美国文学笔记及习题

Part One Colonial AmericaChapter I American Puritanism1. The New WorldChristopher Columbus discovered it in 1492. The discovery stimulated the Europeans into this fascinating and strange continent in rapid succession. These Europeans—the Spanish, the Dutch, the Swedes, the French, and the English—pushed the aboriginal inhabitants (American Indians) westward and established their own colonies respectively. Thus arose the New World.2. Puritan FathersThe English made their first successful settlement at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, and then other English colonies emerged one after another, especially after the arrival of “Mayflower” in Plymouth in 1620. The early British settlers were quite a few of them Puritans. To avoid the religious persecution, some of them managed to escape to the new World and became known as Puritan Fathers or Pilgrim Fathers of the American nation.3. The Puritan PrinciplesThe principles and practices of puritans were popularly known as Puritanism. Puritanism accepted the doctrines of Calvinism: the sovereignty of God, the supreme authority of the bible, and the irresistibility of God’s will for man in every act of his life from cradle to grave. These doctrines led the Puritans to examine their souls to find whether they were of the elect and to search the Bible to determine God’s will. Thus piety, austerity of taste, diligence, thrift and introspection were common puritan traits.4. Characteristics of American PuritansOn the one hand, religious idealists. They would restore the church to the purity of the belief that they would restore the church to the purity of the first century church as established by Jesus Christ himself, and they would build a new Garden of Eden in America enjoying God’s blessings.On the other hand, more practical; preoccupied with business and profits; struggle for survival; be ever ready for any misfortune and tragic failures.On the whole, the American Puritan was “a doctrinaire and an opportunist”.5. The Puritan HeritageEarly Puritanism has had continuous strong influence upon American thought and culture. Some of the most important elements of this puritan legacy have been summarized as follows:1) Rigid sense of morality;2) Emphasis upon material success;3) Self-reliance;4) Feeling for democracy;5) Enthusiasm for education;6) Fervor for social reform;7) Conflict of conscience arising from an awareness that material success is not adequate as a major goal in life.With regard to American literature, Puritanism exerted its influence in three ways:1) A new Garden of Eden in America, (a perfect land); Optimism characterized early American literature.2) Observe things in a metaphorical mode; a symbol of God; a perception left symbolism as one chief feature of American literature.3) The puritan style of writing is characterized by simplicityChapter II The Colonial Literature1. Characteristics of the Colonial LiteratureAmerican literature grew out of humble origins. There were no literal works in a real sense in the early colonial period. The early myths were personal literature in the forms of diaries, travel books, letters, journals, sermons, histories and prose. In content, they wrote about the voyage to the new land, about adapting themselves to unfamiliar climates and crops, about dealing with Indians, and especially about religion. In form, English literary traditions were imitated.Hard work, thrift, piety and sobriety 节制; 严肃, these were the puritan values that dominated much of the early American writing.The first American writer was Captain John Smith whose reports of exploration and settlement have been described as the first American literature written in English.2. William Bradford (1590—1657)William Bradford was one of the Puritan Fathers who came to America in 1620 and then the first governor of Plymouth. The History of Plymouth Plantation.《普利茅斯垦殖记》3. Anne Bradstreet (1612—1672)Anne Bradstreet was the first notable poet in American literature with an authentic puritan voice.The true poetry of 17th century New England;“The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America.” She was later known as the Tenth Muse.Anne was one of the American poets who emerged in the seventeenth century and adapted the style of established European poets to the subject matter confronted in a strange, new environment.4. Edward Taylor (1642—1729)Edward Taylor is popularly regarded as the best puritan poet of colonial America; He wrote metaphysical poems, in the tradition of Donne and Herbert; religious themes with an intense love for God 5. Jonathan Edwards (1703—1758)Before his death, Jonathan Edwards had gained a position as American’s first systematic philosopher.He is known as t he first modern American and the country’s last medieval man.The Literature of Colonial AmericaI. Fill in the blanks.1. Among the members of the small band of Jamestown settlers was Captain John Smith, an English soldier of fortune, whose reports of exploration, published in the early 1600s, have been described as the first distinct American literature written in English.2. The term “Puritan” was applied to those settlers who originally were devout members of the Church of England.3. The first permanent English settlement in North America was established at Jamestown,Virginia.4. Hard work, thrift, piety and sobriety, these were the Puritan values that dominated much of the early American writing.5. Many Puritans wrote verse, but the work of two writers, Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor, rose to the level of real poetry.6. Before his death, Jonathan Edwards had gained a position as American’s first systematic philosopher.7. Piety, austerity of taste,diligence, thrift and introspection were common puritan traits.8. On the whole, the American Puritan was “a doctrinaire and an opportunist”.9. Hard work, thrift,piety and sobriety, these were the puritan values that dominated much of the early American writing. II. Multiple Choices.1. Early in the seventeenth century, the English settlements in _____ began the main stream of what we recognize as the American national history.A. Virginia and PennsylvaniaB. Massachusetts and New YorkC. Virginia and MassachusettsD. New York and Pennsylvania2. The first writings that we call American were the narratives and _____ of the early settlements.A. journalsB. poetryC. dramaD. folklores3. In 1620 a number of puritans came to settle in _____.A. VirginiaB. GeorgiaC. MarylandD.Massachusetts4. The following nouns characterized early American literature except _____.A. optimismB. symbolismC. simplicityD. rationalism5. Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan poet. Her poems made such a stir in England that she became known as the “_____” who appeared in America.A. Ninth MuseB. Tenth MuseC. Best MuseD. First Muse6. The ship “_____” carried about one hundred Pilgrims and took 66 days to beat its way across the Atlantic. In December of 1620, it put the Pilgrims ashore at Plymouth, Massachusetts.A. SunflowerB. ArmadaC. MayflowerD. Titanic7. What style did the seventeenth century American poets adapt to the subject matter confronted in a strange, new environment?A. The style of their own.B. The style mixed with English and American elements.C. The style mixed with native-American and British tradition.D. The style of established European poets.。