美国文学史及选读期末考试范围

Autobiography(L2)Autobiographyisabranchofliteraturewhichisanaccountofaperson’slife.Autobiographysimplypresentswithamoreelegantandformallyorderedversionofthewriter’sexperiencesandmemories.BenjaminFranklinwasthefirstonetouseitandmadeitpopular.2.AmericanPuritanism(L1)Thewordpuritanisderivedfrompureorholy.Puritanswantedtomakepuretheirreligiousbeliefsandpractices.TheyareagroupofradicalprotestantsTheywishedtorestoresimplicitytochurchservices.Biblewastheonlytrueauthority.FreeVerse(L10)Freeverseisaformofpoetrywithoutaregularrhymeschemeormeter.Instead,itreliesonalliteration,assonance(类似音),imagery,andparallelstructure.WhitmanwasthefirstAmericantousefreeverseextensively(WaltWhitmanisthefatheroffreeverse)WhitmanwasthefirstAmericantousefreeverseextensively,andmadeitpopular.Transcendentalism(L6)TranscendentalismisthesummitoftheRomanticMovementinthehistoryofAmericanliteratureinthe19thcentury.Transcendentalismhasbeendefinedphilosophicallyas“therecognition（认知）inmanofthecapacityofknowingtruthintuitively（直觉地）”.TranscendentalistsplaceemphasisontheimportanceoftheOver-soul(超灵),theindividualandNature.ThemostimportantrepresentativesareRalphWaldoEmersonandHenryDavidThoreau.LocalColorism（Mark）Asatrendfirstmadeitspresencefeltinthelate1860sandearlyseventiesinAmerica.Themovementoncewassomuchwidespreadthatitbecamecontagious.Localcoloristsconcernedthemselveswithpresentingandinterpretingthelocalcharacteroftheirregions.Theytendedtoidealizeandglorify,buttheyneverforgottokeepaneyeonthetruthfulcoloroflocallife.AmericanTallTales（Mark）TallTales离奇故事areexaggeratedandimaginarystoriesfromthe1800's.

Theyweremade-uptotellaboutthecouragemanyhadwhileexploringandadventuringtothe"WILD,WILD,WEST".

Thesestoriesentertainedpeoplearoundcampfires,onsteamboats,andmanyotherplaces.SentimentalnovelSentimentalnovel(ordomesticnovel),

broadlyspeaking,isanynovelthatexploitsthereader’scapacityfortenderness,compassion,orsympathytoadisproportionatedegreebypresentingabeclouded遮蔽orunrealisticviewofitssubject.Thesentimentalnovelexaltedfeelingabovereasonandraisedtheanalysisofemotiontoafineart.8.LostGeneration（L16）TheLostGenerationisatermusedtodescribeagroupofAmericanwriterswhowererebellingagainstwhatAmericahadbecomebythe1900’s.SeekingthebohemianlifestyleandrejectingthevaluesofAmericanmaterialism,anumberofintellectuals,poets,artistsandwritersfledtoFranceinthepostWorldWarIyears.Pariswasthecenterofitall.Fullofyouthfulidealism,theseindividualssoughtthemeaningoflife,drankexcessively,hadloveaffairsandcreatedsomeofthefinestAmericanliteraturetodate.9.Commonmeter(L11)Wecancallitregularmeter—hymnmeterandballadmeter,alsoknownasCommonmeter(普通格律)IthasQuatrains,Alternatingtetrameterandtrimeter,andOften1stand3rdlinesrhyme,2ndand4thlinesrhymeiniambicmeterEmilyDickinsonwidelyusescommonmeterinherpoemsandmakeitpopular.10.Anti-Transcendentalism(L7)Anti-TranscendentalismcontrastsTranscendentalism,whichfocusesonthedarknessofhumansoul.Anti-TranscendentalistsfeltthattheTranscendentalismpointofviewwastoooptimistic,andtheworksofEmersonandThoreauoverlookedtheevilthatplaguedman.Theyembracedtheexistenceofsinandevil,makingtheirworksverydarkinnature.ItsCharacteristicsareNotoptimistic,Sins,Evil,andDarkinnature11.GothicRomance(L4)Atypeofnovelthatflourishedinthelate18thandearly19thcent.inEngland.Gothicromancesweremysteries,ofteninvolvingthesupernaturalandheavilytingedwithhorror,andtheywereusuallysetagainstdarkbackgroundsofmedievalruinsandhauntedcastles.SeeminglymodeledonCharlotteBrontë'sJaneEyre,thesenovelsusuallyconcernspiritedyoungwomen,whogotoliveinlargegloomymansionspopulatedbypeculiarservantsandprecociouschildrenandpresidedoverbydarklyhandsomemenwithmysteriouspasts.Legend(L3)Legend,astoryorgroupofstorieshandeddownthroughpopularoraltradition,usuallyconsistingofanexaggeratedorunreliableaccountofsomeactuallyorpossiblyhistoricalperson—oftenasaint,monarch,orpopularhero.Thetermwasoriginallyappliedtoaccountsofsaints'lives(seehagiography),butisnowappliedchieflytofancifultalesofwarriors(e.g.KingArthurandhisknights),criminals(e.g.Faust,RobinHood),andothersinners;ormorerecentlytothosebodiesofbiographicalrumorandembroideredanecdotesurroundingdeadfilmstarsandrockmusicians(JudyGarland,JohnLennon,etc.).13.ImagismItgrewoutoftheSymbolistMovement(法国象征主义艺术运动)in1912andwasinitiallyledbyEzraPoundandothers.Imagistpoeticprinciples:1)Topresentadirecttreatmentofthethingdescribed2)Touseabsolutelynowordthatdoesnotcontributetothepresentationoftheimage3)Tocomposeontheorderofmusicalcadence(节奏,韵律),notaccordingtostrict,unvaryingrhythms

