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Jerome David SalingerBenjamin Franklin (1706-1790) ü began to write at the age of 15 for “The New England Courant” (his brother’s newspaper) under the pen-name Dame Silence Do Good; ü The editor and owner of the “Pennsylvania Gazette” (at the age of 24); ü 1733 - started publishing Poor Richard’s Almanac (under the pen-name Richard Saunders); ü helped to draft the Declaration of Independence. The main work Autobiography (1771-1788): ü written in warm intimate style; ü represents the project of self-improvement; ü joins the England belief in perfectibility with the Puritan habit of moral self-scrutiny; ü fulfils didactic function; ü was intended for his sons and grandsons; ü Became widely read after the publication.
American Romanticism ü appeared after the War for Independence; ü Was influenced by the ideals of the Enlightenment. Romantic is something fanciful or exaggerated, not based on facts, not very rational. ü embraced the period between the twenties and the sixties of the 19th century ü is divided into 2 periods: I. early- W. Irving, F. Cooper II. late(mature) - N. Hawthorne, E. Poe, H. Melville Romanticism demanded: ü an intricate intrigue ü a dynamic movement of events ü sudden changes of the hero’s life Romantic writers: ü depicted life as a struggle between vice and virtue; ü Insisted that virtue should defeat evil. Its characteristic features are: ü the gap between reality and the ideal; ü the writers’ approach to life was emotional; ü Reasoning had little or no part in their perception of the life.
Washington Irving (1783-1885) ü American’s first romantic writer. Main works: “A History of New York y Died rich Knickerbocker” (a mock history of New York) “The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent” Best known for his stories “Rip Van Winkle”, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” His style is characterized by: ü vivid language’ ü subtle irony; ü realistic details; ü romantic descriptions of nature; - Rational trend of thought; with an ironical smile retreated from the present into the romantic past; ü humour and irony are hidden behind the serious tone ü the writings of the first period were humorous and satirical ü splendid short plots; ü the plots are more told than written to a company by the fireside; ü use of local legends and histories; ü Stylistic traditions were developed by M. Twain, W. Faulkner and others.
Fenimor Cooper (1789-1851) - The author of historical romances about the life of American frontiersmen. The novels are subdivided into 3 parts: I. The novels about revolution “The Spy”, “The Pilot”; II. The series of novels about the adventures of the American forester-frontiersman. “Leather-Stocking Tales” (Nathaniel Bumppo) ü “The Deerslayer” (Doers layer); ü “The Last of the Mohicans” (Hawk-Eye); ü “The Path finder” (Path finder); ü “The Pioneer” (Leather Stocking); ü “The Prairie” (Trapper). III. Novels about author’s contemporary events and customs of people: ü The Trilogy “Satan’s toe”; ü “The Chain bearer”; ü “The Red shins’. The main themes: ü Influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment; ü Long-lasting American conflicts between nature and law; order and change, wilderness and civilization. The style: ü Created credible and identifiable American characters; ü Exciting plots; ü Careless and pompous language; ü Rich description of the setting.
