美国文学的介绍IntroductionoftheAmericanLiterature.ppt.pptVIP

American LiteratureLecture OneBy Magua Part I. Introduction Part I: answer the questions What is literature? Robert Frost’s definition: performance in words Modern definition: We can define literature as language artistically used to achieve identifiable literary qualities and to convey meaningful messages. Literature is characterized by beauty of expression and form and by universality intellectual and emotional appeal. 2. Why is it necessary for you to study literature? It improves your language proficiency. It enriches your knowledge about the English culture. It helps you explore the nature of human beings. It gives you spiritual and psychological relief. 3.Why do people read literature? Reading for Pleasure Howells think that “the study of literature should begin and end in pleasure”. Apart from its role of protest, education, cognition and aesthetic appreciation, literature is primarily give pleasure. Reading for Relaxation Get readers away to an imaginary world, thus forget their problems and obligations of everyday life. Reading to Acquire Knowledge It gives readers an insight into the tradition , custom, belief, attitudes, folklore, values of the age in which it is written. Reading to Confront Experience Literature is appealing mainly because of its relationship to human experience. It sheds light on the complexity and ambiguity of human experiences and thus broadens readers’ awareness of the possibilities of the experience. Reading for Artistic Appreciation Good craftsmanship and the beauty of expression and form; It can be analyzed according to literary theories and criteria; literary criticism, to clarify, explain and evaluate literature from an aesthetic point of view. 4. How to define the American literature? American literature mainly refers to literature produced in American English by the people living in the United States. 5.Basic Qualities of American Writers Independent Individualistic Critical Innovative Humorous 6. How to study lit