美国文学读书报告

一份优质的报告，需要以总结性的语录、合理的格式，进行工作与学习内容的记录。想必你也正在为如何写好报告而发愁吧？以下是小编精心整理的《美国文学读书报告》的相关内容，希望能给你带来帮助!

第1篇：美国文学读书报告

美国文学读书报告

091112班 黄茜茜 美国文学选读

Book Report

——My View of Walden

Since I have finished reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being last year, I suppose it is the best. But when I get Walden, my heart is caught again.

To be honest, when I first hear about Walden, I have no idea what it is concerned about. After my teacher introduces a bit about it, then I know it is a quiet book.

Because of that favor, I have much interest in it and read it immediately. I have to say, I think it talks nonsense in the Economy chapter, and I become confused when I finish it at the first time. I just learn some thing about Thoreau’s more than two years of life and thought at Walden Pond, it is like a journal. For further studying, I read more literature from library and search for more evaluating from the Internet.

It is generally believed in literary circles that Walden is such a book, a book is called “overcome all worldly thoughts and enter sainthood" by Eliot, a book together with Bible and the little prince was named one of the "twenty-five books for shaping the readers " by America National Library, a book that poets will never abandon.It is very important to know background of a book when you read it. Otherwise，you may not know why the author write it or what the author want to tell readers. In Walden, they are mentioned in chapter two. Just like me, I am not able to understand Walden well at the beginning and think it is nonsense.

It is not the simple description of nature and life of Thoreau, it also reveals that the author comes back to the nature and makes an experiment of life to find the true meaning of life. It seems that if one can meet the required for basic life to the world, one can more easily and more calm to enjoy life.

There are many researches on Walden, the themes contain ecological significance, aesthetic value, relationship between Walden and China, and so on. But, my heart just follow the words. I read it twice. When I think of seclusion, I think of Tao Yuanming. When I think of prose, I think of Zhu Ziqing and his Moonlight over the Lotus Pond. It is said that the writing style of Wei An ultimately from poetry to prose because of Walden. I am indulged in Thoreau’s thought and the words of Walden. The book is fresh,

healthy and inspiring. I love it.

I like the second chapter of it most. In this chapter, the author explains why he choses to live alone in a small, simple cabin at Walden Pond, and why he writes this book. He thinks many of his contemporaries do not understand the real meaning of life. He describes the beauty of nature, some ideas of transcendentalism and his philosophy of life--”simplicity, simplicity, simplicity”. I love these sentences

especially, “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. I drink at it; but while I drink I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slides away, but eternity remains.” There is a metaphor, stream is used to be compared to time.

Although we can not like Thoreau to appreciate the lonely forest life now, Walden has never disappeared. Nothing can prevent us to have a clear Walden in our hearts. It

always can let the hearts be elutriated, according to Thoreau, to your inner exploration. The book is eternal.

I love Walden, such a quiet book.