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804- 1864) ü novelist, short-story writer, easiest; ü A classic interpreter of the spiritual history of New England. Works: ü “The Scarlet Letter” ü “The House of the Seven Gables” Themes: ü investigation of issues of moral and social responsibility in Puritan New England; ü The problem of evil in people’s life. Style: - The language is figurative; ü called his stories “allegories of the heart”; ü effectively condense; ü the use of symbols and allegory; ü Interconnection of emotions of characters with their surroundings. “The Scarlet Letter” ü a somber romance of conscience and the tragic consequences of concealed guilt; ü Is set in Puritan Boston during the mid-17th century.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882)
The prominent American poet, professor of literature of Harvard The main works: ü a book of verses “Voices of the Night” “The secret of the Sea” ü - “Poems on Slavery” “The Slave’s Dream” ü “The Song of Hiawatha”
“The Song of Hiawatha”, 1855
ü a narrative poem in “unrhymed trochaic ( long or stressed syllables followed by a short or unstressed one) tetrameter ( a line of four feet)” ü based on Indian legends; ü was conceived as a poetic narration of an Indian hero; ü Hiawatha was an Indian chief, who lived, as the legends say, at the end of the 15th century; ü the only epic poem in American literature in which the manner of life & the beliefs of the Indian people are described. ü the first truly poetic description of American nature & national American Characters. ü He did much to popularize American folk themes abroad
Style: ü strongly influenced by German romantic poets; ü high-minded but conventional, untouched by the religious and social struggles ü musical, melodious, melancholy, wistful. Jack London (1876-1916) ü wrote more than 1000 works; ü was deeply influenced by Nietzsche, Marx, Darwin. From Nietzsche borrowed the idea of the super human beings. From Marx - the idea of the need for social reform and of the power of economic determinism. From Darwin- the idea, that to survive man must adapt to irresistible forces of nature and to “the stress and strain of life”. ü a story teller of great emotional power and excitement; ü a writer, bold, sensational, tragic, like his characters a champion and a victim of the “wild indulgences” of life and nature. Works: ü “Martin Eden” ü “The Call of the Wild” ü “White Flag”
Herman Melville (1819-1891) ü A novelist and short story writer; Works: “Typee: A Peep at Polynesian Life”; ‘Omoo: A Narrative adventures of the Pacific Islands”. “Moby Dick; or the White Whale”. Moby Dick Characters: ü Ahab, the captain of a whaling ship, the Pequod; ü Ishmael, a member of a crew; ü Moby Dick, a white whale. Themes: ü the defeat and triumph of the human spirit; ü the conflict between good and evil; ü the conflict between man and nature; ü The impossibility of escaping fate. Style: ü variety of styles from sailor’s slang to biblical parable; ü The use of symbolic associations- Ahab, Moby Dick ü The narrative is: a) at times naturalistic, at times fantastic; b) Interrupted by soliloquies, long digressions on whales and the art of whaling.
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) Poet, editor, critic, first writer of the detective story, writer of fiction and pioneer in poetic and fictional techniques Works: ü the poems: The Raven The Bells Annabel Lee ü prose: The Fall of the House of Usher The Purloined Letter The Black Cat The Mask of the Red Death Characteristic features: ü Poetry: ü subjects are universal and exotic (love, death, nature, art, people’s relations); ü is connected with music: a) Musicality of vowels; b) Alliteration; c) Refrain; d) Dissonance (full lines- short lines).
ü Prose: ü main genres: a) Tales of horror; b) Detective stories; c) Science fiction. ü the unity of emotional effect; ü the moment of complete illusion; ü The interest to investigation of mental diseases and psychology of criminals.
Henry James (1843-1916) ü A novelist, short story writer. Themes: ü his favorite subject- the confrontation of two cultures- the American and the European- what happens when the representatives of one world are placed in the environment of another; ü contrasts the puritan, idealistic views of Americans and the sophisticated, tolerant but frequently corrupt attitudes of Europeans; ü recognizes the traditions and cultural richness of Europe, but exalts America for its innocence and idealism; ü gives subtle analysis of emotions of his characters.
Style: ü used the “limited point of view technique” (a story is told by a first or third person) which made him one of the forerunners of the stream of consciousness technique; ü uses highly refined literary style which had little appeal for the wider reading public.
Works: “The American” “Daisy Miller” “Washington Square” “The Portrait of a Lady” “The Turn of the Screen”
Transcendentalism ü Romantic movement of the I half of the 19th century; ü appeared in 1830; ü romantic idealism, philosophical romanticism; ü “to transcend” means to rise above, to pass beyond the limits. ü called on people to view the objects in the world as small versions of the whole universe and to trust their individual intuition; ü the main representatives: R. W. Emerson, H. D. Thoreau; ü they preached positive life; ü they declared: a) God could be known through Nature and man’s soul not only in church: God is in man, so “trust thyself”; b) Spirit or Over Soul = God; c) Spirit is everywhere; d) nature is a connecting link between God and man; it is a symbol of the spirit; e) individual is the most important element in society; f) the idea of self-reliance; ü relying on intuition and conscience, man can: a. transcend the limits of senses and of logic; b. directly receive higher truth and greater knowledge;
R. W. Emerson ü American philosopher, lecturer; ü main works: essays “Nature” “The over Soul” “Self-Reliance” ü stressed the importance of the individual; ü encouraged people to rely on their own judgment; ü urged to give full reign to nature, which is basically good; ü source of fine aphorisms.
A.D. Thoreau ü American writer and naturalist; ü main works: “Walden or Life in the Woods” describes a 2-year period spent in a wooden hut in the forest essay “Civil Disobedience” the main ideas: ü “that government is best which governs least” ü people’s obligations to their own conscience take precedence over their own obligations to their government; ü do not obey unfair laws; ü advocate individual rights; ü oppose social conformity; ü the essay “Civil Disobedience” influenced M. Gandi and M.L. King. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) ü Is regarded as one of American's greatest poets; ü Is ranked as a major new voice for her literary innovations; ü Wrote nearly 2000 poems; ü Only a dozen were published anonymously during her life time. The main works: "The Poems of Emily Dickinson" (3 volumes) 1955; "The Manuscript Books of Emily Dickinson" Style: -worked out her own distinctive style; ü experimented with grammar, capitalization, punctuation; ü experimented with rhyme and meter: a) rhyme and rhyme are irregular b) poems are short ü the materials and subject matters are quite conventional but her treatment of them is innovative ( nature, love, immortality, death, faith, doubt, pain); ü poems are based on a signal image or symbol; ü imagery is whimsical; ü view of the world is wry; ü difficult and violent imagery describes emotional struggles; ü poetic credo : "... Tell all the truth but tell it slant... " "... "Sweetness of life" is our awareness that it will never come again... " Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892) ü was determined to be the poet of democracy ; ü tried to reach the people no other poet had reached ; ü his poetry was for the lowest and the highest; ü he failed to reach the common man who was put off by Whitman’s new poetic form.
Main Works: Book of poems “Leaves of Grass”: ü “I Hear America Singing” ü “Come up From the Field Father” ü “Song of Myself” Style: ü developed a kind of free verse; ü without rhyme or a fixed rhythm; ü distinguished by Biblical cadences and impressive repetitions; ü Whitman had faith in the goodness of human nature, in the power and might of man, in his ability to create a better world; ü the notion “leaves of grass” suggests unity in multiplicity. “Leaf” symbolizes creative life energy, the sign of God, the child of nature, it bears many meanings; ü Whitman created catalogues of things to make a combination of many possible substances, names, images, objects. Realism in America (1860-1914) Realism - a literary doctrine that called for reality and truth in the depiction of ordinary life. The main characteristic features: ü came from Europe; ü was shaped by the Civil War and the teachings of Ch. Darwin. ü The dialects, customs, sights and sounds of regional America were observable; ü a new generation of writers appeared- naturalists. A host of new writers appeared: ü Bret Harte, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Kate Chopin, Henry James, Steven Crane, Jack London, Mark Twain, Theodor Dreiser: a) their background and training were middle- class and journalistic; b) were influenced by Zola, Flaubert, Balzac, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy; c) tried to portray the American life as it really was. Bret Harte ü the first writer of local color to achieve wide popularity; ü presented stories about western mining towns involving colorful gamblers, outlaws and scandalous women. H. Beecher Stowe. Kate Chopin, Mark Twain ü provided regional stories and tales of the lives of America’ s Westerners, Southerners, Easterners.
Darwinism: ü stressed the animality of man; ü suggested the people were dominated by irresistible forces of evolution. Naturalism- a new and harsher realism. ü reached its peak of popularity in the 1880’s ; ü by the turn of the century had begun to decline as its limited resources were exhausted; ü its most popular writers turned to other literary modes. Naturalists: ü tried to achieve extreme objectivity in presenting characters of low social and economic classes; ü emphasized that: a) world was amoral; b) men and women had no free will and their lives were controlled by heredity and the environment; c) religion was illusory; d) the destiny of humanity was misery in life and oblivion in death. Realism helped prepare the way for social and artistic revolutions of the 20th century.
Stephen Crane. Jack London, Theodore Dreiser ü wrote detailed descriptions of the lives of people of low social classes; ü offered frank treatment of human passion and sexuality; ü portrayed men and women overwhelmed by the blind forces of nature.
