Chapter1ColonialAmerica.ppt

Review1. What is literature?2. Basic Qualities of American Writers 3. The outline of American literature before the 20th century Chapter 1 Colonial America I. Historical Background (1) In 1492, Christopher Columbus found the new continent called America. (2) Immigrants (3) English immigrants: a. 1607 - John Smith b. 1620 – William Bradford Mayflower—Puritans The first settlers who became the founding fathers of the American nation were quite a few of them Puritans. They were a group of serious, religious people, advocating highly religious and moral principles. They carried with them to America a code of value,a philosophy of life, and a point of view, which took root in the New World and became what is popularly known as American Puritanism. II. American Puritanism 1. Puritans / Calvinists 加尔文教徒 John Calvin was a French theologian, his followers are called Calvinists. 2. Doctrine of Puritans Predestination 宿命论 Original sin 原罪 Total depravity 完全堕落 Limited atonement 有限救赎 3. American Puritans （1）Life style of American Puritans Simple, self-reliance, Pious, diligence，thrift and austerity. （2）Features of American Puritans Idealist and Pragmatist（ pragmatic/practical ） 4. American Puritanism 5. Influence on literature （1）optimism 乐观主义 （2）symbolism 象征主义 （3）writing style-simplicity III．The Literary Scene in Colonial America 1. theme : Idealism Pragmatism 2. features (1) Types of writing diaries, histories, journals, letters, etc. (2) In content serving either God or colonial expansion or both. (3) In form imitating English literary traditions 3. Writers of colonial period (1) John Smith A Description of New England 新英格兰叙事 William Bradford Of Plymouth Plantation 普利茅斯种植园 (2) Anne Bradstreet 安妮 布拉德斯特里特 a Purtain poet “Tenth Muse” Constitutions and ages of man, the seasons of the year, and the chief empires of the ancient world Contemplations 沉思录 Upon the Burning of Our House 写在我家失火之际 To My