AmericanLiteratureAmericanliterature•TheLiteratureofColonialPeriod•TheLiteratureofReasonandRevolution•TheliteratureofRomanticism•TheLiteratureofRealism•TheLiteratureofThe20thcenturyTheLiteratureofColonialPeriodHistoricalbackground•ThefirstpermanentEnglishsettlementinNorthAmericaatJamestown,Virginiain1607.•In1630thepuritansestablishedtheMassachusettsBayColony.•IndependentWar(1776-1783);thefoundationofaFederativebourgeoisdemocraticrepublic—theUnitedStatesofAmerica.Puritanism:AmericanPuritans•Puritanswanttomakeuppuretheirreligiousbeliefsandpractices.•PuritanswishtorestoresimplicitytochurchservicesandtheauthorityoftheBibletotheology.•Puritanslookuponthemselvesasachosenpeople,anditfollowlogicallythatanyonewhochallengedtheirwayoflifeisopposingGod’swillandisnottobeaccepted.•Puritanoppositiontopleasureandtheartssometimeshasbeenexaggerated.•ReligiousteachingtendedtoemphasizetheimageofawrathfulGod.Typesofwriting:histories,travelaccounts,diaries,biographies,letters,autobiographies,sermons,andpoems.Majorwriters:CaptainJohnSmith(约翰·史密斯)thefirstAmericanwriterADescriptionofNewEngland《新英格兰叙事》(1616)GeneralHistoryofVirginia《弗吉尼亚通史》(1642)•PocahontasWilliamBradford(1590-1657)•OneofthegreatestofcolonialAmerican,whollyconsecratedtoamissioninwhichheregardedhimselfasaninstrumentofGod.•Attheageof18,heaccompaniedthegrouptoHollandtoescapepersecution.•13yearslaterhewasoneofthosewho,onDecember11,tookontheMayflowerandenteredPlymouthBay.•From1622untilhisdeath,Bradfordwasreelectedthirtytimedasgovernor.•Masterpiece:OfPlymouthPlantationAnneBradstreet(安妮·布拉德斯特里特)(1612-1672)thefirstAmericanwomanpoetaPuritanpoet,oncecalled“TenthMuse”mostfamouspoems—“Contemplations”《沉思录》TheLiteratureofReasonandRevolution“TheAgeofReason”“AmericanEnlightenment”HistoricalBackground•PoliticsdominatedtherevolutionaryphaseofAmericanwriting.•ThecrisisinAmericanlifecarriedbytheRevolutionmadeartistsself-consciousaboutAmericansubjects.•ThespirituallifeinthecoloniesduringthatperiodwasmoldedbythebourgeoisEnlightenment.2.BenjaminFranklin(1706-1790):•TheAutobiography•PoorRichard’sAlmanackBenjaminFranklin•Americanpolitician,scientist,inventor,andeducator.•Hewasatypicalexampleoftheso-calledAmericanDream.Hehelpeddraftthe“DeclarationofIndependence”.•HeconductedthedifficultnegotiationwithFrancethatbroughtfinancialandmilitarysupportforAmericainthewar.•HefoundedthecollegethatwastobecometheUniversityofPennsylvania.3.ThomasPaine(1737-1809):•Painewas“GreatCommonerofMankind”.HewasbornEngland.•Attheageof37,FranklinmethiminLondonandrecognizedhispeculiartalentsintheirAmericanperspective.•HewrotemanypoliticalpamphletsduringtheRevolutionaryperiod.•CommonSense•TheAmericanCrisis•TheRightsofMan•TheAgeofReasonPhilipFreneau(1752-1832)“PoetoftheAmericanRevolution”“FatherofAmericanPoetry”“PioneeroftheNewRomanticism”“Agiftedandversatilelyricpoet”•“TheRisingGloryofAmerica”(1772)•“TheHouseofNight”(1779,1786)•“TheBritishPrisonShip”(1781)•“TotheMemoryoftheBraveAmericans”(1781)•“TheWildHoneySuckle”(1786)•“TheIndianBuryingGround”(1788)•“TheDyingIndian:TomoChequi”TheliteratureofRomanticism(1820s-1860s)HistoricalBackground•Thisisaperiodofrapidgrowthandrapidexpansion•Thisisaperiodofthediscussionofsocialissues•Thisisaperiodofthepursuitofnewbelief•Thisisaperiodofthedevelopmentofeducation•ThisisaperiodofforeigninfluencesCharacteristicsofromanticismAmericanromanticismwasinessencetheexpressionof“arealnewexperienceandcontained“analienquality”forthesimplereasonthat“thespiritoftheplace”wasradicallynewandalien.ThereisAmericanPuritanismasaculturalheritagetoconsider.Americanromanticauthorstendedmoretomoralize.ManyAmericanromanticwritingsintendedtoedifymorethantheyentertained.The“newness”ofAmericansasanationisinconnectionwithAmericanRomanticism.Asalogicalresultoftheforeignandnativefactorsatwork,AmericanromanticismwasbothimitativeandindependentWhatdoes“transcendentalism”mean?ThewordTranscendentalism,meaningthatknowledgecanbeobtainedthroughmentalprocessapartfromexperiences,wasaKantianterm,denoting,asEmersonputit,“whateverbelongstotheclassofintuitivethought.”Emersonalsosaid,Transcendentalismmeansidealism.Importance:•thesummitofAmericanRomanticism.Representatives:•AgroupofNewEnglanders,RalphWaldoEmerson,HenryDavidThoreauandMargaretFuller,about30people,mostlyteachersandclergymen,formedaTranscendentalistClubandmetregularlytodiscussmattersofinterestandpublishedajournal,TheDial(《日晷》)toexpresstheiropinions.NewEnglandTranscendentalismWashingtonIrving(1783-1859)•thefirstAmericanwriterstoearnaninternationalreputation•FatheroftheAmericanliterature•HisTheSketchBookmarkedthebeginningofAmericanromanticismMajorWorks•AHistoryofNewYork•TheSketchBookofGeoffreyCrayon,Gent.(Thisgiveshiminternationalrecognition.)•TheHistoryoftheLifeandVoyagesofChristopherColumbus•RipVanWinkleJamesFenimoreCooper(1789-1851)•America’sfirstsuccessfulpopularnovelist;thefirstborderwriter•CreatedamythaobuttheformativeperiodofAmericannation•Helpedintroducethe“western”traditionintoAmericanliterature•Masterpiece:TheLeatherstockingTalesThePioneers(1823),