O. Henry (William Sydney Porter) (1862-1910) ü a well-known short story writer; ü put the commercial short story on the literary map; ü works are translated into nearly every language’ ü published 10 collections and over 600 short stories. Among the best: “The Last Leaf” “The Gift of the Magi” “Hearts and Crosses” “Roads of Destiny” ü contributed much to the American short story: a. worked out and enriched such types of stories: the anecdote, the monologue, the adventure story, the psychological story, the parody, poems in prose, tales, sketches; b. the central theme was the life of ordinary people; c. the plots are given a sudden twist to the ironic or unexpected; d. a master of surprise endings: to give the reader a shock of surprise; e. an outstanding humorist ; f. the language is slangy, witty, sometimes exaggerated but often unexpectedly exact and “snappy”.
Mark Twain (Samuel Longhorne Clemens) (1835 - 1910)
“American literature begins with Huckleberry Finn” E. Hemingway
During his lifetime became an icon of American culture because he embodied most of the traits that characterize the spirit of his people. He was enterprising and idealistic, an optimist and realist. ü Published over 30 works in various genres: short stories, travel notes, historical fiction, novels. Main works: 1. “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” 2. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” (the sequel to Tom Sawyer) ü established distinctly American style: a. his characters are very much like himself and embody the values of innocence, independence; b. departed from traditional British novel, abandoned the artificial language and replaced it with authentic and illiterate (distinctly American); it contains slang, regional dialect, illogical sentences; c. main themes: ü deep distrust of “respectable” society and his sympathy for social outcasts and the common man ü critique of slavery, hypocrisy and prejudices of the time
ü he paints a realistic picture of the life of two young boys growing up in the Mississippi river area. Theodore Dreiser
(1871-1945) ü a novelist , one of the greatest American realists ü is distinguished by his sharp social criticism profound analysis and precise proof Main themes: ü -his novels deal with everyday life ü is usually concerned with difficult and unconventional careers of men and women from the lower ranks of American society, why try to achieve some share of the «American dream» of success, but are prevented in one way or another from realising it. ü human beings are not tragic ,but pathetic in their inability to escape their petty fates ü the author shows his own attitude towards things depicted and his view point is creatively expressed Main works: ü “Sister Cary” ü “ An American Tragedy” ü “The Financier (trilogy) “Sister Carrie” ü was not offered to the public until 1912 ü was suppressed on publication because of its alleged immorality ü is considered one of the pioneer works of American literary realism ü is largely based on evens close to the authors own life
Carrie is a partial portrait of Dreiser’s sister George Hurstwood, who becomes a beggar and hills himself- suggests incidents in the life of Dreiser’s father.
In his works was concerned with society effect on a person than with man apart from his environment. Though surface details (such as peoples clothes, their speech) are out of date now – his treatment the social forces which produce murderers and prostitutes, as well as success, is modern. The 20 t h century (1914-1950)
ü The victory in WWI confirmed the status of the USA as an international player and gave the people self- confidence and feeling of security. ü In the post war “Big Boom” Business flourished: Americans began to enjoy the world’s highest national average income, Americans of the “Roaring Twenties” fell in love with modem entertainments- dancing, movie going, automobile touring and radio. ü The Great Depression (1929-1941) disillusioned people; they lost their faith in progress, humanity and rationality. Such beliefs grew into a trend called “the Jazz Age” (20’s)
The main writers: The USA: poetry R. Frost W. C. Williams R. Lowell E. Pound C. Sandburg E. Robinson Prose W. Faulkner J. Steinbeck E. Hemingway F. S. Fitzgerald
The major artistic movement- Modernism ü Modernismis a term for a number of trends in art which were prominent in the 20th century; ü Modernismin literature changed the conception of what verse and prose was; ü it reacted against historism, artistic conventions in art. ü It caused: ü the appearance of the Lost Generation, writers who expressed the mood of insecurity and instability mingled with a desire to find escape in pleasure seeking. ü E. Hemingway F. S. Fitzgerald
ü the period of so called “Harlem Renaissance” (20’s-30’s): ü Marked the attempt of black artists to develop a strong cultural presence in America. ü Langston Hughes
ü Tried to demonstrate that the black artists could match their white counterparts in promoting their own cultural values; ü Growth of popularity of black jazz bands; ü The Southern literary renaissance (20’s) ü W. Faulkner ü Concentrated upon the decadence of the Old Southern nobility. Robert Frost (1874-1963)
ü awarded the Pulitzer Prize four times Works:
ü “Fire and Ice” ü “Dust of Snow” ü “In Winter in the Woods Alone” Style: ü simple and intelligible; ü incorporated the established verse forms: the sonnet, rhyming couplets, blank verse with American and local vocabulary and speech rhythms; ü brought together separate poems into larger unity by the same narrator, a wise countryman, close to nature; ü most of his poems deal with life in rural New England and reflect the old- fashioned individualism of that region.
Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) ü revealed much interest in the life of the common people celebrating industrial ; ü realistic poet; ü caught and continued a poetic manner of W. Whitman, adapted it to his new themes; ü used free unrhymed verse which is not far from prose; ü his language is free from pathos and expressive for the use of sayings and anecdotes. Works: ü Volumes of verse: “Chicago poems” “Good morning, America” Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869-1935) ü a giant, independent poet of a classical turn; ü follows traditional form of metrically organized verse; ü was mostly interested in human character, the melancholy of man’s doom; ü revealed a profound penetration into a realistic treatment of the subject; ü his best poems are about ruined and exhausted lives. Works: Volumes of the poems: ü “The Children of the Night” ü “The Man Against the Sky” ü “Miniver Cheevy” ü “Richard Cory”
William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) ü A poet and prose writer; ü one of the most eccentric poets in America; ü his credo was “No ideas but things”(the poet aimed at definite particulars and allowed the ideas to take cafe of themselves ).
Style: ü he modeled free metrical rhythm; ü his art lies in creating rhythmical unconnected lines / the “triadic line”- a long line split into 3 parts)
Themes: ü common life, everyday experience; ü used up-to date American vocabulary.
The poems: “The Young House Wife” “The Red Wheel Barrow”
Langston Hughes (1902-1967) ü an outstanding Negro poet ü the main figure of the Harlem Renaissance.
Themes: ü his concern is with his race (griefs, consoling joys)
Style: ü used folk speech and songs of Negroes; ü made highly literate the use of the popular ballads and the Blues; Blues-poems written after the manner of Negro folklore. They have a strict poetic structure: the first line is repeated twice, the second line may be slightly changed; the third line is rhymed with the first two.
Main works: Collections of poems “The Dream Keeper”, “Homesick Blues” “Poem”, “Shakespeare in Harlem”.
Poems: Harlem Renaissance - “Harlem” is mentioned in the fiction and poetry of the 1920’s, the era of the so-called period. Francis Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)
Belonged to the group of American writers known as a lost generation who: a) rebelled against traditional values b) found no goal worth fighting for c) feeling of loneliness pervaded their looks
Coined the term “the Jazz Age”. It expressed the mood of insecurity and instability mixed with a desire to find an escape in pleasure – seeking Main works: “This Side of Paradise” “The Beautiful and the Damned” “The Great Gatsby” “Tender is the Night” “The Tales of the Jazz Age” Themes: In most of his works Scott Fitzgerald depicts: a) the tragedy of disillusioned young men of the post war generation who have lost their ways in the inadequate world. b) deteriorating effects of wealth on personality Style: ü rich elegant dense in metaphors, similes, symbols ü has the evocative beauty of poetry “The Great Gatsby” (1925) Gatsby rises from rages to riches. His wealth and success had bought him neither love nor friendship.
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) ü one of the greatest American literary icons; ü The Pulitzer Prize in 1952; ü The Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954 for the development of the new style in literature; ü Drew heavily upon his own personal experiences:
· involvement in the wars · extensive travels · love for the primitive emotions inspired by fishing, hunting, bull fighting;
ü introduced the idea of “lost generation”; ü his characters are often like himself; ü there are two basic types of characters close to the author: one is a “a man of code”: honest, brave, strong- an ideal hero; the other one is a lyric hero- feeling, emotional, suffering- but he doesn’t show up, we learn about his troubles through his behavior, not words ; ü -defeat is an integral part of the human condition.
Style: ü is laconic; ü iceberg principle: if the author knows the subject matter well, he shouldn’t give detailed descriptions as with an iceberg- only 1/9 is seen on the surface, the rest is under the water; ü -the emphasis is put on inner dialogues, monologues and undercurrent (arresting and profound), human feelings and emotions which are not voiced out directly; ü -the composition of his stories and novels is very clear, without any introductory parts or long descriptions.
