英语专业考试Transcendentalism.ppt

1、American Literature,Mandy Zhang,The Outline of American Literature,I Colonial Period (16071765) II Revolutionary Period (17651800) III The Age of Romanticism (18001865) IV The Age of Realism (18651918) V American Modernism (19181945) VI Contemporary Literature (1945- ),The Age of Romanticism,Section

2、 One: American Romanticism Section Two: New England Transcendentalism Section Three: Romantic Novelists Section Four: Romantic Poets Section Five: Edgar Allan Poe,American Romanticism,Backgrounds Terms Distinct Feature of American Romanticism Important Literary Figures of American Romanticism,Backgr

3、ounds,1 national influences 2 international influences,national influences,In politics: democracy and political equality lay the foundation of Romanticism; In economics: the spread of industrialism; the sudden influx of immigration and the pioneers pushing the frontier further west; In culture: the

4、publication of Webster Dictionary marked the beginning of the American English; the appearance of many magazines and newspapers;,international influences, Romantic Movement in England and Europe proved to be a decisive influence; Many English and European master of poetry and prose made stimulating

5、impact on American Romanticism.,Terms,Romance Emotionally heightened, symbolic American novels associated with the Romantic period. Romanticism,Romanticism,a movement of the 18th and 19th century. It is the predominance of imagination over reason and formal rules and over the sense of fact or the ac

6、tual, a psychological desire to escape from unpleasant realities.,Detailed Information,Romanticism was a movement in literature, philosophy, music and art which developed in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It emphasized individual values and aspirations above those of society as a

7、reaction to the Industrial Revolution. It looked to the Middle Ages and to direct contact with nature for inspiration. It gave impetus to the national liberation movement in 19th-century Europe.,Distinct Feature of American Romanticism,1 It was the expression of “a real new experience” and contained

8、 “an alien quality” for the simple reason that “the spirit of the place” was radically new and alien. 2 It tended to be didactic because of Puritan influence. 3 It was both imitative and independent.,Important Literary Figures of American Romanticism,Washington Irving James Fenimore Cooper,Washingto

9、n Irving (17831895) 华盛顿.欧文,His life His career and works His style His contribution to Am. Lit.,His Life (1),Born into a wealthy New York merchant family Began writing from a very early age Studied law and led for a time the life of a gentleman lawyer Loved writing more and wrote his first book in 1

10、809 Went to England in 1815 to take care of family business but failed Had to write to support himself The Sketch Book won him international fame,His Life (2),Went as diplomatic attache to Spain in 1826 and gathered material for writing Secretary of U.S. Legation in London from 18291832 Returned to

11、Am. at about 50 after being away for 17 years Lived a leisure life and wrote the rest of his life except 4 years as Minister to Spain Died in 1859 and unmarried all his life,His career and works,1st phase: 18091832 “English phase” 2nd phase: 18321859 “minor phase”,1st phase: 18091832 “English phase”

12、 主要阶段或英国阶段,A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty 纽约外史(1809) The Sketch Book 见闻札记(18191820) / The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. : “Rip Wan Winkle” 瑞普.凡.温克尔 “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” 睡谷的传说 marked the beginning of short story as a genre in Am.

13、 literature marked the beginning of American Romanticism The History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus 哥仑布传(1828) A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada 攻克格拉纳达(1829) The Alhambra 阿尔罕伯拉(1832),2nd phase: 18321859 “minor phase” 次要阶段,Life of Goldsmith 歌德斯密传 Life of Washington 华盛顿传 The Cray

14、on Miscellany: “A Tour on the Prairies” 草原游记 “Astoria” 阿斯托里亚 “Adventures of Captain Bonneville” 博纳维尔船长历险记,His Contribution to American Literature, He was the father of American literature He was the first romantic writer, first to get international fame; He made short story as a genre; His stories b

15、ased on the legends of Europe and Spain gave his readers a glimpse of a world beyond their own shores His colorful legends of the Hudson River Valley helped awaken Am. to an appreciation of their nation and its native lit.,His style, imitative, but highly skillful; never shocking and a bit sentiment

