1、Lecture 3,American Romanticism (18001850s),Lecture 3,Historical Background:,1812, war with Britain1830s, a series of wars against native Americans18461848, war against Mexico1848, discovery of gold in California, thus the Gold Rush1859, first oil well drilled in Pennsylvania18611865, Civil War1869,
2、the first transcontinental railway constructed,Lecture 3,a period of rapid growth and expansion:,a. A new nationalism emerged as a result of this sudden influx of immigration. b. The spread of industrialization filled people with optimism. c. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 brought about
3、 a Gold Rush, which further pushed the frontier to the end.,Lecture 3,a period of the discussion of social issues:,the womans issueslavery,Lecture 3,American Romanticism:,“ romanticism remained one of the glories of the age. It accelerated the spread of democracy to the downtrodden and the poor. It
4、revitalized art and established new ways of perceiving humanity and the universe. And it remained evident today”,Lecture 3,Characteristics of Am. Romanticism:,1. an innate and intuitive perception of man, nature and society2. an emphasis on freedom and imagination3. a profound love for nature4. the
5、quest for beauty5. the use of antique and grotesque subject matters,Lecture 3,Uniqueness of Am. Romanticism:,1. unique subject matter2. the newness as a nation3. Puritan moral values4. mixture of different races,An independent literature with American characteristics was born!,Lecture 3,American Tra
6、nscendentalism,Lecture 3,Lecture 3,Lecture 3,What is Transcendentalism?,- knowledge can be obtained through mental process apart from experiences- denoting “whatever belongs to the class of intuitive thought” - Emerson said, Transcendentalism means idealism.,Lecture 3,What is Transcendentalism?,Amer
7、ican Transcendentalism is also called”New England Transcendentalism” or “American Renaissance”. It is more of a tendency, an attitude than the philosophy of Transcendentalists.The major features of New England Transcendentalism can be summerized as follows:First, the Transcendentalists placed amphas
8、is of spirit, or the Oversoul, as the most important thing in the universe.Secondly, they stressed the importance of the individual. To them, the individual was the most important element of society.Thirdly, they offered a fresh perception of nature as symbolic of the Spirit of God. Nature was, to t
9、hem, alive, filled with Gods overwhelming presence. Transcendentalism is based on the belief that the most fundamental truths about life and death can be reached only by going beyond the world of the senses.,Lecture 3,What are the sources of Transcendentalism?,German and French idealism, originating
10、 from Schelling, Fichte, Kant and Thomas Carlyle French eclecticism, especially that of Cousin, Collard, Gerando and Jouffroy 3. Oriental mysticism, represented by Hindu works, those of Confucius and Mencius 4. American Puritanism, represented by Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin,Lecture 3,What
11、 are the doctrines of Transcendentalism?,The most important thing in the universe is spirit, or the Oversoul. The Transcendentalists stress the importance of the individual. The ideal type of man is the self-reliant individual through the perfection of whom the regeneration of society can be achieve
12、d. 3. The Transcendentalists have a fresh perception of nature as symbolic of God. Nature is the garment of the Oversoul.,Lecture 3,Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882):,Lecture 3,What does Emerson write?,Nature, the Bible of Transcendentalism“The American Scholar”“Self-Reliance”,Lecture 3,What does Emers
13、on believe in?,the transcendence of the Oversoul. His Nature records his “moment of ecstasy”, the moment of losing ones individuality. the infinitude of man and human perfectibility. Emerson believes that the possibilities for man to develop and improve himself are infinite. 3. nature as symbolic of
14、 God. In the eyes of Emerson, “nature is the vehicle of thought,” and “particular natural facts are symbols of particular spiritual facts”.,Lecture 3,How important is Emerson in history?,He embodied a new nations desire and struggle to assert its own identity in its formative period. His aesthetics
15、marked the birth of true American poetry.He called for an independent culture, which represented the desire of the whole nation to develop a culture of its own.His reputation declined somewhat in recent years because of his cheerful optimism.,Lecture 3,Henry David Thoreau (18171862):,“Civil Disobedience” (1849)“Life Without Principle” (1863)Walden,
