美国文学整理到现实主义时期

1、-. z.Nathaniel Hawthorne:Romantic novelist, short-story writer. bined the American romanticism with puritan moralism; a central figure in the American RenaissanceMosses from an Old Manse ( 1846 ) (Young Goodman Brown and Rappaccinis daughter)The Scarlet Letter (1850) The House of the Seven Gables (1

2、851) The Blithedale Romance (1852) The Marble Faun,(1860) Interrogating the innocenceStrong sense of sin and evil in life.Sin will get punished, and evil educates.Source of sin: original sin, conflict between body and soul.Source of evil : overweening intellect, a part of human natureThe Seven mandm

3、ents Of The Children Of NoahIdolatry - Monotheism. Adultery. Murder. Blasphemy, not to curse God. Not to eat the live meat not to steal Maintain courts to enforce these laws.Seven heavenly virtuesFaith Hope Charity Fortitude Justice Temperance PrudenceHawthornes aestheticsFavor on romance, instead o

4、f novel Contents: sensational material, such as poisoning, murder, adultery, crime.Themes: e*plore the human nature, deal with moral problems, study the effects of sin on man.Purpose: to show the inner world of man is the source of evil in societythe tragic rise born of the fortunate fall, fall rise

5、 innocence maturityThe Scarlet Letter Time: in the mid-1600s Setting: Puritan town of BostonCharacters:Roger Chillingworth PearlThe victim of the adultery A symbol: the symbol of the violation of the social lawsA merciless avenger To Hester: the fruit of human love and passionThe worst sinner To Dim

6、mesdale: the reminder of his sinSymbol of devil To Chillingworth: the motivation to take his revengePuritanism in The Scarlet LetterPuritan emphasis on the individual conscience. Hawthorns attitude towards Puritanism scolded the harshness of Puritans, yet took the Puritanism as his living criteria.P

7、urpose of The Scarlet Letter 1. E*plore the source of evils:unreasonable and inhuman social systemmens inner world, defects in mens nature: strong desire, dishonesty, cowardice, revenge. 2. E*plore the effect of sin on different characters:To brave Hester: gain moral rebirth by redeeming her sin, wi

8、n respect/ love again.To coward Dimmesdale: torment of conscience, suffer in hell fire.To vicious and vengeful Chillingworth: reduced to demon, deteriorated, malicious sinner 3. E*plore ways of redeeming sin:brave to confess and face itcorrect it through love, devotion, generosity and forgiveness.Ha

9、wthornes Style rich imagination; well-woven structure; psychological analysis; effective symbolism with delicate imageries, ambiguity and mysterySymbolism in the novelChillingworth is cold and inhuman and thus brings a chill to Hesters and Dimmesdales lives. Prynne rhymes with sin Dimmesdale suggest

10、s dimnessweakness, indeterminacy, lack of insight, and lack of will, all of which characterize the young minister. Pearl evokes a biblical allegorical devicethe pearl of great price that is salvation.a token of shame Adultery at firstAA symbol of being alone and alienationAngel, Able ,Admiration Hes

11、ter offers the genuine sympathy and help to her fellow villagersHerman Melvillea master of allegory and symbolism1) early works Typee (1846) : the man who lived among cannibals. Omoo(1847)Mardi (1849) :The first three drew from his adventures among the people of the South Pacific islands; Redburn (1

12、849) is a semi-autobiographical novel, based Bedburn on his first voyage to England White Jacket (1850) relates his life on a United States man-of-war. Moby Dick (1851)Later works: Pierre (1852) The Confidence Man (1857) Billy Budd1924Moby-Dick is regarded as : * an encyclopedia of everything * the

13、first American prose epicThe white whale Pequod -a world in miniature* Melvilles bleak view -Everlasting Nay* One of the major themes - alienation,* Ahab may have been Melvilles portrait of an Emersonian self-reliant individual-solipsism .Henry Wadsworth Longfellow School-room Poets or New England P