16、al at times; “The style is the man”文如其人 avoided moralizing as much as possible; wrote to amuse and entertain; good at enveloping his stories in an atmosphere; his characters are vivid and true; his writing with great humor;,James Fenimore Cooper (17891851) 詹姆斯.费尼莫.库柏,First author to write about West

17、ern Movement His life His works His style His contribution to Am. Lit. Analysis of Leatherstocking Tales,His life,Born into a rich land-holding family of New Jersey Went to Yale at 14 but was expelled in junior due to improper behavior Spent 5 years at sea Inherited fortune and settled down Began wr

18、iting by accident Wrote thirty-odd novels (11 of sea) Best known and remembered by Leatherstocking Tales,His works,Social and Historical novels: Sea novels Border novels: Leatherstocking Tales Other works,Social 2) Oriental mysticism such as Hinduism and philosophy of the Chinese Confucius and Menci

19、us; native influence: American Puritan tradition,Features of New England Transcendentalism,1 The Transcendentalists placed emphasis on spirit, or the Oversoul, as the most important thing in the universe. 2 The Transcendentalists stressed the importance of the individual. 3 The Transcendentalists of

20、fered a fresh perception of nature as symbolic of the Spirit or God.,Literary representatives of New England Transcendentalism,Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) 拉尔夫.瓦尔多.爱默生 Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) 亨利.大卫.梭罗,Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) 拉尔夫.瓦尔多.爱默生,His Life His Works His Influence on American

21、 literature Comment on him,Comments on him,A founder of the Transcendental movement. Moreover, Emerson was not only the shaper of a distinctly American philosophy embracing optimism, individuality, and mysticism, but one of the most influential figures of the nineteenth century. “The American Schola

22、r”, an address delivered before Harvards Phi Beta Kappa Society, attacked American dependence on European thought and urged the creation of a new literary heritage.,His life,Descendant of New England clergymen Experienced “genteel poverty” as a child Went to Harvard, reconsider Calvinist belief, emb

23、raced Unitarianism Became a Unitarian minister to the Second church of Boston Left his job to Europe and brought back European Romanticism Formed Transcendentalist Club and its journal “the Dial”, became spokesman of New England Transcendentalism “preach” in the lecture-room instead of at the pulpit

24、 Traveled around and spread his transcendentalism,His works,Nature The Poet The American Scholar or -Americas Declaration of Intellectual Independence Representative Men English Traits The Conduct of Life Essays,Nature ,“Nature” has been called “the Manifesto of American Transcendentalism” and is ge

25、nerally regarded as the Bible of New England Transcendentalism; 1) Man is divine; The spiritual and immanent God is operative in the soul of man; 2) The individual, not the crowd, is the most important of all. “the infinitude of man”人类发展无限论 3) The physical world is vitalistic and evolutionary. Natur

26、e was emblematic of God. In a word, “Nature is the symbol of spirit”.,The Poet ,His aesthetics brought about a revolution in American literature in general and in American poetry in particular; it marked the birth of true American poetry and true American poets such as Walt Whitman and Emily Dickins

27、on.,Essays,Essays: First Series Essays: Second Series Many of his famous essays are included in Essays, which convey the best of his philosophical discussions, such as “The American Scholar”, “Self-Reliance”, “The over-soul”.,Influence on American literature,1) His call for an independent culture in

28、 both “Nature” and “The American Scholar” played a very important part in the intellectual history of the nation. 2) He called on American writers to write about America in a way peculiarly American. 3) His importance in the intellectual history of America lies in the fact that he embodied a new nat

29、ions desire and struggle to assert its own identity in its formative period.,Henry David Thoreau (18171862) 亨利.大卫.梭罗,His life His works Comments on Thoreau Appreciation of Walden Question for discussion,His life,Unsuccessful family background Mother determined to send him to Harvard Didnt like unive

30、rsity Helped his father to make pencils and ran a private school Made friends with Emerson, used his library, and embraced his ideas Went to live on Walden Pond Moved back to Concord 2 years later and wrote his experience in Walden,His works,“Civil Disobedience” or “A Plea for John Brown” A Week on

31、the Concord and Merrimack Rivers -Failure at his time; It also led to the failure of Walden. Walden / Life in the Woods The Maine Woods Letters to Various Person ,John Brown,John Brown (18001895) 约翰.布朗: Abolitionist leader 废奴运动领袖 Operator of the Underground Railroad,Walden,Walden is now considered o

