3 全套美国文学精心整理的各个时期作家作品简介Revolutionary American literature

机敏的，敏锐的
Is there any famous people that you know in the American revolutionary period?
Leading Writers in this Period
• Benjamin Franklin – Poor Richard’s Almanac 《格言历书》 – The Autobiography 《自传》 • Thomas Paine – Common Sense 《常识》 – The American Crisis 《美洲的危机》 • Thomas Jefferson – The Declaration of Independence • Philip Freneau – “The Wild Honey Suckle” 《野金银花》 – “The Indian Burying Ground” 《印第安人墓地》 – “To a Caty-Did”
Thoughts of the Enlightenment thinkers and writers
• The Enlightenment thinkers and writers are – devoted to the ideals of justice, liberty, and equality as the natural rights of man – firm believers in the power of reason – ambitious, inquisitive, optimistic, practical, politically astute, and selfreliant
Enlightenment
• Religious Freedom • Emphasis on Reason – Freedom and rationality of human beings’ thinking – Human beings have the ability to know and even change the world – Progress of science, society
Cultural and Literary Background (2)
• American reading public interested in works by – English scientists, philosophers and writers such as Newton, Swift, etc – French Enlightenment writers such as Voltaire • Spiritual life – influenced by the bourgeois Enlightenment – enliven secular education and literature – a decisive blow upon the puritan traditions
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
• • • • • Businessman Scientist Statesman humanitarian Writer
Famous sayings
• Diligence is the mother of good luck. • Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn. • There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self. • If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality.
Social and Economic Background (2)
• Industry

rich and plentiful natural resources
native industries sprouts everywhere
Political Background (1)
• The 13 colonies were ruled by the British government economically and politically – Export raw materials at a low price and import finished goods at a high price – Heavy tax imposed by British government – No representation in Parliament
• Literary forms – Political pamphlets and state papers • Characteristics – Derivative and dependent – Writings patterned on the writing of 18th century Englishmen such as Alexander Pope, Addison, Steele, etc. – A calling for Literary independence • Noah Webster • Thomas Jefferson
the United States of America came into being
Cultural and Literary Background (1)
• Emerging of new literary centers
Boston, remains a major center of thought; Philadelphia, New York and the state of Virginia emerge as equal sources of political and literary talent
American Enlightenment
• American Enlightenment – a movement springing up in the new continent in the latter half of the 18th century – a movement marked by an emphasis on • rationality rather than tradition • scientific inquiry instead of unquestioning religious dogma • representative government in place of monarchy
Lecture Three
Revolutionary American Literature
(1765-1800)
By 张慧 hzhang8311@
Contents
• Historical Background • Leading writers in the Revolutionary period • Characteristics of Revolutionary American literature • Benjamin Franklin – Autobiography
The Autobiography
• An unfinished record of Franklin’s life written from 1771 (aged 65) to 1790 • Whole manuscript was Published in 1868 • The first successful biographical work in American literature • The first American book to be taken seriously by Europeans as literature
Historical Background
• Social and Economic • Political • Cultural and literary
Social and Economic Background (1)
• Population and Community
populations expand rapidly and the original scattered, struggling settlements were replaced by neighboring, flourishing colonies
Political Background (2)
The Star-spangled Banner Flag
National Emblem / Bald Eagle / Condor In 1770s, the English colonies in North
America rose in arms against their mother country - The War of Independence (17761783)
Franklin’s Great Contributions to his country
• Founded the Junto, a club for informal discussion of
scientific, economic and political ideas
• Aided Jefferson in writing the Declaration of Independence • Conducted the difficult negotiations with France that brought financial and military support for America in the war • Served as a delegate to the convention that wrote the Constitution • He was the only American to sign the four documents that created the United States: – The Declaration of Independence – The Treaty of Alliance with France – The Treaty of Peace with England – The Constitution