一些美国文学重要作品简答题汇总

HenryDavidThoreauWalden:Thisbook,entitledWalden(1854),explainedhisideasabouthowapersonshouldlive,beingconsciouslyawareofhisorherownnatureandofthenaturalworlditself.◆isagreatTranscendentalistwork超验主义作品thatcameoutoftheperiodunderdiscussion.Hetookamorethanusualinterestinthenaturalworld自然世界.andtriedtoseekawaytounlockthesecretsofthespirit.◆itisafaithfulrecordofhisreflectionswhenhewasinsolitarycommunionwithnature,ofhowhetriestominimizehisownneedsonWaldenPond.ItisaneloquentindicationthathenotonlyembracedEmerson’sTranscendentalistphilosophybutwentfurthertoillustratethepantheisticqualityofnature.梭罗不仅吸收爱默生超验主义哲学，还进一步说明自然的泛神特性◆hewasverycriticalofmoderncivilization,thebookisfullofpeoplewakingup批评现代文明唤醒人类.“Civilizedmanistheslaveofmatter,”Ashesawit,moderncivilizedlifehasdehumanizedmanandplacedhiminaspiritualquandary:bytryingtoamassmaterialpossessions,manisnotreallyliving,heisdigginghisowngrave.只是试图积累物质财富，人们不是真正在生活而是在自掘坟墓NathanielHawthorneTheScarletLetter:BothHesterandDimmesdalearemorallyweakanddeficientasweallare,accordingtoHawthorne,thenRogerChillingworthisguiltyoftheunpardonablesin:theinvasionintoanotherperson’ssoulinordertocontroltheother’swillforaveryselfishpurpose.Tohimthisistheworstsinandapersonguiltyofthissinisacompletelycorrupt.TheScarletLetter,alwaysregardedasthebestofhisworks,tellsasimplebutverymovingstoryinwhichfourpeoplelivinginaPuritancommunityareinvolvedinandaffectedbythesinofadulteryindifferentways.Inthisnovel,Hawthornefocuseshisattentiononthemoral,emotional,andpsychologicaleffectsorconsequencesofthesinonthepeopleingeneralandthosemaincharatersinparticular,soastoshowusthetensionbetweensocietyandindividuals.“TheCustom-House”（海关）asanintroductorynotetoTheScarletLetterprovesfruitfultoHawthorne’simagination.Byrelatinghisownexperience,Hawthornesucceedsingivinghistaleasenseofhistoricalreality.ByusingPearlasathematicsymbol,Hawthorneemphasizestheconsequencethesinofadulteryhasbroughttothecommunityandthepeople.WiththescarletletterAasthebiggestsymbolofall,Hawthorneproveshimselftobeoneofthebestsymbolists.Asakeytothewholenovel,theletterAtakesondifferentlayersofsymbolicmeaningsastheplotdevelops.ThescarletletterAisambiguous.AndambiguityisoneofthemostimportantcharacteristicsofHawthorne’sart.◆symbolism:Itisrichinsymbolism.Thetitle,itself,keynotesthebook..“A”inthebookrepresentstheadultery,alsosymbolizesAbleorAngelorAdamicorprehistoric,anarchetypalvicesuggestiveof“originalsin”oranyothermeaningacreativereaderwouldsuggest.Pearl,brilliantlydressed,isalivingsymbolofHester’ssin.HermanMelvilleMobyDick1.Characters:◆Ishmael:schoolteacherandpart-timesailor;aPresbyterian,likeMelville,heprojectsCalvinisticthinkingtemperedbyhisbackgroundinliteratureandphilosophy.Hediscussessuchissuesasfreewill,predestination,necessity,anddamnation.HeisthesolesurvivorofthePequod.◆CaptainAhab:Amanwhoisobsessedwiththekillingofawhitewhalethathasmaimedhim.Hehasascarwhichextendsfromhisheadtohisleg.◆Starbuck:Hethefirstmate,isboldenoughtocriticizeAhab'svengeance,considersmutinybutfails.◆Stubb:Heisthesecondmatewhoiscarefree,indifferent,andfatalistic.◆MobyDick:ItistheWhiteWhale;theworld’slargestcreature.Itispowerful,legendaryimageofnature.Itswimspeacefullyintheseauntildisturbedbyhumans,thenshowsaterriblefuryandanger.ForAhab,MobyDickisthesymbolofevil.2.Themes:◆Searchfortruth:thestorydealswiththehumanpursuitoftruthandthemeaningofexistence.◆ConflictbetweenGoodandEvil.◆ConflictbetweenManandNature.◆Isolationbetweenmanandman;manandnature;manandsociety.3.★Symbols:象征意义★(1)ThePequod:isasymbolofdoom.Itispaintedagloomyblackandcoveredinwhaleteethandbones,literallybristlingwiththemementosofviolentdeath.Itis,infact,markedfordeath.Adornedlikeaprimitivecoffin,thePequodbecomesone.(2)MobyDick:MobyDickpossessesvarioussymbolicmeaningsforvariousindividuals.Symbolofnatureforhumanbeings,becauseitismysterious,powerful,unknown/SymbolofevilfortheCaptainAhab/Symbolofgoodandpuritybecauseofitswhiteness.自然;邪恶;纯洁.(3)VoyageofthePequod:Symbolofthepursuitofideals,adventure,andthehuntinthevastwilderness.Evaluation:(1)MobyDickis,criticshaveagreed,oneoftheworld’sgreatestmasterpieces.Togettoknowthe19thcenturyAmericanmindandAmericaitself,onehastoreadthisbook.想了解19世纪的美国必须读(2)OneoftheclassicsofAmericanLiteratureandevenworldliterature.Themainthemeofitisaboutalienationbetweenmanandman,manandsociety,andmanandnature人与人，人与社会，人与自然之间的疏远.ThisworkalsorevealsthebasicpatternofnineteenthcenturyAmericanlife:lonelinessandsuicidalindividualisminaself-styleddemocracy.在自称的民主下的孤独和自杀式的个人主义(3)MobyDickisanencyclopediaofeverything,history,philosophy,religion,etc.inadditiontoadetailedaccountoftheoperationsofthewhalingindustry.百科全书(4)InthisworkMelvilleshowsthatManinthisuniverselivesameaninglessandfutilelife,没有意义无用的meaninglessbecausefutile.Mancanobserveandevenmanipulateinaprudentway,buthecannotinfluenceandovercomenatureatitssource.Hemust,ultimately,placehimselfatthemercyofnature.Onceheattemptstoseekpoweroveritheisdoomed.Itshowusthe“theabsurdityofman’sattemptstoattributemeaningandvaluetoaworldinwhichthesecanhavenogroundorstatus.”（