美国文学课件5The Literature of the Romantic Period 3

美国文学课件5TheLiteratureoftheRomanticPeriod3NathanielHawthorne(1804-1864)

AnativeofSalem,MassachusettsSomeofhisancestorsweremenofprominenceinthe17thcenturyPuritansociety.AskepticonbothPuritanismandTranscendentalismHauntedbyhissenseofsinandevilinlifeFournovels:TheScarletLetter

《红字》(1850)TheHouseoftheSevenGables《七个尖角阁的房子》(1851)TheBlithedaleRomance《福谷传奇》(1852)TheMarbleFaun《玉石雕像》(1860)TheScarletLetterThestory:theadulterouslovebetweenArthurDimmesdaleandHesterPrynneRogerChillingworth:Hester’shusbandTheanalysisofthemaincharactersHesterPrynne:salvationbywillinglyacknowledgingherguilt“Ifthetruthwereeverywheretobeshown,ascarletletterwouldblazeforthfrommanyanotherbosom.”—HawthorneArthurDimmesdale:physicalandspiritualdisintegrationManshouldbereadytoshowone’sworsttotheoutsideworld.RogerChillingworth:“theunpardonablesin”—theviolationofthehumanheartHawthorne’sstyleAllegoryandsymbolAnallegoryiswhensomethingabstractisrepresentedbysomethingmaterial.IntentionalambiguityPolaritiesofgoodandbadcannotalwaysbereconciled.“A”:adultery—able—AngelHermanMelville(1819-1891)BorninNewYorkCityReceivedlittleeducationandbegantoworkearlyHisworkasawhalerMarriagewithElizabethShaw,daughterofChiefJusticeShawofBostonin1847FriendshipwithHawthorneMobyDick(1851)ThisbookisdedicatedtoHawthorne,forheencouragedMelvilletochangethisnovelfromastoryfullofdetailsaboutwhaling,intoanallegoricalnovel.BackgroundsaboutwhalersCharlesW.Morgan:awhaleshipbuiltin1841ThelastremainingwoodenwhalingshipinexistenceThestoryAhab,thecaptainofthewhaler‘Pequod’,hasdevotedhislifetohuntingdownandkillingawhitespermwhale,calledMobyDick.Thecrewoftheship:Starbuck,thewiseandcautiousfirstmate.Queequeg,

asuperstitiousMaoriwhomAhabhashiredbecauseofhisskillwiththeharpoonPip,thecabinboy.Ishmael,thenarrator,whojoinstheminNantucketbeforethedepartureoftheship.StudyQuestionWhydoesAhabwanttokilltheWhiteWhale?CaptainAhabAllthatmostmaddensandtorments;allthatstirsuptheleesofthings;alltruthwithmalice

init;allthatcracksthesinewsandcakesthebrain;allthesubtledemonismsoflifeandthought;allevil,tocrazyAhab,werevisiblypersonified,andmadepracticallyassailableinMobyDick.Hepileduponthewhale’swhitehumpthesumofallthegeneralrageandhatefeltbyhiswholeracefromAdamdown;andthen,asifhischesthadbeenamortar,hebursthishotheart’sshelluponit.(page63)举凡一切最使人狂怒和痛苦的事情，一切足以搅起事物的残渣的东西，一切附有恶念的真理，一切使人焦头烂额的东西，一切有关生命思想的神秘而不可思议的鬼神邪说；一切的邪恶等等，在疯狂的亚哈看来，都是莫比·迪克的显明化身，因而实际上它是可诛杀的。亚哈将他整个种族自古以来的一切愤怒和憎恨全都加在大鲸的白色背峰上；于是，仿佛他的胸膛就是一架迫击炮，他就在那上面发射出火热的心弹来。MobyDick:Melville’sbleakviewoftheworldTheworld:GodlessandpurposelessAlienationbetweenmanandman,manandsociety,andmanandnatureCriticismofEmersonianTranscendentalismCaptainAhab:aself-reliantindividualRejectionandquestVoyagingforIshmaelhasbecomeajourneyinquestofknowledgeandvalues“Toscalegreatheights,wemustcomeoutofthelowestdepths.Thewaytoheavenisthroughhell.Weneedfierybaptisminthefierceflamesofourbosoms”.

—MelvilleAssi