The-Influence-of-Puritanism-on-American-Literature

TheInfluenceofPuritanismonAmericanLiterature清教主义对美国文学的影响IntroductiontoLiteratureDecember9,20132AbstractThespreadandpermeationofPuritanisaccompaniedthewholecourseoftheearlyimmigrants’cultivationandsettlementinNorthAmerica.Asasetoftenets,Puritanismhaslostitsoriginalmeaning,butithasbecomeapartofthenationalculturalatmosphereinAmericabecauseofitsenduringinfluenceonNewEnglandandeventhewholeAmerica.PuritanismconnectswithAmericanindividualityandhasplayedanimportantroleinthedevelopmentofAmericanliterature.ThisarticlewilltellaboutthemeaningofPuritanismandPuritanism’sinfluenceontheliterature.Keywords:Puritanism;Americancharacter;Americanliterature3TheInfluenceofPuritanismonAmericanLiteratureThespreadandinfiltrationofPuritanismisembodiedinthewholeprocessofearlyimmigrantsandsettlementsinNorthAmerica.Asakindofdoctrine,Puritanismhasnolongertheoriginalmeaning,butitsinfluenceonNewEnglandandtheUnitedStateshasalonghistory,andformsaspecialkindofcultureintheUnitedStates,thatisnotonlyassociatedwithindividualismoftheAmericancharacter,butalsoconnectedtothedevelopmentofAmericanliteratureandcharacteristics.PuritanismisthePuritanthoughtandtheirfaithdoctrine.ThePuritanswasreformistoftheAnglicaninthemiddleofthe16thcentury.Theyadvocatedtherepublicanformofgovernment,insistsontheseparationofchurchandstate,becausetheyrepresentedtheinterestsofmediumandsmallbourgeoispersecutedbythegovernment.Sotheyhadtoemigrationtoseekreligiousfreedom.ThefirstemigrationgotonmayflowerfromcontinentalEuropein1620,andbeganthecolonialfrontieratthePlymouthinNewEngland.Becauseofentrepreneurialhardshipsandsuccessfulstart,thenewsettlersbelievedrelationshipbetweenthepersonaleffortsandsuccess.Theyrealizedthatclear,honestandindustriousstyleofworkisanecessaryquality.What'smore,accordingtothePuritandoctrine,althoughGodhadalreadydecidedhisvoterswhoareunknown,however,everyonewantedtobesuccessfulthroughpersonalstruggletoprovethatGodlovethem.Inthisway,theemphasisonindividualstrugglecanprompttheindividualisminthecharacteroftheUnitedStates,andleadtotheformationoftheso-calledAmericanideal,theidealhasinspiredgeneration4aftergenerationofyouth,thatitplaysaveryimportantroleinthedevelopmentprocessofUnitedStates.ThePuritansisnotastrictfaction,butanattitude,atendency,akindofvalues.Itisakindofgroupofbelieverscollectively.ThePuritansisthemostdevoutandholyprotestant,theythinkeveryoneispriest,andeveryonehasacall.Theythinkeveryindividualcancommunicatewithgoddirectly.Theydonotadvocatebossy,corruptionandredtape,againstthegroupformalism.Theyarguethatsimple,realistic,everyoneisequalbeforetheGodofbelievers.Theyalsoagreewiththereallife,andthatisbornwithworld-wearyconcept.Theythink,Theworldisourmonastery.(Calvin).Andtheworldofworkisthewaywedo,isthetaskofGod’sarrangement,andisasacredduty.Everyoneshoulddothepracticeandworship.Thisisdoingone'sduty.Pilgrimsareallfullofconfidence,whetherengagedinbusinesstradeorproductioncultivation.Theyhavecourageandconfidencetofacethedifficultyforextraordinarysuccess.Theyaregoodatcreationandinnovation,andconstantlyexploreandconquer.Thevalueofthemisworthpeopletolearnspiritverymuch.TheinfluencesofPuritanismaremoremainlymanifestedintheinfiltrationofearlyAmericanliteratureonAmericanculture.TheearlyAmericanliteraturesduringthecolonialarealongwithcertainpurposeandthereligiousfervor.Colonistsmakenotesoffarming,ordescribeimmigrantlives,ordiscussthereligious,todescribethenewworldoflifeandpromotePuritanism.ThesettlersmostlybelievethedoctrineofJohnCalvin:accordingtohisperfectimage,GodcreatedAdamandEve,buttheyfall5tostealtoeattheforbiddenfruit,somenisoriginalsin,musttrytoredeemthemselves.Godhassupremepower,anddecidesthefateofthepeopleinadvance.TheworshipoftheGodandabsolutetrustmakestheearlycolonialAmericanliteratureastrongreligiouscolor.Enthusiasmsonreligioninevitablyleadtoblindsuppressionoffreedomofthought.ThereflectionoftheproblemistoperformanceinthelegendofromanticliteraturerepresentedbyHawthornenovel.ThegrandparentsofHawthornearePuritanwhoisundertheinfluenceofNewEnglandtradition.HeisnotaPuritan,theagehelivesawayfromtheruleofPuritanisminNewEnglandforacentury,butthegrowingmaterialisticmadehimrethinksomeofthebasicconceptofPuritan.HeinheritedthePuritancompletelytheconceptsoforiginalsinandstealth,becomesafaithfulrecordoftheseideasandpositivereviewers,andexplorestheevilasthethemeofhisworks.InhismasterpieceTheScarletLetter,heusedsymbolismtoexposethecharacterofthepsychologicalandideadeepinthesoulofthestrugglebetweengoodandevil.Notjusthim,eachauthor'sworksareinfluencedbyPuritanism,thatisnotonlytrulyreflectsthePuritanviewoflife,butalsocriticizedtheinhibitionofPuritanism.ThisperiodhasactuallystartedtheRenaissanceintheUnitedStates,theAmericanliteraryactivitiesforthefirsttime-theTranscendentalist.Transcendentaliststressedintuition,believethatpeoplecanperceivetheexternalworldthroughperceptionandintuition,toachieveharmoniousunificationbetweenGodandthenatural.Itemphasizesindividualismisthemostimportantelementinsociety;theidealstateismanofself-reliance.Transcendentalistabandonedthereligiousfa