Unit 7 Literature of American Romanticism

Unit 7 Literature of American Romanticism
美国浪漫主义时期文学

“美国人没有什么文学—— 我们是说没有什么本土文学，文学都是进口货……但是，既然美国人只要六周的时间便可以收到用我们自己的语言写出的表达我们的见识、学问和精神的大包大箱的书籍，他们为什么还要写书？”
—— 西德尼· 史密斯

I. Historical Introduction
1. History of the Age (p52) The census The Westward Movement (frontier egalitarianism) Industrialization (contrasting riches and poverty) The life style Education (literacy)

I. Historical Introduction
2. Literary Characteristics American Romanticism American Transcendentalism American Renaissance

American Romanticism 1. Historical Background
The first half of the 19th century Radical changes in all aspects of American life: burgeoning industrialism great immigration westward expansion a variety of foreign influences (derivative) playground for romantics: magazines

Foreign Influences 1. Sir Walter Scott（沃尔特.司各特）
Border tales and Waverly(威佛利） romances American historical romance 2. Byron （拜伦） Oriental romances American Indian romance Imagination for lyrics of love and passion and despair. 3. Robert Burns　（罗伯特.彭斯） 4. William Wordsworth（威廉.华兹华斯） Samuel Taylor Coleridge　（塞缪尔.泰勒.柯尔律治） Lyrical Ballads（《抒情歌谣集》）

American Romanticism 2. General characteristics:
A rebellion against the objectivity of rationalism. (subjective) The feelings, intuitions and emotions were more important than reason and common sense. Not think of the world as a ticking watch made by God; thought of the world as a living, breathing being. Emphasized individualism, placing the individual against the group, against authority. Affirmed the inner life of the self (subconscious)

American Romanticism Cherished strong interest in the past, especially the medieval. Attracted by the wild, the irregular, the indefinite, the remote, the mysterious, and the strange. Interested in variety. mystery, romance and adventure; literary forms: ballad, lyric, sentimental comedy, problem novel, historical novel, gothic romance, metrical romance, sonnet and critical essay

American Romanticism 3. Distinct Features:
Tended to be moralize, to edify(开导、启发）rather than to entertain. Presented an entirely new experience alien to European culture: the westward expansion wilderness axe exotic landscape quaint civilization of a primitive race (Indians) the myth of a New Garden of Eden in America American Puritanism Convention: an escape from society and a return to nature

American Transcendentalism
1. Historical Background Flourished in New England from 1830s to the Civil War. Romantic idealism on Puritan soil. A system of thought originating from: Unitarianism New-Platoism German idealistic philosophy The revelations of Oriental-mysticism

The Transcendental Club (The movement’s center) Delighted in abstract discussion Published their journal The Dial ( )

Derived from the Latin verb transcendere Defined as the recognition in man of the capacity of acquiring knowledge transcending the reach of the five senses, or of knowing truth intuitively, or of reaching the divine without the need of an intercessor

3. General characteristics intuition: by means of the five senses and beyond spirit (oversoul): first (matter second) nature: symbolic of spirit or God a healthy and restorative influence on human mind individual : self-reliant and unselfish

feeling/heart thinking: over reason and head thinking religion: an emotional communication between an individual soul and the universal “Oversoul” (Emerson)

Oversoul is an all-pervading unitary spiritual power of goodness, omnipresent and omnipotent, existing in nature and in humanity alike and constituting the chief element of the universe

American Renaissance (1836-1855)
American Romanticism culminated around the 1840s in what has come to be known as “New England Transcendentalism” or “American Renaissance”

American Renaissance 从文学史的角度看,美国的”文艺复兴”文学并不是一个独立于其浪漫主义文学的全新的
发展,而是它的延续和更辉煌的阶段.超验主义产生之前的那一段称为前期浪漫主义,以欧文等人将美国文学提高到欧洲水平为特征,而19 世纪30年代之后的文学称为后期浪漫主义,则是以超验主义激励而起的 “文艺复兴”文学兴起, 并最终产生了独立的美国文学为标志的.

