandbegandemandsforreformindoctrineandworshipandlaterspreaditsinfluenceintotheNewEnglandcoloniesinAmerica.ThespiritbehindPuritanismwasanoutgrowthofCalvinism.Puritans’religiousdoctrinesincludeoriginalsin,totaldepravity,predestination,limitedatonement.Puritanismencouragepeopletostruggleintheircareers.Ifone’sbusinesswasbooming,itprovedthathehadgainedGod’sprovidence.Itimpliesstrictnessinmoralandreligiousmatters,andapuritanisconsideredrigidlyaustere(禁欲的).MaindoctrinesOriginalsinTotaldepravityPredestinationLimitedatonementInAdam’sfall,wesinnedallTheystrivedtobesaintswhiletheywerestillalivesignificanceAmericanPuritanismwasoneofthemostenduringshapinginfluencesinAmericanthoughtandAmericanliterature.WithoutsomeunderstandingofPuritanism,therecanbenorealunderstandingofAmericancultureandliterature.TheInfluencesonAmericanTraitsPositive:virtues—workinghard,thrift,piety,sobriety,attachingimportancetoeducationNegative:Chosenpeople—egoistic,intolerantInfluencesonAmericanLiteratureOptimismAmericanliterature—orAnglo-Americanliterature—isbasedontheBiblicalmythoftheGardenofEden.ThePuritansdreamedoflivingunderaperfectorderandworkedwithindomitablecourageandconfidenthopetowardbuildinganewGardenofEdeninAmerica.Withsuchasenseofmission,thePuritanslookedeventheworstoflifeinthefacewithatremendousamountofoptimism.EmersonsawtheAmericanasAdamhimselfreborn,standingsimpleandsincerebeforetheworld.ThoreauportrayedhimselfasanAdaminhisEden.WhitmanfeltrapturousatthesightoftheAmericansbustlingwithactivityasthechildrenofAdamrestoredtotheirlostparadise.HenryJamestalkedabouttheinnocenceandsimplicityofhisAmericansassomanyNewmans.ThespiritofoptimismburstoutofthepagesofsomanyAmericanauthors.OptimisticPuritanhasexertedagreatinfluenceonAmericanliterature.AmericanauthorshavebeentheoutsetconditionedbythepuritanheritagetowhichAmericanauthorshavebeenthemostcommunicativeheirs.symbolismTheAmericanPuritan’smetaphorical(隐喻性的)modeofperceptionwaschieflyinstrumentalincallingintobeingaliterarysymbolismwhichisdistinctlyAmerican.Puritandoctrineandliterarypracticecontributedtonosmallextenttothedevelopmentofanindigenoussymbolism.TothepiousPuritanthephysicalphenomenalworldwasnothingbutasymbolofGod.Physicallifewassimultaneouslyspiritual;everypassageoflife,en-meshedinthevastcontextofGod’splan,possessedadelegatedmeaning.Theworldwasoneofmultiplesignificance.JonathanEdwardssawnatureandeventheBibleas“radicallyfigurative”.Emerson’sNatureislikea“continuousmonologue”inwhichthegenesisofsymbolismisenactedoverandover.WithHawthorne,Melville,Howellsandmanyothers,symbolismasatechniquehasbecomeacommonpractice.ThispeculiarmodeofperceptionwasanessentialpartoftheirupbringingWritingStyleWithregardtotheirwriting,thestyleisfresh,simpleanddirect;therhetoricisplainandhonest,notwithoutatouchofnobilityoftentraceabletothedirectinfluenceoftheBible.AllthishasleftanindelibleimprintonAmericanwriting.CharacteristicsofthecolonialliteratureSpirit:optimisticThepurpose—pragmaticWriters—amateurs•Englishliterarytraditionswerefaithfullyimitatedandtransplanted.Thecategoriesofthelit.:travelbook,diary,poem,history,letter,sermon…poetryandprosegainedmostachievementsEarlyAmericanWritersandPoetsSouth,Jamestown,Virginia:CaptainJohnSmith---firstAmericanwriter;ATrueRelationofSuchOccurrencesandAccidentsofNoteasHathHappenedinVirginia《关于弗吉尼亚的真实叙述》North,NewEngland,PuritanWritersWilliamBradford:firstgovernorofPlymouth,TheHistoryofPlymouthPlantation,《普利茅斯种植园史》simplicity,earnestness,directreporting,readable,moving.JohnWinthrop:firstgovernorofBoston,TheHistoryofNewEngland,candidsimplicity,honestyTwoPoets:AnneBradstreet:firstAmericanpoettopublishabook;TheTenthMuseLatelySprungUpinAmerica《新近在美国崛起的第十位缪斯女神》(inEnglandin1650)knownasthe“tenthMuse”whoappearedinAmerica.EdwardTaylor:ameditativepoet(冥想诗人）：Huswifery《家务》2.The18thcenturyliteratureEnlightenmentTwogreatrevolutionsAmericanRevolution:politicalEnlightenment:intellectualEnlightenment:rationalisticspirit(rationalism)1.OriginatedintheEuropeancontinent2.ThespreadoftheideasoftheE.:journalism3.Broughtscience,democracyandreasonTheenlightenersadvocated:StudymaninsteadofGodEvilsstemmedfromthesocialinjusticeinsteadoffrom“originalsin”Emphasizedonreason,thesocialreality,education,scientificresearchMancouldperfecthimselfanddecidehisowndestinyPropagatedthesocialprogress,humanism,theideasofequalityFeaturesofthe18thC.A.Lit.1.politicallit.:theproseofthegreatphilosopher-statesmenmakesupaprominentpart;mostofthewriterswereactivesupportersorparticipantsofAmericanrevolution.2.style:fresh,simpleanddirectrhetoric:plainandhonestdirectinfluenceoftheBible3.Thecategoriesofliteraryworks:history,diary,politicalessayandarticlesaboutreli