Describeoneofthethemesoftheworkfromyourbookreportandexplainhowitisrelatedtosocietyofthattime.2.What’syourunderstandingofthecharacterUncleTomintheUncleTom’sCabin?(L12)3.WhatarethesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenEmilyDickinsonandWaltWhitman?(L11)Similarities:Theme:Bothwereinterestedinself-expression,lovingnatureandseeingnatureasasymbolforwhatisgoingoninsidehumanheart.BothpraisedanemergentAmerica,itsindividualismanditsAmericanism.bothoftheirpoetryarepartof“AmericanRenaissance”Technique:Bothofthembrokeawayfromthetradition(W:freeverse;D:slantrhyme斜韵)DifferencesSubjectmatters:W:Bigworld(Civilwar,assassinationofPres.LincolnandtheReconstruction)D:smallworld(intenselypersonalreactiontonature,people,eventsandevengod)Forms/style:W:freeverse;longrun-onsentences;cataloguesD:Delicate,simplediction,compact,aphoristicPersonality:W:allinclusive,public,companionship;D:close-in,solitude,reserved4.Whatarethesymbolicmeaningsofletter“A”intheScarletLetter?Pleaseexplainthemwithspecifictextualdetails.(L7)A=AdulteressA=ArtHesterisaverycreative,skilledseamstresswhomakesherlivingthroughthisartA=AbleHesterisabletosupportherselfanddaughterandtosurvivethetown’scondemnation.A=AdmirableThetownspeoplebegintoadmireHesterA=AngelShetendsthesickanddyingandisan“angle”ofcharitytowardothersA=ArthurWhatisEmilyDickenson’sideaaboutdeath?(L11)1Dickinson’stacticistotransformPoe’snotionfromanextremityoffemalepassivitytoanultimateformoffeminineheroisminwhichthespeakerexplorestheexperiential“reality”ofdeathitself.2Death,theultimateexperience,isforDickinsonthesupremetouchstone.Itrevealsultimatetruth;itmakesclearthetruenatureofGodandthestateofthesoul.SheheldthecommonPuritanbeliefthatthewayapersondiedindicatedthestateofhis/hersoul,apeacefuldeathbeingasignofgraceandharmonywithGod.3Deathispersonifiedinmanyguisesinherpoems,rangingfromasuitortoatyrant.4Herattitudeisambivalent;deathisaterrortobefearedandavoided,atrickplayedonhumanitybyGod,awelcomerelief,andablessedwaytoheaven.5Immortalityisoftenrelatedtodeath.WhataretheprinciplesofCodeHero?(L16)1Thecodeheromustperformhisworkwelltocreateakindofpersonalmeaningamidstthegreatermeaninglessness.2Thecodeherowillloseinhisconflictwithlifebecausehewilldie.Butallthatmattersishowonefacesdeath.Infact,oneshouldcourtdeath,inthebullring,onthebattlefield,againstbigfish,becausefacingdeathteachesushowtolive.3Thecodeheromustcreateandfollowcertainritualsregardingdeathbecausethoseritua