美国文学选读复习资料

AmericanPuritanism殖民地时期(roughlyfromthesettlementofAmericaintheearly17thcenturythroughtheendofthe18th)一、BenjaminFranklin本杰明•富兰克林作品：1、PoorRichard'sAlmanac《格言历书》---ACollectionofmaxims,orproverbs,onthevalueofworkandsavingsforsuccess.2、TheAutobiography《自传》---“美国梦”的根源3、参与起草《独立宣言》浪漫主义AmericanRomanticismTheRomanticPeriodstretchesfromtheendofthe18thcenturytotheoutbreakoftheCivilWar.ItisaperiodofthegreatfloweringofAmericanliterature.ThesocialandculturalbackgroundofRomanticismTheyoungRepublicwasflourishingintoapolitically,economicallyandculturallyindependentcountry.TheRomanticwritingsrevealeduniquecharacteristicsoftheirownintheirworksandtheygrewonthenativelands.ThedesireforanescapefromsocietyandareturntonaturebecameapermanentconventionofAmericanliterature.TheAmericanPuritanismasaculturalheritageexertedgreatinfluencesoverAmericanmoralvalues.Romanticsfrequentlysharedcertaingeneralcharacteristics:moralenthusiasm,faithinvalueofindividualismandintuitiveperception,andapresumptionthatthenaturalworldwasasourceofgoodnessandman’ssocietiesasasourceofcorruption.二、EdgarAllanPoe埃德加·爱伦·坡---poet,shortstorywriterandliterarycritic(48poems,70shortstories)Hegreatlyinfluencedthedevoteesof“Artforart’ssake.”Hewasfatherofpsychoanalyticcriticism(心理分析批评),andthedetectivestory.诗歌的精髓就是追求美小说的主题常常是恐怖和死亡，其中还运用了象征手法。ThePoeticPrinciple:1.Thepoem,shouldbeshort,readableatonesitting;2.Beauty(therhythmicalcreationofbeauty);3.Melancholy忧伤(especiallythedeathofabeautifulwoman).代表作：TheFalloftheHouseofUsher《厄舍大厦的倒塌》Ligeia《莉盖亚》AnnabelLee《安娜贝尔·李》TheRaven《乌鸦》TheCaskofAmontillado《阿芒提拉多的酒桶》---gothicnovel人物：蒙特利瑟Montresor,弗图纳多Fortunato，筵席上男人将喝醉的死对头哄骗至地窖并砌墙活埋的故事。三．爱默生Emerson=ThechiefspokesmanofNewEnglandTranscendentalism超验主义Hewasadescendent（后裔）ofalonglineofNewEnglandclergymen牧师【pastor】.散文家、诗人、超验主义的哲学的主要倡导者。AmericanTranscendentalismAsaphilosophicalandliterarymovement,AmericanTranscendentalism(alsoknownas“AmericanRenaissance”)flourshedinNewEnglandfromthe1830stotheCivilWar.ItisthehightideofAmericanromanticismanditsdoctrinesfoundtheirgreatestliteraryadvocatesinEmersonandThoreau.TranscendentalistsspokefortheculturalrejuvenationandagainstthematerialismofAmericansociety.Transcendentalism超验主义(+H.D.Thoreau;NathanielHawthorne;)ThemajorfeaturesofTranscendentalism:①TheTranscendentalistsplacedemphasisonspirit,ortheOversoul,asthemostimportantthingintheuniverse.思想超灵宇宙②TheTranscendentalistsstressedtheimportanceoftheindividual.Tothem,theindividualisthemostimportantelementofSociety.个体+社会③TheTranscendentalistsofferedafreshperceptionofnatureassymbolicoftheSpiritorGod.Naturewasnotpurelymatter.Itwasalive,filledwithGod’soverwhelmingpresence.自然+上帝代表作：Nature《论自然》---theBibleofTranscendentalismbyEmerson；Self-Reliance《论自助》---是表达他的超验主义观点的最重要作品之一一TheAmericanScholar《论美国学者》；TheOver-soul《论超灵》四、NathanielHawthorne纳撒尼尔·霍桑---effectedby超验主义HewasbornintoaprominentPuritanfamily.Oneofthemostambivalent（矛盾的）writersintheAmericanliteraryhistory.主要成就：美国心理分析小说的开创者浪漫主义小说家心理小说家代表作：MossesfromanOldManse《古宅青苔》;Twice-ToldTales《故事重述》;TheMarbleFaun《玉石雕像》;TheHouseoftheSevenGables《带有七个尖角阁的房子》TheScarletLetter《红字》ManyofhisearlierstorieshadtreatedthemesthatledtoTheScarletLetter.Theme:Puritanseveritytowardsexandmatrimonyanditstendencytosuppressbrightcolorandtruefeelings.TheScarletLetter《红字》：HesterPrynne---strong-willed,impetuous,akingofcompassionate,maternalfigure;Pearl---innocent,perceptive;RogerChillingworth---amandeficientinhumanwarmth,trueevilinthestory;ArthurDimmesdale---intelligentandemotional.[SymbolisminhisworksHawthorneisamasterofsymbolism,whichhetookfromthePuritantradition清教徒传统andbequeathedtoAmericanliteratureinarevivifiedform.Inhismasterpiece,byusingPearlasathematicsymbol,Hawthorneemphasizestheconsequencethesinofadulteryhasbroughttothecommunityandpeoplelivinginthatcommunity.WiththescarletAasthebiggestsymbolofall,whichisambiguous,heproveshimselftobeoneofthebest]symbolists.五、HermanMelville赫尔曼·梅尔维尔Theearlysailingexperienceswererewarding.代表作：WhiteJacket《白外衣》BillyBudd《毕利·伯德》,Typee《泰比》,Omoo《欧穆》,Mardi《玛地》.MobyDick1851《白鲸》---百科全书式性质/海洋作品/动物史诗（《熊》福克纳、《老人与海》海明威、《白鲸》梅尔维尔）[MobyDickrepresentsthesumtotalofMelville’sbleakviewoftheworldinwhichhelived.ItisatonceGodlessandpurposeless.Maninthisuniverselivesameaninglessandfutilelife,meaninglessbecausefutile.Onceheattemptstoseekpoweroveritheisdoomed.TheideathatmancanmaketheworldforhimselfisnothingbutaTranscendentalistfolly.MobyDickthusrevealsthebasicpatternof19thcenturyAmericanlife:lonelinessandsuicidalindividualisminaself-styleddemocracy.(anegativereflectionuponTranscendentalism)SymbolisminMobyDick：---ItisregardedasthefirstAmericanproseepic.Itisnotmerelyawhalingtaleorseaadventure,consideringthatMelvilleisagreatsymbolist.Itturnsouttobeasymbolicvoyageofthemindinquestofthetruth寻找真理andknowledgeoftheuniverse,aspiritualexplorationintoman’sdeeprealityandpsychology.---Differentpeopleonboardtheshiparerepresentationsofdifferentideasanddifferentsocialandethnicgroups;factsbecomesymbolsandincidentsacquireuniversalmeanings;thePequodisthemicrocosmofhumansocietyandthevoyagebecomesasearchfortruth.Thewhi