第6组 美国文学Henry David Thoreau

------By第6组HenryDavidThoreau(July12,1817–May6,1862)Thoreauin1856Americanessayist,poet,philosopher,naturalist,andhistorian.Aleadingtranscendentalist.1967U.S.postagestamphonoringThoreau,designedbyLeonardBaskinEarlylifeandeducation,1817–1836Birthplace:InConcord,July12,1871.Education:HestudiedatHarvardCollegefrom1833to1837.Amutualfriend:RalphWaldoEmersonwhourgedThoreautocontributeessaysandpoemstoTheDial.HenryDavidThoreau(July12,1817–May6,1862).CivilDisobedienceandtheWaldenyears,1845–1849In1845,hebegantotakeatwo-yearresidenceatWaldenPond.InJanuaryandFebruary1848,hedeliveredlectureson“TheRightsandDutiesoftheIndividualinrelationtoGovernment”------“CivilDisobedience”Death：OnMay6,1862HenryDavidThoreau(July12,1817–May6,1862)LiterarycharacteristicsMajorworksStyleInfluenceTextstudyGeneralcommentHenryDavidThoreau(July12,1817–May6,1862)Majorworks“CivilDisobedience(1849)”Anargumentfordisobediencetoanunjuststate.“Walden(1854)”LiterarycharacteristicsStyle:Straightforward(平铺直叙）、concise（简洁）、tothepoint（有观点、扼要）.Thoreau’sstyleismoreprimitive(简单的)andHomeric(荷马式)thananyAmerican,hisstyleofthinkingwasrobust(强有力的),racy(保持原味的).------BronsonAlcottLiterarycharacteristicsInfluenceThoreau’swritingsinfluencedmanypublicfigures.PoliticalleadersandreformerslikeMahatmaGandhi,presidentJohnF.Kennedy,civilrightsactivistMartinLutherKing.Jr.AmericanauthorErnestHemingway.Literarycharacteristics“Walden”AgeneralintroductionType:EssayGenre:Autobiography;moralphilosophy;naturalhistory;socialcriticism.Timeandplacewritten:1845-1854,WaldenPondTextstudyContents:AndescriptionorrecordofhislifeandthoughtsnearthepondcalledWalden.Theauthorlivedtherefornearlytwoyearswithonlyanaxeatthebeginning.Itisareflectionuponsimplelivinginnaturalsurroundings.（P.39-51)TextstudyTextstudyMajorPurposesTomakethereaderevaluatethewayhelivedandthought.Torevealthehiddenspiritualpossibilitiesineveryone’slife.Tocondemntheweaknessanderrorsofsociety.ChiefSubjectsConcerningwithliving(theessentialsoflife).(P.45)Condemningmakingsocialimprovementandcomfortallimportant.Stressingtheimportanceofthoughtovermaterialcircumstanceandspirituallifewhichisinharmonywithnature.TextstudyThoreauadvocatedaconceptoflife,alifewithsimplelifestyleinoppositiontoalifewithmodernmaterial.Hecanbecalledthetranscendentalismpractitioner.Inthebook,Walden,Thoreaunotonlyadvocatedtheprotectionofnature,butalsoencouragepeopletocomprehendandreturntonature.Hetoldus,usinghisownexperiencebylivingasimplelifeclosetonature,thatwehumanbeingswillfindoutthetruevalueoflifeandsignificanceofexistence.GeneralcommentForus,ThoreauismorelikeaPhilosopher.Herepresentsaspirit,notjustanattitudeoflife.Q：Whatcanwelearnfromhim?Generalcomment