[文學(xué)研究]C2 美國文學(xué) 殖民地時(shí)期 現(xiàn)代主義詩歌

20111013 Thursday整個(gè)文學(xué)脈絡(luò)美國：1. The literature of colonial America (1590-1750)2. The literature of Reason and Revolution (the war of Independence 1750 - 1810) 3. Romanticism (1810 - 1860 civil war)4. Realism and naturalism (latter half of 19th cen.)5. 20th century literature 1. Literature in stage I/ IINot wonderful , no special featuresSimple literary works: personal letters, historical records, journals, sermons, political pamphletsserved for the religious and political purposeStyle: followed the example of its English counterparte.g. Franklin Key points:the first American writer, the father of American poetrythe first important American writerPuritanism features/ influences Franklin Autobiography the American dream 3. Romanticism (1810 - 1860 civil war)From the end of the 18th century (after the War for Independence ) through the outbreak of the Civil War.(1798 the preface of Lyrical Ballads-1832 the death of Scott) a. 1st phase: Early Romanticismnovel -Irving (local events ) Cooper (the West) poetry- Bryant, Poe (rose to the same level of its English literature to some degree)b. 2nd phase: New England Renaissance (summit)developed its distinct style and form optimism Transcendentalism Emerson/ Thoreau; pessimism ( Hawthorne, Melville) Irving: position, The Sketch Booktwo masterpiecesmain ideas, theme, etc., his attitude towards the change and European cultureCooper:The frontier Saga Central figure features, special image of IndiansPermanent theme: desire for an escape from society and a return to nature= conventionBryant: Title, masterpiecesimilarity with WordsworthPoe:Writing principle:Brevity, beauty; Unity of Effect or AtmosphereVs Oscar Wildes Aesthetic movementFavorite topics/tone: Masterpiece:Poetry: To Helen, Annabel Lee, The RavenShort story: The Cask of amontillado, the fall of the house of usher Transcendentalism:I. Features1. the transcendence of oversoul2. divinity of men, importance of individualism3. nature symbol of spirit/God；restorative influence 4. focus in intuition (irrationalism and subconsciousness)II. Influence1. It served as an ethical guide to life for a young nation and brought about the idea that human can be perfected by nature. It stressed religious tolerance, called to throw off shackles of customs and traditions and go forward to the development of a new and distinctly American culture.2. It advocated idealism that was great needed in a rapidly expanded economy where opportunity often became opportunism Emerson: Americansnewborn Adam, standing simple and sincere before the world 3. It helped to create the first American renaissance one of the most prolific period in American literature.Representatives: 1Ralph Waldo Emerson1. life2. works(1) Nature manifesto/ Bible(2) speech: The American Scholarintellectual Declaration of Independence3. opinions(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”. self-reliance4. aesthetic ideas about the poet The Poet, The Nature and The American Scholar(1) definition of poetno ordinary person. He is a complete man, an eternal man. He should be able to see into the depths of infinite time, comprehend the path of things and the divine unity of the Universe by intuition and communicate the feelings of contact with nature to his fellowmen.§ Whitman: envisioned the poet as a hero, a savior and a prophet, one who leads the community by his expression of the truth. § In “The Defense of Poetry,” Shelley claims that “poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Poets hold up a mirror to society challenging us (readers) to question our behavior, our morals, our philosophy. § Vs Plato (liars should be banished from Republic) Wordsworth, Eliot (2) True poetry and true art should ennoble. It should serve as a moral purification and a passage toward organic unity and higher reality.