第2篇：美国文学读书报告

外国语学院《美国文学》课程

读书报告 beloved 《宠儿》

ⅰ、the thought of from my perspective ∏、basic information name of the book: publishing house: random house books for young readers publishing time : 1987 isbn: 978-037541156 reading date: winter vacation, 2012 ⅲ、introduction to the author toni morrison (born chloe ardelia[1] wofford on february 18, 1931), is a nobel prize-winning american author, editor, and professor. her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed black characters; among the best known are her novels< the bluest eye>< song of solomon> ,which won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1988. in 2002, scholar molefi kete asante listed toni morrison on his list of 100 greatest african americans. ⅳ、summary of the novel this story set in 1873 just after the american civil war (1861–1865), it is based on the story of the african-american slave, margaret garner, who escaped slavery in 1856 in kentucky by fleeing to ohio, a free state. a posse arrived to retrieve her and her children under the fugitive slave act of 1850, which gave slave owners the right to pursue slaves across state borders. margaret killed her two-year-old daughter rather than allow her to be recaptured. beloveds main character, sethe, kills her daughter and tries to kill her other three children when a posse arrives in ohio to return them to sweet home, the plantation in kentucky from which sethe had recently fled. the daughter, beloved, returns years later to haunt the house in which she was killed, sethes home at 124 bluestone road, cincinnati. the story opens with an introduction to the ghost: 124 was spiteful. full of a babys venom. ⅴ、 details in a traditional narrative, morrison strengthens the impact of the novel and its brutal revelations. symbols of water, rain, snow, and ice connect the disparate scenes, and the use of shadows and the ghostly character of beloved keep the reader on tenterhooks until the action is eventually resolved. a powerful, atmospheric, and shocking novel, beloved is also a searing indictment of slavery and the damage it has done to the fabric of life, damage that cannot be repaired until it is fully recognized through novels such as this. n mary whipple . the writing is craftful and the imagery masterful. the depiction of slavery and its malevolent effects on everyone is poignant and convincing without ever being maudlin or preachy. what could have been a sad tearjerker is much too real, too convincing, calloused over with the hardness that the characters are forced to develop when everything they love, from their spouses to their children are beaten, raped, taken away, or killed at the whim of the whiteman. but while i can appreciate the story, the structure, and the way it was written, i found it extremely tedious to read. it hangs on the thinnest of narrative thread, and whenever a plot threatens to develop, the scene ends and we find out what happened later as an aside. most of the 275 pages are dense interior monologues, frequently repetitious, that sometimes degenerates into what seemed like random text. the characters are drawn with detail, each distinctive and real. i feel i could recognize them on the street if one walked past. but they are as closed to us as they are to themselves. while they evoke my sympathy, they never gain my empathy. we study them, we hear them, we even feel them, but we never are them. 外国语学院《美国文学》课程

读书报告 the relation between human nature of moby dick 论《白鲸》小说人与自然的关系

学生姓名： 李 丹

班 级：09级英语本科4班

学 号：09280421 完成日期：2012年4月28日 and the relation between human and nature of moby dick i、 basic information name of the book: moby dick publishing house: bantam classics publishing time: 1981-02-01 isbn: 0553213113 reading date: winter vacation, 2012 ii、 introduction to the author melvilles roving disposition and a desire to support himself independently of family assistance led him to seek work as a surveyor on the erie canal. this effort failed, and his brother helped him get a job as a boy(a green hand) on a new york ship bound for liverpool. he made the voyage, and returned on the same ship. redburn: his first voyage (1849) is partly based on his experiences of this journey. iii、 summary of the novel in this book, moby dick is the whale’s name, several conflicts appeared in the story, the main conflict is the one between the captain and the whale called moby dick. the captain made his mind to kill the whale in order to take his revenge, but at last, the big whale was the final winner, he killed all the people almost. besides, another conflict is that exist between the captain and his sailors, they couldn’t work together harmoniously, the captain always got his sailors into embarrassing situation by taking advantage of his authority, which lead sailors to set their duties aside in order to give out their anger, so, they failed to kill moby dick at last. moby-dick has been classified as american romanticism. it was first published by richard bentley in london on october 18, 1851, in an expurgated three-volume edition titled the whale, and weeks later as a single volume, by new york city publisher harper and brothers as moby-dick; or, the whale on november 14, 1851. the book initially received mixed reviews, but moby-dick is now considered part of the western canon,and at the center of the canon of american novels. iv、 the relation between human and nature (symbolism) moby dick is a giant albino sperm whale and the main antagonist of the novel. he bit off ahabs leg, leaving ahab to swear revenge. the cetacean also attacked the rachel and killed the captains son. at the end of the story he kills the entire crew of the pequod, with the exception of ishmael. the story does not tell whether or not he survives his own wounds after that. although he is an integral part of the novel, moby dick appears in just three of the 135 chapters and the reader does not have access to his thoughts and motivations. moby dick is considered to be a symbol of a number of things, among them god, nature, fate, the ocean, and the very universe itself. the symbolism of the white whale is deliberately enigmatic, and its inscrutability is a deliberate challenge to the reader. ishmael describes the whale’s forehead as having wrinkles and scars on it that look like hieroglyphics, and recounts: if then, sir william jones, who read in thirty languages, could not read the simplest peasant’s face in its profounder and more subtle meanings, how may unlettered ishmael hope to read the awful chaldee of the sperm whale’s brow? i put that brow before you. read it if you can. —moby-dick, ch. 79 all the reader can know is that the white whale symbolizes many things to various characters in the novel. it is their personal interpretations of moby-dick, in addition to their individual ruminations on the gold doubloon ahab has nailed to the mast to motivate his crew, that serve as a further clue to their own inner makeup.篇三：美国文学读书报告 091112班 黄茜茜 美国文学选读 book report ——my view of walden since i have finished reading the unbearable lightness of being last year, i suppose it is the best. but when i get walden, my heart is caught again. to be honest, when i first hear about walden, i have no idea what it is concerned about. after my teacher introduces a bit about it, then i know it is a quiet book. there are many researches on walden, the themes contain ecological significance, aesthetic value, relationship between walden and china, and so on. but, my heart just follow the words. i read it twice. when i think of seclusion, i think of tao yuanming. when i think of prose, i think of zhu ziqing and his moonlight over the lotus pond. it is said that the writing style of wei an ultimately from poetry to prose because of walden. i am indulged in thoreau’s thought and the words of walden. the book is fresh, healthy and inspiring. i love it. i like the second chapter of it most. in this chapter, the author explains why he choses to live alone in a small, simple cabin at walden pond, and why he writes this book. he thinks many of his contemporaries do not understand the real meaning of life. he describes the beauty of nature, some ideas of transcendentalism and his philosophy of life--”simplicity, simplicity, simplicity”. i love these sentences although we can not like thoreau to appreciate the lonely forest life now, walden has never disappeared. nothing can prevent us to have a clear walden in our hearts. it always can let the hearts be elutriated, according to thoreau, to your inner exploration. the book is eternal. i love walden, such a quiet book.篇四：英美文学 读书报告格式

