殖民主义时期的美国文学 英文版

TheColonialPeriodandtheRevolutionaryPeriodOutlinePuritanismLiteratureintheearlyperiodsBenjaminFranklinI.HistoricalBackground1.Earlyhistory:1)In1492,ChristopherColumbusfoundthenewcontinentcalledAmerica.2)In1607,CaptainJohnSmithledsomeEnglishmenacrosstheocean.3)In1620,102passengerssailedontheshipMayfloweracrosstheseaandsettledon“NewEngland”ofthenewcontinent.WhatdoyouknowaboutAmericanearlyhistory?HistoricalBackground2.Reasonsforcomingtothenewworldwealthadventurereligion:puritansPuritanswantedto“purifythechurch”toitsoriginalstate,becausetheythoughtthechurchwascorruptedandhadtoomanyritualsHistoricalBackground3.Belief---PuritanismacodeofvaluesaphilosophyoflifeapointofviewtookrootintheNewWorldDoctrinesofPuritanstakingreligionasthemostimportantthing;livingforglorifyingGod;believingpredestination（命运天定）,originalsin(原罪，人生下来就是有罪的，因为人类的祖先亚当和夏娃是有罪的),totaldepravity(人类是完全堕落的，所以人要处处小心自己的行为，要尽可能做到最好以取悦上帝),limitedatonement(有限救赎，只有被上帝选中的人才能得到上帝的拯救)AmericanPuritanismFeaturesofAmericanPuritanidealistdreamtheywouldbuildthenewlandtoanEdenonearth.morepractical,tougherthesevereconditionsstruggleforsurvivalpreoccupiedwithbusinessandprofitsItisoneofthemostenduringshapinginfluencesinAmericanthoughtandAmericanLiterature.First,itisabranchofProtestantismholdingtheteachingsofCalvinism,believingthathumanbeingsarebasicallyevil,andcoulddonothingaboutit,andmany,althoughnotall,willsurelybecondemnedtohell.PeopleshouldtrytotrytopleaseGodbyworkinghard,beingthrifty,pious,andsober.Itismoreacodeofvalues,aphilosophyoflifeandapointofviewthanakindofreligion,stressinghardwork,thrift,piety,andsobriety.Itisopposedtosocialpleasuresandindulgences.PuritanismAmericanPuritanismEnduringshapinginfluenceinliterature①BasisofAmericanliteraturewentintothemakingofAmericanliteraturedreamedoflivingunderaperfectorderworkedwithcouragehopedtobuildaGardenofEdenonearthfacedtheworstoflifewithoptimismAllliteratureisbasedonamyth–gardenofEden.AmericanPuritanism②ContributingtothedevelopmentofSymbolism（象征主义）:atechnique,widelyusedPuritansthoughtthatallthesimpleobjectsexistingintheworldconnoteddeepmeaning.Symbolismmeansusingsymbolsinliteraryworks.Thesymbolmeanssomethingthatrepresentsorstandsforabstractdeepmeaning.AmericanPuritanism

③Influencingthestyleofliterature:simple,freshanddirect(justasthestyleofHolyBible)WithoutunderstandingofPuritanism,therecanbenogoodunderstandingofAmericancultureandliterature.II.Literatureintheearlyperiods:1.mainfeaturesDiaries,histories,journals,letters,commonplacebooks,travelbooks,sermons,inshort,

personalliteratureinitsvariousforms,occupyamajorpositionintheliteratureoftheearlycolonialperiod.IncontenttheseearlywritingsservedeitherGodorcolonialexpansionorboth.Inform,

there

wasn’tanyformatall,andEnglishliterarytraditionswerefaithfullyimitatedandtransplanted.3)Literatureintheearlyperiodswerebarrenandbleak,buttheyrepresentaprocessinwhichAmericanliteratureevolvedtowardsahigherphrase.2.EarlyAmericanPuritanWritersJohnSmith,oneofthefoundersofthecolonyofJamestown:Hisdescriptionsaboutthenewworldbecamethesourceofinformationforthelatersettlers.WilliamBradford,1stgovernorofPlymouth:TheHistoryofPlymouthPlantationJohnWinthrop,1stgovernorofBoston,TheHistoryofNewEnglandTheirwritingsillustratethereligiouszealofthefirstsettlers.EarlyAmericanPuritanPoetsAnneBradstreet:HerpoemsmadesuchastirinEnglandthatshebecameknownasthe“TenthMuse”whoappearedinAmerica.EdwardTaylor:HisworkfollowedthestyleandformsoftheleadingEnglishpoetsofthemid-17thcentury.Mostoftheirpoemstreatedreligiousthemes.TheywereservantsofGod.EarlywriterswritingforfreedomRogerWilliams:thefirstrebelagainstthedivinechurchJohnWoolman