(3) The poet should express his thought in symbols. as for him, symbolism is a universal thing. Influence of Puritanism(4) As to theme, Emerson called upon American authors to celebrate America which was to him a long poem in itself, to celebrate the life of today. American intellectuals should have independent mind, stop imitating and transplanting European tradition, should focus on here and present. attitude toward American culture: IrvingThe Authors Account of Himself: praise the sublime and beautiful natural scenery of America, America was full of youthful promise, which Europe was rich in the accumulated treasures of age., Hawthorne, Henry James, T.S. Eliot II. Henry David Thoreau1. works: Walden2. ideas(1) He did not like the way a materialistic America was developing and was vehemently outspoken on the point. very critical of modern civilization.(2) Practical Transcendentalism: nature as a genuine restorative, healthy influence on mans spiritual well-being.(3) He has faith in the inner virtue and inward, spiritual grace of man.Nathaniel Hawthorne1. works(1) Two collections of short stories: Twice-told Tales, Mosses from and Old Manse(2) The Scarlet Letter main ideas, characters, theme, features(3) The House of the Seven Gables(4) The Marble Faun2/ Setting: Puritan New EnglandTopic: Evil & sinIdeas: “black vision” toward human beingsFeatures: AmbiguityTechniques: symbolism3. ideas:1mixed attitude towards Puritanism 2Hawthornes view of sin/evilguilt, sin, and evil are the most inherent natural qualities of humanity.all his life, Hawthorne seems to be haunted by his sense of _sin_ and _evil_. It illustrates to some extent the influence of the Calvinist doctrine of _original sin_& total depravity_.e.g. The Ministers Black Veil“I look around me, and lo! On every visage a Black veil.” 瞧啊，你們每一個(gè)人臉上都有一塊黑面紗！描寫社會(huì)和人性的陰暗面是霍桑作品的突出特點(diǎn)，這與加爾文教關(guān)于人的“原罪”和“內(nèi)在墮落”的理論的影響是分不開的。His top concern: sources of evil/sin, its influence on people psychological, ways of redeeming sin:Sources of evil:1. original sin, evil can be passed down The House of the Seven Gables2. Inner heart of every man Evil is at the core of human life3. overweening science: The modern science and technology which could suppress mens emotion and imaginatione.g. doctor/scientist= vicious, cruel, stone-hearted Dr. Rappaccinis Daughter/ BirthmarkWhenever there is sin, there is punishment. He is of the opinion that evil educates.Explore ways of redeeming sin: brave to confess and face it, correct it through love, devotion, generosity and forgiveness.他著重探討道德和罪惡的問題，主張通過善行和自懺來洗刷罪惡、凈化心靈，從而得到拯救。然而霍桑并非全寫黑暗，他在揭露社會(huì)罪惡和人的劣根性的同時(shí)，對(duì)許多善良的主人公寄予極大的同情。正如他的朋友、作家赫爾曼.梅爾維爾(Herman Melville)所指出的，霍桑的黑暗使在這黑暗中不停前進(jìn)的黎明顯得更加明亮。Hawthornes dark awareness gives more effect to ever-moving dawn, that forever advances through it, and circumnavigates 環(huán)航 the world. aesthetic ideas1 He took a great interest in history and antiquity. = he repeated complained about “the poverty of materials” in the land where “there is no shadow, no antiquity, no mystery, no picturesque and gloomy wrong, nor anything but a commonplace prosperity, in broad and simple light”A man with any literary ambition would have to resort to the help of his imagination, “to recall what was valuable in the past” .= thus, he took a great interest in history and antiquity. he believed that America needs to better understand its religious and moral heritage.2 his works= psychological romance Romance Vs novel the novel writing is “presumed to aim at a very minute fidelity, not merely to the possible, but to the probable and ordinary course of mans experience.”, while the romance writing has “fairly a right to present that truth under circumstances, to a great extent, of the writers own choosing or creation” - preface to The House of the Seven Gables the metaphor of the mirror and the lamp (by M.H. Abrams)the metaphor about the psyche /inner heartsince Plato, think that the psyche of men is like a mirror, which can only imitate the physical world passively. 