Periods of American Literature

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introduction peroids of American literature

Prof. Dr. Josef Raab Nordamerikastudien Periods of American Literature2. The Pre-Colonial Period ( -ca.1620)•Settlement about 28,000 years ago (from Southern Asia via South Sea islands)•Another wave of migration about 14,000 years ago (via the Bering Straight)•1492: --18 mio. people in North America; 5 mio. of them in what is now the United States--300 cultural groups in North America, 200 languages spoken--no cultural/linguistic homogeneity, shifting alliances and enmitiesCentral Aspects of Native American Thought and Cultural Practice1.The power of words2.The significance of dreams3.Personality (of all elements of creation)4.Dualism5.Father Sky and Mother Earth6.The four world quarters7.Syncretic religion8.Hierarchy (spirit world -humans -animals -plants -physical geography -natural elements)9.Goal of harmony10.Anonymity (literary text is the cultural property ofthe whole tribe)Sample of Pre-Columbian American Literature:“Song of Creation”I have made the sun!I have made the sun!Hurling it highIn the four directionsTo the east I threw itTo run its appointed course.I have made the moon!I have made the moon!Hurling it highIn the four directionsTo the east I threw itTo run its appointed course.Pima Indians (Pre-Columbian)John Winthrop, “A Model ofChristian Charity”(1630)The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness and truth, than formerly we have been acquainted with. We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies; when He shall make us a praise and glory that men shall say of succeeding plantations, "the lord make it like that of NEW ENGLAND." For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.Benjamin Franklin, TheAutobiography(1771 ff.)Having emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred, to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world, and having gone so far through life with a considerable share of felicity, the conducing means I made use of, which with the blessing of God so well succeeded, my posterity may like to know, as they may find some of them suitable to their own situations, and therefore fit to be imitated.That felicity, when I reflected on it, has induced me sometimes to say, that were it offered to my choice, I should have no objection to a repetition of the same life from its beginning, only asking the advantages authors have in a second edition to correct some faults of the first.Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”(1845)Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore—Nameless here for evermore.Mark Twain, Adventures ofHuckleberry Finn(1884)The widow she cried over me, and called me a poor lost lamb, and she called me a lot of other names, too, but she never meant no harm by it. She put me in them new clothes again, and I couldn’t do nothing but sweat and sweat, and feel all cramped up. Well, then, the old thing commenced again. The widow rung a bell for supper, and you had to come to time. When you got to the table you couldn’t go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals, though there warn’t really anything the matter with them, —that is, nothing only everything was cooked by itself. In a barrel of odds and ends it is different; things get mixed up, and the juice kind of swaps around, and the things go better.After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn’t care no more about him, because I don’t take no stock in dead people.Stephen Crane, “The Open Boat”(1897)At last, from the top of each wave the men in the tossing boat could see land. Even as the lighthouse was an upright shadow on the sky, this land seemed but a long black shadow on the sea. It certainly was thinner than paper. "We must be about opposite New Smyrna," said the cook, who had coasted this shore often in schooners. "Captain, by the way, I believe they abandoned that life-saving station there about a year ago.""Did they?" said the captain.The wind slowly died away. The cook and the correspondent were not now obliged to slave in order to hold high the oar. But the waves continued their old impetuous swooping at the dingey, and the little craft, no longer under way, struggled woundily over them.William Faulkner, Absalom,Absalom! (1936)Then hearing would reconcile and he would seem to listen to two separate Quentins now—the Quentin Compson preparing for Harvard in the South, the deep South dead since 1865 and peopled with garrulous outraged baffled ghosts, listening, having to listen, to one of the ghosts which had refused to lie still even longer than most had, telling him about old ghost-times; and the Quentin Compson who was still too young to deserve yet to be a ghost, but nevertheless having to be one for all that, since, he was born and bred in the deep South the same as she was—two separate Quentins now talking to one another in the long silence of notpeople, in notlonguage, like this: It seems that this demon—his name was Sutpen—(Colonel Sutpen)—Colonel Sutpen. Who came out of nowhere...Philip Roth, The Human Stain(2000)Did he get, from his decision, the adventure he was after, or was the decision in itself, the adventure? Was it the misleading that provided his pleasure, the carrying off of the stunt that he liked best, the traveling through life incognito, or had he simply been closing the door to a past, to people, to a whole race that he wanted nothing intimate or official to do with? Was it the social obstruction that he wished to sidestep? Was he merely being another American and, in the great frontier tradition, accepting the democratic invitation to throw your origins overboard if to do so contributes to the pursuit of happiness? Or was it more than that? Or less?。