14、oets or Fireside Poets Longfellow, Holmes, Lowell and Whittierfirst American to translate Dante Alighieris The Divine edypoet and educator; Paul Reveres Ride; The Song of Hiawatha ; Evangeline.Longfellow holds the distinction of being the first American poetPoetry : Voices of the Night (1839) Evange

15、line (1847) The Song of Hiawatha (1855) A Psalm of Life My Lost Youth the Slaves Dream Hiawathas Fasting* His writings belong to the milder aspects of the romantic movement, and he was strongly influenced by the German romantic lyrists. * He wrote about American subjects, but always in European styl

16、es. * His works are highly spiritual. He emphasized the mysteries of birth, death, and love. Most of his works are simple and easily read so that even children can understand them. * If his worst fault is that-he made poetry seem so easy to write that anyone could do it, his greatest virtue is that

17、he made poetry seem worth reading and worth writing.* He was the first American poet to be honored by having his bust placed in the Poets er of Westminster Abbey. This indicates that his poetry has been highly appreciated in Britain.A Psalm of Life 赏析见另材料P4 the literature of realism 1. How to define

18、 the Realistic Period in American Literary historyThe period ranging from 1865 to 1914 has been referred to as the Age of Realism in the literary history of the United States, which is actually a movement or tendency that dominated the spirit of American literature, especially American fiction, from

19、 the 1850s onwards. What is the historical and socio-cultural background of the Realistic Period in AmericaThe American society after the Civil War provided rich soil for the rise and development of Realism. This period is characterized with changes, in relation to every aspect of American life, pol

20、itically, economically, culturally, and religiously. First of all, politically, the Civil War affected both the social and the value system of the country. America had transformed itself into an industrialized and mercialized society. Wilderness gave way to civilization. The burgeoning economy and i

21、ndustry stepped up urbanization. However, economically, the changes were not all for the better. The industrialization and the urbanization were acpanied by the incalculable sufferings of the laboring people. Therefore, polarization of the wellbeing between the poor and the rich started to show up.

22、Thirdly, as far as the ideology was concerned, people became dubious about the human nature and the benevolence of God, which the Transcendentalists cared most. What Mark Twain referred to as the Gilded Age replaced the frontier and the spirit of the frontiersman, which is the spirit of freedom and

23、human connection. Fourthly, the literary scene after the Civil War proved to be quite different a picture. The harsh realities of life as well as the disillusion of heroism resulting from the dark memories of the Civil War had set the nation against the romance. The Americans began to be tired of th

24、e sentimental feelings of Romanticism. Thus, started a new period in the American literary writings known as the Age of Realism, characterized by a great interest in the realities of lifeRealism had originated in France as realisme, a literary doctrine that called for reality and truth in the depict

25、ion of ordinary life.The three dominant figures of the period are William Dean Howells, Mark Twain, and Henry James. English realisma new literary trend rose in late 18th century and flourished in the 19th century with the impact of the Industrial Revolution. presenting the reality, the e*ternal lif

26、e of characters, e*posing the dark side of the societyTruthful to life, little fancy or fantasymajor contribution: perfection of the novelAmerican realisma. Historical and social background: the impact of American Civil War (1861-1865)b. Literary influence from Europe: Realism as a literary trendWal

27、t Whitmanone of Americas best ; and most influential poetsLeaves of Crass; Song of Myself O Captain My Captain2. Leaves of Grass (response)* se*uality and e*otic and vulgar language no*ious weeds, poetry of barbarism, and a mass of stupid filth, * I was simmering, simmering, simmering, he said, Emer

28、son brought me to a boil. * Whitman, along with Emerson, sees the poet as taking over what had used to be the job of a minister, a clergyman, the Church.1. Leaves of Grassa poet with a strong sense of missionWhitman was one of the most original and inspiring American poets, true to his art and to hi

