美国文学史

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Abstract:

America’shistoryofliteraturebeganwiththeswarminginofimmigrantswithdifferentbackgroundandcultures.Afterthat,AmericanliteraturehadbeengreatlyinfluencedbytheEuropeancultureforalongperiod.ItwasnotuntilAmerica’sindependence,didAmericansrealizedthattheyneednationalliteraturestrongly,andAmericanliteraturebegantodeveloped.TheCivilWarwasawatershedinthehistory,afterwhichAmericanliteratureenteredaperiodoffullblooming.Romantics,whichemphasizedindividualismandintuitionandTnscendentalismrepresentedbyEmersoncameoutintobeing.ThiswasanexcitingperiodinthehistoryofAmericanliterature.Liketheflowersofspring,thereweresuddenlymanydifferentkindsofwritingatthesametime.TheyhavegivendepthandstrengthtoAmericanliterature,andacceleratedtheformingofHighRomantics.ButduetotheinfluenceofCivilWar,theAmericansocietywasinaturbulentsituation.Thewritingsaboutlocallife,criticalrealismandunveilingthedarksideofthesocietywereincreased.AfterTheFirstWorldWar,Americanswereatalosspostwar,andtheModernAmericanliteraturebegan.

Mypieceofpaperiswritteninchronologicalorderastheseperiodsdevelopedinordertohaveaclearoutlineofitsprogress.

Keywords:NationalLiterature,Romanism,Transcendentalism,LocalColor,Realism,Modernliterature

摘要：从殖民地时期起，欧洲殖民者和清教徒翻开了美国文学史的第一页。这往后很长一段时期，美国文学一直都受到欧洲文化的很大影响。一直到美国独立后，美国人强烈地感觉到了民族文学的需要，美国的民族文学开始发展。南北战争是美国文学史上一个分水岭，战后美国文学进入了一个全盛时期，产生了强调个性主义和直觉的早期浪漫主义，和以爱默生为代表的超验主义文学。爱默生的时代是美国前所未有的文学变动时代，产生了一大批优秀的作家和作品。他们突出地给予了当时美国文学以深度和力量，也促进了罗曼主义高潮的来临。但是由于战争的影响，社会动荡不安，这时的作品更注重于揭示社会的阴暗面，同时美国的民族文学进一步发展，创作出许多带有本土色彩和批判现实主义的作品。一战后，美国人陷入战后的茫然，美国也开始进入了现代文学阶段。

我的论文随着这些时代的发展以时间顺序展开，以便对于美国文学史的产生和发展纲要能有一个清晰的条理。

关键词：民族文学，浪漫主义，超验主义，本土色彩，现实主义，现代文学

Americanisamulti-nationalcountry.Justlikeabigcontainer,whichputinvariouskindsofelements.Differentcultures,thatcannotonlybeco-existedbutalsoformasharpcontrast,mixedtogether,ItmakesAmericanliteraturestylehasaflavorofdistinctandvariousaestheticfeeling.Manywriterscomefromlowerlevel,whichmakesAmericanliteraturehastherichflavoroflifeandlocalcolor.Furthermore,manynewstylesofliteratureintheworldareorientedinAmericasince20thcentury.

TheprocessofAmericanliteraturecanbedividedintofollowingmainperiods:ColonyandPuritanliterature;earlynationalliterature;latternationalliteratureandModernliterature.

America’shistoryofliteraturebeganwiththeswarminginofimmigrantswithdifferentbackgroundandcultures.Afterthat,AmericanliteraturehadbeengreatlyinfluencedbytheEuropeancultureforalongperiod.ItwasnotuntilAmerica’sindependence,didAmericansrealizethattheyneednationalliteraturestrongly,andAmericanliteraturebegantodevelop.TheCivilWarwasawatershedinthehistory,afterwhichAmericanliteratureenteredaperiodoffullblooming.Romantics,whichemphasizedindividualismandintuition，andTnscendentalismrepresentedbyEmersoncameoutintobeing.ThiswasanexcitingperiodinthehistoryofAmericanliterature.Liketheflowersofspring,thereweresuddenlymanydifferentkindsofwritingatthesametime.TheyhavegivendepthandstrengthtoAmericanliterature,andacceleratedtheformingofHighRomantics.ButduetotheinfluenceifCivilWar,theAmericansocietywasinaturbulentsituation.Thewritingsaboutlocallife,criticalrealismandunveilingthedarksideofthesocietywereincreased.AfterTheFirstWorldWar,Americanswereatalosspostwar,andtheModernAmericanliteraturebegan.

1.ColonialandearlyAmericanliterature

(1).TravelersandExplorers

WhentheEuropeanexplorersfirstcametothisnewcontinent,thenativeIndianswhoprobablygotherefromAsiaaboutfifteenthousandyearsagowerestillinorigin,andtheyevenhadnowrittenlanguage,“Thetraditionalliteraturewasoriginallytransmittedalmostentirelybywordofmouth,andthereforebelongstothecategoryoforalliterature,”(WuDingbo,1)Astimepast,moreandmoretravelersandexplorersswarmedin.Theywrotealotofdiaries、letters,andtravelaccountstodescribethenewlandassecondEden.NowandersomebodysaidthattheearliestAmericanliteraturewerethetravelaccountswrittenbyEuropeanadventurers.AmongthemostremainedwereCaptainJohnSmith’sTrueRelationofVirginia(1608),andDescriptionofNewEngland(1616).

AlthoughmostoftheIndianhistorywaspreservedintalesandsongs,theyhadthoughtsaboutlifeandnature.Theylovedthenaturalworldaroundthemdeeply,andtheybelievedthatwhenapersonwasdead,hewouldgivebackwhathadborrowedwhilehewasalivetonature.ThiskindofphilosophyhadinfluencedlaterorevenmodernAmericanwriters.It’sinterestingthatwhenwelookattheliteratureofthePuritans,theTranscendentalists,theNaturalists,andeventheModerns,whenwereadAnneBradstreet,EmilyDickinson,StephenCrane,andErnestHemingway,wecanfindsimilarthemes.

(2)Pilgrimsettlements

Severalyearslater,anothergroupofsettlersalsoarrivedintheNewWorld.ThisgroupwaslookingfortheJamestownsettlement.However,becauseofbadnavigation,theylandedinMassachusetts.TheywerealsocomingtotheNewWorldwithdreamsofsuccess,buttheirgoalwasdifferentfromtheJamestownsettlement.TheywantedtostartanewworldgovernedbytheBible.TheywerecalledPuritansbecausetheywantedtoliveabetterlifebymakingthemselvespure.TheyfirstarrivedontheMayflowerandsettledinPlymouth.Thisisthegroupweareusuallythinkingaboutwhenwetalkaboutthe"firstAmericans."

TheclearesthistoryoftheirjourneytotheNewWorldcanbefoundinHistoryofPlymouthPlantation(1608)writtenbyWilliamBradford,whowasalsooneoftheMayflowerpassengers.TheHistoryofPlymouthPlantationisaPuritanbookinthebestsense.“It’slooselyannalistic,butadirectandsimplestylegivescharm,asasincerefaithinPuritanismgivespurity,totheentirebook.”(W.P.Trent,1997)

ThePuritanshadseveralkindsofliterature.ByfarthemostcommonformisthewritingrelatedtoBiblicalteachings,orsermons,thatthechurchleaderswrote.ThePuritansbelievedthattheywereintheNewWorldbecauseGodhadbroughtthemthereforaspecialpurpose.TheythoughtthatbystudyingtheBibletheycouldlearnmoreaboutthiswayoflife.Sotheywereverystricttotheirlife,andtheydidn’tallowanykindofentertainmenteveninliterature.That’swayWuDingbosaidinhisbook“LiteratureoftheNewEnglandSettlementismainlyaliteraryexpressionofthePuritanidealism”and“TheliteratureofthecolonialsettlementservedeitherGodorcolonialexpansionorboth.”(WuDingbo,4)

Anotherimportantformofwritingfromthisperiodisthehistories.Thesebooks,likeBradford''''sHistoryofPlymouthPlantation,areimportantbecausetheytellusaboutlifeatthetimeofthePuritans.