American Literature美国文学概况

The American Literature of the Colonial Period(1607---1765)This period is The Age of FaithThe early settlement●Early Settlement: 1607, Captain John SmithThe first permanent English settlement●1620, William Bradford, Mayflower, reached Plymouth,▲Reasons: To reform the Church of EnglandTo have an entirely new churchTo escape religious persecutionTo seek a new Garden of EdenTo build “City of God on earth”▲The first settlers who became the founding fathers of the American nation were mostly Puritans. American Puritanism exerts great impact on American society until today.∙Their Religious Doctrines: original sin, total depravity, predestination and limited atonement through a specialinfusion of grace from God.∙Their attitudes toward entertainment: joy and laughter are symptoms of sin.∙Their attitudes toward work: hard work.∙They regarded themselves as chosen people of God.Highly moral principles. Purify their religious practices and beliefs.Hard work, thrift, piety, sobriety, and simple tastes.▲Legacy of puritanismPrudence - clear thinking e.g. not making emotional decisions.Biblical directionThrift e.g. a penny saved is a penny earned. Ben Franklin's "waste not - want not"Discipline - self-discipline e.g. moderationHard work is rewarded e.g. idle hands are the devil's workshop∙Contents: practical matter-of-fact accounts of life in the new world; highly theoretical discussions of religious questions.∙Form: diary, autobiography, sermon, letter, imitating English∙Style: no representative style, tight and logic structure, precise and compactexpression, rhetorical decoration,∙The basis of American literature. Widely used technique ofInfluencing the style of literature: simple, fresh,Literature and literature masters at this period● John Smith (1580—1631) A captain, one of the founders of thecolony of Jamestown, VirginiaMasterpiece ：Description of New England 《新英格兰叙事》▲New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the UnitedStates consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. ● William Bradford (1590—1675) 威廉·布莱福特 The governor of the Plymouth colony Masterpiece ： Of Plymouth Plantation 《普利茅斯垦殖记》 ● John Winthrop (1588—1649) 约翰·温斯罗普 The governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Masterpiece ：(Speech) A Model of Christian Charity ● Anne Bradstreet (1612—1672) Puritan Poet. She was known as the “Tenth Muse” Masterpiece ：The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America (the first volume) Contemplations 沉思录This is The Age of Reason and Revolution. History background ● The Great Awakening (1730s —1740s) A series of religious revivals, led by Jonathan Edwards (Outstanding representative of Puritanism). His spiritual awakening occurred in two parts: The greatness of God ’s sovereign. Human beings’sinfulness.● The Enlightenment/ the Age of Reason in America The Enlightenment and required people to pay attention to the socialreality, advocating education and scientific research.● The War of Independence (1775-1783)Two sides involved: 13 British colonies in N. America vs. GreatBritainIts causes: Growth of colonies (social, economic, and politicalchanges). British governing of the colonies.Literature and literature masters at this period∙ Revolutionand Revolution.∙ PuritanEnlightenment ideastypes of men like Benjamin Franklin. History writersPoetThe Revolutionary Period(1765—1800)∙Few works of note appeared except some political works. Even if there appeared poetry and fiction, they were full of imitativeness and vague universality. So the search for a native literature becamea national obsession.●Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)outstanding representative ofPuritanism. Preacher. TheologianMasterpiece：Personal Narrative 《自述》Freedom of the Will 《意志的自由》The Doctrine of Original Sin Defend《原罪说辩》The Nature of True Virtue 《真正美德的本质》Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God《发怒的上帝手中的罪人》Images or Shadows of Divine Things 《神灵的形影》●Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Writer, printer, publisher, Scientist,（美国梦的原型）He developed a style. His style is characterized by simplicity, frankness, wit, clarity, logic and order.Masterpiece：Poor Richard’s AlmanacAutobiography (With it he set the form forautobiography as a genre. Franklin embodied theEnlightenment ideal of humane rationality, practicalyet idealistic hard-working and enormouslysuccessful. )▲the reasons why BF is admired∙He is a typical American, model of the self-made man, a cultural hero whose life exemplified the American dream.∙He stressed the importance of working hard to make money, happiness and believed that every American could do so.∙He was convinced that no man could be virtuous or happy unless he did his best to improve the life of his society and hisown life.▲Why Say Franklin Is the Representative of American Enlightenment?∙He believed in reason or rationality, the scientific method, equality and human beings’ ability to perfect themselves andtheir society.∙He opposed intolerance, restraint, spiritual authority and revealed religion.∙He favored the education.∙He favored freedom of thoughts. He set up the ideas of democracy in the USA.●Thomas Paine (1737-1809)Propagandist, pamphleteer, a master ofpersuasion who understands the power of language to move aman to action.Masterpiece：The American CrisisThe Rights of manThe Age of ReasonCommon SensePhilip Freneau (1752-1832)political journalist, seaman, humanitarian, polemist,His major themes are death, nature, transition, and the human in nature. All of these themes become important in 19th century writing.Masterpiece：The Rising Glory of America (1772)The British Prison Ship (1781)The Wild Honey Suckle (1786)The Indian Burying Ground (1788)The Romantic Period (1798-1832) In this period, America had been formed but the people had not created3. Features: ∙ Under the influence of England and Europe but has its own distinct features. ∙ Related with “Pioneering into the west” (the spirit of the place) ∙ Tending more to moralize. ∙ Emphasis on “newness ” ∙ Advocating individualism and political equality, and their dream building a new Garden of Eden for man.4. two periods : 1770s-1830s The Romanticism (Washington Irving, James Fennimore Cooper, William Cullen Bryant) 1830s-1860s The Transcendentalism(Ralph Emerson, David Thoreau)Representatives of the first period● Washington Irving (1783-1859) The famed essayist, biographer,historian, writer and politician, a lawyer. He lived at a time whensociety had moved away from thoughts of witches, the supernatural,write history and biography asMasterpiece ：Diedrich Knickerbocker's History of New York from theBeginning of the Worldto the End of the DutchDynasty (1809)The Sketch Book (1819-20) containing "Rip Van● The Literature of AmericanRomanticism (1815-1865)Achievements & masterpieces:∙The creation of the famouserstocking Tales (The Pioneers, The Last of the Mo hicans, ThePrairie, The Pathfinder, and The Deerslayer) has cemented hisposition as our first great national novelist and his influencepervades American literature.▲之前所借用的素材主要来源于西方∙Sir Walter Scott (The Spy, 1821).∙The first sea novel (∙The first attempt (Lionel Lincoln, 1825).∙The first full-scale History of the Navy of the United States of ∙The first American international novel of manners (Homeward∙fiction (Satanstoe, 1845; The Chainbearer, 1845; and The Redskins, 1846).∙The first and only five-volume epic romance to carry its mythic hero - Natty Bumppo - from youth to old age.distinction. His best works are his lyric poems about nature and so his style is quite similar to that of Wordsworth.▲why themed on nature: distrustfulness of city lifeAchievements: Poems 1821The Fountain 1842The White-Footed Deer 1844A Forest Hymn 1860The Flood of Years 1878To a Waterfowl 1815★Thanatopsis 死亡随想1817 （influenced bygraveyard school）The Yellow Violet 1814(another name of this period) This period in American Literature ran from about 1830 to around the Civil War. TheAmerican Renaissance was for a while considered synonymous with American Romanticism and was closely associated with Transcendentalism. Often considered a movement centred inAmericanTranscendentalism was a spiritual, philosophical and literary movement, began as a rebellion against beliefs by the English Church that God superseded the individual and emphasized intuition. 1. Center: New England 2. Method: use intuition to perceive 3. Main task: establishing morality and seeking identity. 4. Emphasis: individual, nature, and feelings.5. Features:∙ Under the influence of England and Europe but has its owndistinct features.∙ Related with “Pioneering into the west” (the spirit of the place) ∙ Tending more to moralize.∙ Emphasis on “newness ”Advocating individualism and political equality, and their dream building a new Garden of Eden for man.6. Roots from key intellectual and spiritual traditions∙ Puritanism/Puritan Idealism ——pervasive morality and beliefin the “divine and supernatural light”/ “inner light”（God’s∙(from Emerson’sphilosophy)∙—— ∙7.● ▲why Emerson is the father of AT: he is the founder of the Transcendental Club▲Positive thinking (optimism) guided Emerson.∙ The infinitude of man and human perfectibility∙ Nature as the symbolic of Oversoul.∙ We are a part of the Divine Soul. The Literature ofTranscendentalism(1836-1865)Emerson’s optimism appealed to many people who lived in a time full of worries – about money, slavery, and future of our nation. Emerson gave them a comforting message. If the world depressesyou, look within yourself. The God within will connect you to the peace and beauty of the universe.Masterpiece: Nature (1836)——Emerson’s most original and significant work , “the manifesto of American Transcendentalism” Self-Reliance conveys the best of his philosophical ideas. The American Scholar (1837)——American declaration of intellectual independenceThe Divinity School Address (1838) Essays: First Series 1841Essays: Second Series 1844Influence:● Masterpiece: Walden (Life in the Woods): Want to live Emerson’s teachings On Civil Disobedience : basic laws transcend laws of the land A Plea for John Brown A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers●Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) Masterpiece:Little Womenof the Era of Romanticism The Dark Side of American Romantic Literature. Anti-transcendentalism (Dark romanticism) The Dark Romanticists explored the dark side of human nature, the human potential for evil, countered the optimism of the Transcendentalist writers of the time.▲Emergence of dark romanticism:历史与发展的延续性，当众多人提出向一个方向发展时，就会有人提出向另一个方向发展。

自考英美文学选读必考重点第三讲美国文学

American literary history?)
The period ranging from 1865 to l914 has been referred to as
the Age of Realism in the 1iterary history of the United States, which is actually a movement or tendency that dominated the spirit of American literature, especially American fiction, from the 1850s onwards. Realism was a reaction against Romanticism or a move away from the bias towards romance and self-creating fictions, and it paved the way to Modernism. Instead of thinking about the irrational, the imaginative, realists touched upon social and political realities and pressures in the post-Civil war society. Three dominant figures are William Dean Howells, Mark Twain, and Henry James.
It started with the publication of ________ and ended with _______. It is also called _________.

美国文学史 real

neral Introduction To American Literature
Brief background of American literature
Colonial Period(1607-1750)
美国文学的历史不长，它几乎是和美国自由资本主义 (non-monopoly capitalism)同时出现，较少受到封建贵族文化(feudal aristocratic culture)的束缚。美国早期人口稀少，有大片未开发的土地，为个人理想的实现提供了很大的可能性。美国人民富于民主自由精神，个人主义、个性解放的观念较为强烈，这在文学中有突出的反映。美国又是一个多民族的国家，移民不断涌入，各自带来了本民族的文化，这决定了美国文学风格的多样性和庞杂性(multi-cultural)。美国文学发展的过程就是不断吸取、融化各民族文学特点的过程。许多美国作家来自社会下层，这使得美国文学生活气息和平民色彩都比较浓厚，总的特点是开朗、豪放。内容庞杂与色彩鲜明是美国文学的另一特点。
Puritanism
2. Puritan values (creeds): Hard work, thrift, piety, sobriety, simple tastes. Puritans are more practical, tougher, and to be ever ready for any misfortune and tragic failure. They are optimistic.
按照体裁分类
一、自传二、诗歌三、戏剧四、小说
按流派分类
重农派（Agrarians)（20年代）迷惘的一代 (The Lost Generation)(20年代）黑山派诗歌 (Black Mountain Poems)（50年代）垮掉的一代 (The Beat Generation)（50年代）黑色幽默 (Black Humor) （60年代）

periods of american literature

Novel from 1900 through the 1930s
1. F. Scott Fitzgerald: Jazz Age; great stylist 2. Ernest Hemingway: Lost Generation; iceberg principle 3. William Faulkner: decay of the south; multiple points of view

Walden lake, where Thoreau found the real meaning of life.
2. American Realism
1.
2. 3.
Background Realism Realists
Our aged home of millions of years
McTeague
T. Dreiser
Romanticism, Realism and Naturalism On the Individual
Romanticism:
like God Realism: simply a person Naturalism: helpless object

Homework
1.
What are the four periods of American literature?
2. Give a survey of the American romanticism and Realism?
Preview

1. What in Irving’s life attracts you? 2. Try to locate Irving’s location in American literature. 3. Read through Rip Van Winkle and think about its main idea, theme and literary sStephen Crane

《英美概况》教学大纲

《英语国家概况》课程教学大纲课程编号：B0715110课程名称：英语国家概况总学时：32适用对象：英语专业本科三年级学生先修课程：基础英语，英语口语，英语听力，英语语音，英语写作后续课程：英美文学一、课程性质、目标与任务1.课程类型：必修课√□选修课□公共课□专业基础课□专业课√□集中实践教学环节□2.课程性质：纯实践课□纯理论课□实践为主课□理论为主课√□理实一体化□3.课程目标及任务《英语国家概况》是介绍英语国家社会与文化入门的一门课程。

开设本课的目的在于使学生通过学习，了解英美国家的历史、地理、社会、经济、政治、教育等方面的情况及其文化传统，内容庞杂、信息量大。

培养学生正确分析有关英美等国问题的能力，并能以正确的眼光看待世界上所发生的问题，提高学生对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性和处理文化差异的灵活性，培养学生跨文化交际能力。

把学生培养成为高素质的人才，同时又能爱祖国、热爱社会主义，致力为祖国的繁荣、发达而努力的人才，培养学生树立正确世界观。

同时，通过课文的学习和各种练习的实践，达到提高英语水平的目的。

通过比较学习不同文化中具有特殊文化涵义的词语与表达式，可以促使学生掌握一些特殊词语的深层次意义，是对词汇的学习以及翻译水平的提高的有益补充；通过开展中外文化的比较，让学生切身感受到成功的交际仅有语言是远远不够的，文化方面的因素有时所起的作用远远大于语言本身，必将为英语学习者成功地参与国际商务活动，更有效地进行国际合作与交流打下坚实的文化基础。

