美国文学第一讲

SelectedReadingsinAmericanLiteratureInstructor：HuangJiajiaLectureOneABriefIntroductiontoAmericanLiteratureI.AboutThisCourse:i.Teachingmaterial:SelectedReadingsinAmericanLiteraturebyTaojie,thesecondedition.(L1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,14,15,16,17,20,22,24,and26)Referencebook:ASurveyofAmericanLiteraturebyChangYaoxin;HistoryandAnthologyofAmericanLiterature(volumnIandII),byWuWeirenRequirements:Attendance.Presentation.Homework(discussion).Publicblog:our_literature@126.comOutlineoLiteraryGenres(文学体裁)oAmericanLiteraryMovements(美国文学运动)oSomeFamousWritersinAmericanLiterature(重要的美国作家)LiteraryGenres(文学体裁)oPoetryoShortStoryoNoveloDramaSomeSayings•Musicalthought. ThomasCarlyle•Thebestwordsinthebestorder. SamuelTaylorColeridge•Poetryisalanguagethattellsus,throughamoreorlessemotionalreactions,somethingthatcannotbesaid. EdwinArlingtonRobinsonDefinitionofPoetry^Poetryinitssimplestdefinitionisorganizedinunitscalledlines(assentences)andstanzas(asparagraphs).^Poetryemphasizesrhythm,patternsofsoundandimagery,andmanyotherpossiblewaysthatwordscansuggestmeaning.^Poetryhasatleastfourdimensions.Itinvolvesthereader’swholefaculties:hisintelligence,hissenses,hisemotionsandhisimagination,notmerelyhisunderstanding.Therefore,poetryisaliterarygenrethatcommunicateexperienceinthemostcondensedform.★TheComponentsofPoetry•Line—Poetryiswritteninsentencesjustasisprose,andthepunctuationindicatesallgrammaticalpauses.—Thelinesinapoemendintwoways:END一STOPPED（havingapauseattheendofeachline）andRUN一ON（withoutarhetoricalpausebetweenlines）.•Rhyme—Rhymeistherepetitionofsoundsintwoormorewordsorphrasesthatappearclosetoeachotherinapoem,whichareusuallylabeledwithlettersalphabetically,likeA,B,CorD.TheComponentsofPoetry^Stanza—ASTANZAisagroupoflinesofverseformingoneoftheunitsordivisionsofapoem.Rhythm—Rhythmiscommunicatedbythearrangementofstressedandunstressedsyllables.（节奏，韵律）—Meterisusedtorefertotheregularpatternofstressedandunstressedsyllables.（格律）—Afootusuallyconsistsofonestressedandoneortwounstressedsyllables,（音•步，韵脚）Whatisashortstory?Ashortstoryisacondensedfictionalnarrative,usuallyinprose.Shortstoriesconcernarelativelysmallnumberofcharactersinvolvedinasingleactionwithonetheme,andareaimedatexcitinginthereaderasingleemotionalresponse.Whatarethemajorelements?•Themeisamoralorastatementabstractedfromthestory.Itisthemostimportantinaseriouspieceofartisticwork.Inasense,itdeterminesalltheotherelements.•Settingreferstotheparticulartimeandplacewithotherenvironmentalfactors.•Plotisachainoflogicalevents.Inotherwords,thereiscausalrelationshipbetweentheevents.Plotisusuallydividedintoseveralstages:exposition,conflict（complication/increaseoftension）,climax,anddenouement.Traditionalplotfeaturesactionandiscriticalindelineatingcharacters,butrecenttrendfocusesoncharacter'spsychologicalactivities.Whatarethemajorelements?•Characterscanbeclassifiedintoflatcharactersandroundcharacters.Flatcharactersarestereotypicalanddonotchangeastheplotdevelops;roundcharactersarelikerealhumanbeings,havemultiaspects,andusuallychangeovertime.Intermsofrolesplayedinthestory,characterscanbecategorizedintoprotagonistorheroorheroineandantagonistorvillain（坏人）oradversaryforces（敌对力量），withminorones.•Atmosphereispartofsetting.Itisrathertheemotionaleffectintendedbyandcausedinthereader,suchasthefeelingofcoldness,dreary,oppressiveness,thesenseofhardnessormystery.Whatformaplotdiagram?•exposition:thestartofthestory;thewaysthingsarebeforetheactionstarts.•risingaction:theseriesofconflictsandcrisisinthestorythatmoveorleadthestorytoclimax.•climax:theturningpointorthepointofthehighesttensionintheemotionoractionofthestory.