美国文学考试必备知识点汇总

1、Romantic period Washington Irving Edgar Allan Poe Nathanial Hawthorne Walt Whitman Emily Dickinson II. Realist period Mark Twain s, which of individual inspiration and intuition, the New England Transcendentalism is the of Romantic period Washington Irving Edgar Allan Poe Nathanial Hawthorne Walt Wh

2、itman Emily Dickinson II. Realist period Mark Twain s, which of individual inspiration and intuition, the New England Transcendentalism is the of native American Puritanism and European “scientific status for his studies of impoverished word 完美格式9.10.11.12.13.14.15. Sherwood Anderson Stephen Crane T

3、heodore Dreiser III. Modern period F. S. Fitzgerald Ernest Hemingway William Faulkner 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.1.Transcendentalism Transcendentalism refers to the religious and philosophical doctrines of Ralph Waldo Emerson and others in New England in the middle 1800emphasized the importance Oversoul, and N

4、ature. Other concepts that accompanied Transcendentalism include the idea that nature is ennobling and the idea that the individual is divine and, therefore, self-reliant. product of a combination Romanticism. 2.Naturalism Naturalism, a more deliberate kind of realism, usually involves a view of hum

5、an beings as passive victims of natural forces and social environment. As a literary movement, naturalism was initiated in France and it came to be led by Zola, who claimed at . Anderson, T. S. Eliot, andAnderson, T. S. Eliot, and Gertrude Stein herself. word 完美格式. characters miserably subjected to

6、hunger, sexual obsession, and hereditary defects. Natural fiction aspired to a sociological objectivity, offering detailed and fully researched investigations into unexplored corners of modern society. The most significant work of naturalism in English being Dreisers Sister Carrie. 3.American Dream

7、The American Dream is the faith held by many people in the United States of America that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve a better life for oneself, usually through financial prosperity. These were values held by many early European settlers, and have been passed on to su

8、bsequent generations. 4.The Lost Generation The term Lost Generation was coined by Gertrude Stein to refer to a group of American Literary notables who lived in Paris from the time period which saw the end of World War I to the beginning of the Great Depression. Significant members included Ernest H

9、emingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Sherwood Hemingway likely popularized the term, quoting Stein (“You are all a lost generation ”) as epigraph to his novel The Sun Also Rises. More generally, the term is being used for the young adults of Europe and America during World War I. They were “lo

10、st because after the war many of them were disillusioned with the world in general and unwilling to more into a settled life . to the s will for manword 完美格式. .to the s will for manword 完美格式. 5. Modernism Modern writing is marked by a strong and conscious break with traditional forms and techniques

11、of expression; it believes that we create the world in the act of perceiving it. Modernism implies historical discontinuity, a sense of alienation, of loss, and of despair. It elevates the individual and his inner being over social man and prefers the unconscious self-conscious. 6. Romanticism . 7.

12、Puritanism The principles and practices of puritans were popularly known as Puritanism. Puritanism accepted the doctrines of Calvinism: the sovereignty of God; the supreme authority of the Bible; the irresistibility of Godin every act of life from cradle to grave. These doctrines led the Puritans to

13、 . s will.Hemingway works. Such word 完美格式. s will.Hemingway works. Such word 完美格式. examine their souls to find whether they were of the elect and to search the Bible to determine God8. Hemingway Heroes / Code Hero “Hemingway Heroes refer to some protagonists in a hero usually is an average man of de

14、cidedly masculine tastes, sensitive and intelligent. And usually he is a man of action and of a few words. He is such an individualist, alone even when with other people, somewhat an outsider, keeping emotions under control, stoic and self-disciplined in a dreadful place where one can not get happin

15、ess. The Hemingway heroes stand for a whole generation. In a world which is essentially chaotic and meaningless, a Hemingway hero fights a solitary struggle against a force he does not even understand. The awareness that it must end in defeat, no matter how hard he strives, engenders a sense of desp

16、air. But Hemingway heroes possess a kind of “despairing courage ”as Bertrand Russell terms. It is this courage that enables a man to behave like a man, to assert his dignity in face of adversity. Surely Hemingway heroes differ, one from another, in their view of the world. The difference which comes