读书报告格式

on wordsworth and emerson’s conception of nature (题目字居中，加粗times new roman小三)空一行 yu lianjun, class 2, 2008, foreign languages school (居中，加粗times new roman小四号)空一行 i. introduction in the introduction part, information about the book, the author, and his times should be covered. a brief account of the author’s life should be given together with a description of his times. the latter should include the circumstances that led to the writing of the book under discussion and the historical and social background related to the content of the book. tell the reader the main thesis or argument of the book ii. the story or a summary of the book in this part, the writer expresses his or her own views on the book, names its merits and demerits, and discusses its relevance to the present time. the discussion should of course center on the content of the book, the author’s style and techniques of writing, if interesting, can also be touched upon. 书写格式及装订要求 1. 论文必须用计算机排版，用a4纸打印，装订好(页面设置为：左2.8， 右2.5， 上2.5，下2.5，行距1.5，单面打印)。 2. 页码从正文第一页开始按阿拉伯数字连续编排，位于页面底端居中。 附件2. 推荐课外阅读书目： 1) 一年级学生阅读书目：皆为英文简写本。只要求理解，并能复述故事内容。一般为每本阅读时间为15天左右，依据书的厚薄难易而定。 《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》、《傲慢与偏见》、《爱丽丝漫游奇境记》、《苏格兰玛丽女王》、《鲁宾孙漂流记》、《双城记》、《费兰肯斯坦》、《爱情与金

钱》、《野性的乎唤》、《格列佛游记》、《大卫·利波菲尔》、《小妇人》、《远大前程》、《远离尘嚣》、《巴斯克维尔猎犬》、《简爱》、《呼啸山庄》、《苔丝》、《秘密花园》、《爱丽丝镜中世界奇遇记》、《风语河岸柳》、《圣诞欢歌》、《曾达的囚徒》、《诱拐》、《金银岛》、《黑骏马》、《象人》、《歌剧院的幽灵》、《星际动物园》、《化学秘密》、《在月亮下面》、《格林·盖布尔斯来的安妮》、《潘德尔的巫师》、《猴爪》、《世界上最冷的地方》、《一个国王的爱情故事》、《亡灵岛》、《多里安·格雷的画像》、《勃朗特一家的故事》、《神秘幻想故事集》、《牙齿和爪子》、《亚瑟王传奇》 2)二年级学生可适当读原著，一般每本阅读时间为30天左右，依书的厚薄难易而定。要求达到理解并在理解的基础上对书中某些方面进行欣赏、分析。

第3篇： 美国学生怎么写读书报告？

如何写读书报告?这是美国学生的基本功，但是却是中国的孩子的弱点，江博读书会特邀请Timothy(出生于美国，且在美国某著名中学就读)按照他得学习体会跟大家分享一下读书报告的写法。

How to Write a Book Response by Timothy (intern @Joyboom)

I’ll be going over a few points which I feel are instrumental in writing a good book response. The order is not significant.

