《英美文学选读》美国文学背景教案

ThebackgroundofAmericanliterature

Teachingaims

1)TomakestudentsgettoknowtheclueofAmericanliteratureandmainworks

2)Todevelopstudents’abilityofindependentlearningtogetusefulinformation

3)Toenhancestudents’abilityofunderstandingthesignificanceofliterature

Importantanddifficultpoints

1)HowtohelpstudentsgraspthegeneralclueoftheAmericanhistoryandAmericanliteraryhistory

2)Howtohelpstudentsimprovetheabilityofunderstandingandindependentlearning

TeachingandlearningMethods

Openquestionsandanswersinclass

Classdiscussion

Teachingmedia

Textbook,courseware,teachingplan,projectorandcomputer

TeachingProcedures

Step1Lead-in

Warming-upquestions:

1)HowmuchdoyouknowaboutAmericanliterature?

2)Whydowelearnliterature?

Agoodwaytobroadenthesphereofknowledge;agoodwaytoenhanceone’sunderstandingofhistory,politics,cultureandtheminiatureofsociety......

Step2Generalintroduction

(Getstudentstoreadthepartfirstandgraspthecluebeforetheteachermakesageneralintroductionaccordingtothecourseware.)

ThisstepmainlydealswiththeclueofAmericanliterature.

Americanliteraturegotthroughsixhistoricalperiods,includingtheColonialPeriod,theRevolutionandFoundingPeriod,theRomanticPeriod,theRealisticPeriod,theModernistPeriodandThePeriodsince1970s.

1.TheColonialPeriod

Thebackgroundofthisperiodispuritanism.Itsfeaturesarepredestinationandoriginalsin.Predestinationisthatgoddecidedeverythingbeforethingsoccurred.Originalsinisthathumanbeingswereborntobeevilandthisoriginalsincanbepasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration.

Allliteratureofthattimeisbasedonthebackground.SincePuritanismopposesfictionalnovelsanddramas,mostoftheliteratureadoptsnarrativestyle,forexample,diaries,journals,travels.ThemostfamousarticleisaboutNewEnglandandVirginiabyCaptainJohnSmith.Thepoetryofthisperiodcan’tgetridofthecharacteristicsofreligiouscolorandcolonialexperience.TheoutstandingpoetsareAnneBradstreetandEdwardTaylor.

2.TheRevolutionandFoundingPeriod

Inthisperiod,politicsdominatedtherevolutionaryphaseofAmericanwriting.ThecrisisinAmericanlifecarriedbytheRevolutionmadeartistsself-consciousaboutAmericansubjects.

PatrickHenry,anoutstandingspeaker,whosefamoussayingis"Befreeordie",emergedintheAmericanRevolutionofIndependence.Atthesametime,morerevolutionarypoemsappeared.TheGloriousRiseofAmericahaspubliclyrevealedallkindsofatrocitiescommittedbyBritaininNorthAmerica.Someessaysandarticlesonpolitics,forexampleTheDeclarationofIndependence,becomethemostimportantguidingworkbeforeandaftertheoutbreakoftheWarofIndependence.In1789,theUnitedStatesofAmericawereestablished,whichprovidedanopportunityforthedevelopmentofliterary.

3.TheRomanticPeriod

The1970s-1930swastheinitialstageofromanticismdevelopment,thefirst30yearsoftheCivilWar(1830-1860)wasthemostprosperousperiod,andtheromanticismdevelopmentgraduallydeclinedandmadeatransitiontorealisminthedecadeaftertheCivilWar.

Romanticismpaysattentionto"imagination","passion"and"personalityliberation",andholdsthathumannatureisgood.Transcendentalismisoneofitsbranches,whichemphasizes"theunityofmanandnature"andholdsthatGod,mankindandnatureareallcomponentsof"oversoul".

TheSketchBookbyOweninitiatedthetraditionofAmericanshortstoriesandmadehimthefirstAmericanwriterwithinternationalreputation.WilliamColleenBryantisthefirstAmericanromanticpoet,whosemasterpiecesareToaWaterfowlandTheYellowViolet.Whitman’sLeavesofGrassmarksthehighestachievementofromanticisminthoughtandart.

4.TheRealisticPeriod

Americanrealisticliteraturewasformedinthelate1960saftertheCivilWar,whichwasmarkedbytheemergenceof"localliterature".Afterthe1990s,localliteraturebegantodecline.TherealbeginningofrealisticnovelswasworksbyWilliamHowellsandMarkTwain.Dreiseristheonewhomakesthegreatestachievementintheliterarymovementofrealismandnaturalism.

5.TheModernistPeriod

Americanliteratureinthe20thcenturycanbecalled"GoldenAge"inthehistoryofAmericanliterature,andAmericanliteraturehasenteredanewera.

Modernistliteraturebeginswithpoetry.Thenovelsofthisperiodareconstantlyinnovating.Theblackculturehasalsomadegreatprogress,andCanebyTumeristhefirstblackworkcreatedbymeansofstreamofconsciousness.

6.ThePeriodsince1970s

Inthe1970s,manyoftheboundariesthatusedtobewell-definedhavebecomeblurred.

Thedifferencebetweenmainstreamliteratureandmarginalliteratureisnotobviousgradually.Someliteratureofethnicminorities,suchasblackliterature,Asianliteratureandfemaleliterature,whichusedtobemarginalinthepast,begantostepontothestage.Inaddition,IndianliteraturealsoplayedanimportantroleinAmericain1970s.Dramainthisperiodalsoflourished.

Step3Discussion

Getthestudentstodiscussinpairsabouttheeffectofliteratureanddrawaframeofthebackg