從柏拉圖到18世紀(jì)的主要思維特征 把心靈比作外界事物的反映者;文學(xué)被視為一種寫實(shí)的再現(xiàn)，對(duì)世界的模仿，并不是創(chuàng)造，如鏡子一樣反照著人間事物 (模仿論mimetic)(Neoclassicism: poetry is the imitation of physical world, a mirror held up to nature)Romanticists think that the psyche is like a lamp, which casts its light to the physical world actively浪漫主義時(shí)期：心靈比喻成燈/發(fā)光體文學(xué)是心靈的表現(xiàn)，是創(chuàng)造的表現(xiàn)，是對(duì)人類主觀世界的表現(xiàn)。poetry as an expression of the feelings, temperament and mental powers of the author. Expressive theory (表現(xiàn)說)He claims that Romance was the predestined form of American narrative.1. the poverty of materials in America2. his puritan prudence to consider that romance allows him to treat the physical passions obliquely and to avoid violating the human heart offend the puritan tasterTo tell the truth and satirize and yet not to offend: That was what Hawthorne had in mind to achieve.e.g. the preface to The Scarlet Letter “The Custom-House”The narrator, a staff in the custom, claims that he discovers an old manuscript in the office that tells the story of Hester Prynne. Basing on this materials, he made up his story “The Scarlet Letter”在這個(gè)神秘包裹里最吸引我注意的是一件用精致紅布做的東西，相當(dāng)舊，褪了色。邊上有用金絲線刺繡的痕跡，不過磨損得很厲害，已看不清楚了，也沒有什么光澤了。很容易看出，這件東西是絕妙的手工針線活；其針腳（我相信是熟稔此道奧秘的女子縫的）說明這種手藝已失傳，即令把線頭揀出來重新加工也恢復(fù)不了原樣。這塊紅色的破布-時(shí)間、磨損、還有一只破壞圣物的蛾子把它弄得真正成了一塊破抹布-仔細(xì)察看，呈現(xiàn)一個(gè)字母的形狀，大寫字母A。根據(jù)精確的丈量，字母的兩條腿長三又四分之一英寸。毫無疑問，它是用作衣服上的裝飾品；但是怎么佩戴，以及在過去它標(biāo)志什么等級(jí)、榮譽(yù)和尊嚴(yán)則是個(gè)我猜不透的謎，因?yàn)檫@些東西的時(shí)尚款式一時(shí)一變，轉(zhuǎn)眼便過時(shí)了。然而，我對(duì)它頗感興趣。我目不轉(zhuǎn)睛地盯住那個(gè)古老的紅字?？梢钥隙ㄟ@里含有深?yuàn)W的意義，值得好好探究，但事實(shí)上，從這個(gè)神秘符號(hào)中泄出的意義可以與我的感情維妙維肖地交流溝通，卻悄悄地避開我理智的分析。我便這樣迷惑不解，思忖種種假設(shè)，其中我曾設(shè)想這個(gè)字母會(huì)不會(huì)是白人設(shè)計(jì)出來戴在身上的一種裝飾，以吸引印第安人的注意力，想到這里，我拿起它放在自己胸口試一試。我似乎覺得-讀者可以笑出聲，但千萬不要懷疑我說的話-我當(dāng)時(shí)似乎經(jīng)受了一種不完全是肉體上的感覺，而是像一股滾燙的熱流襲上身來；仿佛那個(gè)字母不是紅布做的，而是一塊燒紅的烙鐵。我怦然一跳，不由自主地松手讓紅字掉落在地板上。我全神貫注在紅字上，沒有注意到還有一小卷臟兮兮的紙，拐拐扭扭地塞在邊上。這時(shí)我把它打開，滿心喜悅，發(fā)現(xiàn)上面竟是老稽查官的筆跡，相當(dāng)詳細(xì)地對(duì)整個(gè)事情作了解釋，寫了有好幾張八裁大紙，包括了許多有關(guān)一個(gè)叫海絲特·白蘭女人的生平和談話等細(xì)節(jié)。她似乎在我們先輩的心目中頗為引人矚目。她生活在馬薩諸塞初創(chuàng)至十七世紀(jì)末葉之間。在稽查官皮尤先生時(shí)期活著的老人都還記得她，皮尤先生就是根據(jù)他們的口述記下了她的情況。在老人們年輕的時(shí)候，她已經(jīng)年事頗高，但并沒有老態(tài)龍鐘，而是莊重端祥。她從很早的時(shí)候起便養(yǎng)成了一個(gè)習(xí)慣，四出走訪當(dāng)一名義務(wù)看護(hù)，做力能所及的各種善事；同樣，她努力給別人排憂解難，特別幫助那些心靈上受到創(chuàng)傷的人。通過這些手段，她像具有這樣習(xí)性的人經(jīng)常遇到的那樣，她贏得了許多人的崇敬，被視為天使；但是我也想象到她被另外一些人看成是一個(gè)多管閑事的人，一個(gè)令人討厭的婆娘。往下讀這些手稿時(shí)，我發(fā)現(xiàn)還記載著有關(guān)這個(gè)不同尋常女人的其他活動(dòng)和遭受的苦難，其中的多數(shù)情節(jié)讀者可以參閱那篇題為紅字的故事；應(yīng)該牢牢記住，那個(gè)故事里的主要事實(shí)是以稽查官皮尤先生的文件為依據(jù)或佐證的。原始文件及那個(gè)紅布做的字母-一件最引起人們好奇的遺物-仍然由我保管，凡對(duì)這個(gè)記述感興趣的，想親眼目睹一下這些東西的人，隨時(shí)都可前來觀看。人們不應(yīng)該以為我在加工修飾這個(gè)故事，在想象故事里人物的思想動(dòng)機(jī)和感情方式時(shí)，我自始自終把自己局限于老稽查官寫的那六七大頁材料里。相反，我在這些方面給我自己充分的自由，有的情節(jié)看來完全是我制造出來的。我力爭做到的是故事梗概的真實(shí)性。 - Preface to The Scarlet Letter Style typical romantic writer1 the use of symbols2 revelation of characters psychology3 use of ambiguity to keep the reader in the world of uncertainty Relation with Transcendentalism:1. His wifefamiliar with Emerson.he joined the transcendentalist Utopian community at Brook Farm in 1841. Influences: free will, the enlightening nature “靈魂應(yīng)對(duì)自然”以及“自然具有啟示性”的觀點(diǎn)讓霍桑獲得了靈感，肯定人類靈魂深處“自然屬性”的一面，具有人文主義的傾向。2. in his later writing, showed the disapproval e.g. much confidence with mens ability Herman MelvilleWorks: sea adventures, Moby DickIdeas:1 He never seems able to say an affirmative yes to life: His is the attitude of “Everlasting Nay” (negative attitude towards life). 