美国文学史通论课件.pptVIP

I. American Indian Voices (1) I. American Indian Languages over 2000 primitive tribes and languages (such as Navaho, Iroquois, Mohican, Delaware, Zuni, Ojibwa, etc.) about 500 existent languages, of which about 300 kinds existent only oral form, no written form the holiness of voice: the sacredness of oral language II. The major features of American Indian Literature 1. the dominating oral form – experience literature by listening, etc. 2. closely connected with their life and living – nature, tribal affairs… 3. a kind of “mass literature” assuming diverse tribal-social functions 4. from the holiness of voice to the sacredness of literature I. American Indian Voices (2) III. The basic themes of American Indian Literature 1. harmony: Deity-Man, nature-man, spiritual-material 2. respect to the land and directions: the focus upon four and round IV. The forms of American Indian Literature songs and tales: singing and telling (rituals, lyrics, legends, fairy tales, etc.) V. The American Indian Songs/chants/chantways The American Indian Oral Tradition The categories: love songs, warrior songs, ritual songs, prophetic songs, etc. The inseparability between songs and dances: I. American Indian Voices (3) VI. American Indian Tales 1. Creation Tales 2. Origin Tales 3. Hero Legends 4. Animal Tales 5. Trickster Tales VII. American Indian Ritual Literature They sing and dance out their “literature.” 1. Harvest Rituals 2. Hunter’s Rituals and Hunter’s Rock Stories 3. Birth and Burial Rituals 4. Healing and Pleading Rituals II. Literature in the Colonial Period (1607-1820) (1) I. Cultural Background: Discovery of America and early settlers II. American Puritanism 1.Puritans – American Puritans – American Puritanism 2.Calvinism:Predestination,Original Sin, Total Depravity, Limited Atonement 3. Its influence upon American writings: a. (technique): symbolism b. (tone): optimism c. (language): simplicity d. (theme):