美国文学史第二讲--浪漫主义时期.ppt

1、American Literature The Romantic Period (the end of the 18th century - the outbreak of the Civil War. ),the first American Renaissance Historical background (1) American westward expansion (美国西部扩展)- “拓荒小说” (2) New England Transcendental Movement (新英格兰超验主义运动)-”宗教性”、“象征”,New England Transcendental Mov

2、ement Nature: the bible of New England Transcendentalism This book pushed American Romanticism into a new phase, the phase of New England Transcendentalism, the summit of American Romanticism. the Oversoul- nature as symbol the individual,Features of literature of this period (1) Description of nati

3、onal experience of “pioneering into the west” (西部开拓) (2) Fascination about the past and the exotic (3) free expression of emotion and display of the psychic states of the characters. (4) Pay attention to the description of the individual and the common man (5) Description of the role of nature and A

4、merican landscape (6) strongly influenced by the Puritanism,Major writers and their works of the period Washington Irving (华盛顿. 欧文) James Fenimore Cooper(1789-1851) Ralph Waldo Emerson (拉尔夫. 华尔多. 爱默生) Henry David Thoreau Nathaniel Hawthorne (纳撒尼尔. 霍桑) Herman Melville (赫尔曼. 麦尔维尔) Edgar Allan Poe Walt

5、 Whitman (华尔特. 惠特曼) Emily Dickinson,Washington Irving (华盛顿. 欧文, 1783-1859) The father of American Literature short story writer, essayist, poet, travel book writer, best known for the short stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (睡谷的传说)” and “Rip Van Winkle (瑞普. 凡. 温克尔).,Biography Born of a wealthy me

6、rchant in New York City as the youngest of 11 children. Early in his life Irving developed a passion for books. He studied law privately but practiced only briefly. From 1804 to 1806 he travelled widely in Europe. Irvings career as a writer started in journals and newspapers.,Major points the first

7、American writer of imaginative literature to gain international fame. father of American literature. The short story as a genre in American literature probably began with Irvings The Sketch Book, a collection of essays, sketches, and tales, the most famous story are “Rip Van Winkle” (瑞普. 凡. 温克尔) and

8、 “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (睡谷的传说),Sleepy Hollow (沉睡谷/断头谷),派拉蒙影片公司(Paramount, USA) 1999年出品 主 演： 约翰尼-德普(Johnny Depp) 克里斯蒂娜-里奇(Christina Ricci) 米兰达-理查森(Miranda Richardson) 卡斯帕-范-迪恩(Casper Van Dien) 导 演：蒂姆-伯顿 (Tim Burton) 种 类：恐怖片,被誉为“美国文学之父”的华盛顿-欧文的经典之作睡谷传奇自1912年首次搬上银幕以来，曾有多个电影版本相继面世，其中迪斯尼的卡通版无头骑士传

9、奇最为深入人心。曾执导蝙蝠侠、火星人大入侵的大导演蒂姆 -伯顿在这部经过重构的新片中再度运用极具个性化的电影语言，在戏剧化与幽默感兼顾的情况下将欧文的小说原著提升到一个新高度。同时，曾为星球大战系列影片以及魔鬼终结者等片制作数码特效的工业光魔公司，成功为影片营造出的令人毛骨悚然的恐怖场面将使本片毫无争议地跻身经典恐怖片之列。,Rip Van Winkle (瑞普. 凡. 温克尔) It tells the story of the hero Rip Van Winkles peculiar encounter. The hero, Rip Van Winkle, is a naive (天真的

10、), honest, and warmhearted but poor farmer. The other day, he met a short man and helped him to carry his belongings and then was treated with drink. Winkle was drunk and slept for 20 years from then on. Winkle found that everything was enormously changed after he woke up from the long sleep. The un

11、disturbed (peaceful) and uncultured small village where he used to live became a modern town which is full of noise and crowd. Winkle who used to a quiet life was unable to understand all those “tragic changes”.,The theme: The author, through this novel, reveals his conservative view about the bourg

12、eois revolution (i.e. the independent war through which the emperor was overthrown), and criticized that the revolution didnt bring benefits to American people. However, the figure of Winkle become an absurd remainder (时代的落伍者).,James Fenimore Cooper(1789-1851) Natty Bumppo Leatherstocking Tales: a s

13、erious of five novels about the frontier life of American settles The Pioneers The Last of the Mohicans The Prairie The Pathfinder The Deerslayer,Ralph Waldo Emerson (拉尔夫. 华尔多. 爱默生, 1803-1882) A major American poet, essayist, philosopher. The major representative of the American Transcendental Movem

14、ent.,Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Most of his ancestors were clergymen as was his father. He was educated in Boston and Harvard, and graduated in 1821. In 1825 he began to study at the Harvard Divinity School and next year he was licensed to preach by the Middlesex Association of Minis

