美国文学答案.pptx

American literatureTopics 1. Local color fiction Background The publishing center shifted from Boston to New York -freedom for authors from many regions to publish their fictions; The growth of communication and transportation after the Civil War; The rapid growth of local magazines providing a playground for regionalism.Regionalism Regionalism manifests a quality in literature, stressing fidelity to a particular geographical section and a faithful representation of its habits, speech, manners, history, folklore, or beliefs. Regionalism can also be viewed as resulted from the desire both to preserve distinctive ways of life before industrialization destroyed them and to come to terms with the harsh realities that seemed to replace those early times.Local Color Fiction A form of regionalism “…exploits the speech, dress, mannerisms, habits of thought, and topography peculiar to a certain region. Of course, all fiction has a locale, but local color writing exists primarily for the portrayal of the people and life of a geographical setting” --C. Hugh HolmanThe artistic writing of authenticity and simplicity “In local-color literature one finds the dual influence of romanticism and realism, since the author frequently looks away from ordinary life to distant lands, strange customs, or exotic scenes, but retains through minute detail a sense of fidelity and accuracy of description” --from Oxford Companion to American Literature (439)FeaturesPresenting a locale distinguished from the outside world;Describing the exotic and the picturesque; Glorifying the past; Showing things as they are;Stressing the influence of setting on character.Local Color Fiction did convince people that the common life of the common people in the backwoods and on the frontiers of American society was worthy of serious literary treatment.2. Naturalism Background Darwin’s evolutionary theory Struggle for survival Natural selection The survival of the fittest Herbert Spencer Social Darwinism Em