美国文学期末整理.docxVIP

美国文学史名词解释及五大流派分析Native American oral literature is of three types: origin stories, trickster tales, and historical narratives.Origin stories are those dramatizing tribal interpretations of how the earth originated or of how people established relationships with plants, animals and the cosmosTrickster tales are humorous tales featuring trickster characters. Trickster figures are people in the form of animals or half animal and half human. They often exist on the margins of the social worldHistorical narratives are diverse in kind. Of this vast historical literature, many stories recount European colonization from the perspective of Native Americans.PuritanismA Puritan was any person who tried to become more pure through?worship?and?doctrine. The Puritans way of life and set of beliefs were called?Puritanism. The most important parts of Puritanism were piety (obeying religious rules), dressing simply, and living a modest life. And “original sin(原罪)” and “grace” are two important premises in Puritanism.Witchcraft trials in the 17th century were a deeply troubling yet significant phenomenon with the puritan community. In 1542, the English Parliament made a capital offense. Subsequently, several hundred people were accused and hanged. A witch was supposed to be someone who performed evil deeds in the service of Satan. They were believed to have familiars or animals that would do evil for them. Witchcraft trials-so it is argued- were perhaps a way to punish improper behavior or to restrict power.Enlightenment, starting in the 17th century with the scientific revolution, was a momentous intellectual movement that gradually established a system of modern values that emphasize reason, science, knowledge and progress. In America, enlightenment ideas nurtured a greater participatory and interest in worldly affairs: Americans gained greater confidence that a more reasonable political and social order could be established. Under the influence of the Enlightenment, Americans also