2 major themes:alienation (far away from each other).loneliness, suicidal individualism (individualism causing disaster and death), rejection and quest, confrontation of innocence and evil, doubts over the comforting 19c idea of progressbleak view of the world in which he lived. Man in this universe lives a meaningless and futile life. style:Like Hawthorne, Melville manages to achieve the effect of ambiguity through employing the technique of multiple view of his narratives.His works are symbolic and metaphorical.e.g: Moby Dick more than a sea adventure, a great epic romance, and a highly philosophical allegorical novel: the rebellious struggle of men captain Ahab against the overwhelming, mysterious vastness of the universe and its awesome, sometimes merciless forcesMoby Dick.Tragic hero: Aristotle “Poetics” 亞里士多德認(rèn)為，悲劇人物的品質(zhì)由他們的性格決定，性格在于對(duì)行動(dòng)的選擇。悲劇要寫同常人有相似性的好人遭受不應(yīng)有的厄運(yùn)，它所表現(xiàn)的人物也就有特定的性格。他心目中的悲劇人物有其社會(huì)道德標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，而刻畫他們的性格，又有出于摹仿說的審美標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。他提出悲劇人物的性格應(yīng)當(dāng)善良，適合人物的身份，雖優(yōu)于常人而和普通人有相似性，有表現(xiàn)某種類型人物的內(nèi)在一致性。他認(rèn)為：悲劇主人公并非大善大德、十分公正，而是介于完人和普通人之間的人，這種主角“所以陷入厄運(yùn)，不是由于他們?yōu)榉亲鞔?，而是由于他有錯(cuò)誤(hamartia)”，所以從順境轉(zhuǎn)入逆境，“其原因不在于人物壞心行惡，而在于他犯有大錯(cuò)誤”。悲劇人物既非完人、亦非歹徒，同普通人相當(dāng)接近、相似，他們有缺陷、錯(cuò)誤。如俄狄浦斯出身顯貴，是關(guān)心城邦、公民的好人，但也有粗暴、猜疑、見事不明、盲信預(yù)言的缺點(diǎn)。悲劇性主角有善良品質(zhì)，悲劇要摹仿、崇揚(yáng)，令人體驗(yàn)崇高；他們因有和普通人相似的缺陷、錯(cuò)誤而落入悲慘結(jié)局，才最驚心動(dòng)魄，使人推人及己，發(fā)生恐懼與憐憫，體味悲壯和借鑒性意義。 They fall into misfortune because of some weaknessTo arouse the pity and fear of the audiencee.g. Great tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth Each portrays some noble heroes, who face the injustice of human fate; each hero has his weakness of nature. Hamlet, the melancholic scholar-prince, faces the dilemma between action and mind: Othellos inner weakness is made use of by the outside evil force; the old King Lear who is unwilling to totally give up his power makes himself suffer, from treachery and infidelity; Macbeths lust for power stirs up his ambition and leads him to incessant crime.Captain Ahab: overconfident, too indulged into his revenge. Two poets: transitional figuresWalt WhitmanI. work: Leaves of Grass (9 editions): Song of Myself Oh, Captain, My Captain, I hear Lilas.II. mainly influenced by: enlightenment, transcendentalismEmersontopics: progressive ideasequality, democracy, pursuit of love and happiness, self-reliance, etc. , American ordinary people, conventional topics: death, nature, immanence of God3. style: “free verse” no fixed rhyme or schemea looser and more open-ended syntactic structureuse of conventional imagestrong tendency to use oral Englishsentences catalogue technique: long list of names, long poem lines4. influenceContemporary American poetry, whatever school or form, bears witness to his great influence.Emily Dickenson1. life: reclusive cf: Emily Bronte2. works(1) My Life Closed Twice before Its Close(2) Because I Cant Stop for Death(3) I Heard a Fly Buzz When I died(4) Mine by the Right of the White Election(5) Wild Nights Wild Nights3. themes: conventional topics, new themes/ meaningsbased on her own experiences/joys/sorrows(1) religion doubt and belief about religious subjects(2) death and immortality ambivalent(3) love suffering and frustration caused by love(4) physical aspect of desire(5) nature kind and cruel4. style(1) poems without titles(2) severe economy of expression;directness, brevity(3) image: simple, fresh, vivid Imagism(4) Innovation in syntax, punctuatione.g. capital letters emphasisDeviation : a kind of language diverging from the accepted linguistic norms. § normal uses of language in everyday automatize language to such an extent that its speakers no longer see its expressive or aesthetic power, in order to regain such power poetry must de-automatize or foreground language by breaking the rules of everyday language. (王守元，1990：16 )(5) In terms of form, many of her poems resemble hymns贊美詩in form. (the repeated four-line, rhymed stanzas )(6) rhetoric techniques: personification make some of abstract ideas vividII. Comparison: Whitman vs. Dickinson1. Similarities:(1) Thematically, they both extolled, in their different ways, an emergent America, its expansion, its individualism and its Americanness, their poetry being part of “American Renaissance”.