美国文学整理(终)

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文学评论

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V.

1.

2.

3.

VI.

1.

2.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

works

(1)

Nature

(2)

Two essays: The American Scholar, The Poet

point of view

(1)

One major element of his philosophy is his firm belief in the transcendence of the

“oversoul”.

(2)

He regards nature as the purest, and the most sanctifying moral influence on man,

and advocated a direct intuition of a spiritual and immanent God in nature.

(3)

If

man

depends

upon

himself,

cultivates

himself

and

brings

out

the

divine

in

himself,

he

can

hope

to

become

better

and

even

perfect.

This

is

what

Emerson

means by “the infinitude of man”.

(4)

Everyone should understand that he makes himself by making his world, and that

he makes the world by making himself.

aesthetic ideas

(1)

He is a complete man, an eternal man.

(2)

True poetry and true art should ennoble.

(3)

The poet should express his thought in symbols.

(4)

As to theme, Emerson called upon American authors to celebrate America which

was to him a lone poem in itself.

Henry David Thoreau

works

(1)

A Week on the Concord and Merrimack River

(2)

Walden

(3)

A Plea for John Brown (an essay)

point of view

(1)

He

did

not

like

the

way

a

materialistic

America

was

developing

and

was

vehemently outspoken on the point.

(2)

He hated the human injustice as represented by the slavery system.

(3)

Like Emerson, but more than him, Thoreau saw nature as a genuine restorative,

healthy influence on man’s s

piritual well- being.

(4)

He has faith in the inner virtue and inward, spiritual grace of man.

(5)

He was very critical of modern civilization.

(6)

“Simplicity…simplify!”

(7)

He

was

sorely

disgusted

with

“the

inundations

of

the

dirty

institutions

of

men’s

odd-fellow societ

y”.

(8)

He has calm trust in the future and his ardent belief in a new generation of men.

3.

清教主义

(Puritanism)

1.

features of Puritanism

(1)

Predestination: God decided everything before things occurred.

(2)

Original sin: Human beings were born to be evil, and this original sin can be passed

down from generation to generation.

(3)

Total depravity

(4)

Limited atonement: Only the “elect” can be saved.

2.

Influence

(1)

A

group

of

good

qualities

–

hard

work,

thrift,

piety,

sobriety

(serious

and

thoughtful) influenced American literature.

(2)

It led to the everlasting myth. All literature is based on a myth

–

garden of Eden.

(3)

Symbolism: the American puritan’s metaphorical mode of perception was chiefly

instrumental in calling into being a literary symbolism which is distinctly American.

(4)

With

regard

to

their

writing,

the

style

is

fresh,

simple

and

direct;

the

rhetoric

is

plain

and

honest,

not

without

a

touch

of

nobility

often

traceable

to

the

direct

influence of the Bible.

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