29、s role as a poet. He devoted himself to poetry eulogizing the native American e*perience. As Americas first genuine epic poem, Leaves of Grass ran nine editions with more than 400 poems all written in free verse form, that is, poetry without a fi*ed beat or regular rhyme scheme. Title: The title imp

30、lies rebirth, renewal, or green life. where there is earth, where there is water, there is grass.Blend science, democracy and spirituality into one. To write on the organic principle Song of Myself 赏析另见资料Emily DickinsonAmericas best-known female poetHer modernity is her articulation of psychological

31、 e*perience and skeptical desire for faith.affected by two men, Benjamin Newton and Charles Wadsworth.ThePoemsofEmilyDickinson; I taste a liquor never brewed; I felt a Funeral, in my Brain; A Bird came down the Walk ; I died for Beautybut was scarce; I heard a Fly buzz when I died ; Because I could

32、not stop for Death ； This is my letter to the worldEmily Dickinson was a pessimistic poet. She had a tragic message and was closer to Edgar Allan Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville. The range of her poetry suggests not her limited e*perience but the power of her creativity and imagination. Her subjects we

33、re love, death, nature, religion, immortality, pain, beauty. The poems employed irregular rhythms, slantrhymes, parado*, and a careful balancing of abstract Latinate and concise Anglo-Sa*on words. She is now ranked as one of Americas great poets.2 Subjects: Death: her poems concerning death and immo

34、rtality, ranging over the physical as well as the psychological and emotional aspects of death. Love: One group of her love poems treats the suffering and frustration love can cause. The other group of love poems focuses on the physical aspect of desire.Nature: In her poems about nature, her general

35、 skepticism about the relationship between man and nature is well-e*pressed. Religion: In some of her poems she wrote about her doubt and belief about religious subjects.诗歌赏析另见材料Artistic characteristicsHer poems have no titles, hence are always quoted by their first lines. In her poetry, there is a

36、particular stress pattern, in which dashes are used as a musical device to create cadence and capital letters as a means of emphasis. Most of her poems borrow the repeated four-line, rhymed stanzas of traditional Christian hymns, with two lines of four-beat meter alternating with two lines of three-

37、beat meter. A master of imaginary that makes the spiritual materialize in surprising ways, Dickinson managed manifold variations within her simple form.She uses imperfect rhythms, subtle breaks of rhythm, and idiosyncratic synta* and punctuation to create fascinating world puzzles, which have produc

38、ed greatly divergent interpretations over the years. Due to her deliberate seclusion, her poems tend to vivify some abstract ideas. Her poetry, despite its ostensible formal simplicity, is remarkable for its variety, subtlety and richness. Her limited private world have never confined the limitless

39、power of her creativity and imagination.Local ColorismTime: late 1860s and early 70sFeatures: the realistic presentation of the local characters with their regional qualities such as dialects and customs. having such quality of te*ture and background that it could not have been written in any other

40、place or by another one else than a native. - Hamlin Garland: Crumbing IdolsLocal colorists: Stowe, Mark Twain, Kate ChopinHarriet Beecher StoweThe little woman who wrote the book that started this great war. - Abraham LincolnUncle Toms Cabin (1851) A Key to Uncle Toms Cabin (1853) Dred, A Tale of t

41、he Great Dismal Swamp (1856) The Ministers Wooing (1859) The Pearl of Orrs Island (1862) Little Fo*es (1866) Old Town Folks (1869) Poganuc People (1878)Slavery and the Civil War Uncle Toms Cabin was a best seller in the United States, England, Europe, Asia, and translated into over 60 languages.Uncl

42、e Toms Cabin humanized slavery by telling the story of individuals and families. Harriet portrayed the physical, se*ual, and emotional abuse endured by enslaved people.The Civil War grew out of a mi*ture of causes including regional conflicts between North and South, economic trends, and humanitaria

43、n concerns for the welfare of enslaved people. The strength of Uncle Toms Cabin is not the plot, but its ability to illustrate slaverys effect on families. Characters freely debated the causes of slavery, the Fugitive Slave Law, the future of freed slaves, what an individual could do, and racism.Mar