(2) Technically, they both added to the literary independence of the new nation by breaking free of the convention of the iambic pentameter and exhibiting a freedom in form unknown before: they were pioneers in American poetry.2. differences:(1) Whitman seems to keep his eye on society at large; Dickinson explores the inner life of the individual.(2) Whereas Whitman is “national” in his outlook, Dickinson is “regional”.(3)W uses the endless, all-inclusive structure D -concise, direct and simple diction and syntaxThe age of realism and NaturalismRealism Critical realism in Englanddepict the reality in a truthful and realistic way, writers: Strong sense of social responsibility, expose the social/political problems of the existing system/ criticize or mock/ satirize the hypocrisy and greedy of the ruling class, show great sympathy to the weak/ poor I. early form of American Realism: the literature of local color Local Colorism in 1860s, 1870s1890sBackground: the increasing development of industrialization magazines appeared to let writer publish their workslocal 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 literatureBret Harte the westMrs StoweNew England Kate Chopin - the southMark Twain- the south Three Giants in Realistic PeriodWilliam Dean Howells “Dean of American Realism”1 Realistic principlesRealism is “fidelity to experience and probability of motive”. The aim is “talk of some ordinary traits of American life”. The smiling aspect of the middle class2Works: The Rise of Silas Lapham3 Features of His Worksa. Optimistic toneb. Moral development/ethicsc. Lacking of psychological depthHenry JamesLiterary career: three stagesa. 18651882: international themeAmerican innocence in contact and contrast with European decadence; attitude towards two culturesl The Americanl Daisy Millerl The Portrait of a Ladyb. 18821895: inter-personal relationships and some playsl Daisy Miller (play)c. 18951900: novellas and tales dealing with childhood and adolescence, then back to international themel The Turn of the Screwl When Maisie Knewl The Ambassadorsl The Wings of the Dovel The Golden BowlAesthetic ideas criticism: The Art of Fiction a. The aim of novel: represent lifeb. Commonplace, even ugly side of lifec. Importance of art “Its art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance, while actual life is all inclusion and confusion” for art is all “discrimination and selection of what is centrally revelatory and typical”d. Avoiding omniscient point of viewe.g.: Point of viewPsychological analysis, forefather of stream of consciousnessPsychological realismVoice from upper classStyle “stylist”a. Language: highly-refined, polished, insightful, accurateb. Vocabulary: largec. Construction: complicated, intricateIII. Mark Twain Mississippi1. works(1) The Gilded Age(2) “the two advantages”(3) Life on the Mississippi(4) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court(5) The Man That Corrupted Hardleybug2. 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)II. Comparison of the three “giants” of American Realism1. ThemeHowells middle classJames upper classTwain lower class2. TechniqueHowells smiling/genteel realismJames psychological realismTwain local colourism and colloquialismO. Henry, etc. Chapter 4 American NaturalismI. Background1. Darwins theory: