殖民地时期文学.doc

Part I. The Literature of Colonial America Historical Introduction Puritan Puritanism Early American writers and Poets I. Historical Introduction The native American and their culture–-Indians Christopher Columbus discovered the American continent in 1492 Captain Christopher Newport reached Virginia in 1607. Puritans came to the New England area by “Mayflower” in 1620. The Puritan migration began. Puritans One division of English Protestant. They regarded the reformation of the church under Elizabeth as incomplete, and called for further purification. To them, religion is a matter of primary importance.(p.12) The 17th-century American Puritans included two parts: Separatists and Massachusetts Bay Group. Religious Doctrines of Puritans Predestination, original sin, total depravity, and limited atonement through a special infusion of grace from God. They regarded themselves as chosen people of God. They embraced hardships, industry and frugality. They favored a disciplined, hard, somber, ascetic and harsh life. They opposed arts and pleasure. They suspect joy and laughter as symptoms of sin. Puritanism A dominant factor in American life, one of the most enduring shaping influences in American thought and American literature.(p.11) it has been, by and large, a healthy legacy to the Americans though it was once under violent attacks for its religious intolerance and bigotry, for its austerity of taste and killjoy way of life. Puritanism’s influence on American literature (p.14) Purpose of writing: pragmatic Contents: practical matter-of-fact accounts of life in the new world; highly theoretical discussions of religious questions. Style: tight and logic structure, precise and compact expression, avoidance of rhetorical decoration, adoption of homely imagery, simplicity of diction. II. Literary Scene in Colonial America 1. major forms: diaries, histories, journals, letters, commonplace books ( a personal journal in which quotable passages, literary excerpts a