Unitarianism Represents a thoughtful revolt against orthodox Puritanism Believes God as one being, rejecting the doctrine of trinity, stressing the tolerance of difference in religious opinion, and giving each congregation the free control of its own affairs and its independent authority Lays the foundation for the central doctrines of transcendentalism

II. The Beginning of American Romanticism (1810-1840)
Washington Irving (followed Oliver Goldsmith ( )) James Fenimore Cooper (emulated Sir Walter Scott ( )) William Cullen Bryant (learned from William Wordsworth ( )) Edger Allan Poe (high romantics)

Washington Irving (1783-1859)华盛顿.欧文
1. Reputation “The first” (p60-61) “Father of American Short Stories” Literature”

2. Life Story born on Wall Street, New York City, (a rather wealthy
merchant family) studied law in Europe for his health 1809 first book: A history of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty 《纽约外史》 1809 his fiancee Matilda died at 17, and he remained a bachelor 1812 editor of The Analectic Magazine（《文集杂志》） in Philadelphia 1815 went to England (taking up authorship as a profession)

2. Life Story 全体人员） in London traveled extensively
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent 《见闻札记》 1826 to attache(使馆随员） to the American envoy to Spain 1829 to served as secretary to the American legation(公使馆全体人员） in London 1832 returned to America traveled extensively settled down in his home “Sunnyside,” at Tarrytown by the Hudson River appointed Minister to Spain 1850 went to England 1859 died

3. Washington Irving’s Works
3.1 essays 3.2 history and biography 3.3 tales or short stories Sketch Book( ) 《见闻札记》 published in England 33 stories artistic material (of his native New York): fascinating wilderness legends and folktales won him international popularity

Sketch Book《见闻札记》 Rip Van Winkle《瑞普.凡．温克尔》
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 《睡谷传说》 Setting: a fictional ground of New England in which reality and imagination converge. Theme: distinctly American Characters: archetypes like Rip Van Winkle and Ichabod Crane

Rip Van Winkle《瑞普.凡．温克尔》
讲述了一个避世与变革的故事：心地善良，乐于助人，却有点惧内的瑞普，为躲避妻子的责骂，进山砍柴，偶遇老者邀之同饮，山中一觉返家，发现村里无人认识他，刻薄的妻子也不知去向，而且世道似乎也已经变了．原来山中方一夜，世上二十年，世道的确已经变了。 Rip Van Winkle:1.落后于时代的人 2.嗜睡的人

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 《睡谷传说》
“睡谷”是哈得孙河畔一个幽僻的山间小村，那里与世隔绝，老百姓思想闭塞，对各种鬼怪深信不疑。伊卡包德·克莱恩是个乡村穷教师，他爱上了当地的美人卡特琳娜，自以为得到美人的青睐。他穿着一身寒酸的“礼服”参加凡·塔塞尔家的舞会，自鸣得意达到极点。舞会散后，他的情敌布罗骨假装当地流传的鬼怪故事中的“无头骑士”，乘着黑夜拦截和追赶伊卡包德，把他吓得魂不附体。最后，那个“鬼”把抱在胸前的“头”高高举起，向他狠狠地扔过去，以此结束了这场“夜袭”。

The Author’s Account of Himself 《作者自述》
Para 1-2: fondness of new scenes and strange characters and manners. (新奇美景，奇风异俗） passion in books Para 3-5: this inclination is more reasonable beautiful natural scenes in America Europe’s charms historical relics gigantic race Para 6: exotic materials in his works

4. Style of His Works 4.1 graceful, refined, fluent and dignified
models of perfect English allusions to Shakespeare's works, Bibles and mythology 4.2 sentimental, romantic, retrospective 4.3 humorous, ironic 4.4 theme: change, mutability (upset the natural order of things)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1. Summary of the short story 2. Analysis of the short story 2.1 Setting 2.1.1 Tarry Town the eastern shore of the Hudson river “one of the quietest places in the whole world” After American Revolutionary War 2.2 Atmosphere isolated, tranquil, retired, unchanged, dreamy, cozy, gothic (hollow, old tree, creek, bridge, dark night, graveyard, ghost and goblin), mysterious

