美国文学概述Lecture 2 Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Social Background
●freedom from restraint;
●age of revolutions
●experimentation in science;
●the presence of the frontier;
●growth in nationalism;
●growth in materialism;
●the age of the gifted amateur;
●belief in progressivism.
●His life:
Born into a poor candle makers family; the 15th of his father’s 17children
Had very little formal education
Was apprenticed to his older brother at 12
Ran away to Philadelphia to make his own fortune at 17
A printer, postmaster, almanac maker, essayist, scientist, orator, statesman,
philosopher, political economist, ambassador
The only American to sign the four documents that created the US
One of the makers of the new nation
●Poor Richard’s Almanac:
containing witty maxims for achieving wealth as a result of hard work and thrift.
●“Lost time is never found again.”
“A penny saved is a penny earned.”
“God help them that help themselves.”
“Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
☆A record of a man rising to wealth and fame from a state of poverty and obscurity.
☆The book demonstrates Franklin’s confident belief that the new world of American was a land of opportunities which might be met through hard work and wise management.
☆The book celebrates the fulfillment of the American dream.
☆It is a Puritan document of self-examination and self-improvement.
☆The spirit of self-reliance, originating from Puritan ethics, bloomed in the next century into Emerson’s Transcendentalism.
●Franklin's Autobiography has received widespread praise, both for its historical value as a
record of American’s first self-made man and for its literary style.
●It follows the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision. (the plainness of its
style, the homeliness of imagery, the simplicity of diction, syntax and expression)
●It is often considered the first American book to be taken seriously by Europeans as
literature.
●William Dean Howells asserted that "Franklin's is one of the greatest autobiographies in
literature, and towers over other autobiographies as Franklin towered over other men."
“To His So n”
●The Autobiography opens with a salutation to Ben Franklin son, William Franklin, who at
the time was the royal governor of New Jersey.
●Franklin is writing in the summer of 1771 on vacation in a small town about 50 miles
south of London.
Why did Franklin write his Autobiography?
●He assumes that his son might be interested in knowing the circumstances of his life.
●He claims to write so that his own life may be an example for his son of how one can live
well and how one can get through hardships.
●He has enjoyed his life and would like to repeat it. But since he cannot repeat life, he can
instead recollect it.
●He admits that he wants to gratify his own vanity.
●His motive for writing, as well as Franklin's mention of correcting some errors were he to
relive his life, both indicate Franklin's constant interest in self-improvement. This is perhaps the most important theme in the Autobiography.
A Summary of “To His Son”:
●Franklin says that he is taking his one week vacation in the English countryside to record
his past for his son.
●He states his motives for writing his autobiography.
●He thanks God for allowing him to live a good life.
“The Arrival in Philadelphia”
Ben and his brother:
●Ben and James, often fought over trifling matters.
●When James was jailed for political reasons, Ben had the chance to take over the
newspaper briefly,
●Ben held the job in name even after James was released under the stipulation that James
could no longer work on the paper.
●After another fight with James, Ben suddenly broke his contract and quit his job.
●James immediately instructed the other printers in Boston not to hire his brother, and as a
result, Ben realizes that he would have to travel to a different city if he wished to find work.
One of His First Errata
●Franklin mentions his "first errata," when he quits his job with his brother.
●His mention of his errors blends in well with the overall theme of self-improvement.
●He wants to make it clear that he has never acted perfectly in all situations, and he wishes
to indicate that he recognizes the mistakes he has made during his life.
●He also points them out as a means of showing humility.
A Summary of “The Arrival in Philadelphia”
●At age 17, he secretly leaves home and traveled to New York City. He finds no work
there , but learns that he could get a job in Philadelphia.
●His journey to Philadelphia is eventful as he gets caught in a storm, during which he
saved the life of a drunken Dutchman.
●The boat dropped him off near Burlington, about 18 miles from Philadelphia.
●He finally arrived in the city in the Market Street Wharf with a ridiculous appearance.
His List of Virtues
1. Temperance
2. Silence
3. Order
4. Resolution
5. Frugality
6. Industry
7. Sincerity
8. Justice
9. Moderation
10. Cleanliness
11. Tranquility
12. Chastity
13. Humility
Questions:
●Please comment on Benjamin Franklin and his autobiography.
●Why did he write his autobiography?
●Why and how did he go to Philadelphia?
(完整版)美国文学课后答案
1.Why did Franklin write his Autobiography? Franklin says that because his son may wish to know about his life, he is taking his one week vacation in the English countryside to record his past. He also says that he has enjoyed his life and would like to repeat it 2.What made Franklin decide to leave the brother to whom he had been apprenticed? His brother was passionate, and had often beaten him. The aversion to arbitrary power that has stuck to him through his whole life .After a brush with the law, Franklin left his brother. 3.How did he arrive in Philadephia? First he set out in a boat for Amboy, the boat dropped him off about 50 miles from Burlington, the next day he reached Burlington on foot, in Burlington he found a boat which was going towards Philadelphia, he arrived there about eight or nine o’clock, on the Sunday morning and landed at the Market Street wharf. 4.What features do you find in the style of the above selection? It is the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision(言简意赅). The narrative is lucid(易懂的), the structure is simple, the imagery is homely(朴素的). 二、Questions 1.How many characters does Poe include in The Cask of Amontillado? What are these names? Montresor, Fortunato and Luchesi 2. What drink are the French most famous for? Wine 3.Does Montresor have something of great value to him which we might consider to be his treasure? His pride and the pride of his French family heritage. Perhaps his devious plot of revenge. 4.Does Montresor seem to have much respect for Italians? Montresor does not have much respect for Italians. He feels the French are superior, especially with respect to wine. 5.What was Fortunato's insult? Poe does not tell us directly, but only implies it in the third paragraph 6.Which wine does Montresor use to lure Fortunato into the catacombs? "Amontillado" (the Spanish wine; Montresor's ruse to lead Fortunato down into the catacombs. 7.Why does Montresor entertain Fortunato with wines from his collection? Montresor wants to get Fortunato drunk enough to be able to trap him in his plan of vengeance. 8.In what two ways does Montresor imprison Fortunato? He fetters (chains and locks) Fortunato to the wall of the catacombs. He builds a wall to close Fortunato off in a small corner of the catacombs, where Montresor will leave him to die. 9.In what ways is The Cask of Amontillado grotesque? First, which of Montresor's actions are abnormal? The whole obsessive plot of vengeance. The fettering and entombment of Fortunato. Montresor's sick sense of humor. 10.Is there anything grotesque about Fortunato? His obsession with alcohol. His drunkenness. His tendency to berate Luchesi (he may have been drunk and may have insulted Montresor in a similar
美国文学考试资料整理
一．The Literature of Colonial America(Puritanism) 1.The first English colony: Jamestown in Virginia in 1607 2.The first American writer: John Smith 3.Anne Bradstreet: first American woman poet; a Puritan poet; once called “Tenth Muse”; 二．Literature of Reason and Revolution War of Independence (1775-1783);The French and Indian War / the Seven Y ears’War(1756-1763) 1..Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography; Richard’s Almanac Maxims from Poor Richard’s Almanac (proverbs that give practical wisdom) 2..Thomas Paine (1737-1809): Common Sense: a strong push for the Revolution W ar; four parts (British enslavement of the colonies; praising democratic election; America’s economic and military potential to protect the rights of people) 3..Philip Freneau (1752-1832) The first American-born poet;“Poet of the American Revolution”, “Father of American Poetry”, the most significant poet of 18th century America W orks:The Wild Honey Suckle《野忍冬花》on mortality, The Indian Burying Ground 《印第安人殡葬地》on the imagined afterlife, The British Prison Ship《英国囚船》about his imprisoned experience. 三．Romanticism The American Romantic period is considered one of the most important periods, the first literary Renaissance, in the history of American literature. It stretches from the end of the 18th century through the outbreak of the Civil W ar. It started with the publication of W ashington Irving’s The Sketch Book and ended with Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. 1.Washington Irving (1783-1859) Literary status: the first American to earn an international reputation; Father of the American short stories The Sketch Book: winning him international popularity，the first modern short stories and the first great American juvenile literature. Major works: A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty under the name of “Diedrich Knickerbocker
文学概论复习资料 (二)名词解释
名词解释 第一章文学观念 名词解释： 1、文学观念：文学观念就是对文学的看法，是对“文学是什么”的回答。文学观念是发展变化的。 2、文学四要素：当代美国学者艾布拉姆斯提出的，文学四要素是指世界、作家、作品、和读者。 3、再现说：在文学四要素中强调“世界”与“作品”的对应关系，即认为作品是对世界的摹仿或再现。 4、表现说：在文学四要素中强调“作品”与“作家”的关系，即认为作品是作家情感的自然流露、表现、传达。 5、实用说：在文学四要素中强调作品被读者所利用的关系，认为文学是一种工具，可以为某种社会目标服务。 6、客观说：在文学四要素中，把作品抬到高于一切、重于一切的地步，认为作品一旦从作家的笔下诞生之后，就获得了完全客观的性质，它既与原作家不相干，也与读者无涉，它从外界的参照物中孤立出来，本身是一个“自足体”，出现了所谓的“客观化走向”。 7、体验说：在文学四要素中强调读者对作品的意向性的体验这种关系，强调读者阅读作品是体验和现创造。 8、文学的定义：文学作为一种人类的文化形态，它是具有社会的审美意识形态性质的、凝聚着个体体验的、沟通人际的情感交流的语言艺术。 9、符号论的文化概念：从符号学的角度看，文化是人类的符号思维和符号活动所创造的产品及其意义的总和。这个观点是由德国的现代哲学家卡西尔提出的。 10、品质阅读：是指“试图尽可能完全地把握作品的肌质，表示首先注意到语言中的各种要素，重音和非重音，重复和省略，意象和含混等等，然后由此向人物、事件、情节和主题运动。这是就西语而言的，若是论汉语文学中…品质阅读”则是读者阅读是首先关注文本的用字、比兴、押韵、平仄、对仗和用事等，进一步再延伸到对情景的描写或人物、情节的叙述的理解。 11、经验和体验：个人和见闻和经历及所获得的知识和技能，统称为经验。所谓体验是经验中见出深义、诗意和个性的部分。经验是一种前科学的认识，它指向的是真理的世界（当然这还是常识、知识，即前科学的真理）；而体验则是一种价值性的认识和领悟，它要求“以身体之，以心验之”，它指向的是价值世界。 12、文以载道：中唐时期韩愈等古文运动家提出的，经宋代理学家的解释得到完善，“文以载道”的意思是说文像车，道像车上所载之货物，通过车的运载，可以达到目的地。如果车装饰得很漂亮，却不载物，那么车再美也是无用的。可见文学也就是传播儒家之道的手段和工具。这样的文学观念偏重于文学的教化目的。 13、寓教于乐：古罗马时期的思想家贺拉斯提出。认为文学的摹仿要达到“既劝谕读者，又使他喜爱，才能符合众望”。这是一种既重视摹仿又重视读者的快感和教益的文学观念。 14、价值阅读：“价值阅读”表示阅读者“试图尽可能敏锐和准确地描述出他在作品中所发现的价值”。当然这里所说的价值，首先是文化价值。 15、审美：审美是心理处于活跃状态的主体，在特定的心境、时空中，在有历史文化渗透的条件下，对于客体的美的观照、感悟、判断。 16、情致：由黑格尔提出。情致是两个方面的互相渗透，一方面是个体的心情，是具体感性的，是会感动人的，另一方面是价值和理性，可以作为认识。但这两个方面完全结合在一起，不可分离。因此对那些情致特别微妙深邃的作品，它的情致往往是无法简单地用语言传达出来的。 17、虚静：中国古代文论概念。“虚静”就是使人的精神进入一种无欲无得失无功利的极端平静的状态，这样事物的一切美和丰富性就会展现在眼前。所以虚静可以理解为审美活动时的心理状态。 18、艺术真实性：艺术真实性是指文学作品的艺术形象的合情合理的性质。 19、出入说：王国维提出的。作家的体验不但要能“入”，而且还要能“出…：诗人对宇宙人生，须入乎其内，又须出乎其外。入乎其内，故能写之。出乎其外，故能观之。入乎其内，故有生气。出乎其外，故有高致。”入乎其内就是移情式体验，出乎其外，就是体验主体对体验的反刍。
美国文学题_答案