17、 gradually in view is an index to the subtle change which Hemingway s outlook had undergone. Expressionism Expressionism refers to a movement in Germany early in the 20th century, in which a number of painters sought to avoid the representation of external . Neills plays are some of the (Imagism) of

18、 this genre. Symbolism Neills plays are some of the (Imagism) of this genre. Symbolism tries to express the dreamy s in Britain. It is a psychological word 完美格式. reality and, instead, to project a highly personal or subjective vision of the world. The main principle involved is that expression deter

19、mines form, and therefore imagery, punctuation, syntax, and so forth. In brief, any of the formal rules and elements of writing can be bent or disjointed to suit the purpose. Theatrically, expressionism was a reaction against realism in that it tends to show inner psychological realities. Obest exam

20、ples. The Imagist Movement Led by Ezra Pound and flourished from 1909 to 1917, the movement advanced modernism in arts which concentrated on reforming the medium of poetry as opposed to Romanticism, especially Tennyson s wordiness and high-flown language in poetry. The three principles followed by t

21、he Imagists were: (1)Direct treatment (2) Economy of Expression (3) Rhythm symbolism Symbolism originates in France in the middle 19th century. The poetry collection The Flowers of Evil by the French poet Charles Baudelaire is a representative work mysterious inner world of the writer. Stream-of-con

22、sciousness Stream-of-consciousness begins in the 1920. “interior monologuein France as an application “playing tennis with the net down.“no verse is free for the ”Though its origin is unknown, it was “The art of art, the glory of expression and the ”word “interior monologuein France as an applicatio

23、n “playing tennis with the net down.“no verse is free for the ”Though its origin is unknown, it was “The art of art, the glory of expression and the ”word 完美格式”of modern psychological ”Though much simpler . term indicating “the flux of conscious and subconscious thoughts and impressions moving in th

24、e mind at any given time independently of the persons will”. In late 19th century, the literary device of was originated knowledge to literary creation. In the 20th century, under the influence of Freuds theory of psychological analysis, a number of writers adopted the “stream of consciousness ”meth

25、od of novel writing. The striking feature of these novelists is their giving precedence to the depiction of the charactersmental and emotional reactions to external events, rather than the events themselves. (to be continued) Free verse: a form of poetry without rhyme, meter, regular line length, an

26、d regular stanzaic structure. It depends on natural speech for rhythm. Robert Frost compared it to and less restrictive than conventional poetry and blank verse, free verse does no mean “formlessness.”T. S. Eliot once said that man who wants to do a good job.attempted by such early poets as Surrey,

27、Milton, Blake, and Macpherson. It was Whitman who did the greatest contribution to the development and popularity of free verse. Whitman favored the simplicity and freedom of expression. According to him, sunshine of light of letters is simplicity. Noting is better than simplicity. syncopation, ”F.

28、Scott Fitzgerald s The Zoo Story. Other writers who did word 完美格式and . constant improvisation. The musical syncopation, ”F. Scott Fitzgerald s The Zoo Story. Other writers who did word 完美格式and . constant improvisation. The musical Jazz age: Jazz is a form of dance music that is derived from early Af

29、ro-American folk music, ragtime, and Negro blues. It is marked with exciting rhythm, pronounced instruments used are mainly drums, trumpets, and saxophones. Major composers of Jazz music include Irvin Berlin and W. C. Handy. The term Jazz Age was specifically employed by Fitzgerald to denote the 192

30、0s, which was characterized by the loss of traditional moral standards, indulgence in romantic yearnings, and great social excitement. According to Malcolm Cowley, the Jazz Age was “a legend of glitter, of recklessness, and of talent in such profusion that it was sown broadcast like wild oats.s Tale

31、s of the Jazz Age, like Mark Twain s The Gilded Age, was an epoch-making work. Black humor: a term frequently used in modern literary criticism. It is sometimes called black comedy or tragic farce. It is humor or laughter resulting from great pain, despair, horror and the absurdity of human existenc