2.3 Plot Conflict: Crane versus another suitor Brom Bones Crane versus the inhabitants in Sleepy Hollow change versus old tradition city versus countryside Climax: Para 61-65 Denouement: an air of mystery

2.4 Character Archetype原型 An archetype is an original model of a person, ideal example, or a prototype after which others are copied, patterned, or emulated; a symbol universally recognized by all. Ichabod Crane: pretentious intellectualism Ichabod: meaning inglorious in Hebrew the glory is departed from Israel

New Englander appearance: bizarre, effete（虚弱的） a city-slicker（世故的城市人): hypocritical, shrewd, commercial (money worship), avaricious(贪婪的）superstitious, narrow-minded

Brom Bones: anti-intellectualism Herculean: the greatest of the Greek heroes, a paragon (模范）of masculinity （para 26) a country bumpkin(乡巴佬): rough, vigorous, boisterous(狂暴的), arrogant inwardly very good-hearted, clever

Katrina: (androcentric男人中心的 narrative type) a country coquette blooming, plump, whimsical(古怪的） and capricious （反复无常的）

2.5 Theme On the surface, it is a romantic love story To be sorrowful over the changes that were taking place in the countryside, in the life of the cities.

2.6 Technical devices 2.6.1 point of view The first-person-at-the-second-hand point of view omniscience----spectator Narrator 1: Geoffrey Crayon 2. Diedrich Knickerbocker 3. a pleasant, shabby, gentlemanly old fellow

2.6.2 symbolism bosom, hollow 2.6.3 imagery vivid description 2.6.4 style 2.6.5 tone humorous, ironic

睡谷传说 Film Clip

Questions for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and its Movie Version The Sleepy Hollow
Master storyteller Tim Burton(蒂姆.伯顿, Batman, Edward Scissorhands) directs the eerie, enchanting version of the classic tale. What is the profession of the protagonist Crane? Is he welcome to the village? What is the personality of Crane? And Katrina? Does the headless horseman exist? Does Crane leave the sleepy hollow and how? What is the style of the short story and the movie? Is there anything in common. If there is, what is it? Do you prefer the original story or the movie? Why?

Quiz 1. Washington Irving is hailed as “Father of ”.
And his book titled won him international popularity , in which and are the two stories well known to the readers. 2. As archetypes, what do Rip Van Winkle and Ichabod mean respectively? 3. What do you think of Washington Irving’s writing style?

Summary of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow takes place in Tarrytown, NY. It is about a Schoolteacher (Ichabod Crane), who falls in love with the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of a farmer. Katrina Van Tassel, has but another suitor--the muscular, strong, handsome Brom Bones, who brags about the number of fights he has fought, and runs around on strong horses with his gang, causing trouble and mischief.

When Crane was invited to a party at the Van Tassel's house, he rode there, on a spirited horse called Gunpowder that he borrowed from his friend Hans Van Ripper. When he got to the Van Tassel's house, everyone there sat down to dinner. After the lovely feast of Dutch food such as cakes, pies, preserved fruits, and all sorts of broiled, smoked and roasted meats, the music began. Everyone danced about. Ichabod Crane danced with Katrina Van Tassel.

Brom Bones sat in a corner glaring at the dancing couple. Then everyone sat down to listen to stories. The tales were fascinating! They were haunting and exciting! They were stories about ghosts and goblins. The favorite tale was about the headless horseman, who haunted the graveyard at night.

After the party, Ichabod Crane heads home through the graveyard. On his way, the headless horseman chases him. He chases him to the bridge, where Ichabod believes that the horseman's head is thrown at him.

The next morning, Gunpowder appeared at his master's (Hans Van Ripper) house without Ichabod Crane. The town issued a search for Ichabod, but instead of finding him, they found Gunpowder's saddle. When they looked near the bridge where Andre was captured, they found Ichabod Crane’s hat, and a few yards away they found a smashed pumpkin.

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) 艾德加.爱伦.坡
1. Reputation Established a new symbolic poetry Formulated the new short story in the detective and science fiction line Developed an important artistic theory Laid foundation for analytical criticism

2. Life Story a short life of poverty, anxiety, and tragedy
Born in Boston of actor parents 18 months after his birth, his father left the family Poe’s mother died of tuberculosis Lived with his foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Allan in England and Scotland till 1820 They returned to Richmond, Virginia where Poe was privately tutored till 1826 Entered the University of Virginia in Feb; In Dec, withdrew from the university because of a debt of $2,000 in drinking and gambling

2. Life Story Enlisted in the U.S. Army in May
Appointed to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point in July; 8 months later provoked a dismissal by deliberate neglect of duties Lived as a hack writer (雇佣文人）in Baltimore till 1835 Turned to write short stories 1835 worked as an assistant editor for the Southern Literary Messenger till 1837 1837 fired moved to Philadelphia and edited several newspapers and magazines

2. Life Story His wife died Moved back to Richmond
Died on October 7 “of congestion of the brain”

3. Edgar Allan Poe ’s Major Works:
3.1. Poems To Helen 《致海伦》 (1831) The Raven 《黑鸦》 (1845) (his most famous narrative poem) Annabel Lee 《安娜贝尔丽》 3.2. Short stories Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque 《天方怪谭》(Ligeia 《丽吉娅》) The Fall of the House of Usher 《厄舍屋的倒塌》

4. Subjects and themes of Poe’s Poetry and Fiction (exotic)
dying ladies sickness abnormal love 4.2. Themes: estrangement （疏远） disappearance silence oblivion （遗忘） all ideas which suggest non-being

5. Poe’s Literary Theories
5.1 A theory of poetry short poems: sustain the level of emotion in the reader purpose of poetry: the creation of beauty 美可以使灵魂激动而变得高尚 potential topic: the death of a beautiful woman The immediate object of poetry: indefinite pleasure, not truth

Music is essential: alliteration, assonance, and repetition Tone awesome, sad and melancholy Melancholy was the most appropriate tone for poetry and that the “death, then, of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world”, because it provokes the deepest melancholy. (“The Philosophy of Composition”) 最高形式的美必然使敏感的心灵悲泣，故而诗歌的基调应是“忧郁”。人最“忧郁”的事莫过于“死”，最富于诗意的“死”莫甚于心爱的人离世 (《创作哲学》）

5.2 A theory of Tale (short stories) brevity unity of impression and thematic totality decide the effect first and then determine the incidents aim of the tale: truth rather than beauty The merit of a work of art: judged by its psychological effect upon the reader

“To Helen” (classical beauty)
1. About Helen Helen's unconventional birth Leda and the Swan the daughter of Zeus and Leda

Marriage to Menelaus Helen and Menelaus （斯巴达王）: When he finally found Helen in Troy, Menelaus raised his sword to kill her. He had demanded that only he should slay his unfaithful wife; but, when he was ready to do so, she dropped her robe from her shoulders, and the sight of her beauty caused him to let the sword drop from his hand. A flying Eros（爱神） and Aphrodite （阿芙罗狄蒂） (on the left) watch the scene.

Seduction by Paris (a Trojan prince) The Love of Helen and Paris :a love that soon fainted, when Helen realized that Paris is not a man of courage and strong character.

Helen was described by Christopher Marlowe as having "the face that launched a thousand ships.“

Odysseus is most famous for the ten eventful years he took to return home after the ten-year Trojan War and his famous Trojan horse trick.

The Shrine This shrine to the deified Menelaus and Helen was
build on the hill of Profitis Ilias (壮观的伊利亚修斯山脉 ) about 5 kilometers southeast of Sparta.

The Odyssey Odyssey mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus (or
Ulysses, as he was known in Roman myths) and his long journey home following the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year Trojan War. In his absence, it is assumed he has died, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly suitors

To Helen (classical beauty)
2. Outline Stanza 1,2: Helen: beauty, an impression of a real beautiful woman Hyacinthus Naiad Helen’s beauty is soothing. (provides security and safety)

To Helen Stanza 3: god”-Psyche: the goddess of the soul in Greek
mythology. inaccessible image of the heart’s desire The poet associates Helen with Psyche. Psyche becomes a far-off idealized, unreal woman (window-niche, statue-like)

To Helen 3. Poe uses allusions to classical names and places, as well as certain kinds of images in Greek myths and epics (hyacinth, Naiad, Psyche; barks of yore, wanderer)

Hyacinthus In the myth, Hyacinthus was a beautiful youth loved
equally by the god Apollo and the West Wind, Zephyr. Jealous that Hyacinth preferred the radiant archery god Apollo, Zephyrus blew Apollo's discus off course, so as to injure and kill Hyacinth. When he died, Apollo didn't allow Hades to claim the young man; rather, he made a flower, the hyacinth, from his spilled blood.

Naiad Naiad:那伊阿得，住在河流、泉水和湖泊中的水泉女神 a type of nymph who presided over
fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks.

Cupid and Psyche Psyche: 普塞克，与Cupid相恋 In Greek and Roman
mythology, Psyche was the personification of the passion of love

“The Raven” (the beauty of the form)
A talking bird whose only utterance is “Nevermore” Take the idea from Charles Dickens’s novel Barnaby Rudge (1841) 《巴纳比·拉奇》 Grip the raven’s seemingly nonsensical(荒谬的) comments often reveal greater truths to the reader than to the characters (serve a more symbolic prophetic purpose). Draw on the traditional association of the bird with ill-omen and death

2. Outline Lines 1—6: One night when I was half reading and half napping, I heard a tapping on the door. Lines 7—12: The tapping woke me up and I realized that I had been trying to find something that could ease my sorrow for the lost Lenore. Lines 13—18: I tried to calm down and to convince myself that it was something late visitor coming. Lines 19—24: I apologize for not hearing the gentle rapping because I was nearly napping.

Lines 25—30: On opening the door, I found only darkness
Lines 25—30: On opening the door, I found only darkness. I could not help murmuring the name of my lost lover and I heard an echo of that name. Lines 31—36: Upon returning into the chamber, I heard a louder tapping. I decided to find out who it was . Lines 37—42: I opened the window and found a raven perching upon a bust of Pallas.

The Raven perching upon a bust of Pallas Pallas (Pallas Athena)is the goddess of wisdom, peace, strategy, handicrafts and reason. She is the virgin patron of Athens, which built the Parthenon(帕台农神殿)to worship her.

Lines 43—48: I began to smile and asked the name of the raven
Lines 43—48: I began to smile and asked the name of the raven. It answered “Never more” for the first time. Lines 49—54: I was greatly surprised at seeing such a talking bird. Lines 55—60: The bird spoke only that word— “Nevermore”. Lines 61—66: I tried to persuade myself that the bird could only say this word. He did not mean to answer my question.

Lines 67—72: Then I began to ponder why the bird frequently utter the word.
Lines 73—78: Without speaking, I engaged myself in guessing the meaning of the word. At the same time, I thought of my lost Lenore who would not touch my velvet chair any more. Lines 79—84: I could not find a proper answer, so I wanted to drink nepenthe (忘忧药) so that I could forget my Lenore.

Lines85—90: I asked the bird whether there was balm in Gilead乳香(来自《圣经》减轻痛苦的东西) to find out where the bird was from. Lines 91—96: I asked whether I could see my Lenore in Heaven, but he answered ‘nevermore’. The answer reinforces the melancholy atmosphere and thus pushes the poem naturally to a climax.

Lines 97—102: I grew angry and asked the bird to leave, but the bird replied ‘nevermore’.
Lines 103—108: The raven remained unmoved and I could not escape from the deep sorrow any longer. It took Edgar Allan Poe four years to complete this poem. It reads very rhythmical. It is the most rhythmical poem in American literature.

3.Theme Literally, the poet expressed his lament over the death of his beautiful beloved woman Comprehensively he expressed his sadness over the life

4. Symbolism Raven An ominous symbol of bitterness, distress, and desperation Knowledge and divine providence

5. Rhyme Lines rhyme Internal rhyme (Line 9, 10) Alliteration Assonance (Line 11)

6. Rhythm Octameter trochee 八步扬抑格 Line 1: 八音步 Line 2: 七个半 Line 3: 八音步 Line 4: 七个半 Line 5: 七个半 Line 6: 三个半，refrain

7. Figure of Speech Personification Onomatopoeia (rap, tinkle)

8. Mood grotesque melancholy, gloomy, solemn

“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe

“Annabel Lee” 1. Introduction Published two days after Poe’s death
an idealized account of Poe’s child wife, Virginia Clemm, who died at the age of 25

“Annabel Lee” 2. Brief Summary
I and Annabe Lee lived in this kingdom by the sea and loved each other Annabel Lee died Why? the angels in heaven envied The poet was also shut off from her by her relatives who carried her off for burial Their love was so strong that neither the forces of heaven nor of hell could separate the two lovers The poet continued to commune with her through dreams

“Annabel Lee” 3. Verse Form 3.1 Ballad
A ballad is a simple storytelling poem that is meant to be sung or recited. This poem has the following qualities which are similar to a ballad: A storytelling poem supernatural elements About love, dealing with the common people

“Annabel Lee” the same basic rhyme and meter (although Poe varies the length of his stanzas to some extent) refrains or repeating passages

“Annabel Lee” 3.2 Rhyme Lines rhyme
Internal rhyme: a word within a line rhymes with the word at the end of the line. Line 34 (beams, dreams) Line 36 (rise, eyes) Line 38 (tide, side)

“Annabel Lee” 3.3 Meter Most of the lines consist of four feet (stressed syllables) alternated by three feet. Some variations in line length occur in stanza five and six. L34-37: anapestic rhythm 抑抑扬格 Like a drumbeat as the poem reaches its emotional climax.

“Annabel Lee” 4. Figures of Speech alliteration
[s]: “in this kingdom by the sea” [h]: “not half so happy in heaven” [b]: “never beams, without bringing me dreams/Of the beautiful Annabel Lee” [m]: “many and many…maiden there lived” [l]: “loved with a love…Annabel Lee”

“Annabel Lee” symbolism Wind: symbolizes Annabel Lee’s fatal disease
In a larger sense, represents a sudden tragedy or the influence of fate repetition: refrains (叠句) “ANNABEL LEE” “In this kingdom by the sea”

“Annabel Lee” 5. Mood Stanza1,2 : quiet, mournful
Stanza 3, 4: more emphatic Stanza 5:defiant Stanza 6:solemn

布莱恩特和坡　　布莱恩特和坡是美国早期浪漫主义诗歌的先驱，但二者所开创的是两个截然不同的浪漫主义道路．　　布莱恩特是乐观而悲壮的浪漫主义；认为诗贵在言志，贵在教化，贵在启迪；自然是真与善的化生，是人类精神的寄托之所；对他来说，现实的世界虽充满烦恼与纷乱，艺术家可以通过回归充满神灵的大自然找到自己心灵的寄托；他的孤独常显示出某种意志的力量；他的“死亡”是融入自然的门户．

布莱恩特和坡　　坡是悲观而苦涩的浪漫主义；认为诗贵在形式，贵在美感，贵在泻情；坡的自然是诗人纯粹的想象，是一种烘托性的精神实体；对他来说，现实的世界充满虚伪，残酷，丑陋，正在走向腐朽和死亡，所以艺术家的人生就只能是孤独的，痛苦的，绝望的，艺术家唯一能寻求到的安慰和喜悦就只存在于对纯粹美的形式和创造中；坡的孤独常常走向变态；他的“死亡”是纯粹的形式．

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) 纳撒尼尔.霍桑
1. Reputation A romantic writer (concerned about the American past, esp. Puritanism) A master of psychological insight into moral isolation and human emotion The first major novelist in English to wed morality to art

2. Life Story Born on July 4 to a family with a long Puritan tradition in Salem, Massachusetts (His ancestor, Judge Hathorne presided at the notorious Salem witch trials) 1808 his sea-captain father died of yellow fever studied at Bowdoin college in Maine (a friend of the poet Longfellow and Franklin Pierce, the 14th U.S. President) returned to Salem to live in his mother’s house and began his literary career Engaged to Sophia Peabody A surveyor at the Boston Custom House 1842 Married and went to live at the Old Manse in Concord

2. Life Story Surveyor of the Customs at Salem U.S. consul in Liverpool (Pierce was elected President) Returned home in Concord and spent the last four years in illness and depression. Died on May 19 and was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord

3. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Novels
1. Twice-Told Tales 《重述一遍的故事》(first collection of short stories) (1837) 2. Mosses From an Old Manse 《古屋青苔》(collection of short stories) (1846) 3. The Scarlet Letter 《红字》 (1850) “The Custom House” “海关”　(the introductory chapter) 4. The House of the Seven Gables 《带七个尖角阁的房子》（1851) 5. The Blithedale Romance 《福谷传奇》 (1852) 6. The Marble Faun 《玉石雕像》 (1860) Note: 6 was about Americans in Rome whereas all of his other works had been set in Puritan New England.

4. Some of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short stories
Vivid and symbolic images to embody great moral questions 1. “Ethan Brand” 《伊索.布兰德》 2. “Young Goodman Brown” 《年轻的古德曼．布朗》 3. “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”《黑德格医生的实验》 4. “The Ambitious Guest” 《不速之客》 5. “The Great Stone Face” 《铁面无私》

5. Themes of his Works 1. The consequences of pride, selfishness and secret guilt 2. The conflict between lighthearted and somber attitudes toward life 3. The impingement （冲击）of past (esp. the Puritan past) upon the present 4. The futility of comprehensive social reforms 5. The impossibility of eradicating sin from the human heart 6. Alienation and solitude 7. Nature and natural impulses 8. Unconscious fantasy and dream

6. Style of his Works 1. Romance
imagination to reach psychological truth 2. Symbols and setting reveal the psychology of the characters 3. Stories with narrative interest, ease in transition, coherence, and complexity 4. Soft, flowing and almost feminine 5. Ambiguity “or” enjoys high frequency in his stories; multiple point of views interpretation of symbols

7. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Ideas
1. Touch the deepest roots of man’s moral nature （挖掘人物灵魂的精神实质，内部世界） 2. Focus on “sin”, which exists inside the man. Sin is the source of all the misfortunes. 3. Pessimistic

The Scarlet Letter 1. The Story (P201) 2. Analysis of the novel
2.1 Setting Time: Middle of the seventeenth century Place: Boston, Massachusetts (Puritan society) 2.2 Character

The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne - the public sinner
Physically: tall, young，pretty “The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance, on a large scale. She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam, and a Face which, besides being beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion, had the impressiveness belonging to a marked brow and deep black eyes.”

The Scarlet Letter “那年轻妇女身材颀长，体态优美之极。她头上乌黑的浓发光彩夺目，在阳光下熠熠生辉。她的面孔不仅
皮肤滋润、五官端正、容貌秀丽，而且还有一对鲜明的眉毛和一双漆黑的深目，十分楚楚动人。”

The Scarlet Letter Spiritually: strong; defiance（蔑视）of convention; self- reliance; intelligent, compassionate From sinner (a fallen woman) to an able woman

The Scarlet Letter Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale - the secret sinner
Dim:dark and weak Dale:valley Dimdale: dim-interior of the minister. Physically: young, pale, delicate Intellectually: well educated, devoted to God, passionate in his religion, and effective in the sermon. hypocritical, self-centered

The Scarlet Letter Pearl - a symbol
a reminder of Hester’s love and passion (adulterous act) moody, mischievous (淘气的 ) more perceptive and more honest than adults On the scaffold just before her father’s death, Pearl kisses him and at that point she ceases to be a symbol and becomes a flesh and blood person at the end.