15、ters. Emerson became a pastor at the Second Unitarian Church of Boston in 1830. Three years later he had a crisis of faith , finding that he was not interested in the rite (仪式) of Communion (宗教团体). Emersons controversial views caused his resignation (辞职).,Harvard ostracized (排斥) him for many years,

16、but his message attracted young disciples (信徒), who joined the informal Transcendental Club (established in 1836). In 1840 Emerson helped Margaret Fuller to launch The Dial (1840-44), an open forum for new ideas on the reformation of society. Emersons health started to fail after the partial burning

17、 of his house in 1872. He made his last tour abroad in 1872-1873, and then withdrew more and more from public life. Emerson died on April 27, 1882 in Concord.,Principles of Emersonian Transcendentalism The over-soul: According to Emerson, the oversoul is a supreme reality of mind, a spiritual unity

18、of all beings, and a religion regarded as an emotional communication between an individual soul and the universal oversoul of which it is a part. the individual : Emerson strongly believes in the divinity and infinity of man as an individual. Nature: Emersons nature is the garment of the over-soul.

19、Major works: Nature (1836), The American scholar (1837), Self-Reliance (1841), The Over-Soul (1841),Emersons first book, Nature (论自然, 1836), appeared when he was 33. Emerson emphasized individualism and rejected traditional authority. He also believed that people should try to live a simple life in

20、harmony with nature and with others. His lectures The American Scholar (论美国学者, 1837) and Address at Divinity College (在美国神学院致辞, 1838) challenged the Harvard intelligentsia (知识界) and warned about a lifeless Christian tradition. As an essayist Emerson was a master of style. He encouraged American scho

21、lars to break free of European influences and create a new American culture. ”The American Scholar” has been regarded as “Americas Declaration of Intellectual Independence”.,Self-trust is the first secret of success. 自信乃成功之第一秘诀。 A great man is always willing to be little. 伟人总愿当个平常人 The first wealth

22、is health. 健康是人生第一财富 Dont waste life in doubts and fears. 不要把生命浪费在怀疑与恐惧中 We are all wise for other people, none for himself 替别人考虑人人都很明智，轮到自己却总是当局者迷,A Successful life To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest cr

23、itics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch (小块地), or a redeemed social condition;” - Ralph Waldo Emerson -,Henry David Thoreau An active Transcendentalist Major works: W

24、alden A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers,Nathaniel Hawthorne (纳撒尼尔. 霍桑, 1804-1864) American novelist and short story writer, most famous for his novel The Scarlet Letter (红字, 1850),Biography and works # He was born at Salem, Mass., on July 4th, 1804, son of a sea captain. He led there a shy

25、and rather over protected life. Hawthorne turned to writing after his graduation from Bowdoin College. He wrote several successful short stories such as The Ministers Black Veil (牧师的黑面纱, 1836) which were collected in Twice-Told Tales (尽人皆知的故事, 1837). # Insufficient earnings as a writer forced Hawtho

26、rne to take a job in the Salem Custom House (海关). By 1842, he was able to earn enough to marry Sophia Peabody and move to Concord, which was then the center of the Transcendental Movement.,# Hawthorne returned to Salem in 1845 and in 1850, his most famous novel, The Scarlet Letter (1850) was publish

27、ed. His following novels were The House of the Seven Gables (七个尖角阁的房子, 1851), The Blithedate Romance (福谷传奇, 1852) and The Marble Faun (玉石雕像, 1860),Points of view (1) Black vision of human nature: Human beings are evil-natured and sinful and this sin and evil is ever present in human heart and will p

28、ass on from one generation to another. Besides, Hawthorne believes that human beings continuously sin and sin will get punished one way or another. (2) Hawthorne vs. Emersonian Transcendentalism,The Ministers Black Veil (牧师的黑面纱),The Scarlet Letter (1850),The plot The Scarlet Letter is set in the 17t

29、h-century Boston and opens as Hester Prynne walks out of the prison to stand exposed on the public scaffold (绞刑台) with a scarlet letter “A” on her breast as a lifelong sign of her sin of adultery . Hester gives birth to her daughter Pearl but refuses to reveal her sexual partner. When her long-separ

30、ated husband Dr. Chillingworth comes to America and discovers her relations with the minister Dimmesdale, he is determined to punish the lovers spiritually. When Dimmesdale cannot endure Chillingworths humiliation (羞辱) and inner torment any longer he confesses his sin on the public scaffold before h

31、is death.,Hester sustains all humiliation and proves to be a strong-minded and capable woman. As she is ready to offer help and advice to other women in trouble, she is loved and respected by people in the town. She continues her life of penance (忏悔) and becomes a model of endurance, goodness, coura

