James-Fenimore-Cooper-2

JamesFenimoreCooper（詹姆斯·费尼莫·库珀）IntroductionofJamesFenimoreCooperNovelswrittenbyJamesFenimoreCooperHiscontributionstoAmericanliteratureThelastoftheMohicansJamesFenimoreCooper(1789-1851)whenhewastwenty,heinheritedacashlegacyandashareinhisfather’sestate,andhiswifewasthedaughterofawealthyfamily.HewasoneofthefirstauthorstowriteabouttheAmericanWestwardmovement.“ThefatherofAmericannovels.”Beginningofhisliterarycareer:achallengefromhiswifeIn1819Cooperwasreadingarecentlypublishednoveltohiswife,andfindingitsopoorlydone,castitasideandclaimedhecoulddobetter.Hiswifelaughedathisdeclaration.JamesFenimoreCooper“WhoreadsanAmericanbook?”—SydneySmith.(1820)1.Americahadaveryshorthistoryuptothen:independencewar(1776-1783).TheUnitedStatesofAmericawasestablishedin1783.2.Accordinglytheydidn’thavetheirownliterarytradition.3.ManyAmericanwritersatthattimeadoptedthesubjectsandformsofEuropeanliterature.Theydidnotgetridoftheinfluenceofcolonialculture,andgettheculturalindependence.Inthiscircumstance,theestablishmentofnationalliteraturerequiredurgentattention.JamesFenimoreCooperCoopercontributesalottotheuseofnationalsubjectsandthustheestablishmentofnationalliterature.Hewrotemorethanthirtynovelsduringhislife,andheadoptedtheAmericansubjectsinallthesenovelsexceptthefirstone,ThePrecaution《戒备》.(imitationoftheEnglishpopularnovels)And,heinitiatedsomedifferentforms.Therefore,CoopermadetheAmericanconsciousofhispast,andmadetheEuropeanconsciousofAmerica,andmadethepresentreadersconsciousoftheprominentbeginningofAmericanliterature.JamesFenimoreCooperMajorworks:TheSpy(1821)《间谍》ThePilot(1824)《舵手》LeatherstockingTales:ThePioneers(1823),《拓荒者》TheLastoftheMohicans(1826),《最后的莫西干人》ThePrairie(1827),《大草原》ThePathfinder(1840),《探路人》TheDeerslayer(1841).《杀鹿者》JamesFenimoreCooperThreetypesofnovelshelaunched:Revolutionaryhistoricalnovel:TheSpy;Frontiernovel:ThePioneers;Seaadventurenovel:ThePilot.Majorthemes:Antithesisbetweennatureandcivilization;Antithesisbetweenfreedomandlaw;Antithesisbetweenindividualandsociety;Conflictbetweencultures.JamesFenimoreCooperSeven“firsts”:1.ThefirstsuccessfulAmericanhistoricalromance(TheSpy,1821).2.Thefirstseanovel(ThePilot,1824).3.Thefirstattemptatafullyresearchedhistoricalnovel(LionelLincoln,1825).《莱昂内尔·林肯》4.Thefirstfull-scaleHistoryoftheNavyoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica(1839).JamesFenimoreCooperSeven“firsts”:5.ThefirstAmericaninternationalnovelofmanners(HomewardBoundandHomeasFound,1838).6.ThefirsttrilogyinAmericanfiction(Satanstoe,1845;TheChainbearer,1845;andTheRedskins,1846).7.Thefirstepicromancetocarryitsmythichero-NattyBumppo-fromyouthtooldage.Therefore,wecancallCooperasthe“pioneer”ofAmericanliterature.1)Heisgoodatmakingplots.2)Allhisnovelsarefullofmyths.3)HehadneverbeentothefrontierandamongtheIndiansandyetcouldwritefivehugeepicbooksaboutthemisaneloquentproofoftherichnessofhisimagination.4)HecreatedthefirstIndianstoappearinAmericanfictionandprobablythefirstgroupofnoblesavages.5)Hehituponthenativesubjectoffrontierandwilderness,andhelpedtointroducethe“Western”traditionintoAmericanliterature.HisWritingStylesLeatherstockingTalesItwasasetoffivehistoricalnovelsaboutthefrontierlifeofAmericansettlers.Itdepictstheexperienceofthehero,NattyBumppo,fromyouthtooldage,whoisknownbyvariousnamesinotherfournovels.ThewhitehunterBumppolivedaharmoniouslifeinthewildernesswiththenativeIndians.However,alargegroupofwhitepeoplefromEuropesettledtherebeforelong.Theydestroyedtheforestandbuilthouses.Accordingly,religiousorganizations,aswellaseducationalandlawinstitutionswereestablished.LeatherstockingTalesHowever,the“civilizedsociety”restrainedthelibertyofthewhitehunter.Andthedestructionofthenaturemadebythepioneersirritatedhim.Heleftthe“civilizedsociety”andisolatedhimselfinthefartherwilderness.Unfortunately,hisescapewasinvain.Everytimehefoundafartherwilderness,thepioneerswouldfollowhimanddestroyedtheforest.Henearlybecameapathfinderofthewestexpansion.Finally,hediedindesperation.Itissocalledbecauseofthehero’swearingleatherleggingsintheAmericanIndianfashion.LeatherstockingTalesItfocusesontheantithesisbetweennatureandcivilization,betweenfreedomandlaw.Ontheonehand,BumpporepresentstheidealAmerican,livingavirtuousandfreelifeingod’sworld.Tohim,thewildernessisgood,pureandperfect.Ontheotherhand,thereisJudgeTemple.JustasBumppoembodiestheideaofbrotherhoodofmanandnatureandfreedom,soJudgeTemplesymbolizeslawandcivilization.TheLastoftheMohicansTheLastofTheMohicansistheuniversalfavoriteandbestknownoftheseriesofLeatherstockingtales.Aplaybaseduponthenovelwasproducedasearlyas1831,andithasalsobeenadaptedasanoperaandaballet.Twenty-fourfilmsbasedonthenovelhavebeenproduced.TheLastoftheMohicansPlotdevelopment:DuncanHeyward(MajorofFortEdward)—CoraandAlice(daughtersofcolonelMunro,commandantofFortWilliamHenry)—DavidGamut(singer)—allofthemwereignorantofthewilderness—Magua(Hunron)—Hawkeye(hunter)—ChingachgookandhissonUncas(Mohicans)—cheatingandtrap—escape—Hawkeyeguidedthefourpersons—paddledacanoetoGlenn’sFalls—abandofIroquoisledbyMaguacapturedthefourpersons—escapedandattem