美国文学史-Early-American-Literature

AmericanLiterature美国文学Lecture1EarlyAmericanLiterature(17th-18thcenturies)AHistoricalSurveyColonizationImmigrationSettlementSelf-IdentificationChristopherColumbusdiscoveredtheAmericancontinentin1492.ColumbusclaimedpossessionoftheNewWorldThefirstsettlingoftheEnglishpeopleinJamestown,Virginiahappenedin1607.JamestownwasestablishedbyCaptainJohnSmithwhowrotehisDescriptionofNewEngland(1616)(NewEnglandincludesConnecticut,Maine,Massachusetts,Vermont,RhodeIsland,NewHampshire)ThesecondgroupcamewithMayflowerin1620.102PilgrimpassengersdepartedfromPlymouthaboardtheMayfloweronSeptember6,1620.TheintendeddestinationwasVirginiawheretheyplannedtostartacolony.Afterajourneyof66daystheymadelandfallatCapeCodnearpresent-dayProvincetown-morethan600milesoffcourse.In1760s,thesepeoplebegantocallthemselvesAmericans.In1775,WarofIndependence(1775-1783)brokeout.In1776,theDeclarationofIndependencewassigned,whichlegallymarkedtheUnitedStatesasanindependentnation.GeorgeWashingtonOnApril30,1789,GeorgeWashington,standingonthebalconyofFederalHallonWallStreetinNewYork,tookhisoathofofficeasthefirstPresidentoftheUnitedStates.GeorgeWashington(1732-1799)servedasthefirstPresidentoftheUnitedStatesfrom1789to1797andasthecommanderoftheContinentalArmyintheAmericanRevolutionaryWarfrom1775to1783.BecauseofhissignificantroleintherevolutionandintheformationoftheUnitedStates,heisoftenreferredtoasFatherofHisCountry.Washington'sretirementtoMountVernonwasshort-lived.HewaspersuadedtoattendtheConstitutionalConventioninPhiladelphiainthesummerof1787.In1789,theElectoralCollege(总统选举团)electedWashingtonunanimouslythefirstPresidentoftheUnitedStates,andagaininthe1792election;heremainstheonlypresidenttohavereceived100%oftheelectoralvotes.ArlingtonNationalCemeteryWashingtonD.C.asthenation'scapitalwasestablishedin1791.ReasonsforImmigrationintoAmerica1).Longforlandandgold2).Religiouspersecution3).Politicalpersecution4).paupers,convicts,criminals5).Trading“So,theycame,boththewillingandtheunwilling.Themovementbeganwithafewpeopleinearly1600s,andin1907morethanamillionpeopleenteredthecountrywithinayear.Intheyears1903to1913,everytimetheclockstruckthehour,dayandnight,100personsborninsomeforeigncountry,notincludingCanadaandMexico,landedontheshoresoftheUnitedStates.”(We,thePeople,14)TheUnitedStatesofAmericagrewoutofreligiouscontroversy;outofthedesireofmonarchstoexpandtheirempires;outofthehumanlongingforland,adventure,andgold;evenoutofnations'effortstoridthemselvesofsurpluspopulations.ThegrowthofcolonialAmericaintotheUnitedStatesisrecordedinaliteraturethatbeganasreportsofexplorationandcolonization.Europeanexplorers,traders,andsettlerswroteoftheirhopes,raretriumphs,andfrequentdisastersandtherebycreatedaliteraturethatislarge,various,andamazinglyrich.(McMichael,ed.,AnthologyofAmericanLiterature,1)2.PuritansandPuritanism1).PuritansMostoftheearlysettlerswerePuritans,agroupofserious,religiouspeoplewhoadvocatedstrictreligiousandmoralprinciples.TheywantedtopurifytheEnglishChurchandtorestorechurchworshiptothepureandunspottedconditionofitsearlierdays.TheyopposedtheelaborateritualsoftheEnglishChurch.TheybelievedthattheBiblewastherevealedwordofGod,therefore,peopleshouldguidetheirdailybehaviorwiththeBible.2).Puritanism“Puritanismhadspokenforthepreeminenceoftheindividual,forfreedomfromoppressivegovernments,andforthevalueoflearningandeducation.ItledAmericanstoexaminetheirbeliefs,theirworld,andeachother.Itgaveordinarymenandwomenasenseofpurpose.Itencouragedthemtoscrutinizeissuesinreligionandingovernmentandtospeakout.IthelpedtocreateinAmericansasenseofdutytotheirGod,theirnation,andtheirfellowmen.Ittaughtmenandwomentolabortobegoodandtojudgeothersbytheirlives,notbytheirbirth.Atitsheight,PuritanismservedasthedominantforceinthecreatingofAmericanliterature.”(McMichael,ed.AAL,11-12)LiterarySceneAmericanliteraturescomefromhumbleoriginaldiaries,journals,letters,sermons,travelbooks,etc.IntheColonialPeriod,personalliteratureoccupiedamajorpositionintheliteraryscene.Incontent,theyservedeitherGodortheexpansionorboth.Inform,theyweremainlytheimitationsoftheEnglishtradition.AnneBradstreet(1612-1672),thefirstnotablepoetessinAmericawhoselyricsremainedunsurpassedbyanyAmericanwomenwritersfor200yearsuntiltheappearanceofEmilyDickinson.HerTheTenthMuseLatelySprungUpinAmerica(1650)wasthefirstpublishedbookofpoetrywrittenbyasettlerintheEnglishcolonies.Mostofherpoemswereimitativeinform.(class1finished)BenjaminFranklin(1706-1790)1.AboutFranklin“Ifyouwouldnotbeforgottenassoonasyouaredead&rotten,eitherwritethingsworthreading,ordothingsworththewriting.”FranklinwouldneverbeforgottenbytheAmericansorevenbythepeopleoftheworldbecausehedidboththesethings.Franklinseemedtohaveagoldentouch,aJackofalltrades.D.H.LawrenceagreedthatFranklinwaseverythingbutapoet.ThomasCarlyle(Britishhistorianandessayistwhoseworks,suchasTheFrenchRevolution(1837),arecharacterizedbyhistrenchantsocialandpoliticalcriticismandhiscomplexliterarystyle.卡莱尔，托马斯：(1795-1881)英国历史学家和散文作家，其著作，如法国革命（1837年），以对社会和政治的犀利批评和复杂的文风为特色)calledhimthefatherofallYankees.HermanMelvillesa