III Multiple choice (20%) 1. Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan poet. When her poems were published in England, she became known as the “______” who appeared in America. A Ninth Muse B Tenth Muse C Best Muse D First Muse 2. ______ is the sometimes exaggerated use of local language, characters and customs in regional literature. A purple prose B waste-land imagery C local color D symbolism 3. The Fitzgeralds lived so extravagantly that they frequently spent more money than F. Scoot Fitzgerald earned for parties, liquor, entertaining their friends and traveling. It was this living style that nicknamed the decade of the 1920s as _______. A The Jazz Age B The Gilded Age C The Glorious Age D The Beat Age 4. ___________ was a reaction to the ideas of the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment. A Romanticism B Realism C Naturalism D Modernism 5. Although only few of her poems were published in her lifetime and a complete collection of them didn’t appear until the 1950’s, _____ had a major impact on 20th century poetry. A Anne Bradstreet B Gertrude Stein C Emily Dickinson D Amy Lowell 6. Who of the following is NOT a 20th century American poet? A Henry Wordsworth Longsfellow B Amy Lowell C Ezra Pound D Robert Frost 7. Mark Twain, one of the greatest 19th century American writers, is well known for his ______. A International theme B Waste-land imagery C Local color
美国文学赏析整理
一 I heard the merry grasshopper then sing, The black-clad cricket bear a second part, They kept one tune, and played on the same string, Seeming to glory in their little art. Shall creatures abject thus their voices raise? And in their kind resound their maker’s praise, Whilst I, as mute, can warble forth no higher lays? “Under the cooling shadow of a stately Elm, Close state I by a goodly River’s side, Where gliding streams the Rocks did overwhelm; A lonely place with pleasures dignifi’d. I once that lov’d the shady woods so well, Now thought the rivers did the trees excel, And if the sun would ever shine there would I dwell. “While musing thus with contemplation fed, And thousand fancies buzzing in my brain, The sweet tongu’d Philomel percht o’er my head, And chanted forth a most melodious strain, Which rapt me so with wonder and delight, I judg’d my hearing better than my sight. 题目：the 9th of Contemplations 作者：Anne Bradstreet 赏析： 1. Rhyme royal: sevenline iambic petametre 七行五步抑扬格 2. Rhyme: ababccc 3. Theme: religion 4. 象征：black-clad=death; abject=admitting defeat; maker= god 5. A genuine expression of poetic feeling in the presence of nature. The poem offers the reader an insight into the mentality of the early Puritan pioneering in a new world. The poet heard the grasshopper and the cricket sing, and she searched for her own soul accordingly. 6. She saw sth metaphysical inhering in the physical, a mode of perception which was singularly Puritan 二 It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous was not sufficient to prevent our slipping and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct. For this purpose I therefore contrived the following method. In the various enumerations of the moral virtues I had met with in my reading, I found the catalog more or less numerous, as different writers included more or fewer ideas under the same name. Temperance, for example, was by some confined to eating and drinking, while by others it was extended to mean the moderating every other pleasure, appetite, inclination, or
爱党青年和谐版美国文学答案