1. Make sure to understand the basic concepts and facts of the book. It’s very tough to write a book response without knowing both the specifics of the plot and the symbolism in the book. For example, I once began to write a response about A Separate Peace, in which I argued that Leper may have had a mental disorder. As it turns out, the book implies he suffered from PTSD.

2. Establish a main idea, and focus the entirety of the response around it. Every piece of writing should have a main idea. It is always easier to write an essay around a main idea than to think of one after the essay has been completed. As such, it is highly encouraged to have a first paragraph dedicated to informing the reader of the main idea. There should also be a recap of the main idea in the concluding paragraph, briefly explaining how all of your ideas link back to the main one. A very brief example could be: Main idea: California is a great state to live in. Idea 1: California has many job opportunities. Idea 2: California has great weather. Idea 3: California has all kinds of food. Link back: California is a great state to live in because of 1, 2 and 3.

3. Keep the essay smooth! It’s important to keep your sentences flowing smoothly. Here’s a tip: after every sentence you write, read it aloud to yourself. Do this when you finish paragraphs and entire essays. This will ensure you catch any parts that sound rigid. A prime factor in rigid sentences is repeated words. For example: “Put the book on that table, in case we need the book later.”

In this sentence, the word book is repeated. It sounds a bit awkward when read aloud, but this can be easily remedied. “Put the book on that table, in case we need it later.”

By changing the word, the sentence flows better. In some situations, a thesaurus can be even better.

4. Keep plot summary to a minimum. A rule of thumb when writing responses is to assume that the reader has already read the book. Of course, this isn’t going to be the case 100% of the time. Responses, however, are not summaries. Ideally, the only plot that should ever be in your response should be the quotes you use (if you use them) to support your ideas.

5. Quotes are powerful. At least, when used in the right way. Quotes are unquestionable fact taken straight from the book you are responding to. When used correctly, they strengthen your ideas by quite a bit by adding factual evidence. Here’s how you can use quotes effectively: In Lord of the Flies, Piggy is the most intelligent character, because he makes the conch a symbol of democracy. The sentence above is fine on its own, but a quote would strengthen it. In Lord of the Flies, Piggy is the most intelligent character, as shown when he “quote where Piggy first establishes the rules regarding the conch.”

6. Finish strong. Your last paragraph is what the reader is left with when they finish, so it should be impactful. Recap your ideas, restate your main idea, and always end with a thought-provoking sentence. This could be a question, a statement about a broad subject, or anything else, as long as it makes the reader think. 本文转自：北京英语培训

第4篇：关于美国等国家的国家网络安全计划的读书报告

江苏大学京江学院

关于美国等国家的国家网络安全计划的读书报告

J计算机1401 潘庆 4141110020 美国可谓是目前世界上互联网产业最发达的地区，所以它对于网络安全的一些政策及计划是值得其他国家关注及学习的。中国目前是世界上互联网用户数最多的国家，在这个互联网飞速发展的时代，网络安全显得尤为重要，特别是对于我们计算机专业的学生来说，了解信息安全原理才能编写出能够防范黑客攻击、保护用户隐私的软件，解读美国的国家网络安全计划将是对我们提高网络安全意识的关键一课。

通过查阅网络及书籍，我了解到，自从奥巴马政府上台以来，网络安全计划得到了极大的支持。2010年3月2日，奥巴马政府对前总统布什制定的一份美国网络防御战略，即《国家网络安全综合计划》(CNCI)的部分内容进行解密。CNCI包括了许多互助性的提议，以实现下面3个重要目标，进而保护美国的网络空间安全：1.通过在联邦政府内部创建和增强对网络漏洞、威胁和事件的共享态势感知能力和对减少当前漏洞及防止入侵的快速反应能力，进而建立一个防御线以抵御当前面临的威胁;2.通过增强美国的反情报能力和增进关键信息技术供应链的安全，进而实现应对全方位威胁的防御能力;3.通过扩大网络教育、协调和重新定位整个联邦政府内的研发工作，以及致力于明确和制定相关战略，以阻止敌对和恶意的网络空间行动等措施，进而巩固未来的网络安全空间环境安全。