二、课时分配三、教学组织Unit One Introduction to the UK[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 geographical features, climate2 characteristics of the UK3 history of the UK4distribution of the UK’s population[本章主要内容]：1 geographical features, climate2 characteristics of the UK3 history of the UK4distribution of the UK’s population[本章重点]：1 features of invasion of the UK2 the Great Empire, gentleman[本章难点]：Troubles in the Northern Ireland[本章思考题]：1．What is gentleman?2．The influences of the Great EmpireUnit Two The government of the UK[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 Constitutional Monarchy2 British parliament and its functions3 British government[本章主要内容]：1 Constitutional Monarchy2 British parliament and its functions3 British government[本章重点]：1 Constitutional Monarchy2 British parliament and its functions[本章难点]：Constitutional Monarchy[本章思考题]：1．How long do you think the royal family can exist?Unit Three Politics, class and race[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 understanding of the general election of the UK2 social class3 races[本章主要内容]：1 understanding of the general election of the UK2 social class3 races[本章重点]：1 the general election of the UK2 multiracial society[本章难点]：the general election of the UK[本章思考题]：1．The system of general elections and its influence in the worldUnit Four The UK economy[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 understanding the position of the UK after the WW II2. the reason of the decline3 characteristics of British agriculture and industry[本章主要内容]：1 understanding the position of the UK after the WW II2. the reason of the decline3 characteristics of British agriculture and industry[本章重点]：1 the reasons for the decline2.the trends for the British economy[本章难点]：the reasons for the decline he general election of the UK[本章思考题]：1．The privatization and reform in the economic developmentUnit Five British literature[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 the history of British literature2 writers3 schools4 divisions of literal periods[本章主要内容]：1 the history of British literature2 writers3 schools4 divisions of literal periods[本章重点]：1 the history of British literature2 well-known writers[本章难点]：divisions of literal periods[本章思考题]：1．Describe a writer/ a school/work you are most familiar with?Unit Six British education system[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 the history of education2 education systems3 higher education[本章主要内容]：1 the history of education2 education systems3 higher education[本章重点]：1 the history of education2 education systems[本章难点]：higher education[本章思考题]：1．Compare British and Chinese higher educationUnit Seven British Foreign Relations[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 UK foreign policies and their makings2 Britain and international institutions3 Britain and the United States[本章主要内容]：1 UK foreign policies and their makings2 Britain and international institutions3 Britain and the United States[本章重点]：1 UK foreign policies and their makings2 Britain and the United States[本章难点]：Britain and the United States[本章思考题]：1．The change of British image in international world from Iraqi warUnit Eight the British Media[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 British newspapers2 broadcast media3 television media[本章主要内容]：1 British newspapers2 broadcast media3 television media[本章重点]：1 British newspapers2 broadcast media[本章难点]：British newspapers[本章思考题]：1．The functions of media in cultural acquisitionUnit Nine American beginnings[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 a new land2 the settlement in Virginia3 Puritan New England4 Catholic Maryland5 Quaker Pennsylvania6 American revolution[本章主要内容]：1 a new land2 the settlement in Virginia3 Puritan New England4 Catholic Maryland5 Quaker Pennsylvania6 American revolution[本章重点]：1 A new land2 American revolution[本章难点]：American revolution[本章思考题]：1．How did modern development in Europe influence the settlement of North American colonies?Unit Ten Political system in the United States[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of :1 legislative branch2 executive branch3 Judicial branch4 political parties[本章主要内容]：1 legislative branch2 executive branch3 Judicial branch4 political parties[本章重点]：1 Checks and balance2 Political parties[本章难点]：checks and balance[本章思考题]：Compare the political systems between the UK and the USAUnit Eleven American economy[教学目标与要求]：understanding of:1.industry revolution2.free enterprise3 . American agriculture[本章主要内容]：1.industry revolution2.free enterprise3. American agriculture[本章重点]：1 free enterprise2. the roots of affluence[本章难点]：the roots of affluence[本章思考题]：The influences of American economy on the worldUnit Twelve Religion in the USA[教学目标与要求]：understanding of:1 religious liberty2. protestants in the USA3. Catholics in the USA[本章主要内容]：1 religious liberty2. protestants in the USA3. Catholics in the USA[本章重点]：1 religious liberty2 religious diversity[本章难点]：American character of religion[本章思考题]：The effects of religion on American culture and everyday lifeUnit Thirteen American literature[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 the history of American literature2 writers3 schools4 divisions of literal periods[本章主要内容]：1 the history of American literature2 writers3 schools4 divisions of literal periods[本章重点]：1 the history of American literature2 well-known writers[本章难点]：divisions of literal periods[本章思考题]：Describe a writer/ a school/work you are most familiar with?Unit Fourteen Education system in the United States[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 the history of education2 education systems3 higher education[本章主要内容]：1 the history of education2 education systems3 higher education[本章重点]：1 the history of education2 education systems[本章难点]：higher education[本章思考题]：1．Why American schools have more international students than any other countries?Unit Fifteen Social problems in the USA[教学目标与要求]：Understanding of:1 racial problems2 drug abuse3 crimes4.abuse of power by government and corporation[本章主要内容]：1 racial problems2 drug abuse3 crimes4.abuse of power by government and corporation[本章重点]：1 racial problems2 drug abuse[本章难点]：racial problems[本章思考题]：Why is it perceived as a major threat to American society?Unit Sixteen Post-WWII American foreign policy[教学目标与要求]：understanding of:1 the beginning of the cold war2 arm races3 the engagement and expansion[本章主要内容]：1 the beginning of the cold war2 arm races3 the engagement and expansion[本章重点]：1 the cold war2 the engagement and expansion[本章难点]：the cold war[本章思考题]：The current international relationships and the role America plays in it四、课程考核学生总评成绩取决于学生的出勤情况、课堂参与、学期论文、课后作业和期末考试成绩。

A Brief History of American Literature

A Brief History of American Literature：1.Colonial Period of American Literature2. The Romantic Period: Early Romanticism, Transcendentalism, and High Romanticism3. Realism4. Naturalism5. Imagism6. Modernism7. PostmodernismColonial Period of American LiteratureThe period stretched roughly from the settlement of America in the early seventeenth century through the end of the eighteenth.The major topic here will be about American Puritanism, the one enduring influence in American literature.the major figures to mention will be Jonathan Edwards, Benjamin Franklin and Philip Freneau. They represent the heritage of American PuritanismChristopher Columbus discovered the American continent in 1491.Captain John Smith reached Virginia in 1607.Puritans came to the New England area, by Mayflower in 1620. The Pilgrims left England to seek religious freedom, or simply to find a better life. After a period in Holland, they set sail from Plymouth, England, on Sept. 16, 1620, aboard the Mayflower, arrived in Plymouth in Massachusetts on Dec.26, in1620The first American Puritan settlement was established in Plymouth in 1620.The First Literature and the First Writers●Captain John Smith’s reports of exploration, published in the early 16oos.●William Bradford and John WinthropPuritans●One division of English Protestant. They regarded the reformation of the church underElizabeth as incomplete, and called for further purification from what they considered to be unscriptural and corrupt forms and ceremonies retained from the unreformed church.●Their Religious Doctrines: original sin, total depravity, predestination and limitedatonement through a special infusion of grace from God.●They regarded themselves as chosen people of God. They embraced hardships, industryand frugality. They favored a disciplined, hard, somber, ascetic and harsh life. They opposed arts and pleasure. They suspect joy and laughter as symptoms of sin. Puritanism● A religious and political movement. Through it, one considers emerging the right of theindividual as political and religious independence.●Their religious doctrines: original sin, total depravity, predestination, limited atonement.●Their attitudes toward entertainment: joy and laughter are symptoms of sin.●Their attitudes toward work: work itself is a good in addition to what it achieves, timesaved by efficiency or good fortune should be spent in doing further work. Puritanism’s influence on American literature●Purpose: pragmatic●Content: practical accounts of life in the new world; highly theoretical discussions ofreligious questions.●Form: diary, autobiography, sermon, letter●Style: tight and logic structure, precise expression, avoidance of rhetorical decoration,homely imagery, simplicity of diction.2.Symbolism（象征主义）: lots of American writers liked to employ symbolism in their works. (typical way of Puritans who thought that all the simple objects existing in the world connoted deep meaning.) Symbolism means using symbols in literary works. The symbol means something represents or stands for abstract deep meaningThe Literature of Reason and Revolution●Colonial American was no longer a group of scattered,struggling settlements.●It was a series of neighboring, flourishing colonies with rapidly expanding,mixedpopulations.●The industrial and agricultural growth led to intense strain with England.●The Independent War broke out.Literary Tendencies Enlightenment● a movement supported by all progressive forces of the country which opposed themselvesto the old colonial order and religious obscurantism. The representatives of the Enlightenment set themselves the task of disseminating knowledge among the people and advocating revolutionary ideas. They also actively participated in the War for Independence.●American Enlightenment dealt a decisive blow upon the puritan traditions and brought tolife secular education and literature.Benjamin Franklin (1)●Main Works: Poor Richard’s AlmanacAutobiography●Style: he developed an utilitarian and didactic style.●His style is characterized by simplicity, frankness, wit, clarity, logic and order. Autobiographyan account of a person’s life written with the writer’s own life or A book written by someone about their own life. When a person focuses on his individual life, esp. his individual history, we call the retrospective narration the person wrote in prose “AutobiographyThomas Paine (1)●Main works:The American CrisisCommon SenseThe rights of manThe Age of ReasonThomas Jefferson (1)Style: dignity, flexibility, clarity, command of generalizationPhilip Freneau (1)●Main Works:The Rising Glory of America (1772)The British Prison Ship (1781)The Wild Honey Suckle (1786) The Indian Burying Ground (1788)Rhyme(押韵）Rhyme is the repetition of the stressed vowel sound and all succeeding sounds.Meter (格律)Meter refers to the regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllablesFoot(音步)Foot is a unit of poetic meter of stressed and unstressed syllableAlliteration（头韵）the repetition of a speech sound in a sequence of nearby words. The term is usually applied only to consonants（The sun sank slowly. The speaker alliterates the “s’s” in that line.）Features of romanticism in EnglandIt is an expression of the ideology and sentiment of those discontented with, and opposed to, the development of capitalism and an expression of dissatisfaction with the bourgeois society.。

American_ Literature(美国文学)

American Literature
Periods of Am. Lirican Literature:
1607-1776 Colonial Period 1765-1790 The Revolutionary Age 1775-1828 The Early National Period
Perverse, vulgar, grotesque style.
Transcendentalism
American
reflection of European romanticism movement
Philosophical

The transcendal philosophy was based on: Free will Humanity Intuition Individual conscience It glories nature
son
of a poor actress (drastic death) his father alcoholic He was taken by his guardian Mr. Allan Studied West Point – kicked out Marriage with 13 year-old cousin She died of TB ten years later – despair, grief was reflected in his works 1849 found delirious in a steet
The Revolutionary Age
The
greatest documents of American history were authored: Thomas Paine (Common Sense – he urged independence) The Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson - 1776)

American literature

American literary history
Literature of Colonial period (殖民时期)(1607— 1765) Literature of revolutionary period（革命时期） (1765—1800) American Romanticism （美国浪漫主义）(1800—1865) American Realism（美国现实主义） (1865—1918) American Modernism （美国现代主义） (1918—1945) Contemporary period（现代时期） (1945-- )
Authors and works
Mark Twain/The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn William Dean Howells（威廉·迪恩·豪威尔斯）/The Rise of Silas Lapham《塞拉斯·拉帕姆的发迹》
1、Literature of Colonial period (1607—1765）
Puritanism in America（美国清教主义）
1. Doctrines（学说）: - Predestination（缘分） - Original sin （原罪）and total depravity （性恶说） - Limited atonement (有限的赎罪) 2. Puritan values Hard work, thrift（节俭）, piety（虔诚）, sobriety（清醒）, simple tastes（寡欲）. Puritans are more practical, tougher, and to be ever ready for any misfortune and tragic （悲剧） failure. They are optimistic

AMERICAN_LITERATURE

AMERICAN LITERA TUREChapter I The Romantic Period浪漫主义时期1.The Romantic Period, one of the most important periods in the history of Americanliterature, stretches from the end of the 18th century to the outbreak of the Civil War.It started with the publication of(华盛顿，欧文) Washington Irving's The Sketch Book （见闻札记）and ended with （沃尔特，惠特曼）Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. （叶草集）It is also called "the American Renaissance."2.the nation felt an urge to have its own literary expression, to make known its newexperience that other nations did not have: the early Puritan settlement（早起清教徒殖民）, the confrontation with the Indians（与印第安人的遭遇）, the frontiersmen's life（边疆开发者的生活）, and the wild west(西部荒原)。

3. a. Foreign literary masters, especially the English counterparts exerted a stimulatingimpact on the writers of the new world. Born of one common cultural heritage, the American writers shared some common features with the English Romanticists.Washington Irving against the literary forms and ideas of the period of classicism by developing some relatively new forms of fiction or poetry. In most of the American writings in the period there was a new emphasis upon the imaginative and emotional qualities of literature想象力和情感因素, which included a liking for the picturesque生动描写, the exotic异国情调, the sensuous, the sensational感官体会, and the supernatural超自然能力. The strong tendency to exalt the individual and the common man was almost a national religion in America.b.the great works that demonstrate what American Romantic writings were aretypically American. For example, the American national experience of "pioneering into the west" proved to be a rich source of material for American writers to draw upon.c. Then the American Puritanism as a cultural heritage exerted great influences overAmerican moral values. And this Puritan influence over American Romanticism was conspicuously noticeable. One of the manifestations is the fact that American romantic writers tended more to moralize than their English and European counterparts. the Calvinistic view of original sin and the mystery of evil (加尔文主义的原罪思想和罪恶的神秘性)纳撒尼尔，霍桑Nathaniel Hawthorne.简而言之美国浪漫主义时期文学的特点1，受英国文学的影响2美国本土特色3清教徒思想的影响。