Literary terms这部分的答案均来自星火《英美文学》一书，质量高 1.Transcendentalism: is literature，philosophical and literary movement that flourished in New England from about 1836 to1860. It originated among a small group of intellectuals who were reaching against the orthodoxy of Calvinism and the rationalism of the Unitarian Church, their own faith centering on the divinity of humanity and the natural world instead. Transcendentalism derived some of its basic idealistic concepts from romantic German philosophy, and from such English authors as Carlyle，Coleridge, and Wordsworth. The ideas of transcendentalism were most eloquently expressed by Ralph Waldo Emerson in such essays as Nature and Self-Reliance and by Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden. 2.American naturalism：this term was created by Emile Zola. Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory played an important role in naturalism. In the works off naturalism，characters were conceived as complex combinations of inherited attributes and habits conditioned by social and economic forces. At the end of the 19th century，this pessimistic form of realism appeared in America. Naturalism attempted to achieve extreme objectivity and frankness. Characters in the works of naturalism were dominated by their environment and heredity. Naturalism emphasized：the world was around；men had no free will；religious “truth” were illusory；the destiny of human beings was misery in life and oblivion in death. The dominant figures in naturalism were Stephen crane，Frank Norris, Jack London and Theodore Dreiser. 3.The lost generation: included the young English and American expatriates as well as men and women caught in the war and cut from the old value and yet unable to come to terms with the new era when civilization had gone mad. These writers adopted unconventional style of writing and reacted against the tendencies of the older writers in the 1920s. The term came from Gertrude Stein who said in Hemingway's presence that “you are all a lost generation.” 4.Jazz age: the novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald coined the term "Jazz Age" retroactively to refer to the decade after World War I and before the stock market crash in 1929, during which Americans embarked upon what he called "the gaudiest spree in history". Jazz Age is inextricably associated with the wealthy white "flappers" and socialites immortalized in Fitzgerald's fiction. 5.Free verse: is a poetry that has an irregular rhythm and line length and that attempts to avoid any predetermined verse structure, instead, it uses the cadences of natural speech. While it alternates stressed and unstressed syllables as stricter verse forms do, free verse does so in a looser way. Whitman's poetry is an example of free verse at its most impressive. It has since been used by Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot and other major American can poets of the 20th century. 6. The iceberg analogy: The Iceberg Theory is a writing theory by American writer Ernest Hemingway, as follows：if a writer of a prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader，if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. 这部分来自星火的为：3,7,8, 来自课本为：1,4,9 来自网络为：2,5,6大家自取之 1.Poe's Poetic Ideas A.His conviction that the function of poetry is not to summarize and interpret earthly experience, but to create a mood in which the soul soars toward supernal beauty. B.He insists that poetry must be disembarrassed of that moral sense. C.Poe believes that the elevation of excitement of the soul should be “the poetic principle” thus poetry must concern itself only with “supernal beauty”. D.Poe defines poetry as “the rhythmical creation of beauty” a definition gi ving unexampled emphasis upon the importance of the rhythmical or musical element in poetry.
美国文学考点整理
美国文学考点整理
1.Matches 作家作品：（或参考课本目录，黑色斜体为课本目录） The literature of Realism: Walt Whitman 沃尔特.惠特曼 Drum Taps (《桴鼓集》) Good-Bye, My Fancy ( 《再见，我的幻想》,) Leaves of Grass (《草叶集》) Passage to India ( 《通向印度之路》) Sequel to Drum Taps (《桴鼓集续集》) Song of Myself 《自己之歌》 I Sit and Look Out 《我坐在这儿眺望着》 Beat! Beat! Drum! 《敲呀！敲呀！鼓啊！》 Emily Dickinson 艾米莉.狄金森 I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed 《我品味未经酿造的饮料》 I felt a Funeral, in my Brain 《我感受了一场葬礼，在脑中》 A Bird came down the Walk 《鸟儿沿着小径过来》 I died for Beauty--- but was scarce《我为美而死》 I heard a Fly buzz- when I died 《我听到苍蝇的嗡嗡声---在临死之前》Because I could not stop for Death 《因为我不能停下来等候死神》 I’m Nobody! Who are You? Success is Counted Sweetest Harriet Beecher Stowe 哈丽雅特.比彻.斯托 Uncle Tom's Cabin 《汤姆叔叔的小屋》 Mark Twain 马克. 吐温 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 《汤姆.索亚历险记》 .The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County ([k?l?‘ver?s] 《卡拉韦拉斯县驰名的跳蛙》 2.Innocents Abroad (《傻子国外旅行记》) 3.Roughing It (《艰苦岁月》) 4.The Gilded Age (with Charles Dudley Waenner, 《镀金时代》与查尔斯·达德利·沃纳合写) 5.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (《汤姆·索耶历险记》) A Tramp Abroad (《国外流浪汉》) 7. The Prince and the Pauper (《王子与贫儿》) 8. Life on the Mississippi (《密西西比河上》) 9.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (《哈克贝里·费恩历险记》) 10.The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson ( 《傻瓜威尔逊》) 11. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court ( 《亚瑟王朝廷上的康涅狄格州美国人》) 12. The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg (《败坏赫德莱堡的人》) 13. What Is Man? (《人是什么》)
美国文学教学大纲
海南师范学院本科英语专业理论课教学大纲：美国文学 课程编号：03101026 学时：36 学分：2 一、课程的性质和任务 《美国文学史及选读》是英语语言文学专业（本科）的一门专业知识必修课。它简要介绍了美国文学从十七世纪殖民时期到二十世纪的发展历史及其主要作品。本课程是英语专业的专业基础课，目标是：通过文学史的教学拓宽学生的知识面，提高学生的文学修养，使学生了解英美文学各个历史时期的文艺思潮、文学流派、主要作家和作品； 通过美国文学作品的教学，提高学生对英文原著的理解能力、鉴赏能力，培养学生发现问题、分析问题和解决问题的能力； 通过课外实践活动，激发学生的文学兴趣，培养学生的文学鉴赏和批评能力及论文写作能力 二、相关课程的衔接 本课程是为英语专业高年级学生开设的，学生必须具有良好的英语阅读和理解基本功方能顺利地学习该课程，与此同时，它与美国历史、文化、社会背景等关系密切，因此，学生先期完成英语听说读写等技能训练基本课程，相关衔接课程有《英国文学》，《英语国家概况》《跨文化交际》等课程。 三、教学的基本要求 1．了解美国文学发展史上的重要时期和阶段，包括殖民地时期、独立战争时期、浪漫主义时代、南北战争时期和两次世界大战前后文学现象及特征。 2．了解各个重要发展阶段的代表作家及作品，熟知其内容、风格和艺术价值及其在世界文学史上的重要地位。 3．了解伴随美国文学各个阶段产生的文艺批评思潮，提高学生的文艺理论水平。 四、教学方法与重点、难点 教学方法：教学方法以课堂讲授为主，辅以讨论，并要求学生在课外大量阅读参考书，撰写读书报告及评论课上充分利用网络资源及现代化教学手段，使学生能够积极主动地进行学习 本课程的重点与难点相对来说是一致的 从时段上来说，19世纪20年代以后的美国文学由于处于第二次繁荣时期，对于美国文学的历史走向曾发生了相当重要的影响，自然是本课程的重点而这一阶段的文学语言丰富、色彩各异，且与哲学、史学、艺术学等结合得比较紧密，所以这一时期的文学作品在语言上和思想上都具备一定的难度，是本课程的难点所在另外，后现代文学作品的出现也增加了学生阅读的难度，因此了解后现代作品的创作手法，写作动机也是本科的一个难点解决的办法主要是在专业基础课之外，定期安排专家讲学，题目多涉及与课程难度相关的内容，旨在拓宽
英国文学复习的重点
一、课程设置的有关说明 1.美国文学是一门专业英语高年级开设的专业知识课，是一门必修课程。 2.设置本课程的目的和要求：美国文学课程的目的是培养学生阅读、欣赏、理解英语文学原著的能力，掌握文学批评的基本知识和方法。通过阅读和作品分析，促进学生语言基本功和人文素质的提高，增强学生对西方文化的了解。总体来讲，英语专业课程分为英语专业技能，英语专业知识和相关专业知识三种类型。美国文学课程是英语专业知识课程中比较重要的课程，一般在大四年级开设，按周学时统计，需两个学期完成。 3.美国文学课程内容大体分为两部分：文学史部分和文学作品选读部分。文学史部分从美国历史、语言、文化发展的角度，简要介绍美国文学各个历史断代的主要历史背景、文化思潮、文学流派、社会政治、经济、文化、等对文学发展的影响；主要作家的文学生涯、创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构、人物刻画、语言风格、思想意义等；选读部分主要节选了美国文学史上各个时期重要作家代表作品，包括诗歌、戏剧、小说、散文等。 二、具体教学内容 第一章殖民时期的文学(2 学时) 1.教学目的和教学基本要求 通过这一部分内容的学习，了解美国文学的起始可追溯到早期北美殖民主义时期。尽管这一时期的文学并不发达，主要以模仿为主，没有自己的鲜明特点，但那时的政治，经济和社会发展对美国文学的形成还是有很大的影响。例如：当年来美洲大陆移民的人基本上属于两种人，一类是为逃避国内政治迫害，追求宗教自由的英国清教徒，他们来到新英格兰地区，扎根发展；另一类是谋求发财致富的欧洲平民百姓，包括野心勃勃的冒险家。不论是哪一种人都相信在新大陆都可以得到自由平等的待遇，都有机会实现自己的理想。这种观点使“美国梦”成为日后美国文学的永恒主题。清教主义有关人生来有罪及上帝主宰一切等思想也影响了美国作家不断去思考人性与原罪、人与上帝的关系。由于这一时期文学不很发达，主要文学形式多为讲经布道之作，也有游记、书信等其他文学作品。 2.内容提要 第一节美国殖民时期文学概述
美国文学选读课后题答案