从这份计划可以了解到美国政府对网络安全的政策是一贯的，且很大程度上体现了预防性，这就告诉我们，网络安全是需要提前准备的，而不是等到遇到问题后再亡羊补牢，只有未雨绸缪，才能在真正发生网络安全问题时将损失降到最低。

当然，美国的网络安全计划远不止这些。2016年2月9日，美国总统发布网络安全国家行动计划(CNAP)，通过短期和长期战略提高网络安全意识，加强保护，确保公共安全，支持经济和国家安全。CNAP要点包括以下行动：1.建立国家网络空间安全委员会 2.设立信息技术基金 3.保证美国人民电子账户安全 4.2017财年预算将在网络空间领域投资190亿美元。

从这项行动计划可以看出，美国对网络安全的投入越来越大，设立了专门针对网络空间安全的委员会，并且关注到了美国人民电子账户安全，这就体现了随

江苏大学京江学院

着互联网的发展，电子支付的普及，对于网络安全的建设刻不容缓。在我国，支付宝已然成为人们的主要支付方式之一，支付宝也有许多验证支付的方式，这都在一定程度上保护了账户安全，同是对于电子账户的保护也需要国家出台更多法律文件，对信息安全技术投入更多资金，支持软件开发商的安全技术研发。

然而美国的网络安全计划也不是十全十美，“棱镜计划”就饱受美国人民甚至世界人民的诟病，因为它涉及侵犯人民的隐私权，在被斯诺登爆料后就争议不断。我认为国家监测民众上网活动的出发点虽然是好的，可以有效预防网络攻击甚至现实的恐怖袭击，但是还是需要把握一个度，不能到滥用监测的地步。

不仅是美国，欧盟于2013年也发布了《欧盟网络安全战略》，日本于2015年通过《网络安全战略》，这都显示了网络安全计划是一个国家战略层次的计划，影响到国家的竞争力。

国家的网络安全是涉及到国家利益的重要组成部分，我们在网络安全问题上决不能掉以轻心，因为未来必是一个互联网、物联网蓬勃发展的年代，我们国家可以借鉴美国的国家网络安全计划，并制定具有中国特色的网络安全计划，切实保护人民的网络财产。这将不仅是一个国家计划，更是一个民生计划，它将帮助中国走向互联网领导者的道路。

第5篇：美国文学总结

美国文学

一、 殖民地时期的美国文学

1、 约翰 史密斯：美国文学的第一个作家，《关于弗吉尼亚的真实叙述》;

2、 纳撒尼尔 沃德：《北美的阿格瓦姆鞋匠》，北美讽刺文学第一笔;

3、 威廉 布拉德福德：美国历史之父，《普利茅斯种植园史》

4、 安妮、布拉德斯特利特 《第十个缪斯》

5、 迈克尔 威格尔斯沃斯

6、 爱德华 泰勒 长诗《上帝对其选民有影响的决定》

7、 乔纳森 爱德华兹：大觉醒运动中主要的思想家;

二、 南北战争时期的美国文学()

1、 富兰克林

2、 托马斯、潘恩：《长诗》

3、 托马斯、杰弗逊：《独立宣言》

4、 约翰、伍尔曼：《日记》

5、 飞利浦、弗瑞诺：美国独立革命的诗人

6、 飞利浦、惠特利：美国文学史上第一位出版诗集的黑人女诗人，了不起的诗才之称，《胡塞先生和棺木》;

7、 威廉、邓拉普：美国戏剧之父

8、 华盛顿、欧文：美国文学之父，《见闻札记》《睡古传说》《温克尔》

9、 詹姆斯 菲尼莫尔 库珀：《开拓者》《最后一个莫干希人》《探路人》

10、威廉、布莱恩特：美国的华兹华斯，《诗选》《黄色的紫罗兰》《致水鸟》

11、爱伦、坡：侦探小说的鼻祖，《厄舍古厦的倒塌》《乌鸦》

12、艾默生：超验主义，

13、大卫梭罗

14、亨利、费朗罗：《伊凡吉林》歌颂爱情;《海华沙之歌》第一部描写印第安人的史诗;