America Literature

1817---1862
Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American author, abolitionist, poet, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian and leading transcendentalist. Thoreau's books, articles, essays, journals, and poetry total over 20 volumes.
Solitary
I find it wholesome to be alone the greatest part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.
• 在美国赢得独立战争后的30年，一群以新英格兰人为主的学者，教士试图为美国赢得文学的独立。他们从欧洲的浪漫主义文学运动，从新柏拉图主义，从德国理想主义哲学，从东方神秘主义，从印度，佛教经典，从中国的孔子，孟子中汲取思想源泉，形成了美国超验主义或称新英格兰超验主义，或称美国的文艺复兴。

Nature, 1836 (论自然)
The American Scholar, 1837 (论美国学者) Divinity School Address, 1838 (神学院演讲) The Oversoul, 1841 (论超灵) Self Reliance, 1841(论自立)

what is American literature 什么是美国文学

Literature is language

Oral & written denotation (scientist) instead of conotation (writer: emotional, irrational, subjective): writers of literature use language connotatively to bring into play all the emotional associations words may have. Denotation of “mother” is “female parent” while the connotation includes such qualities as protection, warmth, love, tenderness, devotion, mercy, intercession, home, childhood, the happy past
Literature is language

Defamiliarization: (The Russian Formalists 1920’s): “The technique of art is to make objects “unfamiliar“ to make forms difficult , to increase the difficulty and length of perception, because the process of perception is an aesthetic end in itself and must be prolonged”--Viktor Shklovsky Diction and syntax, sounds and repetition, archaisms of diction and syntax are significant

专四专八：美国文学简史笔记（2）

2) Worksa. The Rise of Silas Laphamb. A Chance Acquaintancec. A Modern Instance(3) Features of His Worksa. Optimistic toneb. Moral development/ethicsc. Lacking of psychological depth2. Henry James(1) Life(2) Literary career: three stagesa. 1865~1882: international themeThe AmericanDaisy MillerThe Portrait of a Ladyb. 1882~1895: inter-personal relationships and some playsDaisy Miller (play)c. 1895~1900: novellas and tales dealing with childhood and adolescence, then back to international themeThe Turn of the ScrewWhen Maisie KnewThe AmbassadorsThe Wings of the DoveThe Golden Bowl(3) Aesthetic ideasa. The aim of novel: represent lifeb. Common, even ugly side of lifec. Social function of artd. Avoiding omniscient point of view(4) Point of viewa. Psychological analysis, forefather of stream of consciousnessb. Psychological realismc. Highly-refined language(5) Style – “stylist”a. Language: highly-refined, polished, insightful, accurateb. Vocabulary: largec. Construction: complicated, intricate3. Mark Twain (see next section)Local Colorism1860s, 1870s~1890sI. Appearance1. uneven development in economy in America2. culture: flourishing of frontier literature, humourists3. magazines appeared to let writer publish their worksII. What is “Local Colour”?Tasks of local colourists: to write or present local characters of their regions in truthful depiction distinguished from others, usually a very small part of the world.Regional literature (similar, but larger in world)Garland, Harte – the westEggleston – IndianaMrs StoweJewett – MaineChopin – LouisianaIII. Mark Twain – Mississippi1. life2. works(1) The Gilded Age(2) “the two advantages”(3) Life on the Mississippi(4) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court(5) The Man That Corrupted Hardleybug3. style(1) colloquial language, vernacular language, dialects(2) local colour(3) syntactic feature: sentences are simple, brief, sometimes ungrammatical(4) humour(5) tall tales (highly exaggerated)(6) social criticism (satire on the different ugly things in society)IV. Comparison of the three “giants” of American Realism1. ThemeHowells – middle classJames – upper classTwain – lower class2. TechniqueHowells – smiling/genteel realismJames – psychological realismTwain – local colourism and colloquialismChapter 4 American NaturalismI. Background1. Darwin’s theory: “natural selection”2. Spenser’s idea: “social Darwinism”3. French Naturalism: ZoraII. Features1. environment and heredity2. scientific accuracy and a lot of details3. general tone: hopelessness, despair, gloom, ugly side of the societyIII. significanceIt prepares the way for the writing of 1920s’ “lost generation” and T. S. Eliot.IV. Theodore Dreiser1. life2. works(1) Sister Carrie(2) The trilogy: Financier, The Titan, The Stoic(3) Jennie Gerhardt(4) American Tragedy(5) The Genius3. point of view(1) He embraced social Darwinism – survival of the fittest. He learned to regard man as merely an animal driven by greed and lust in a struggle for existence in which only the “fittest”, the most ruthless, survive.(2) Life is predatory, a “game” of the lecherous and heartless, a jungle struggle in which man, being “a waif and an interloper in Nature”, a “wisp in the wind of social forces”, is a mere pawn in the general scheme of things, with no power whatever to assert his will.(3) No one is ethically free; everything is determined by a complex of internal chemisms and by the forces of social pressure.4. Sister Carrie(1) Plot(2) Analysis5. Style(1) Without good structure(2) Deficient characterization(3) Lack in imagination(4) Journalistic method(5) Techniques in paintingChapter 5 The Modern PeriodSection 1 The 1920sI. IntroductionThe 1920s is a flowering period of American literature. It is considered “the second renaissance” of American literature. The nicknames for this period:(1) Roaring 20s – comfort(2) Dollar Decade – rich(3) Jazz Age – Jazz musicII. Background1. First World War – “a war to end all wars”(1) Economically: became rich from WWI. Economic boom: new inventions. Highly-consuming society.(2) Spiritually: dislocation, fragmentation.2. wide-spread contempt for law (looking down upon law)3. Freud’s theoryIII. Features of the literatureWriters: three groups(1) Participants(2) Expatriates(3) Bohemian (unconventional way of life) – on-lookersTwo areas:(1) Failure of communication of Americans(2) Failure of the American societyImagismI. BackgroundImagism was influenced by French symbolism, ancient Chinese poetry and Japanese literature “haiku”II. Development: three stages1. 1908~1909: London, Hulme2. 1912~1914: England -> America, Pound3. 1914~1917: Amy LowellIII. What is an “image”?An image is defined by Pound as that which presents an intellectual and emotional complex in an instant of time, “a vortex or cluster of fused ideas” “endowed with energy”. The exact word must bring the effect of the object before the reader as it had presented itself to the poet’s mind at the time of writing.IV. Principles1. Direct treatment of the “thing”, whether subjective or objective;2. To use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation;3. As regarding rhythm, to compose in the sequence of the musical phrase, not in the sequence of a metronome.V. Significance1. It was a rebellion against the traditional poetics which failed to reflect the new life of the new century.2. It offered a new way of writing which was valid not only for the Imagist poets but for modern poetry as a whole.3. The movement was a training school in which many great poets learned their first lessons in the poetic art.4. It is this movement that helped to open the first pages of modern English and American poetry.VI. Ezra Pound1. life2. literary career3. works(1) Cathay(2) Cantos(3) Hugh Selwyn Mauberley4. point of view(1) Confident in Pound’s belief that the artist was morally and culturally the arbiter and the “saviour” of the race, he took it upon himself to purify the arts and became the prime mover of a few experimental movements, the aim of which was to dump the old into the dustbin and bring forth something new.(2) To him life was sordid personal crushing oppression, and culture produced nothing but “intangible bondage”.(3) Pound sees in Chinese history and the doctrine of Confucius a source of strength and wisdom with which to counterpoint Western gloom and confusion.(4) He saw a chaotic world that wanted setting to rights, and a humanity, suffering from spiritual death and cosmic injustice, that needed saving. He was for the most part of his life trying to offer Confucian philosophy as the one faith which could help to save the West.5. style: very difficult to readPound’s early poems are fresh and lyrical. The Cantos can be notoriously difficult in some sections, but delightfully beautiful in others. Few have made serious study of the long poem; fewer, if anyone at all, have had the courage to declare that they have conquered Pound; and many seem to agree that the Cantos is a monumental failure.6. ContributionHe has helped, through theory and practice, to chart out the course of modern poetry.7. The Cantos – “the intellectual diary since 1915”Features:(1) Language: intricate and obscure(2) Theme: complex subject matters(3) Form: no fixed framework, no central theme, no attention to poetic rulesVII. T. S. Eliot1. life2. works(1) poemsThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock。