44、k TwainLocal colorism: having such quality of te*ture and background that it could not have been written in any other place or by another one else than a native. - Hamlin Garland: Crumbing IdolsStowe, Mark Twain, Kate ChopinThe Gilded Age (1873)The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)The Prince and the P

45、auper (1881) Life on the Mississippi (1883) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court (1889)The 1,000,000 Bank Note and Other New Stories 1893The Man That Corrupted Hadleybury (1900) Style of WritingBiting and realistic social satire, dealt largely with the

46、lower strata of societyHumor, sharp wit and ic e*aggeration; Colloquial style, a supreme mand of vernacular American Englishearlier works are light, humorous, optimistic; the gloomy view in later lifeIronyVerbal irony: what one says is opposite to what one means. (It is universally acknowledged that

47、 a man in big fortune must be in want of a wife.)Dramatic irony: a contrast bt. what a character believes or says and what the reader understands to be true. (Merchant of Venice Portia disguised in a lawyer) Situational irony or irony of fate: an incongruity what is e*pected to happen and what actua

48、lly happens.)O. HenryWilliam Sydney Porter; embezzlement at Ohio Penitentiaryknown for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, surprise endingsThe Gift of the MagiThe Ransom of Red Chief The Cop and the Anthem A Retrieved Reformation The Duplicity of Hargraves The Last LeafHenry Jamesthe founder

49、 of psychological realismHis fictional world is concerned more with the inner life of human beings than with overt human actions. the forerunner of the 20th-century stream-of-consciousness novels .His father, Henry James, Sr. an eminent philosopher、 reformer and theological writer,His brother, Willi

50、am James, was to be the famous philosopher and psychologist. * In 1862, James entered Harvard Law School ,where he met Howells He toured England, France and Italy, and met, among others, Flaubert (Madame Bovary) , and TurgenevThe literary career of Henry James is generally divided into three distinc

51、tive periods: early , middle and mature.1) The first period (1865-1882) international theme The American (1877) Daisy Miller. (1878) The Europeans (1878) The Portrait of A Lady (1881)2) The second period (1882 1895) 3) The third period1895-1900 Third stage: In the third stage, he returned to his int

52、ernational themes and produced the ple* and profound novels such as The Wings of the Dove 鸽翼 (1902) , The Ambassadors 专使 (1903) , and The Golden Bowl 金碗(1904). Critics regard them as his most mature and his best.3. Major Subjects (P.98) James stressed three subjects that are now regarded as influent

53、ial in modem fiction. Children: James wrote about children as children, not as small adults. He e*amined their minds, their psychology and accepted it as valid. (2) New Woman: Jamess fiction is filled with female characters, not as se*ual objects, never married, reticent from se*ual passion. He trea

54、ted the new woman in America in the latter half of the 19th century as a representative of culture and refinement. While men were engaged in business in making money at that time, women maintained culture. They were to be interested in beauty and refinement. And Jamess women are interested in those

55、subjects. In a way, the women in his fiction are concerned about the same things that he was concerned with beauty, culture, and refinement .4. Theory of Fiction* Henry Jamess literary criticism :To him art without life is a poor affair,The Art of Fiction clearly indicates that the aim of the novel

56、is to present life, so it is not surprising to find in his writings human e*periences e*plored in every possible form: illusion, despair, reward, torment, inspiration, delight, etc.*point of view叙事视角the author should avoid artificial omniscience as much as possible , making his characters reveal the

57、mselves with minimal intervention of the author.Jack London1905 Bought a ranch the Valley of the Moon.The Call of the Wild; The Son of the Wolf (1900); The War of the Classes (1905)The People of the Abyss (1903), The Sea Wolf (1904), White Fang (1906), The Iron Heel (1908), Martin Eden (1909), The Sea Wolf ; Martin Eden; Revolution (1910)The Call of the Wild, Londons best-known work, is the classic tale of the dog Bucks