1-美国文学史之Colonial.pptVIP

Lecture one Colonial America 1.American Puritanism 2.The literary Scene in Colonial America Choice-making 1517 “Puritan” 1536 Martine Luther 1543 Henry VIII 1560s John Calvin (Institutes of the Christian Religion Therefore let us choose life, that we and our seed may live by obeying His voice and cleaving to Him, for He is our life and our prosperity. ___John Winthrop (1588-1649) 所以，让我们选择生活， 这样，我们和我们的后代， 可以听从上帝的声音， 须臾不离上帝， 因为，上帝是我们的生命， 我们的兴旺 Core Doctrines of Calvinism and Puritanism 1.Original Sin (total depravity) 2.Absolute will of God (Bible) 3.Predestination 4.Limited atonement Americanization of Puritanism “He was a visionary who never forgets that two plus two equals four; he was a soldier of Jehovah who never came out on the losing side of a bargain…” “ a doctrinaire opportunist” (Perry Miller) the American Puritan ideal for man : A dialectic perspective upon American Puritanism  In Comparison with Confucianism Influence of American Puritanism upon American literature 1.Tow major undercurrents in American literature: a) a mood of optimism: American literature is in good measure a literary expression of the pious idealism of the American Puritan bequest. b) a mood of frustration: the failure of the pious idealism 2. writing style: A) distinctively American symbolism: in relation to the Puritan’s metaphorical mode of perception about the world—the phenomenal world is nothing but a symbol of God. B) Simple, fresh, direct, plain, a touch of nobility. The Literary Scene in Colonial America Humble origins: diaries, histories, journals, letters, commonplace books, travel books, sermons. Characteristics: in content—ponderously religious or serving colonial expansion or both; in form—imitating and transplanting English literary tradition; loosely structured and long sente