African-American-literature

Chapter25MultiethnicLiterature范艳黎2009105204文婷2009105105MultiethnicLiterature•MainstreamAmericanliterature:Anglo-Americanliterature•MultiethnicLiterature–AfricanAmericanliterature–AmericanIndian(orNativeAmerican)literature–AsianAmericanliterature–Spanish-AmericanliteratureAfricanAmericanliterature•Uniqueness:Itisbasedonmythandbiblical,ItispatternedonthatofdeliverancefromslaveryCompare:MainstreamAmericanliteratureisbasedonthemythoftheGardenofEdenThisisthekeytounderstandthisliterature.•Reasons:Slavery,Emancipation,theGreatMigration,BlackPowerMovement,CivilRightsMovement•Essentialspirit:theywant“togo”,anotherwayofsaying“freedom”and“emancipation”Alongprocessofevolution•oraltradition:folkliteratureintheformofsongs,ballads,andspirituals(圣歌).•The18thcentury,AfricanAmericanpoetsappearedonthescene•TheabolitionistmovementandtheCivilWarbroughtanewimpetustoAfricanAmericanliterature•Inmid-nineteenthcentury,theAfricanAmericannovelbegantomakeitspresence.•HarrietWilson,thefirstAfricanAmericantopublishhernovelintheUnitedStates,OurNigorSketchesfromtheLifeofaFreeBlack(1859)•TheGreatMigrationbetween1890and1920•Reasons:•industrializationneededlabor•naturalcalamities,poorsoil,andagriculturalmechanizationSharecroppersweredrivenoutofthecountryAnewupsurgeofAfricanAmericanliteratureinthe1920s:theHarlemRenaissance(哈莱姆文艺复兴)Theme:tosearchfortheirownlivesandvalues,togetthesameattentionaswellasthewhites.Representatives:ClaudeMcKay,LangstonHughes,JeanToomer,CounteeCullen.AfricanAmericanpoetrybecameanindispensablepartofAmericanliterature•Inthe1940s,RichardWright,NativeSon《土生子》cameoutasawatershed(turning-point)inthetraditionoftheAfricanAmericannovel•Inthe1950s,AfricanAmericanliteratureflourished,–RalphEllison,InvisibleMan《隐形人》–JamesBaldwin,GoTellitontheMountain《向苍天呼吁》•Inthe1960s,aperiodofspectaculargrowthBackground:aturbulentperiod-----AfricanAmericansawoketotheneedforpowerWritersallrosetotheattentionofcritics•ContemporaryperiodToniMorrison,SongofSolomon《所罗门之歌》Beloved《宠儿》（theuseofmagicrealism）AliceWalkerTheColorPurple《紫色》(anepistolarynovel)TheyaddedtheirsignificantcontributionstothegrowthofAfricanAmericanliterature.AfricanAmericantheaterwasslowerindevelopingMagicrealism•Akindofmodernfictioninwhichfabulousandfantasticaleventsareincludedinanarrativethatotherwisemaintainthe“reliable”toneofobjectiverealisticreport.ThetermwasonceappliedtoatrendinGermanfictionoftheearly1950s,butisnowassociatedchieflywithcertainleadingnovelistsofCentralandSouthAmerican.Thetermhasalsobeenextendedtoworksfromverydifferentcultures,designatingatendencyofthemodernnoveltoreachbeyondtheconfinesofrealismanddrawupontheenergiesoffable,folktaleandmythwhileretainingastrongcontemporarysocialrelevance.FromOxfordConciseDictionaryofLiteraryTermsAfricanAmericanwriterrepresentativefigureLangstonHughes，1926~1964RichardWright，1908~1960RalphEllison，1914~1994ToniMorrison，1931至今HarlemRenaissance哈莱姆文艺复兴运动•TheHarlemRenaissancewasaculturalmovementthatspannedthe1920sand1930s.ItwasknownastheNewNegroMovement,TheHarlemRenaissanceisunofficiallyrecognized,representativesareLangstonHughes,RichardWrightandsoon.•Aims1，要求黑人作家在文学创作中树立新黑人形象2，加强和提高文学作品的艺术表现能力种族运动和文学复兴集为一体LangstonHughes1926~1964兰斯顿·休斯•Poetlaureate桂冠诗人•Works•TheWearyBlues,1926•诗集《疲靡的布鲁斯》•FineClothestotheJew,1927•诗集《犹太人的好衣服》•TheWaysofWhiteFolks.1934小说集《白人的行径》•TheNegroSpeaksofRivers诗歌《黑人谈河流》TheWearyBlues•ItdescribesaneveningoflisteningtoabluesmusicianinHarlem.Withitsdiction,itsrepetitionoflinesanditsinclusionofblueslyrics,thepoem,likethebluessongs,aresadintone,describingthefactofhavingtoliveinaverycruelandoppressionworld.•布鲁斯是南北战争后，在黑人民间产生的一种演唱形式，它与黑人的种植园歌曲（劳动时集体合唱的无伴奏歌曲）有着一脉相承的关系。布鲁斯起源于过去美国黑人奴隶的圣歌、赞美歌、劳动歌曲和颂歌。布鲁斯中使用的“蓝调之音”和启应的演唱方式都显示了它的西非来源。•诗歌乐曲忧国忧民的强烈情感•黑人谈河流•我了解河流：我了解像世界一样的古老的河流，比人类血管中流动的血液更古老的河流。•我的灵魂变得像河流一般的深邃。•晨曦中我在幼发拉底河沐浴，在刚果河畔我盖了一间茅舍，河水潺潺催我入眠。•我瞰望尼罗河，在河畔建造了金字塔。•当林肯去新奥尔良时，我听到密西西比河的歌声，我瞧见它那浑浊的胸膛在夕阳下闪耀的金光。•我了解河流：•古老的黝黑的河流。•我的灵魂变得像河流一般深邃。•TheNegroSpeaksofRivers•I’veknownrivers:•I’veknownriversancientastheworldandolderthantheflowofhumanbloodinhumanveins.•Mysoulhasgrowndeepliketherivers.•IbathedintheEuphrateswhendawnswereyoung.•IbuiltmyhutneartheCongoanditlulledmetosleep.•IlookedupontheNileandraisedthepyramidsaboveit.•IheardthesingingoftheMississippiwhenAbeLincolnwentdowntoNewOrleans,andI’veseenitsmuddybosomturnallgoldeninthesunset.•I’veknownrivers:•Ancient,duskyrivers.•Mysoulhasgrowndeepliketherivers.RichardWright理查德·赖特Muchofhisliteratureconcernsracialthemes,especiallythoseinvolvingtheplightofAfrican-Americansduringthelate19thtomid-20thcenturies.HisworkhelpedredefinediscussionsofracerelationsinAmericainthemid-20thcentury.赖特以前的黑人作家，只停留在黑人生活的某些表面现象上，醉心于描写黑人民族落后的一面和异国情调。赖特却不一样，他的创作往往能用现实主义的笔触，深刻地挖掘出生活的底蕴，揭示美国大城市的黑暗面，向社会提出控诉和抗议，因此被认为是三四十年代美国左翼文学中所谓“抗议小说”的创始人之一。works•UncleTom‘sChildren(1938)《汤姆大叔的孩子们》•NativeSon(1940)《土生子》•BlackBoy(1945)《黑孩子》•TheOutsider(1953)《局外人》Nativeson•WhydoesitcanexplodeonthesensibilityoftheAmericanreadingpublic?•白人们一向认为黑人奴性十足，可以任意凌辱，白人社会也舆论一向诬蔑黑人天性野蛮，动辄杀人、强奸。以往的一般黑人作家或否认，或分辩，而赖特能够深入剖析，发掘犯罪活动与社会制度之间的内在联系，指出黑人的野蛮凶暴既非天性也非民