•fallingaction:alltheactionswhichfollowtheclimax.denouement/resolution:theconclusionofthetyingtogetherofallthethreadsortheoutcomeoftheevents.Howtounderstandcharacters?DADIDescriptionofthecharacterActionofthecharacter•… —，Dialogueofthecharacter•InteractionwithothercharacterWhatarethefivetypesofconflict?personvs.selfpersonvs.personpersonvs.naturepersonvs.societypersonvs.higherpowerNovelasaLiteraryGenreDefinition*Anovelcanbedefinedasahighlystylizedproseaccountoffictionalrealityintheformofstorywithprofundityforthepurposeofchangingthereader’smindbytheaidofthereader’sactiveinvolvementwhileprovidingentertainmentandsuperiortruthoflife.DefinitionofNovel*Novel,longworkofwrittenfiction.°Mostnovelsinvolvemanycharactersandtellacomplexstorybyplacingthecharactersinanumberofdifferentsituations.^Becausenovelsarelong一generally200pagesormore一novelistscantellmorerichlydetailedtalesthancanauthorsofbrieferliteraryformssuchastheshortstory.★Elementsofthenovel•,storycharacterprotagonist,antagonistroundcharacter,flatcharacterplot:phasesofaplot:exposition,conflict（complication）,climax,denouementthemesettingTechniquesMajortechniques:•narrativepointofview（叙事观点/视点/视角）1） first-personpointofview（第一人称视角）2） third-personpointofview（第三人称视角）Omniscientpointofview（全知视角）Third-personlimitedpointofview（第三人称有限视角）•Style（wordchoice,arrangementofsentences,paragraphs,etc.）•SymbolismMinortechniques:•imagery•irony.DramaasaLiteraryGenre•Dramaisatypeofliteratureusuallywrittentobeperformed.•Comedy:—Itisdominatedbyalighttonethatencourageslaughter（oratleastamusementorentertainment）,andendshappily,oftenwiththeunitingofapairofyounglovers.•Tragedy—Itisdominatedbyaserioustone,concernskingsandprinces,dealswithprofoundissues,andusuallyconcludeswiththedeathoftheleadingcharacter.MajorElementsofDrama•TheancientGreekphilosopherAristotle—laidthefoundationsforthecriticalstudyofdrama,and-dividedtheelementsofdramaintoplot,character,thought,language,andspectacle（场景）.-consideredplot一thebasicstoryandhowitistold一themostimportantofthese,andthisisindeedtypicallythecase.•Almostalldramasusealloftheseelementstosomeextent,tellingastorybymeansoftheinteractionsofcharacters,whoexpresstheirthoughtsthroughlanguagewithinaparticularvisualsetting.CharacteristicsofDrama•Olderplays,suchasthosewrittenbytheGreeksorShakespeare,consistalmostentirelyofthewordsspokenbythesecharacters（thedialogue）.•Morerecentplaysusuallycontainnon-spokenmaterial（thestagedirections）that-tellstheactorswhentoenterorleavetheperformancespace,-givessuggestionsabouthowtospeaktheirdialogue（theirlines）,and-describestheircostumesortheirphysicalsurroundingsonstage（thesetting）.AmericanLiteraryMovements（美国文学运动）oRomanticism（浪漫主义）oRealism（现实主义）oNaturalism（自然主义）oModernism（现代主义）oPostmodernism（后现代主义）RomanticismAsaliterarytrendormovement,itoccurredanddevelopedinEuropeandAmericaattheturnofthe18thand19thcenturiesunderthehistoricalbackgroundoftheIndustrialRevolution（around1760）andtheFrenchRevolution（1789-1799）.•Romanticismwasarebellionagainsttheobjectivityofrationalism.Forromantics,thefeelings,intuitionsandemotionsweremoreimportantthanreasonandcommonsense.Romanticsstressedindividualandcreativefunctionofimagination.Itplacedindividualattheverycenterofalllifeandallexperienceandatthecenterofart.★MajorCharacteristics°Theystressedthecloserelationshipbetweenmanandnature.°Theyemphasizedindividualism,placingtheindividualagainstthegroup,againstauthority.°Theyaffirmedtheinnerlifeoftheself,andwantedeachpersontobefreetodevelopandexpresshisowninnerthoughts.°Theycherishedstronginterestinthepast.°Theywereattractedbythewild,theirregular,theindefinite,theremote,themysteriousandthestrange.KeyFigures•EarlyStage:~WadsworthLongfellow-WashingtonIrvingTranscendentalism（超验主义）-RalphEmerson-HenryThoreau°HighRomantics—WaltWhitman—EmilyDickinson—AdgarAllanPoe—NathanielHawthorneRealismSocialBackgroundThreefundamentalissuesintheperiodof1865-1900:•conflictbetweentheagrarianidealofJeffersonandtheindustrialidealofHamilton•conflictbetweentheplantationgentilityoftheSouthandthecommercialgentilityoftheNorth•conflictbetweenaculturallymatureEastandarawandexpandingWestRealisminAmericanLiterature•Asaliterarymovement,realismisaperiodconceptanditreferstotheapproachofrealistfictionoccurredinthe19thcentury.