32、ne of the best-selling books in the history of American literature, and its critical reputation continues to grow as much as its popular acceptance. In addition, Walden has long been a staple of the American literature curriculum at universities in the U.S,Walden,1 It is a great Transcendentalist wo

33、rk that came out of the period under discussion. 2 It is a faithful record of his reflections. He saw nature as a genuine restorative healthy influence on mans spiritual well-being, and regarded it as a symbol of the spirit. 3 It can be many things and can be read on more than one level. It is a boo

34、k on self-culture and human perfectibility. It is full of ideas expressed to jostle his neighbors out to their smug complacency. 4 Regeneration became one of its major thematic concerns and decided its structural framework. The whole book is within the frame of a single year, and progresses through

35、summer and autumn to winter, and finally to a climax in the renascence of spring. 5 It exhibits his calm trust in the future and his ardent belief in a new generation of men. The book concludes on a clear note of optimism and hope.,Comments on Thoreau,He was by no means an escapist or a recluse, but

36、 was intensely involved in the life of his day. 2) He had many virtues but he did not do justice to his own talent, i.e. he wasted his life. (Emersons speech at his funeral) 3) He spoke ahead of his time. His influence goes beyond America. His statue was placed in the “Hall of Fame” in New York in 1

37、969.,Question for discussion,Why did he move onto Walden Pond on July 4, the Independence Day? -It illustrates his desire to be independent and find truth for himself.,Romantic Novelists,Nathaniel Hawthorne (18041864) 纳撒尼尔.霍桑 Herman Melville (18191891) 赫尔曼.梅尔维尔,Nathaniel Hawthorne,affected by Purita

38、nism and enlightened by Transcendentalism pioneer of psychological novel wrote about the dark side of society and human nature using symbolism,Nathaniel Hawthorne,His life His work Hawthornes points of view and subject Hawthornes art Appreciation of The Scarlet Letter Hawthornes influence,His life (

39、1),1 Born in Salem, Mass. in 1804; 2 Went to Bowdoin College, being friends of Longfellow and Franklin Pierce in 1821; 3 Lived in solitude and seclusion from 1825 to 1837; (read widely, acquainted with local history, and practice writing: 1st tale in 1830; Twice-Told Tales in 1837) 4 Worked as the C

40、ustom Officer in Boston for a while; later survey of the port of Salem;,His life (2),5 Gathered his materials by observing and listening to others and wrote his immortal works: Mosses from an Old Manse in 1846; The Scarlet Letter in 1850; The House of the Seven Gables in 1851; The Blithedale Romance

41、 in 1852; The Marble Faun in 1860. 6 Consul in Liverpool, England from 18531857; 7 Later traveled in Italy 8 Died in 1864;,His work,(1) Collection of Short Stories (2) Novels,Collection of Short Stories,Twice-Told Tales (1837) 故事重述 Mosses from an Old Manse (1846)古屋青苔 The Snow-Image and Other Twice-T

42、old Tales (1851)雪人及其它故事重述,Novels,The Scarlet Letter(1850) 红字 -a treatment of the effects of sin on the human spirit. The House of Seven Gables (1851) 有七个尖角阁的房子 The Blithedale Romance (1852)福谷传奇 The Marble Faun (1860)玉石收神or玉石雕像,Short Stories,1 Earthy Holocaust 大地的燔祭 2 Young Goodman Brown好小伙子布朗 3The M

43、insters Black Veil教长的黑面纱 4The Birthmark 胎痣 5Rappaccinis Daughter 拉普齐尼医生的女儿 6The Maypole of Merry Mount 欢乐山的五月柱 7Endicott and the Red Cross 恩地科特与红十字 8Howes Masquerade 豪的面具 9Dr. Hideggers Experiment 海德格医生的实验 10The Bosom Serpent 利己主义or胸中的蛇 11The Artist of the Beautiful 美的艺术家 12 The Snow Image 雪影,Hawtho

44、rnes points of view and subject (1),He seemed to be haunted by his sense of sin and evil all his life. He had a black vision of life and human beings. In almost every book he wrote, he discussed sin and evil. b. To Hawthorne sin will get punished. “the wrong-doing of one generation lives into the su