美国文学复习大纲

美国文学部分(American Literature)一．殖民时期文学（The Literature of the Colonial Period）1．本章考核知识点和考核要求：1) 早期殖民地时期的文学的特点2) 十八世纪美国文学的特点（重点是独立革命前后时期文学）3) 主要的作家、其概况及其代表作品4) 术语：the colonial period, American Puritanism, Puritans, Enlightenment in American, the Great A wakening2．主要作家作品John Smith第一个美国作家A True Relation of Virginia and General History of Virginia.Anne Bradstreet 殖民地时期女诗人The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America (1650)Jonathan Edwards十八世纪上半叶大觉醒时代的代表人物“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”Benjamin Franklin 本杰明·富兰克林，散文家、科学家、社会活动家，曾参与起草《独立宣言》。

十八世纪美国启蒙思想代言人。

《穷查理历书》Poor Richard’s Almanac（收录格言警句）《致富之道》The Way to Wealth《自传》The Autobiography （富兰克林原意为写给儿子的家书）Thomas Paine 托马斯·潘恩，散文家、政治家、报刊撰稿人。

《常识》Common Sense ( Paine 最知名的政论文：It was inspired by the first battle of the Revolutionary War—the Battle of Lexington in Concord.)《美国危机》American Crisis《人的权利》Rights of Man《专制体制的崩溃》Downfall of Despotism《理性时代》The Age of ReasonPhilip Freneau 菲利普·弗伦诺，著名的“革命诗人”。