32、e. Black humor is a common quality of modern anti-novels and anti-dramas. Examples are Franz Kafkas stories like “Metamorphosis ”, “The Castle”and “The Trial”, Joseph Hellers novel Catch-22 and Albeemuch contribution to the popularity of black humor were Beckett, Camus, Ionesco, Vonnegut, Pynchon an

33、d so on. . Carlyles s Walden, and so on. “The s story “The word 完美格式. .Carlyles s Walden, and so on. “The s story “The word 完美格式. Autobiography:a story a writer writes about his or her own life experiences. It is narrated from the first-person point of view. The term was probably first used by South

34、ey. But the first important autobiography was Confessions written by Augustine of Hippo. Other examples include Franklins Autobiography, Adamss The Education of Henry Adams, John Stuart Mill s Autobiography, Reminiscences, Henry David ThoreauSurprise Ending: Also called “O. Henry ending, ”it is a co

35、mpletely unexpected turn or revelation of events at the conclusion of a story or play. An example is Necklace”by Guy de Maupassant. Another instance is O. HenryGift of the Magi. ”Blank verse: poetry that does not rhyme but has iambic pentameter lines. Though not originated in England or America, it

36、has been the most important and most widely used English verse form. Blank verse is popular because it is closest to the rhythm of daily English speech. Thus most English poems which are dramatic, reflective or narrative are in the form of blank verse. This verse was probably first used in England b

37、y Surrey who translated Aeneid, by Sackville and Norton who composed Gorboduc. It was developed and perfected by Marlowe, Shakespeare and Milton. In the 18th century, most poets favored heroic couplets. But Young and Thomson were able to write in the tradition of . Realism focuses on commonness ofRe

38、alism focuses on commonness of the common people. The word 完美格式. blank verse. The 19th century saw a renewed interest in this poetic form. Masters of blank verse included Wordsworth, Coleridge and Bryant. The fact that blank verse is still practiced by writers like T.S. Eliot, Yeats, Frost and Steve

39、ns shows how influential and favorable it really is. Characteristics of Realism 2.1 Realism aims at the description of the actualities of the life and free from subjective prejudice, idealism or romantic color. 2.2 emphasis is on ordinary people, settings and events. 2.3 Life is presented as it is.

40、2.4 Use real characters, real incidents, real language and local dialects. 2.5 In matters of style, diction and sentence structure tend toward a plain style. 3.Representative writers William Howells .Mark Twain .Henry James Major features of Naturalism 1. At the core of naturalism is determinism 2.A

41、n individual s course in life is wholly determined by some combination of animal instinct, heredity, and environment. Humans lack freedom of their own will. All of their actions are controlled, determined. 3.The universe is cold, godless, indifferent and hostile to human desires. Life becomes a stru

42、ggle for survival. . s recurrent concerns are: social systems that destroy and settings to reveal the psychology ， Arthur intelligent, weak-minded word 完美格式sacrificing, . . 专业s recurrent concerns are: social systems that destroy and settings to reveal the psychology ， Arthur intelligent, weak-minded

43、 word 完美格式sacrificing, . Two of the naturalistand dehumanize, and individual experience of loss and failure. 4.Naturalism is a harsher and extreme form of realism. The naturalists have a major difference from the realists. Themes of Hawthorne s writing 1. Explore the relationship between the past an

44、d the present 2. Explore the hidden motivations of his characters. 3. Examine the effect of hidden sin and secret guilt 4. Moral or immoral, right or wrong is the question Hawthorne always talks about in his works. 1.5 Style1. His style was soft, flowing and almost feminine. 2.Language: smooth, clea

45、r, beautiful in sound and meaning 3. He also frequently uses symbols of the characters. Appreciation of The Scarlet Letter1. Main Character :Hester Prynne. ， Roger Chillingworth.Dimmesdale 3. Character Analysis Hester: brave, strong-minded, warm-hearted, decisive Dimmesdale: timid, selfish, irrespon

46、sible, cowardly, . s spirit or on peoples beauty word 完美格式. . 专业.专注s spirit or on peoples beauty word 完美格式. Chillingworth: cold-blooded, dehumanized Theme of The Scarlet Letter To escape the bondage of religion either on peoples natural desire 4. Abundant use of symbols A -adultery angel able Prison