45、ccessive ones” (retribution) c. He believed that sin educates. d. One source of evil that Hawthorne was concerned most is overreaching intellect. His intellectual characters are usually villains, dreadful because devoid of fellow feeling.,Hawthornes points of view and subject (2),e. He complained ab

46、out “the poverty of materials” in Am. He took a great interest in history and antiquity. f. Because of “the poverty of materials” and his Puritan prudence, he was convinced that romance was the predestined form of Am. narratives, by which he meant an imaginative fictional picture of moral life. g. H

47、is art is cumulative. There are a group of stories which related theme of guilt, intellectual pride, suppressed sensuousness, and the heroism of emotional living.,Hawthornes art,He is good at exploring of the complexity of human psychology. He was anatomist of the interior of the heart. (2) One sali

48、ent feature of his art is his ambiguity. (3) The use of the supernatural can be seen as a hallmark of his art. (4) He is a master of symbolism.,Hawthornes influence,He was a major Am. writer now and the greatest writer living in the 19th century. He was regarded as a pioneer of psychological novel a

49、nd a master of symbolism. With the publication of The Scarlet Letter, he secured his position in the literary history forever, and he influenced many writers in his time and later generations, such as Herman Melville, Henry James, William Dean Howells and William Faulkner etc.,Appreciation of The Sc

50、arlet Letter,1) Outline of story (P74) 2) Analysis of the main characters 3) Symbolic meaning of the letter “A” 4) Evaluation of the novel 5) Similarities between The Scarlet Letter and The Great Gatsby,Analysis of the main characters,a. Hester Prynne b. Arthur Dimmesdale c. Roger Chillingworth,Hest

51、er Prynne,courageous, pretty, compassionate, ready to help, tolerant, charitable, keep dignity; suffer from shame, torture and agony; intellectual growth, strength of will, seek for true love;,Arthur Dimmesdale,physically and psychologically feeble, weak, sensitive, has a strong sense of guilt, a sc

52、holar like young man;,Roger Chillingworth,cold-blooded, chilling, psychologically perverse, cruel, ugly, old, deformed, mean, always want to revenge, an image of science man.,Symbolic meaning of the letter “A”,“A” at first it is a token of shame, “adultery”; but then the genuine sympathy and help He

53、ster offered to her fellow villagers changes it to “Able”. Later in the story, the letter “A” appears in the sky, signifying “Angel”. It may also represent Adamic, an archetypal vice suggestive of “original sin”. (P77),Evaluation of the novel,Reading it, one wonders whether it is a story of love. Th

54、e answer is yes, but then no, because the love part of the story is long over before the book begins. One wonders whether it is a story of sin. The answer is yes, but then no, for the sinning part is long over before the book opens. What Hawthorne was predominantly concerned with was the moral, emot

55、ional, and psychological effect of the sin on the people in general and those complicated in it in particular. It is a hymn on moral growth and an attack of the stern code of Puritanism. (P76),Similarities between The Scarlet Letter and The Great Gatsby,The Scarlet Letter shows Hawthorne, the litera

56、ry artist, at his best. In craftsmanship perhaps only The Great Gatsby can touch it in Am. lit. Both works are a kind of cultural allegory about different phases of Am. cultural history; both are structurally compact in a tiny frame arid impregnated with meaning. (P77),Herman Melville -everlasting n

57、ay,Life experience Literary Career Theme and Style Appreciation of Moby Dick,Life experience (1),1 happy childhood to 11; 2 little education; 3 worked early: bank clerk; salesman; farm-hand; school teacher; 4 went to sea at about 20 as a whaler;,Life experience (2),Three things deserve mention about

58、 his life: 1 going out to sea 2 marriage 3 friendship with Hawthorne,Life experience (3),5 voracious reader; 6 prolific for 8 years after his return from the sea; 7 later in his life wrote other books and some long stories; 8 worked in the Custom House in New York for the last 20 years of his life; 9 died at 72 in oblivion.,Literary Career,Novels about the sea are extremely popular in the early 1840s. By writing these novels, Melville established his reputation as an adventure writer. Melvilles writings can be divided into two groups: 1) Early works 2) Later Works 3