1. Introduction to American Literature

AmericanLiteratureRepresentativeworksCommonsenseDeclarationofIndependenceTheSketchBookTheLeather-stockingTalesWaldenTheScarletLetterTheblackcatTheUncleTom’sCabinTheAdventuresofTomSawyer;TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnTheodoreDreiser:SisterCarrieMartinEden,TheSeaWolf,TheCalloftheWild,WhiteFangTheGreatGatsbyAroseforEmilyCatcherintheRyeBriefOutline1.Colonialperiod(1607-1775)JohnSmithWilliamBradfordAnneBradstreet2.Revolutionaryperiod(1776-1783)BenjaminFranklinTomasPaineTomasJeffersonPhilipFreneau3.Romanticism(1800-1861)WashingtonIrvingEdgarAllanPoeNathanielHawthorne*Transcendentalism(NewEnglandRenaissance)RalphWaldoEmersonFillipThoreau4.Realism(1865-1914)MarkTwainHenryJamesNaturalism:StephenCraneTheodoreDreiserJackLondon5.TheliteraturebetweentwoworldwarsT.S.EliotWilliamFaulknerErnestHemingway(theLostGeneration)thebeatgeneration6.LiteraturediversifiedBlackWritersandJewishWriters,ChinesewritersTheOutlineofAmericanLiteratureIColonialPeriod(1607—1775)IIRevolutionaryPeriod(1776—1800)IIITheAgeofRomanticism(1800—1865)IVTheAgeofRealism(1865—1914)VAmericanModernism(1914—1945)VIContemporaryLiterature(1945--)ColonialAmericanLiterature1.Historicalbackgroundinformation(onpeople,itsearlyhistoryandtheirideology)2.Colonialwritingsandrepresentativewriters•Itsearlyperiod…AmericancolonialliteratureFirstAmericans•BlackElk:HighHorse’sCourtingQuestions:1.Whydidthegirlwanttobeboughtlikeafinewoman?2.WhatdoyouthinkaboutRedDeer’sfirstandthesecondplan?3.HowdidHighHorsegethisgirlfinally?Whatchangedherfather’sopinionofhim?TheAmericanPeople1.ThenativeorfirstAmericans(Indians)Q:WhatdoyouknowaboutthecustomsorhabitsofthenativeAmericanIndians?Whatarethey?Reference:theIndianburyinggroundp46TheAmericanPeople2.EuropeanExplorersp1TheearliestsettlerswereDutch,Swedish,French,German,Spanish,Portuguese,andItalianChristopherColumbusTheAmericanPeopleCaptainJohnSmithWilliamBradfordJohnWinthrop3.EnglishImmigrantsIntroductiontotheColonyAmerica’sEarlyhistory1)In1542,ChristopherColumbusfoundtheNewContinentcalledAmerica.2)In1607,thefirstEnglishsettlementwasestablishedinJamestowninVirginia(JamestownColony)3)In1620,102passengerssailedontheshipMayfloweracrosstheseaandsettledonthenewcontinent“NewEngland”.ThePlymouthColonywasestablished.4)In1630,theMassachusettsBayColonywasestablishedwiththeleadershipofJohnWinthropbyship“Arbella”WhydidpuritanscometoAmerica?•Puritanswantedtopurifytherituals,thereligiouspracticeofthechurch•TheircleaningeffortswerenotreceivedbytheChurchofEnglandandtheyareoppressed,sotheyhavetoescapetoanewlandtoavoidincreasingpersecutionandtoestablishtheirownreligiousandmoralprinciplesPuritansPuritanswasthenamegiveninthe16thcenturytothemoreextremeProtestantswithintheChurchofEnglandwhothoughttheEnglishReformationhadnotgonefarenoughinreformingthedoctrinesandstructureofthechurch;theywantedtopurifytheirnationalchurchbyeliminatingeveryshredofCatholicinfluence.Inthe17thcenturymanyPuritansemigratedtotheNewWorld,wheretheysoughttofindaholyCommonwealthinNewEngland.DoctrinesofAmericanPuritanism1.Religionwasamatterofprimaryimportance.Theyshouldlive,thinkandactinawaylivingforglorifyingGod2.Theyacceptedthedoctrineoftotaldepravity,andlimitedatonement.(religiousbelief)•Intheirnewhomeland,theybuiltanewwayoflife.Theystressedhardwork,thrift,piety,sobrietyandsimpletastesandself-reliance.•Reference:JonathanEdwardsPersonalNarrativeBenjaminFranklinTheAutobiography(13Virtues:temperance,silence,order,resolution,frugality,industry,sincerity,justice,moderation,cleanliness,tranquility,chastity,humility)---moralperfectionIneedyourexplanationontheseterms!!!JonathanEdwards’Pointsofview(hisreligiouspiety)•Ifeltanardency(enthusiasm)ofsoultobe...tobefullofChristalone;tolovehimwithaholyandpurelove;totrustinhim;toliveuponhim;toserveandfollowhim;andtobeperfectlysanctifiedandmadepure,withadivineandheavenlypurity.•美国文化传统中的两大因素：精神上的理想主义idealism和生活中的个人主义individualism，在富兰克林的毕生实践中完满的结合在了一起。AmericanPuritanismFeaturesofAmericanPuritansTheyarepracticalidealists.idealistsdreamThechurchwillbestoredtothe“purity”ofthefirst-centurychurchmorepracticalthesevereconditionsstruggleforsurvivalSelf-reliantindependentadventurousworkinghardAmericanPuritanism①BasisofAmericanliteraturePiousidealism:(heritageofPuritanism)AllthesewentintothemakingofAmericanliteraturedreamedoflivingunderaperfectorderworkedwithcourageandhopetobuildannewGardenofEdeninAmericafacedtheworstoflifewithoptimismAmericanliteratureisbasedonamyth–gardenofEden.AmericanPuritanism②ContributingtothedevelopmentofSymbolism（象征主义）:atechnique,widelyusedPuritansthoughtthatallthesimpleobjectsexistingintheworldhaddeepmeaning.Representatives:HawthorneMelvilleSymbolismmeansusingsymbolsinliteraryworks.Thesymbolmeanssomethingthatrepresentsorstandsforabstractanddeepmeanings.PartOneColonialLiteratureTypesofwriting:diaries,histories,letters,contracts,journals,sermons,etc.Content:servingforeitherGodorcolonialexpansionColonialLiterature•2.Writers①CaptainJohnSmith:(thefirstAmericanWriter)(P3)aDescriptionofNewEngland《新英格兰叙事》GeneralHistoryofVirginia②Willi