Influence of Puritanism on American Literature 摘要：清教是一种文化现象，它对美国的文化和学术都有着深远的影响。它是一种文化形式，塑造或者正在被塑造着美国的道德和价值。我的论文主要讲述清教的起源，清教徒，以及清教对美国文化的影响。 关键词：清教主义，清教徒，美国文化
Abstract:puritanism is a cultural phenomenon,which has a far-reaching impact on American cultuer and literature.It has become a form of culture,which has shaped and is shaping the American morals and values.My thesis mainly talk the origin of Puritanism,the Puritan and the influence on American literature.
Key words:Puritanism,Puritan American literature
Perry Miller said:“If we can not understand Puritanism,we can not understand American”.Although originated from Britain,it has greatly changed,from content to form,from national culture to spirit,in North American,wth much greater influence than British one.Considered from the perspective of literature.Puritanism is a social force,as well as an emotional one.
Puritanism was a religious reform movement that arose within the Church England in the late sixteenth century.Under siege from church and crown,it sent an offshoot in the third and fourth decades of the seventeenth century to the northern English colonies in the New World-a
migration that laid the foundation for the religious,intellectual,and social order of New England.Puritansim,however,was not only a historically specifc phenomenon coincident with the founding of New England;it was also a way of being in the world---a style of response to lived experience---that has reverberated through American life ever since.Doctrinally,Puritans adhered to the Five Points of Calvinism as codified at the Synod of Dort in 1619:(1)unconditional grace(the idea that God had decreed who was damned and who was saved from before the beginning of the world);(2)limited atonement(the idea that Christ died for the elect only);(3)total depravity(humanity’s utter corruption since the Fall);(4)irresistible grace(regeneration as entirly a work of God,which cannot be resisted and to which the sinner contributes nothing);and(5)the perseverance of the saints(the elect,despite their backsliding and faintness of heart,can not fall away from grace.
The Puritans followed ideas of Swiss reformer John Calvin.From Calvin’s Insitutes of the Christian Religion they adopted their theological tenets:limited atonement,that Jesus’s sacrifice had earned Dod’s forgiveness,or grace,only for the few“elect”,whereas the mass of men were condemned to hell;of irresistible grace,that the election of any man was ordained by God,that no man could earn his granted it;and of predestination,that at the beginning of time an omnipotent God had all events and chosen all who would be saved.Over the years the Puritans
built a way of life that was in harmony with their religion,one that stressed hard work,thrift,piety and sobriety.These were the Puritans values that dominated much of the earliest American writing,including the sermons books,and that journals.
Puritanism impact on American literature embodies as there aspects:the teaching beliefs,secular spirit,and ethic morality.From the devotional perspective,inheriting Calvinist Puritanism’s stressing pirty,awe and absolute obedience to God,its devotional foundation is’Original sin’ and fatalism.And in literature,the teachings are publicized,eulogizing God,depicting the fall of man,singing the sains diligence.This kind of works was many produced in colonical period in 17th century.From the perspective of secularity,Puritanism produced American featured indualism.And in literature,American creed,American dream and creativity are sung high praise for.For the perspective of ethics,Puritanism“hard-working,intropection and asceticism ifluenced the Puritans”behaviors,and also fectured their free thought.Generations of writers and humanity,beliefs and freedom,original sin and kindness and evils become a lasting theme in American literature.Foreign scholars did a
lot
of
studies
on
Puritanism,mainly
on
religion,sociology ,politics,ect.And they did much less on Puritanism influence on the 17th-19th century American literature,and did not distinglisn the difference between Christinity and Puritanism.In
fact,Christinity went through protestantism and pan-Christinity.In his history,its teachings and demominations got weakened,and finally replaced by pan-Christianity at the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century.Therefore,as the main though system,Puritansim had the general features of Christianity,as well as its own specific nature.So it is not accurate to neglect the specific nature and to comment on Christianity’s impant on American literature.
Conclusion:Thus in either way American literature was from the outest conditioned by the Puritan heritage to which American authors have been the most communicative heirs.From my thesis, we can understand Purtanism’s influence on American literature,and the essence of Puritanism.Puritanism not only has brought up the religious tradition of American literature, but is the resource of “Aerican spirit” Bibliography:
【1】《美国文学简史 （第三版）》常耀信著 第三版 南开大学出版社 出版人：孙克强 出版年：2012年3月第31次印刷 页码：635 【2】《美国文化选本》杨自伍编 1996年12月1版 华中师范大学出版社出版发行 出版年：1997年3月第二次印刷 页码：413 【3】《美国文学教程》曹曼主编 2007年9月第一版 武汉大学出版社 出版年：2009年1月第2 次印刷 页码：672
Influence of Puritanism on American Literature
姓名：李党会 班级：英语本科一班 学号：
20110201028