WritersintheRevolutionaryPeriodThomasPaine:afamouspamphleteerintheageofrevolution,hisCommonSenseappearedin1776,boldlyadvocatinga“DeclarationofIndependence.”PhilipFreneau:the

mostoutstandingwriterofthepost-revolutionaryperiod.HeusedhispoetictalentsfortheindependenceofAmerica,anddedicatedhimselftowritingAmericansubjectmatters.WritersintheRevolutionaryPeriodJonathanEdwards:thelastmedievalmanTheFreedomoftheWill,TheGreatDoctrineofOriginalSin

DefendedBenjaminFranklin:III.BenjaminFranklin

1706-1790

Bornthetenthoffifteenchildreninapoorcandleandsoapmaker’sfamily,hehadtoleaveschoolbeforehewaseleven.Attwelvehewasapprenticedtoanolderbrother,James,aprinterinBoston.Asavoraciousreaderhemanagedtomakeupforthedeficiencybyhisowneffortandbeganat16topublishessaysunderthepseudonym,SilenceDogood,essayscommentingonsociallifeinBoston.Whenhewas17heranawaytoPhiladelphiatomakehisownfortunemarkingthebeginningofalongsuccessstoryofanarchetypalkind.1.HisLifeHesethimselfupasanindependentprinterandpublisher,foundtheJuntoClubandsubscriptionlibrary,issuedtheimmenselypopularPoorRichard’sAlmanac.Retiredaroundforty-two,hedidwhatwastohimagreathappiness:read,makescientificexperimentsanddogoodtohisfellowmen.HehelpedtofoundthePennsylvaniaHospital,anacademywhichledtotheUniversityofPennsylvania,andtheAmericanPhilosophicalSociety.Atthesametimehedidalotoffamousexperimentsandinventedmanythingssuchaseffectivestreetlighting,theFranklinStove,bifocalglasses,efficientheatingdevices,lightning-rodandsoon.Beginninghispubliccareerintheearlyfifties,hebecameamemberofthePennsylvaniaAssembly,theDeputyPostmaster-Generalforthecolonies,andforsomeeighteenyearsservedasrepresentativeofthecoloniesinLondon.DuringtheWarofIndependence,hewasmadeadelegatetotheContinentalCongressandamemberofthecommitteetowritetheDeclarationofIndependence.Oneofthemakersofthenewnation,hewasinstrumentalinbringingFranceintoanalliancewithAmericaagainstEngland,andplayedadecisiveroleattheConstitutionalConvention.Hewasararegeniusinhumanhistory.Everythingseemstomeetinthisoneman,mindandwill,talentandart,strengthandease,witandgrace,andhebecamealmosteverything:aprinter,postmaster,citizen,almanacmaker,essayist,scientist,inventor,statesman,philosopher,politicaleconomistandambassador.Hewasthefirstgreatself-mademaninAmerica,apoordemocratborninanaristocraticagethathisfineexamplehelpedtoliberalize.2.EvaluationPoliticallyhewasoneofthefoundingfathersoftheUnitedStates.

HewastheonlyAmericantosignthefour

historicdocuments:

thedeclarationofIndependence,thetreatyofalliancewithFrance,thetreatyofpeacewithEngland,andtheconstitution.Scientifically,asthesymbolofAmericaintheAgeofEnlightenment,heinventedalotofusefulimplements.Hisresearchonelectricity,hisfamousexperimentwithhiskitelineandmanyothersmadehimthepreeminentscientistofhisday.Literally,hereallyopenedthestoryofAmericanliterature.IntheScottishphilosopherDavidHume’seyeshewasAmerica’s“firstgreatmanofletters”.PoorRichard’sAlmanacMaxims（谚语，格言）

andaxioms（哲理，格言）Losttimeisneverfoundagain.Apennysavedisapennyearned.Godhelpthemthathelpthemselves.Fishandvisitorsstinkinthreedays.Earlytobed,andearlytorise,makesamanhealthy,wealthy,andwise.Alein,truthout.Eatnottodullness.Drinknottoelevation.DiligenceistheMotherofGoodLuck.OneTodayisworthtwotomorrow.3.MajorWorksAutobiography

Themes:Itisthefirstrealbiography

intheUnitedStates.

Itgivesusthesimpleyetimmenselyfascinatingrecordofamanrisingtowealthandfamefromastateofpovertyandobscurityintowhichhewasborn,beingthe

faithfulaccount

ofthecolorfulcareer

ofAmerica’sfirstself-mademan.ItisastoryaboutthesecularAmericandreamandFranklin'sparticularapplicationofcommonsenseinthebrandnewworldofopportunity.Itisapuritandocument.Therearemanydescriptionsofhissci