•Theriseofrealismcameasaprotestagainstthefalsenessandsentimentalityseeninromanticliterature.Therealistsweredeterminedtocreateanewkindofliteraturethatwascompletelyandtotallyrealistic.•‘Realistliteratureisbasedontheaccurate,un-romanticizedobservationofhumanexperiences.MajorFeatures•Realismisthetheoryofwritinginwhichfamiliaraspectsofcontemporarylifeandeverydayscenesarerepresentedinastraightforwardormatter-of-factmanner.•Itinsistsonprecisedescription,authenticactionanddialogue,moralhonesty,andademocraticopennessinsubjectmatterandstyle.•Openendingisalsoagoodexampleofthetruthfultreatmentofmaterial.Realismfocusesoncommonnessofthelivesofthecommonpeoplewhoarecustomarilyignoredbythearts.Realismemphasizesobjectivityandoffersanobjectiveratherthananidealisticviewofhumannatureandhumanexperience.MajorRealistsNaturalismBackground―—... .一一一CharlesDarwin（1809—1882）anEnglishnaturalistandauthor.OriginofSpecies（物种起源）（1859）•^DarwinismThestruggleforexistence（生存竞争）Survivalofthefittest（适者生存）Naturalselection（物竞天择）Naturalism^Naturalismisacriticaltermappliedtothemethodofliterarycompositionthataimsatadetached（超然的），scientificobjectivityinthetreatmentofnaturalman.•Itconceivesofmanascontrolledbyhisinstinctsorhispassions,orbyhissocialandeconomicenvironmentandcircumstances.Themovementisanoutgrowthof19th-centuryscientificthought,followingingeneralthebiologicaldeterminismofDarwin’stheory,ortheeconomicdeterminismofMarx.MajorFeatures•Naturalismappliestheprinciplesofscientificdeterminismtofiction.Itviewshumanbeingsasanimalsinthenaturalworldrespondingtoenvironmentalforcesandinternalstressesanddrives,overnonofwhichtheyhavecontrolandnonofwhichtheyfullyunderstand.•Humansarecontrolledbylawsofheredityandenvironmentandtheylackfreedomoftheirownwill.Brutishimpulsesdictatehumanbehavior.Alloftheiractionsarecontrolled.•Theuniverseiscold,godless,indifferentandhostiletohumandesires.Lifebecomesastruggleforsurvival.Thestruggleoftheindividualtoadapttoenvironment,thefightforthespouseandtheDarwinianideaofthesurvivalofthefittestbecomenaturalconcernsofnaturalistfictionanddrama.TheDifferenceBetweentheNaturalistsandtheRealistsBothnaturalistsandrealistsdescribereallife.•Thenaturalistslookatadifferentspottofindreallife.Theydonotlookattheaverage,butattheviolent,sensational,sordid（肮脏的）,unpleasantanduglyaspectsoflife.^Insteadofgoingtoamiddle-classneighborhoodandwriteaboutmiddle-classlife,thenaturalistswouldgototheslumsandwriteaboutthelifeofpovertyandcrime.TheDifferenceBetweentheNaturalistsandtheRealistsTheythinkthatthetruerealityisnotfoundinthesmilingaspectsofmiddle-classlife.ThetruerealityisfoundwhenforcesofNaturearemostdominantinstoppinghumandesires,inkeepinghumansfromaccomplishingtheirdreams.Theywriteaboutwar,aboutprostitution,aboutcriminalswhichformtheaspectsoflifethatarenottoopleasanttoconsider.KeyFigures^StephenCraneTheodoreDreiser•prankNorris•JackLondon•JohnSteinbeckSherwoodAndersonFaulknerModernism•arevolutionarymovementencompassingallofthecreativearts:architecture,dance,literature,music,paintingandsculpture（雕塑）.•Asaliterarymovement,modernismgainedprominenceduringandafterWWI,andflourishedinEuropeandAmericathroughoutthe1920sand1930s.^Modernauthorssoughttobreakawayfromtraditionsandconventionsthroughexperimentationwithnewliteraryforms,devicesandstyles.Theyincorporatedthenewpsychoanalytictheories（FreudandJung）intotheirworksandpaidparticularattentiontolanguage.Theirworksreflectedthepervasive（普遍的）senseofloss,disillusionmentanddespairinthewakeoftheWWI.LostGeneration•itisatermappliedtoGroupofU.S.disillusionedintellectualsandartistsoftheyearsfollowingtheFirstWorldWar.Theywhorebelledagainstforme