32、ge, and victory over sin. The red A becomes symbol of moral and glory.,Special features: (1) Psychological conflict: Hawthornes approach to the theme and characters is generally psychological. (2) Allegory: Allegory in Hawthornes works is an outcome of the Puritan inheritance of Gods will in everyth

33、ing and the 19th century Romantic idea that the natural world is endowed fully with meaning. (3) Symbolism: Hawthorne is a master of symbolism, which he took from the Puritan. The Scarlet Letter provides the most conclusive proof.,Herman Melville (1819-1891) Major works: Moby-Dick( Pequad, Ahab, Mod

34、y Dick) Themes: A. Self vs. the hostile world; B. Alienation; C. Symbolic quest of truth and knowledge. (2) Structure (3) Characterization: A. Ahab as a tragic hero; B. Ishmael; (4) Special features: A. Symbolism; B. Allegory; C. Narrative technique.,Points of view Pessimistic view of mans quest of

35、ultimate truth: In Moby-Dick Melville deals with the issue in its full length to show that though the world is a place of darkness, filled with sorrow and woes, yet man should be able to see beyond the darkness instead of plunging deep into the grief, immersed in and obsessed with it the way Ahab do

36、es.,Edgar Allan Poe Poe was father of many things, one of which is psychoanalytic criticism, the other being the detective story Poems: Annabel Lee To Helen Short stories: The Fall of the House of Usher The Purploined Letter The Golden Bug,Walt Whitman (华尔特. 惠特曼) The father of American Modern poetry

37、 American poet, journalist and essayist, best known for Leaves of Grass (草叶集, 1855), and the poems Song of Myself (自我之歌).,Biography Walt Whitman was born in Long Island, New York, the son of a carpenter. Whitmans mother was descended from Dutch farmers. In Whitmans childhood there were slaves employ

38、ed on the farm. Whitman was early on filled with a love of nature. He read classics in his youth and was inspired by writers such as Goethe (歌德), Hegel (黑格尔), Carlyle (卡莱尔) and Emerson. He left school early to become a printers apprentice. He also in 1835 worked as a teacher and journeyman printer.

39、After that he held a great variety of jobs while writing and editing for several periodicals (期刊).,Points of view World outlook: In his opinion, people should be equally treated, whether southerners or northerners, Whites or Blacks. And this ideal of equality and democracy has been incorporated in e

40、very single line of Whitmans poetry. Whitman is also a nationalist. One of the most obvious characteristics of Leaves of Grass is indeed that it is firmly and deeply rooted in American soil. (2) Pantheistic ideas: Religiously, Whitman is a pantheist.,(3) Artistic innovation: Literally, Whitman is on

41、e of the most important figures in American poetic history. He carried on a sort of experiment on the form of poetry by choosing free verse as his medium of expression. Free verse is a more flexible and variable poetic form, simple and prose-like, which allows him to express freely his ideas in coll

42、oquial English, regardless of the prevailing principles of rhyme or meter.,Major works: Leaves of Grass (草叶集, 1855), which include the following famous poems: “Song of Myself” (自我之歌), “There Was a Child Went Forth” (有个小孩在长大) “I Hear America Singing” (我听见美国在歌唱),Free Verse: Free verse is a kind of poe

43、try that lacks regular meter or pattern and may or may not rhyme. Depending on natural speech rhythms, its lines may be of different lengths and may switch abruptly from one rhythm to another. Walt Whitman was the first American poet to use free verse extensively, because it is an appropriate form f

44、or his liberating view of life and for his poetry that would allow every aspect of life to speak without restraint.,Special features (1) Form: Whitmans originality lies first in the new poetic form he innovates, free verse, i.e. poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme. (2) The first pers

45、on narrator: Whitmans poetry is distinctively noted for the use of the first-person narrator “I”. Speaking in the voice of “I”, he makes his poems direct and sympathetic to the reader. (3) Language: Whitmans language is characteristically oral and powerful. His use of powerful and sometimes unusual

46、word might give the reader a sense that his poems are not shallow but deep. (4) Sexuality,3. Emily Dickinson (艾米莉. 狄金森, 1830-1886) Biography (P. 328) A great American poet. She wrote 1775 poems in her life. The major themes of her poems: religion, death, love and nature. The precursor of the Imagist

47、 Movement,Points of view: (1) Ideas on nature: To Emily Dickinson, nature is both simple and harmonious. Dickinson observed nature closely and described it vividly but never with the feeling of being lost in it, or altogether part of it, nor was she surprised when its creatures also kept their dista

48、nce. She thought that nature was both kind and cruel, which was similar to Tennyson. (2) Ideas on death: She wrote about nearly 600 poems on death. Her attitude toward immortality was contradictory. It is clear always that for Dickinson life and consciousness are inseparable. To be transmuted into grass