1、Do you think Gatsby deserves to be called “the great”? Why? -------from F、Scoot、Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby Gatsby pursuit “a universe of ineffable gorgeous” in his young age、In fact, Gatsby from West Egg insists his Platonic fantasy、He fell in love with the blonde and his ineffable gorgeous ideal is bined with Daisy’s breathing and desire、Daisy bees the image of ideal in his mind; though she marries Tom and may does not love him, though he can realize her soul full of money and desire, he cannot change his mind which back his love and be together as before、Maybe that is the shining and great part of his soul、Maybe that is the American dream which can show to us、But through the novel, we can have the clear idea that Daisy’s desire was not his drea m, it is not Daisy’s fault but his dream has giant vitality and energy、His dream is far behind Daisy and everything exists、He does his best to build the perfect world and aim in his mind、So his spirit which pursuits on ideal and dedication is also far behind secular frolicking in the bed、For realizing his dream, he donated himself to mud of money in New York; he showed no interests in wealth itself and the life of debauchery、Just like the lotus lives in the pound around with mud but not be polluted、His soul no doubt is suffering in the social life but without any plain、3、What do “petals” and “bough” stands for? -----from Ezra Pound In A Station of the Metro、 First of all, this poem stands the points of economy by Imagism、Every word in this poem has its own unique meaning、For example, the color of black in this poem may represent the train’s color, the railway’s color, the pillar’s color or the dim light of the metro station、Ezra Pound was very sensitive to the color and usually used their different meanings in his poetry、He used the skill of painting in his process of creating the poem、In this poem, every word is used as the pigment、Petals stand for the meaning of color from their unique image、The word “wet” brings the feeling of fresh and bright to the people、And the word “apparition” gives the dim color of pale and weak to the “faces” and “petals”、And the author put the petals and faces together let the faces have the feeling of tender and red、Several pretty faces appear in the metro station from the dimly lit, and they bee the shining petals in the black bough which was wet by the rain、This transformation is based on our vision, but it also shows that the same point between the quiet nature scenery and the noisy industrial environment、Ezra Pound wants tell us that we can find the beauty everywhere in our daily life、And it also shows the metaphor of Imagism、 1、Do you think Gatsby deserves to be called “the great”? Why? (1)I think it is too plicated to simply say Gatsby deserves to be “great” or not、For one thing, Gatsby was ambitious, hardworking, generous and passionate、He was so extremely loyal to his love and Daisy that he could do anything to get Daisy back: he did shady business to earn money and social position; he threw luxurious parties just to draw Daisy’s attention; he could take the blame for a death that he did not cause、(2)In this respect, he is much “greater” than his contemporaries、For another thing, Gatsby never realized that Daisy wasn’t the girl he loved anymore、Gatsby was so innocent that he staked everything on his dreams, not realizing that his dreams are unworthy of him、He wasn’t sober enough to be great、