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1、《美国文学史》扩充资料第1部分殖民早期与美国文学的起始PartI.BackgroundReading（阅读要点）:ColonialBeginnings(1600sto1750)Americahasalwaysbeenalandofbeginnings.AfterEuropeans“discovered”Americainthefifteenthcentury,themysteriousNewWorldbecameformanypeopleagenuinehopeofanewlife,anescapefrompovertyan
2、dpersecution,achancetostartagain.Wecansaythat,asanation,Americabeginswiththathope.When,however,doesAmericanLiteraturebegin?ThestoryofAmericanliteraturebeginsintheearly1600s,longbeforetherewereany“Americans”.AmericanliteraturebeginswithAmericanexperiences.Longbefore
3、thefirstcolonistsarrived,beforeChristopherColumbus,beforetheNorthmenwho“Found”Americaabouttheyear1000,NativeAmericanslivedhere.Eachtribe’sliteraturewastuphthywomenintothefabricofdailylifeandreflectedtheunmistakablyAmericanexperienceoflivingwiththeland.Anotherkindof
4、experience,onefilledwithfearandexcitement,founditsexpressioninthereportsthatColumbusandotherexploressenthomeinSpanish,French,andEnglish.Inaddition,thejournalsofthepeoplewholivedanddiedintheNewEnglandwildernesstellunforgettabletalesofhardandsometimesheartbreakingexp
5、eriencesofthoseearlyyears.Experience,then,istheKeytoearlyAmericanliterature.TheNewWorldprovidedagreatvarietyofexperiences,andtheseexperiencesdemandedawidevarietyofexpressionsbyanevenwidervarietyofearlyAmericanwriters.TheearliestwriterswereEnglishmendescribingtheEng
6、lishexplorationandcolonizationoftheNewWorld(America).ThesewritersincludedThomasHariot,JohnSmith(1580-1631),WilliamBradford,JohnWinthrop(1588-1649),EdwardTaylor(1645-1729),JonathanEdwards(1723-1758),WilliamByrd(1674-1744),etc.AmericanIndians,explorers,Pilgrims,Purit
7、anministers,frontierwives,plantations,owners–theyareallthecreatorsofthefirstAmericanliterature.ThePuritansTheshipMayflowercarriedaboutonehundredpassengers(theirleadercalledthemPilgrims,ortravelers)andtestsixty-sixdaystobeatitswayacrosstheAtlantic.InDecemberof1620,t
8、heMayflowerputthePilgrimsashoreatPlymouth,Massachusetts.Beforetheunrelenting(unmerciful)coldwinterwasover,halfofthemweredead.Withinthenextfewyear