Peoplealsowrotemanypoems.ButalotofworkswerehiddenandlostbecausepeopleoftenconsideredpoetrytobeaninferiorformofwritingandnottotallyacceptabletoPuritanthinking.

OneofthemostsignificantpoetsfromthisperiodwasAnneBradstreet(1612-1672).HerpoemsinTenthMuseLatelySprungUpInAmerica(1650)reflectedtheconconcernsofwomenwhocametosettleinthecolonies,andinallherpoems,however,sheshowsherstrongbeliefinGod.

2.18thcentury—theAgeofreason

(1)TheAgeofreason

Inthe18thcentury,peoplebelievedinman’sownnatureandthepowerofhumanreason.WithFranklinasitsspokesman,the18thcenturyAmericaexperiencedanageofreason.

Wordshadneverbeensousefulandsoimportantinhumanhistory.Peoplewrotealotofpoliticalwritings.Numerouspamphletsandprintingswerepublished.TheseworksagitatedrevolutionarypeoplenotonlyinAmericabutalsoaroundtheworld.

AmongthemostrenownedwastheworkCommonSense(1776)ofThomasPaine(1737-1809).It’stheringingcallforthedecorationofliberty.HealsowroteCrisis(1774-1783)andTheAgeofReason(1794-1796),accordingtoWu,“Hethoughtthatreligionshouldbebasedonrational,reasonableground.”(WuDingbo,12)ThepamphletshelpedcompletethedebatethatresultedinAmerica''''sseparationfromEngland.

AndofcourseforalltheAmericans,themostimportantdocumentfromthisperiodwasasinglesheetofpapercalledTheDeclarationofIndependence(1776),mainlywrittenbyThomasJeffersonandBenjaminFranklin.

BenjaminFranklin(1706-1790),themostdistinguishedpersonandgiantinAmericanhistory,hewroteandworkedforAmericanindependencehardlyandhadmadesomanygreateffortstoAmericathathehasbeencalled"TheFirstAmerican."aworld-renownedscientist,diplomat,philosopher,andwriter.Heperfectedthesmooth,clear,shortsentencesofthePuritanplainstyle.HisAutobiographyencourageshardworkandemphasizestheimportanceofachievement.AnotherworkthatiswellknownisPoorRichard''''sAlmanack,andmanyofthesentenceshavebecomepopularquotations.

DuringthistimewritersthoughtthatthetruthshouldbereliedonBible,churchmen,authorities,orpracticeandexperience.

(2)EarlyNationalLiterature

DuringtheperiodofAmericanRevolutionWar,Americannationalliteraturecameintobeing.Sincebeforethewar,Americanpeoplehavealreadyhadtheawarenessofnationalindependence,sotheywrotemanypoliticalwritingsrevolutionarypoems.

ThewarhelpedthefirstimportantAmericanprosewritersandpoetsgrowupbothculturallyandartistically.Furthermore,theindependenceofnationledtotheindependenceofnationalliterature.Fromthismomenton,Americanpeoplebegantounderstandofmeaningofbeingareal”American“.

3.TheflourishingofAmericanliteraturein19thcentury

Fromthe1820’stotheCivilWarbrokeout,Americanliteratureenteredaperiodoffullblooming.Writingsallcharacterizedbyadistinctnationalstyleandflavor.Atthesametime,theworldasawholewasexperiencingachangeinwaysofthinking:therewasamovefromclassicalideastoromanticones.Thischangewastakingplaceinallareasofculturearoundtheworld.ThiswasanexcitingperiodinthehistoryofAmericanliterature.Liketheflowersofspring,thereweresuddenlymanydifferentkindsofwritingatthesametime.Alltheworkshaveanoptimisticspirit.TheyrepresentedthevariousandquickdevelopmentofAmericannationalliterature.

(1)EarlyRomantics

Inearly19thcentury,WashingtonIrving(1783-1859),thepersonbornwiththenewnation,hisTheSketchBookcreatedanewstyleofAmericanliterature—shortnovel.JamesFenimoreCooper(1789-1851)His"Leather-Stocking"novelstoldusastoryabouthowthebraveimmigrantsfightwithsavageusingwhattheyhavelearntfromnature.

AnotherfamouswriterofthistimewasWilliamCullenBryant(1794-1878),hewasregardedoneoftheearliestnaturalistpoetsinAmericanhistory.HisgreatestpoemThanatopsiswaspublishedintheNorthAmericanReviewin1817.Heappreciatesnormalbirdsandflowers,throughwhichappreciatedharmoniousrelationshipbetweenhumanandnature.TheRomanticsemphasizedindividualismandtheythoughtfeelingsandemotionsweremoreimportantthanreasonandcommonsense.

(2)TheTranscendentalism

“TheNewEnglandTranscendentalismwasromanticidealismonpuritansoil”(WuDingbo:28).Itstressedthepowerofintuitionplacedspiritfirst,andittooknatureassymbolicofspiritorGod.TherewerethreemainfeaturesofTranscendentalismwereUnitarianism,idealisticphilosophy,andorientalmysticism.

RalphWaldoEmerson(1803-1882),theleaderofAmericanTranscendentalism.“Hecaptainedagroupofenthusiastandformedatranscendentalclubwiththem.HealsohelpedtosetupandeditedthetranscendentalistjournalTheDial.”Hehadwrittenmanyfamousessays.AmongthebestareNatureandTheAmericanScholar,whichhasbeencalled“America’sDeclarationofIntellectualIndependence”.EmersonwroteinTheAmericanScholar(1837),amanmust"learntodetectandwatchthatgleamoflightwhichflashesacrosshismindfromwithin."Themainkeytothisinnerworldistheimagination.Man''''simaginationleadstoexpression.Ourexpressionmakeseachofusauniquehuman.Romanticismbecamethewayofthinkingforthisgenerationofwriters

HenryDavidThoreauwasalsooneofthewritersofTranscendentalism,andhisfamousessaywasWalden,inwhichherevealedthehiddenspiritualpossibilitiesineveryone’slife,andtoconsideratethepursuitofmaterialthings.

(3)HighRomantics

DuetothegreateffortmadebythosegeniusessuchasEmersonandThoreau,awild-rangednationalAmericanliteraturehadbeenlaidasolidfoundationbythemid-19thcentury.

TherearefourimportantnamesinAmericanliteraturetorememberfromthisperiod:WashingtonIrving(1783-1859),WaltWhitman(1819-1892),JamesFennimoreCooper(1789-1851),andEdgarAllanPoe(1809-49).

Irvingwilllongberememberedforhisbookofessaysandstories,TheSketchBookofGeoffreyCrayon(1819),whichhelpingthisnewnationstarteditsfirststepconfidently.CooperandWhitmandescribedthecharacterofthenation,whichcombinedthecourageandclevernessofexpansion,thegreatsenseofdestination,andtheoptimisticspirittogether.HawthorneandMelvilleexpressedthedarksideofAmericandreamthoughtheirprofoundandsymbolizedworks.

WaltWhitman(1819-1892),fatheroffreeverse,“hethrewasidethetraditionalornamentsandprettinessofverse,andcreatedhisownform”(WuDingbo,44).HisLeavesofGrass(1855),whichcontainssuchwell-knownpoemsasIHearAmericaSinging,andSongofMyself,wasregardedAmerica’sfirstgenuineepicpoem.Herejectedregularmeterandrhymeinfavorofflowingfreeverseandcelebratedpatrioticlove,raggedindividualism,democracyandequalityandstressedanalmostmysticalidentificationwithAmerica.

NathanielHawthorne(1804-1864),duetohisfamilybackground,hisworksalwaysconcernedwithsin,morality,romance,andhadcomplexPuritanism.HismasterpiecewasthenovelTheScarletLetter,andhisTheHouseofSevenGableswasalsowellliked.Intheseworkshepresentedmaterialonthealienationbetweenfactsandfancy,byusingmanysymbolsandsettingtorevealthepsychologyofthecharacter.

HermanMelvillewasHawthorne’sgoodfriend,alsoanimportantnovelist.Melville''''sgreatestwork,MobyDick(1851)wasbasedonMelville''''sadventuresonthewhalingships.Itisthedeep"tragediesofhumanthought"thatshowhiscriticalunderstandingofhumannature.TodayMelvilleisconsideredoneofAmerica''''sgreatestwriterstoday.

RomanismwasextremelyinfluencedinarisingAmericaasAmericahadalwayshadastrongspiritualtraditionandromanticismwasverycomfortablewithAmericanspiritualheritageanditsidealsofdemocracyandequality.Duringthisperiod,theAmericanliteraturewassochangeablethathasneverbeenbefore.NathanielHawthorne,HermanMelville,WaltWhitmanandEdgarAllanPoe,thesefourgreatwritershadgivendepthandstrengthtoAmericanliteratureatthattime.

4.LocalColorAndRealism:ANewFlavortoAmericanLiterature

AftertheCivilWar,theAmericansocietywasinaturbulentsituationthroughseveraleconomicalcrises.Thewritingsaboutcriticalrealismandunveilingthedarksideofthesocietywereincreased.Theyweremainlyfocusonbankruptincountries,difficultlifeorstruggleoflow-positionpeopleandsoon.ThusRomanismwasonthewanewithpassingdays,whileRealismroseandbecamemoreandmorepopular.

(1)LocalColorFictionandMarkTwain

LocalColorFictionfirstappearedintheearly19thcentury,andithadfurtherdevelopingaftertheCivilWar.Thiskindofliteraturemainlydescribesthelocallife.Itskeynotewasoptimistic,andthelanguagewasnarrativeandhumorous.Forexample,theworkofBretHarte(1836-1902)toldusthelifeofAmericanwesternminers.MarkTwainwasthemainwriterofthisperiod.Hewrotefornearly50years,andhehadactuallywrittenmanydifferenttypesofstories.Nevertheless,TwainisrememberedmostforTheAdventuresofTomSawyer(1876),LifeontheMississippi(1884)andTheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn(1884).Thecharactershecreatedwerehumorousandfullofwittiness.MarkTwain’sworkwasregardedthewitnessofAmerica’spurelocallife.AccordingtoCalkins,“FewAmericanwritershavewrittenthesameafterreadingTwain,forhehashelpedchangetheentirecountrywithhishumorandskillfulstorytelling.”(CarrollC.Calkins,124).

(2)RiseofRealism

“Realismisthetheoryofwritinginwhichfamiliaraspectsofcontemporarylifeandeverydayscenesrepresentedinastraightforwardormatteroffactmanner“(WuDingo,59).Romanticwritersfocusedonthedevelopmentofplot,makethestoryasinterestingandattractiveaspossible,whilerealismwritersemphasizedthecharacterizationofcharacters,focusedonobjectivityratherthananidealisticviewofhumannatureandhumanexperience.

WilliamDeanHowells(1837-1920)insistedthatRealismwasthetruthfultreatmentofmaterialmoralproblemsofsociety.AndinO.Henry(1862-1910)’sfictions,allhischaracterswerecommonpeopleandalwayshadanironicalandsurprisedending.

TherewasanotherstyleofwritingdevelopedbyHenryJames(1843-1916),whowasawriterfocusedonthedescriptionofpsychologyandbehavior.HewrotesomecomplexandprofoundnovelssuchasTheWingsoftheDove,TheAmbassador,TheGoldenBowl,andcreatedpsychologicalrealism.