15、纳撒尼尔、霍桑：《范肖》《带七个尖角阁的房子》《福谷传奇》以第一人称叙述;

16、麦尔维尔

17、斯托夫人的代表作《汤姆叔叔的小屋》

18、惠特曼：free verse;草叶集;

三、 第一次世界大战时期的美国文学

1、 豪威尔斯是美国现实主义文学的奠基人，其代表作诗《塞拉斯 拉帕姆的发迹》;

2、 亨利、詹姆斯：《黛西 米勒》;《贵妇人的画像》《美国人》

3、 马克 吐温

4、 赫姆林加兰：加兰是“乡土文学作家”的重要代表，《大路》，80年代美国的真实写照;

5、 弗兰克 诺里斯：开创自然主义的先河，代表作《章鱼》;

6、 欧亨利：美国现代短篇小说的创始人;

7、 杰克伦敦：自然主义，《马丁伊登》自传体小说

8、 西奥多、德莱赛：美国现代小说的先驱，20世纪美国文学中第一位杰出的作家;《嘉莉妹妹》，《欲望三部曲》：《金融家》《巨人》《斯多葛》;

9、 艾米丽 迪金森：现代英美诗歌的先驱;

四、 一战到二战时期的美国文学

1、 罗伯特 弗罗斯特：四次获得普利策奖

2、 庞德：印象派诗歌运动的主要力量;

3、 爱德华、肯明斯：视觉诗歌的创始人;

4、 尤金、奥尼尔：《天边外》早起作品;《送冰人来了》;《长夜漫漫路迢迢》， 1936年获得诺贝尔文学奖;

5、 辛克莱、刘易斯：1930年获得诺贝尔文学奖;第一个获得该奖项的美国作家，

《大街》《巴比特》

6、 海明威：

7、 菲茨杰拉德：《人间天堂》《了不起的盖茨比》《夜色温柔》

8、 赛珍珠：《大地》1938年美国历史上第一个获得诺贝尔文学奖的女性作家;

9、 约翰、斯坦贝克：20世纪美国文坛最重要的作家之一，1962年获得诺贝尔文学奖;《天堂的牧场》《煎饼坪》《愤怒的葡萄》《月落》《烦躁的冬天》

10、福克纳：《喧哗与骚动》 《寓言》获得普利策奖;

最重要的作品三部曲：《村子》《小镇》《大宅》

11、兰斯顿 休斯：哈莱姆的桂冠诗人

五、 二战以后的美国文学

1、 杰克、开鲁亚克：垮掉的一代，《在路上》

2、 塞林格：垮掉的一代的重要作家，《麦田的守望者》

3、 纳博科夫：《洛丽塔》

4、 约瑟夫、海勒：《第22条军规》

5、 库特、冯尼格：黑色幽默手法;

6、 威廉、斯泰轮：《苏菲的选择》

7、 辛格：美国犹太作家，1978年诺贝尔文学奖 《路柏林的魔术师》

8、 索尔、贝娄：1976年诺贝尔文学奖;《晃来晃去的人》

9、 菲利普、罗斯：《美国牧歌》，获普利策奖;

10、托尼、莫里森：1993年获得诺贝尔，第一位美国黑人作家;

《最蓝的眼睛》《所罗门之歌》

11、田纳西、威廉斯：《欲望号街车》《热铁皮屋顶上的猫》

12、阿瑟、米勒：《推销员之死》

第6篇：美国文学简史

Chapter 1 Colonial Period

I. Background: Puritanism

1. features of Puritanism

(1) Predestination: God decided everything before things occurred.

(2) Original sin: Human beings were born to be evil, and this original sin can be passed down from generation to generation.

(3) Total depravity

(4) Limited atonement: Only the “elect” can be saved.

2. Influence

(1) A group of good qualities – hard work, thrift, piety, sobriety (serious and thoughtful) influenced American literature.

(2) It led to the everlasting myth. All literature is based on a myth – garden of Eden.

(3) Symbolism: the American puritan’s metaphorical mode of perception was chiefly instrumental in calling into being a literary symbolism which is distinctly American.

