General Introduction To American Literature

Brief background of American literatureColonial Period(1607-1750)

美国文学的历史不长，它几乎是和美国自由资本主义 (non-monopoly capitalism)同时出现，较少受到封建贵族文 化(feudal aristocratic culture)的束缚。美国早期人口稀 少，有大片未开发的土地，为个人理想的实现提供了很大的可 能性。 美国人民富于民主自由精神，个人主义、个性解放的观念 较为强烈，这在文学中有突出的反映。美国又是一个多民族的 国家，移民不断涌入，各自带来了本民族的文化，这决定了美 国文学风格的多样性和庞杂性(multi-cultural)。美国文学发 展的过程就是不断吸取、融化各民族文学特点的过程。许多美 国作家来自社会下层，这使得美国文学生活气息和平民色彩都 比较浓厚，总的特点是开朗、豪放。内容庞杂与色彩鲜明是美 国文学的另一特点。

Major Points Puritanism Anne Bradstreet Edward Taylor

Periodization一、Colonialism殖民时期(about1607—1765) 二、Enlightenment and the Revolutionary War启蒙时期和独立 革命(1765—18世纪末) 三、Romanticism浪漫主义时期(1865—1918) 四、Realism现实主义时期(1865—1918) 五、Modernism现代主义时期(1918—1945) 六、Contemporary Literature当代文学(1945— )

The Revolution War and The Civil War

美国民族文学形成时期 The forming of national literature 托马斯· 杰弗逊 本杰明· 富兰克林 菲利普· 弗瑞诺

Early Romanticism 欧文 库珀 布莱恩特

Transcendentalism and Post-Romanticism 爱默生 梭罗 霍桑 梅尔维尔 朗费罗 洛威尔 霍姆斯

The literature of Abolition Movement (斯托夫人 ) Poetry(民主诗人惠特曼)

南北战争到第一次世界大战 现实主义文学 豪威尔斯 乡土文学与马克· 吐温 心理分析小说家亨利· 詹姆斯

黑人文学 道格拉斯 邓巴 切斯纳特

两次世界大战之间 现代派文学的兴起 诗歌 (艾米莉· 迪金森；庞德 ；H.D.希尔达· 杜利 特尔 ；艾· 洛威尔；威· 威廉斯；桑德堡； 卡· 沃· 斯蒂文斯；艾· 马斯特斯；玛· 李· 莫尔 ) 戏剧(奥尼尔 ) 小说 (格· 斯泰因；舍· 安德森 ) 迷惘的一代(海明威 ；菲茨杰拉尔德 )

第二次世界大战后 战争文学 (梅勒 ；詹姆斯· 琼斯 ) “垮掉的一代” “黑色幽默” (海勒 ；冯内古特；阿尔比-荒诞派戏剧) “非虚构小说” (卡波特的《凶杀》(1966)与梅勒的《刽子手之 歌》 ) 犹太人文学 (贝洛 ；辛格 ；马拉默德；罗斯 ) 黑人文学(拉尔夫· 艾列森 ；鲍德温 ；关德琳· 布鲁克斯 ；洛伦· 亨斯

伯利 ；勒鲁伊· 琼斯 ) 南方作家 (福克纳；波特；威尔蒂；斯泰伦；奥康诺；麦柯勒斯； 威廉斯 ) 纽约作家 (利· 特里林；玛· 麦卡锡；约翰· 契弗；厄普代克) 个性化的诗歌 (“垮掉派”、“黑山派”、“纽约派”、“具体 派”、“自白派”和“新超现实主义派”) 理论与批评

按照体裁分类 一、自传 二、诗歌 三、戏剧 四、小说

按流派分类重农派 (Agrarians)(20年代) 迷惘的一代 (The Lost Generation)(20年代) 黑山派诗歌 (Black Mountain Poems)(50年 代) 垮掉的一代 (The Beat Generation)(50年代) 黑色幽默 (Black Humor) (60年代)

Brief Outline of American literature7. The 1930sSteinbeck Harlem Renaissance (Black American literature) Hughes Wright Ellison

9. The Post-war SceneSaul Bellow Salinger

8. American DramaEugene O’Neill Arthur Miller Tennessee Williams

Poetry: Confessional Poetry Black Mountain Poets San Francisco Renaissance The Beat Generation The New York Poets

Chapter OneColonial Period (1607-1750)

American DreamThe American Dream is the faith held by many in the United States of American that through hard work, courage, and determination one can achieve a better life for oneself, usually through financial prosperity. These were values held by many early European settlers, and have been passed on to subsequent generations. Nowadays the American Dream has led to an emphasis on material wealth as a measure of success and /or happiness.

Historical Background History People Religion: Puritanism

Early History: 1) America was first discovered by Columbus at the end of the 15th century. 2) In 1607, Captain John Smith led some Englishmen across the ocean. 3) In 1620, 102 passengers sailed on the ship Mayflower across the sea and settled on the new continent “New England”.

People Indians were native inhabitants (aborigines). Now Americans are mainly immigrants mostly from Europe, esp. from England.

People of America They were the Puritans who wanted to reform the Church of England but later were persecuted by English government and church. They were called Puritans because they aimed to purify the church of Protestantism. When they came to America, they brought Puritanism to this new continent on which only primitive Indians originally settled. But at the very beginning, they met great difficulties and setbacks and they were helped by Indians. The experiences were recorded by them in travel accounts, sermons and poems, which were the earliest forms of American literature. (based on the reference book: Highlights of American Literature)

The Significance of Puritanism American Puritanism was one of the most enduring shaping influences in American thought and American literature. Without some understanding of Puritanism, there can be no real understanding of America and its literature.

PuritanismTh

ey follow the ideas of the French reformer and theologian (神学家)John Calvin 1. Doctrines: (1) Predestination: God decided everything before things occurred.宿命论，得救预定论(上帝已预 先选定某些得救者，余者者受诅咒) (2) Original sin and Total depravity : Human beings were born to be evil, and this original sin can be passed down from generation to generation. (3) Limited atonement赎罪: Only the “elect” can be saved.

Puritanism 2. Puritan values (creeds): Hard work, thrift, piety, sobriety, simple tastes. Puritans are more practical, tougher, and to be ever ready for any misfortune and tragic failure. They are optimistic.