Afterthemid-19thcentury,thekeynoteofromanticliteraturechangedformoptimistictodoubtful.Thesharpconflictofsocietyforcemorewriters’attentiontotheunveilingofdarksocialfactandself-questioning.

Thoughtthewritersofthistimeunveiledthemisfortuneandsadnessorevendegeneratethingsinactuallife,theydidn’tjusttookofthedarksideoflifeastheirmaterial,mostofthemwerethereformistswiththehopeofhelpingtocreateabetternation.StephenCrane(1871-1900)showedmoreandmoreseriousproblemsinbigsitesinhisMaggie,AGirloftheStreets,andhismostfamousbookabouttheAmericanCivilWarcalledTheRedBadgeofCourage.Hethoughthisworkslikedamirrorreflectingalllife,heemphasizedtheaccidentalphysiologicalnatureofthecharactersratherthantheirmoralandrationalqualities.StephenCranehadformedanewstylecalledNaturalism,whichhadinfluencedmanyfollowingwriters.

5.ModernAmericanLiterature

TheFirstWorldWarnotonlydamagedthepeople’slife,butalsoledtoaturbulentsituationoftheAmericansociety.Peopleofthistimewerenamed“TheLostGeneration”,andthewritersandworkshadapessimisticanddisconsolatefeeling.

(1)Modernpoetry

EzraPound,T.S.EliotandE.ECummingsarethreepoetswhoopenedthewaytomodernpoetry.

EzraPoundstartedthe“Imagist”movement,andhisTheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrockhasbeencalledthefirstmasterpieceofmodernism.TheWasteLandofT.S.Eliotparticularlycommentsontheinhumanityanddecadenceoflargemoderncities.

(2)Modernnovels

ManypersonsregardedthatErnestHemingwayandotherimportantwritersof20thcenturyhadadoptedtheconcisestyleandnaturalismofStephenCrane.Nevertheless,theystillcreatedtheirownstylesandhadwrittensomanyimmortalmasterpieces.AmongthegreatestwereErnestHemingway(l899-1961)andWilliamFaulkner(l897-1962).

ErnestHemingwaywasoncetakepartintheFirstWouldWar,somanyofhisworksdealwithwarorinjury,andnearlyallofthemexaminedthenatureofcourag,e.Bysufferingfromtheviolentofwar,hefeltthathewascutofffromallhisoldbeliefsandassumptionsaboutlife.“HethoughttheWarhadbrokenAmerica’scultureandtraditions,andseparateditfromitstoots”(ElisabethB.Booz:1982).Theworkshewrote--TheSunAlsoRises,AFarewelltoArms,ForWhomtheBellTollsandTheOldManandtheSea—inferredthestateofmind,andtheybecametherepresentativesofthefeelingofthisgeneration.

Epilogue

Americanliteraturehasgonethoughtheprogressofdevelopmentover200years.Itischaracterizedbythedistinctindividualism,whichisoptimistic,freeandalwayscreative.ThelivingAmericanliteraturehasbeenprovidingpotentthinkingheadspringsforthewriterspastandnowadays,anditwillcontinuereanimatingthetalentstobequeathandenrichthetraditionofAmericanliterature,ofwhichdeservedtobeproud.

Bibliography:

1.CarrollC.Calkins,ThestoryofAmerica,NewYork:TheReadersDigestAssociation,Inc,1975

2.ElisabethB.Booz,ABriefIntroductionToModernAmericanLiterature1919-1980,Shanghai:ShanghaiForeignLanguageEducationPress,1982

3.柯恩,LandmarksofAmericanLiterature,北京:三联书店,1988

4.WuDingbo,AnoutlineofAmericanliterature,Shanghai:ShanghaiForeignLanguageEducationPress,1998

5.EditedbyW.P.Trent,J.Erskine&S.P.Sherman,TheCambridgeHistoryofEnglishandAmericanLiterature,Cambridge,England:UniversityPress,1997