47、the place that deprived people of spiritual freedom Forest-the nature Rose near the prison Hester and her love Capsth controlling oneWalt Whitman(1819-1892) Leaves Of Grass “Song of myself ”Analysis of the artistic features 2.4.1. form: free verse Oral and powerful lg: Although free verse, he wrote

48、with repeated and parallel sentences to strengthen the feelings. He express what he wanted to express freely, smoothly, and heatedly. His poems are like waves of the sea that rushed to the beach violently, one after another. 2.4.2 the first person narrator: direct and sympathetic to the reader 2.4.3

49、. topic: sex. . sings for word 完美格式self, common people, . . 专业.专注sings for word 完美格式self, common people, . To use his own expression, “he saw the world as a vision of love.”He believes that life is the source of poems, love and enthusiasm are the motives of creation. III. Comments on the writer 3.1.

50、 Subject: son of time, feels the pulse of the time. As a romanticist and transcendentalist, he broke the conventional poetic materials, no myth,no romance, no story of king and lords. He America, city life, nature, etc. 3.2. Form: (Free verse) poetry without fixed beat or regular rhyme. Whitman is t

51、he first great American poet to use this form of poetry, he also used it more skillfully than any other poet. (1)Ones Self I Sing 1. What is the significance of singing about ones self? It is an exaltation of the individual spirit, which is typical of American people. 2. What is the difference betwe

52、en physiology and physiognomy? Physiology is a science that deals with the functions and life process of human beings, whereas physiognomy refers to an art of judging character from contours of face itself or the appearance of a person. 3. What does Whitman mean by the term of the Modern Man? He mea

53、ns that a man should be free from any prejudice and pride, totally . 马克 吐温卡拉维拉斯县有名的跳蛙国外的无辜者 (1869) word 完美格式. 马克 吐温卡拉维拉斯县有名的跳蛙国外的无辜者 (1869) word 完美格式. different from the traditional one, that is full of bias. (3) O Captain! My Captain! 1. Why is the word Captain capitalized throughout the poem? In t

54、his poem the word “Captain ”specially refers to Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States. 2. What overall metaphor does the poet employ in this poem? Life is a journey. 3. Why do people on the shores exult and bells ring, while the speaker remains so sad? They welcome the ship returning from

55、its hard trip, whereas the speaker is sad because the captain fails to receive his own honor. Mark Twain The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Count(1865):a short story The Innocents AbroadRoughing It 苦行记(1872): on his experience in the western America The Gilded Age (1873): his first novel, coll

56、aborated with Charles Dudley Warner The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 哈克贝 利费恩历险 记 (1884): masterpiece Life on the Mississippi (1883) . 误闯亚瑟王宫 (1889) 败坏了哈德莱堡的人 (1900) s life along the humorous word 完美格式and unaffected 误闯亚瑟王宫 (1889) 败坏了哈德莱堡的人 (1900) s life along the

57、 humorous word 完美格式and unaffected . free from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs CourtThe Man That Corrupted HadleyburgThe Mysterious Stranger (1916) e. The Adventures of T om Sawyer 1. It is a boys book which sets 20 years before Civil War. 2. themes: 1)picaresque 以流浪汉和无赖为题材的 (adventure story) 2)

58、 moral growth of Tom 3. techniques: verisimilitude, humor, colloquial style Mark Twain s Style in General the true father of American literature Frequent use of sarcasm, slang and regional dialects. 4.5.1. Subject Matter: came directly from American peopleMississippi River, less influenced by foreig

59、n cultures 4.5.2. Genuine American style: a) Language: easy, informal, affectation; sincere, wild b) He intentionally deviates from classical genteel and tends to use local dialects, colloquial language, even Black English, slang, clipped structures and ungrammatical sentences Major work : Huckleber

60、ry Finn哈克贝利 费恩历险记 show escape to . 德莱赛Realism emphasis also on the extraordinary a lens the scientist the accidental and physiological and relentless word 完美格式Naturalism . . 专德莱赛Realism emphasis also on the extraordinary a lens the scientist the accidental and physiological and relentless word 完美格式N