American literature

American literatureSo far that we know the American literature includes four periods:Colonial and Revolutionary Period(1607--1765);The reasoning and revolution period(1750-1800);The Romanticism Period(1770--1870). American literature is one of the youngest national literature in the world. It became a colony of Britain in the early 17th century.Colonial and Revolutionary PeriodColonial and Revolutionary Period,in November1620,a group of English settlers,sailing on the ship of Mayflower,stepped on the New England shore at the Plymouth,only half of the 149 people survived the hard voyage on the Atlantic Ocean.These people are called Pilgrim Fathers.Their arrival marked the beginning of the American literature.It stretched roughly from the settlement of Am in the early 17th C through the end of the 18th. The first permanent settlement in America was established by English in 1607.Looking through the American literature history,we can figure out that Puritanism has a significant impact.As a matter of fact ,American literature was from the outset conditioned by the Puritan heritage.As we all know that the optimism is the important symbol for American,indeed the optimism was started from the Puritanism. After arriving at America,the puritans believed that God must have sent them to new place to rebuilt the paradise.Hence their writing was about the voyage to this new place,guide to the new land, endless bounty, invitation to bold spirit or their writings served either God or colonial expansion. Some other colonial writers wrote for civil and religious freedom, and some wrote for America shaking off the fetters of the savage British colonial rule.Besides,most of the writing from is diaries,histories,journals,letters.Then I would introduce some famous authors during this period,John Smith,the first American writer who wrote the A True Relation of Virginia,it is said about the true life condition in Virginia and also the first book in American.Another writer called Roger William was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state.Williams’s career as an author began with A Key into the Language of America , written during his first voyage to England.He believed that toleration did not stem from a lack of religious convictions. Instead, it sprang from the idea that simply to be virtuous in conduct and devout in belief did not give anyone the right to force belief on others. He also felt that no political order or church system could identify itself directly with God.The reasoning and revolution periodAmerica has experienced two revolutions in 18centuries,one is the independence war ,another is the Enlightenment (also called reason and revolution period)The literature of reason and revolution period was born at the time of Independence war ,By the mid-eighteenth century colonial America was no longer a group of scattered, struggling settlements. It was a series of neighboring, flourishing colonies with rapidly expanding, mixed populations. The growth, particularly the industrial growth, led to intense strain with England. In the seventies of the 18th century the English colonies in North America rose in arms against their mother country. The War for Independence last for 8 years. Confronting with such a stress and terrible condition,revolution and evolution is pretty certain.The spiritual life in the colonies during that period was to a great degree moulded by the bourgeois enlightenment.At that times springing a number of politicians and litterateurs,the typical person is Benjamin Franklin who was the great thinker in the Enlightenment movement also influenced a sizable number of persons at that time,he was know as a politician ,litterateur and scientist,in addition,he was one of the committee to draft The Declaration of Independence.he devoted his whole life to American’a independence, as a representative of the Colonies, he tried in vain to counsel the British toward policies that would let America grow and flourish in association with England. He conducted the difficulty negotiations with France that brought financial and military support for America in the war.He also facilitated many civic organizations, including a fire department and a university.So he was one of the founding father in United States of America.people all respected and appreciated what he had done.The Romanticisms periodAmerican Romanticism is divided into two parts, Pre-Romanticism(1770s-1830s) and Post-Romanticism.(1830s-1860s, after Civil war 1865-1875) .The Romantic Period, one of the most important periods in the history of American literature, a sweeping but indispensable modern term applied to the profound shift in Western attitudes to art and human creativity that dominated much of European culture in the first half of the 19th centuries, people were influenced by it so deeply even some people reacted to against it at first time.It is a period following Am independence In this period, .democracy and political equality became a wonderful tendence. America was in an economic boom. There is a tremendous sense of optimism and hope among the people. The spirit of the time is, in some measure, responsible for the outburst of romantic feeling.Living with a better life can the romanticism appears.There is another factor to make the romanticism begin in the earlier time,romanticism emerged in England from 1798 to 1832,British Romanticism inspired the American imagination.The character at that time is pluralistic,manifestations varied,Individualistic.Frequently shared certain general characteristics, moral enthusiasm, faith in the value of individualism and intuitive perception, and a presumption that he natural world was a source of corruption.Washington Irving was the first great belletrist,his contribution to American literature is unique in more ways than one. He did a number of things that have been regarded as the first of their kind in America.The first great prose stylist of American romanticism. Sketch Book, the first modern short stories and the first great American juvenile literature.Irving restored the waning Gothic romances which Poe soon infused with psychological subtleties.A History of New York ,the first American humorous literature masterpiece.owing to a lot of contributions he has done,he was called the Father of American Literature.ConclusionLooking through the history about American history,the three parts are not the whole history,but has very important meaning for American literature.Although American literature has a short history but it is a vivid and outstanding history,also a treasure for the whole world.O. HenryMu favorite American writer is O.Henry,his primitive name : Williams Sydney Porter ,was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. ,his family was poor.Henry's short stories are known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization, and clever twist endings.He was aprolific American short-story writer, a master of surprise endings, who wrote about the life of ordinary people in New York City. Henry was known as a good end, it was called “O•Henry-end”. Although some critics were not so enthusiastic about his work, the public loved it.I have read his short stories like The Gift of Magi ,The Last Leaf .Those stories win universal praise.The feature of his story ,tell about the lives of poor people in New York, plots are exceedingly clever and interesting，humor abounds,the end is always surprising,contain a great deal of slang and colloquial expressions.At that time the civil war was happened, massed together in splendid formation,people leaded a terrible life,this kind of story brought about a sense of hope for hopeless people.My favorite short story is the gift of Magi .It’s about the young couple who are short of money but desperately want to buy each other Christmas gifts. Unbeknownst to Jim, Della sells her most valuable possession, her beautiful hair, in order to buy a platinum fob chain for Jim's watch; while unbeknownst to Della, Jim sells his own most valuable possession, his watch, to buy jeweled combs for Della's hair.The magi, as you know, were wise men–wonderfully wise men–who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.(The gift of Magi).It is a pity that they have lost the beloved thing because of the offer gifts for each other,but they got the more important thing was the unspoken consensus privities of this couple .Though they lost something precious ,they got something more precious.The writer did not declare that how much they love each other but in a implied way to convey a hidden love .Loving in silence is another way to care for your beloved,at that time,love may not be transmitted clearly but author told people love is great but silent.It is a part of the story,from this story,hundreds of thousands of people gain the courage to pursue the happiness ,even in a extremely poor condition .The ending of the story is surprising,the story is intricate in details and fast developing and reach to the climax,and the ending of storing is unexpected and reasonable,actually,that O’Henry’writing style.BibliographyRoger Williams A Key into the Language of America (London, 1643),John Smith,A True Relation of Virginia（1866）Washington Irving sketch Book1820 A History of New York（1809）O ’Hery the gift of Magi（1906）O ’Hery The Last Leaf（1904）from Cabbages and Kings王卓&李权文美国文学史2004美国文学大纲吴定柏1998。

美国文学期末复习笔记

美文学美国部分——浪漫主义时期Part two: American LiteratureChapter 1 The Romantic Period浪漫主义时期1. From the end of the 18th century to the outbreak of he Civil War. It started with the publication of Washington Irving’s The Sketch Book and ended with Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. It is also called “the American Renaissance”.浪漫主义时期开始于十八世纪末，到内战爆发为止，华盛顿.欧文出版的《见闻札记》标志着美国文学的开端，惠特曼的《草叶集》是浪漫主义时期文学的压卷之作。

（也可称为“美国德文艺复兴”）2. The desire for an escape from society and a return to nature became a permanent convention of American literature.对逃离社会，回归自然的渴求成为美国文学的一个永恒的话题。

3. The American Puritanism as a cultural heritage exerted great influences over American moral values.美国清教作为一种文化遗产，对美国人的道德观念产生了很大的影响。

4. Besides, a preoccupation with the Calvinistic view of original sin and the mystery of evil marked the works of Hawthorne, Melville and a host of lesser writers. 在霍桑，麦尔维尔以及其他一些小作家的作品种加尔文主义的原罪思想和罪恶的神秘性都得到了充分的表现。

American_Literature

Transcendalism
美国浪漫主义文学运动足能标炳的是新英格兰的超验主义运动。该运动开始于19世纪30年代的新英格兰的先验主义俱乐部。本来,这个超验主义只是对新英格兰人提出来的。它是针对波士顿的唯一神教派的冷淡古板的理性主义而提的。而后来逐渐影响到全国, 特别是在高级知识分子和文学界人士当中影响颇大。超验主义文学的主要代表是爱默生(Emerson)和梭罗 (Henry Davd Thoreau),他们的作品对美国文学产生了很大影响。超验主义"承认人类具有本能了解或认识真理的能力,能够超过感官获取知识"。爱默生曾说:"只有人心灵的尊严才是最神圣的。"超验主义还认为自然是高尚的,个人是神圣的,因此人必须自助。
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is
won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and
I Heard a Fly Buzz – When I died我死时听到了苍蝇的嗡嗡声
Mine – by the Right of the White Election我的丈夫——选择如意情人的权利
Wild Nights –39;m nobody! Who are you?
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.见闻札记
A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada征服格拉纳达