1. The History of American literature
The literature of Colonial American (1607-1765)
The literature of Reason and Revolution(1765 — 18 世纪末）
The literature of Romanticism （ 1800— 1865）
The literature of Realism （ 1865— 1918）
The literature of Modernism （ 1918－ 1945）
The contemporary literature (1945 －Now)
2.Benjamin Franklin The Autobiography
That good fortune, when I reflected on it, which is frequently the case, has induced me something to say that were it left to my choice, I should have no objection to go over the same life from its beginning to the end, only asking the advantage authors have of correcting in a second edition some faults of the first.
3.Thomas Jefferson The Declaration of Independence
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
4.Edgar Allan Poe The Cask of Amontillado
I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt
as such to him who has done the wrong.
5.Washington Irving Rip Van Winkle ( The Sketch Book )
“ Every change of season, every change of weather, indeed, every hour of the day, produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains, and they are regarded by all the good wives, far and near, as perfect barometers. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in blue and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear evening sky; but, sometimes, when the rest of the landscape is cloudless, they will gather a hood of gray vapors about their summits, which, in the last rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of glory.”
Interpretations of Rip Van Winkle
A New Critical Approach : A peaceful village before Revolution Natural world in the mountains ; A noisy world after revolution ------Irving was unwilling to accept a modern
democratic America------both Rip and Irving prefer the past and a dream-like world
A Feminist Approach : Rip is a good person with more advantages than disadvantages, and readers always show sympathy on him because he has such bad-tempered wife. It seems that he has good reason to go out from his family. He was forced to go out .
In fact , Rip: a lazy ,foolish man,an irresponsible father,a hard-hearted husband.His
wife :a hard-working ,thrift woman, a kind ,responsible mother, an able, brave woman.
6.Summit of Romanticism (American Transcendentalism)
Emerson Nature & Self-Reliance
Thoreau Walden
