英文美国文学浪漫主义讲义

IntroductionAboutthecourseBird-eyeviewofAmericanliteratureOriginandformationofAmericanliterature.AbouttheCourseCoursedescription:WhileofferingaverybriefoutlineofAmericanliteraryhistoryfromthecolonialperiodtothepostwartime,thiscourseprovidesguidedreadingofchosenpiecesbyAmericanliterarymastersfromeveryimportantstageintheAmericanliteraryevolution,andexploresthehistoricalexperienceaswellastheliteraryimportanceofthesewrites.ItaimstointroducethestudentstomajorAmericanliterarytrends,andsomeAmericannationalmyths,acquaintthestudentswithparticularcontributionsandidiosyncraticexpressionsofthesewriters,andfacilitatethemwithbasicskillstoapproachandappreciateliteraryworks.Courserequirements:Pre-classreading.Studentsaresupposedtoreadthetargetmaterialbeforeattendingthelecturesothatwecanconductourdiscussioninclasswithdesirableeffects.Classparticipation.Studentswillsometimesbeaskedtomakeapresentationoftheauthorstotheclass.Theysurewillbeexpectedtoactivelyinvolveintextualanalysis,andclassdiscussions.Attendanceismandatory.Pleasebringabsencestomyattentionaheadoftimeifpossible.Finalexam.Courserequirements:Bird-eyeviewFourstages:TheOriginandtheAmericanRomanticism(beginningto1860)Theriseofrealismandnaturalism(btwtheendofthecivilwartothebreakoutofWWI)Americanmodernism(btwthetwoWorldWars)Postmodernism,diversifyingliterature.OriginandformationofAmericanliteratureFromtheColonialperiodtotheAmericanromanticismColonialperiod--PuritanismPuritanismwascentraltoAmericancolonialliteratureandservedasthemostpowerfulshapingforceofAmericanliteratureandculture.Puritandoctrine:acceptingoriginalsin,totaldepravity,limitedatonement(salvationofaselectedfewthroughafavorofgracefromGod).Gloomyoutlookinlife:tolivewastosufferandtoilforGod’sfavor.Lifewascomposedofsternspiritualself-examination(closewatchoverspirit)andhardlabor.Embracingindustry,frugality,andhonestyasworkingethics.Impact:endowingAmericanliteraturewiththeelementofspiritualexploration;puritansenseofmission—buildingtheGardenofEdengavebirthtotheAmericanEdenmythinliterature,bothnationalandpersonal.(HenryJames,Fitzgerald)PeriodofEnlightenment(aroundIndependenceWar)Historicalbackground:18thcentury—theageofenlightenment;developmentofscienceandsociology;Unshakablebeliefinthepowerofreason.BenjaminFranklinandhisAutobiographyRomanticism:aDefinitionItroseintheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturies.Incontrasttoneo-classicismitstressedimaginationandcreationofindividuality.Romanticwritersattachgreatimportancetotheportrayaloffiguresofdistinctivecharacters.Theyreproducelifeintheirwritingsaccordingtotheiridealandpreferimaginative,evenfantasticvisiontorestrictionofobjectivedepiction,passiontoelegance,andirregularbeautytoperfectproportion.(SeeTextbookP.2)I.GeneralBackgroundAsaliterarytrendormovement,itoccurredanddevelopedinEuropeinthelastyearsofthe18thcenturyagainstthehistoricalbackgroundoftheIndustrialRevolutionaround1760andFrenchrevolution.BeingaproductoftheEnlightenment,industrialrevolutionbroughtaboutacutepoverty,misery,repressivegovernment.TheseevilsrenderedtherationaldoctrineoftheEnlightenmenthighlyskeptical.Soimagination,individualismwerepromotedtoreplacereasonandauthority.Naturewaspresumedtobethesourceofgoodnessagainstthecorrupthumansociety.Inliteraryexpression,romanticismreactsagainsttheprinciplesofreason,order,andmoderationpreachedbyneo-classicism.Itpreferredtheimaginative,thesupernatural,themystical,theremotecontenttoobjectivereality.II.Characteristics1.Arebellionagainsttheobjectivityofrationalism.2.Forromantics,thefeelings,intuitionsandemotionsweremoreimportantthanreasonandcommonsense.3.Theyemphasizedindividualism,placingtheindividualagainstthegroup,againstauthority.4.Theyaffirmedtheinnerlifeoftheself,andwantedeachpersontobefreetodevelopandexpresshisowninnerthoughts.5.Theyadvocatedthehealingforceofnature.III.AmericanRomanticismHistoricalbackground:politicalindependence,economicboom,westwardexpansion,nationaloptimism—anationburstingwithnewlifecriedforliteraryexpression.Europeaninfluence:importofEuropeanRomanticismatthebeginningofthe19thcenturyoffereddesirablepatternstoframethenewexperience.Themysteryofthedarkwoodsbeyondthefrontierline,thealienIndianculturecouldfindadequateexpressionthroughtheEuropeanromanticmodels.EarlyAmericanromanticwritersembracedtheforeignimportwithardor.WashingtonIrving:TheSketchBook《见闻札记》JamesFenimoreCooper:LeatherStockingTales(AmericanIndianromanceafterhistoricalromance)EdgarAllenPoewritinginthemodelofgothicromance.NewEnglandTranscendentalism—philosophicalpillarofAmericanRomanticism.新英格兰超验主义Idealism—Oversoulconstitutedtheuniverse;intuitivethoughtmatteredmorethanpurereason.Stressingindividualismandself-relianceincombatagainstpuritantheology.NatureassymbolicofGod.Representatives:Emerson—”Nature”,Thoreau—TheWalden.Impact:markedthematurityoftheAmericanromanticism;heraldedtheAmericanRenaissance.Americanrenaissance美国文艺复兴（1830-1860）SpurredupbyTranscendentalism,theUSwitnesseditsfirstliteraryflourishwhichextendedfrom1830to1860.Evidence:greatauthorsingreatnum