(4) With regard to their writing, the style is fresh, simple and direct; the rhetoric is plain and honest, not without a touch of nobility often traceable to the direct influence of the Bible.

II. Overview of the literature

1. types of writing

diaries, histories, journals, letters, travel books, autobiographies/biographies, sermons

2. writers of colonial period

(1) Anne Bradstreet

(2) Edward Taylor

(3) Roger Williams

(4) John Woolman

(5) Thomas Paine

(6) Philip Freneau

III. Jonathan Edwards

1. life

2. works

(1) The Freedom of the Will

(2) The Great Doctrine of Original Sin Defended

(3) The Nature of True Virtue

3. ideas – pioneer of transcendentalism

(1) The spirit of revivalism

(2) Regeneration of man

(3) God’s presence

(4) Puritan idealism

IV. Benjamin Franklin

1. life

2. works

(1) Poor Richard’s Almanac

(2) Autobiography

3. contribution

(1) He helped found the Pennsylvania Hospital and the American Philosophical Society.

(2) He was called “the new Prometheus who had stolen fire (electricity in this case) from heaven”.

(3) Everything seems to meet in this one man – “Jack of all trades”. Herman Melville thus described him “master of each and mastered by none”.

Chapter 2 American Romanticism

Section 1 Early Romantic Period

What is Romanticism?

l An approach from ancient Greek: Plato

l A literary trend: 18c in Britain (1798~1832)

l Schlegel Bros.

I. Preview: Characteristics of romanticism

1. subjectivity

(1) feeling and emotions, finding truth

(2) emphasis on imagination

(3) emphasis on individualism – personal freedom, no hero worship, natural goodness of human beings

2. back to medieval, esp medieval folk literature

(1) unrestrained by classical rules

(2) full of imagination

(3) colloquial language

(4) freedom of imagination

(5) genuine in feelings: answer their call for classics

3. back to nature

nature is “breathing living thing” (Rousseau)

II. American Romanticism

1. Background

(1) Political background and economic development

(2) Romantic movement in European countries

Derivative – foreign influence

2. features

(1) American romanticism was in essence the expression of “a real new

experience and contained “an alien quality” for the simple reason that “the spirit of the place” was radically new and alien.

(2) There is American Puritanism as a cultural heritage to consider. American romantic authors tended more to moralize. Many American romantic writings intended to edify more than they entertained.

(3) The “newness” of Americans as a nation is in connection with American Romanticism.

(4) As a logical result of the foreign and native factors at work, American romanticism was both imitative and independent.

III. Washington Irving

1. several names attached to Irving

(1) first American writer

(2) the messenger sent from the new world to the old world

(3) father of American literature

2. life

3. works

(1) A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty

(2) The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. (He won a measure of international recognition with the publication of this.)

(3) The History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus

(4) A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

(5) The Alhambra

4. Literary career: two parts

(1) 1809~1832

a. Subjects are either English or European

b. Conservative love for the antique

(2) 1832~1859: back to US

5. style – beautiful

(1) gentility, urbanity, pleasantness

(2) avoiding moralizing – amusing and entertaining

(3) enveloping stories in an atmosphere

(4) vivid and true characters

(5) humour – smiling while reading

(6) musical language

IV. James Fenimore Cooper

1. life

2. works

(1) Precaution (1820, his first novel, imitating Austen’s Pride and Prejudice)

(2) The Spy (his second novel and great success)

(3) Leatherstocking Tales (his masterpiece, a series of five novels)

The Deerslayer, The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, The Pioneer, The Prairie

3. point of view

the theme of wilderness vs. civilization, freedom vs. law, order vs. change, aristocrat vs. democrat, natural rights vs. legal rights

4. style

(1) highly imaginative

(2) good at inventing tales

(3) good at landscape description

(4) conservative

(5) characterization wooden and lacking in probability

(6) language and use of dialect not authentic

5. literary achievements

He created a myth about the formative period of the American nation. If the history of the United States is, in a sense, the process of the American settlers exploring and pushing the American frontier forever westward, then Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales effectively approximates the American national

experience of adventure into the West. He turned the west and frontier as a useable past and he helped to introduce western tradition to American literature.