The Scarlet Letter A girl of rich and luxuriant beauty
“这婴儿体形完美、精力旺盛，在她稚嫩的四肢的动作中具有天生的灵活，称得起是出生在伊甸园中的；可说是在世上第一对父母被逐出之后，留在园中当作天使们的玩物的。这孩子有一种天然的优雅，这可不是无瑕的丽质所一定具备的；她的衣服无论怎样简朴，见到的人总会认为只有这样穿着才能极尽其美。”

The Scarlet Letter Her mother’s treasure
“But she named the infant “Pearl”, as being of great price, — purchased with all she had, — her mother’s only treasure!” 她给她的婴儿取名“珠儿”，是因为这孩子极其昂贵，是花费了她全部所有才得至的，是她这做母亲的唯一财富！

The Scarlet Letter Roger Chillingworth – the real sinner
a man lack of human warmth distorted soul interested in revenge, not justice calm in temperament, but keep evil intentions He turns from a victim to a sinner.

The Scarlet Letter “He was small in stature, with a furrowed visage,
which, as yet, could hardly be termed aged. There was a remarked intelligence in his features, as of a person who had so cultivated his mental part that it could fail to mould the physical to itself, and become manifest by unmistakable tokens.” “他身材矮小，满脆皱纹，不过还很难说年事已高。他一望可知是个智慧出众的人，似乎智力上的高度发展不可能不引起形体上的变化，从而在外表上具备了显著的特征。” Film Clip

The Scarlet Letter 2.3 Point of view (the narrator)
an unnamed customhouse surveyor who writes some two hundred years after the events he describes took place. omniscient a subjective narrator. He is clearly sympathetic to Hester and Dimmesdale.

The Scarlet Letter 2.4 Themes
2.4.1 Sin, Knowledge, and the Human Condition A reminder of the story of Adam and Eve In both cases, sin results in expulsion and suffering. Sin results in knowledge, specifically, in knowledge of what it means to be human.

The Scarlet Letter 2.4.2 The Nature of Evil
True evil arises from the close relationship between hate and love. Evil is not found in Hester and Dimmesdale’s adultery, nor even in the cruel ignorance of the Puritan fathers. Evil, in its most poisonous form, is found in the carefully plotted and precisely aimed revenge of Chillingworth, whose love has been perverted (误入歧途）.

The Scarlet Letter 2.4.3 Identity and Society
Hester desires determine her own identity rather than to allow others to determine it for her. Hester stays, refiguring the scarlet letter as a symbol of her own experiences and character.

The Scarlet Letter 2.5 Symbols The Scarlet Letter
Originally stands for “Adulterer”, “Arthur”, “Agony” Then “Alone” and “alienation” Eventually comes to stand for “Able”, “Admirable” and “ Angel” The Meteor（流星) Pearl

The Scarlet Letter The Rosebush Next to the Prison Door
“然而，在大门的一侧，几乎就在门处，有一丛野玫瑰挺然而立，在这六月时分，盛开着精致的宝石般的花朵，这会使人想象，它们是在向步入牢门的囚犯或跨出阴暗的刑徒奉献着自己的芬芳和妩媚，借以表示在大自然的深深的心扉中，对他们仍存着一丝怜悯和仁慈.”

Questions for the Scarlet Letter
Please name the four main characters in The Scarlet Letter. Where does The Scarlet Letter take place? What does Hester live on? Where do Hester and her child Pearl live after Hester is released from prison? How does Hester dress Pearl and herself?

自然于爱默生，梭罗和霍桑 For Emerson and Thoreau, nature was man’s true home, and the age-old torment over sin, predestination and damnation was needless. 自然才是人类真正的家；没有必要为因袭的原罪，宿命论，地狱而烦恼．

Unit 7 Literature of American Romanticism

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