Works: “A Farewell to Arms” “The Sun also Rises” “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” “For Whom The Bell Tolls” “The Old Man and The Sea”
William Faulkner (1897-1962) ü -a novelist and short story writer ü The Nobel Prize for Literature, 1949 ü The National Book Award, 1951 ü Pulitzer Prizes, 1951, 1953 ü -Most of his novels are set in the imaginary town Jefferson, Yoknapatawpha country.
In his Works: ü Described his own region of Mississippi ü wrote about moral decay, devastating effects of racial prejudice, the decadence of the old South , with the dissolutions of traditional values, the emergence to prominent positions in the community of people whose only value is money, suffering, dignity and the enduring fate of man ü his main characters are : tenant farmers, business people, aristocrats, former slaves ü through the description of a region he writes about the whole universe, human condition in general ü had specific attitude to the idea of time- time is subjective, it only exists in every person. There’s no eternal time. Style: ü highly symbolic, highly descriptive ü events are often shown through interior monologues ü innovative in Structure : each section of the novel is told by different narrator ü deep psychological analysis ü stylistic experimentation
Main works: “The Sound and the Fury” “As I Lay Dying” “Absalom, Absalom” “The Hamlet” “Intruder in the Dust”
Interior monologue – presents highly subjective view of reality. The reader must take into consideration the main traits of the narrating character.
Arthur Miller ü a great American playwright ü awarded the Pulitzer Prise (1949)
In his works ü presents emotional conflicts and keeps social criticism. His characters are often victims of their social or family background; ü are confronted with the consequences of their actions. Favorite themes: ü to show that many people reach American Dream through making moral compromises that end up in destroying their lives; ü individual responsibility and guilt on which success is often based; ü to depict how families are destroyed by false values. Main works: “Death of a Sales man” “All my Sons” “After the Fall” “A Viewfrom the Bridge” The story Willy Loman, a sixty-year-old New York travelling salesman, is showing signs of mental stress. His two sons, Happy, who has a good job and still lives in New-York, and Biff, who has led a feckless wandering existence for years, are worried about him. Through a series of flashbacks we learn that Biff's lack of success is due to his unhappy relationship with his father. He had been a bright student and a gifted athlete, but when he found out that his father had a mistress, he gave up his studies, lost interest in a business career and left New-York. Willy, who believed that Biff had the talent to achieve the success that had eluded him, was bitterly disappointed. The play returns to the present with Biff asking a friend of the family, Bill Oliver, to lend him some money to set up a business. While Bill is momentarily outside the office, Biff realises that he is there only to please his father. He inexplicably takes an expensive pen from Bill's desk and leaves. That evening he tells Willy for the first time what he really thinks of him and what his life was like on the road. Willy drives off in his car and commits suicide. Tennessee Williams (Thomas Lanier Williams) (1911-1983) ü wrote poetry, prose, motion picture screenplays, plays; ü awarded two Pulizer Prizes (1907, 1955). ü His works: ü show realistic treatment of social and moral conflicts; ü are mostly set in the South; ü shocked the audience with the number of depravities; never presented on the stage: murder, rape, addiction, homosexuality, alcoholism.
His characters: ü differ from the mass of mankind; ü can resist the time but never overcome it; ü are commonly overwhelmed by one another and by the awareness that the universe is different to them; ü are physically and emotionally deformed. Style: ü verbal, visual, sound symbols; ü compelling dialogues; ü expressionistic theatrical devices: special settings, musical themes, unusual sound, lighting effects.
Works: “The Glass Menagerie” “A Streetcar Named Desire” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ “Sweet Bird of Youth” Jerome David Salinger ( 1919- )
ü -the author of the only novel and a number of short stories.
Works: “The Catcher in the Rye” Short stories
His work ü portrays kind and good normal young people who look strange and abnormal in the unnatural surroundings of modem civilization. His character is a non-conformist, a truth-seeker who opposes society; ü he defines many things in the society as “phoney”(ëèïà)- this is the key word that speaks about his attitude to the world. Style: ü used an original form of narration (is told by a teen-ager in funny schoolboy slang); ü a humorous and sympathetic account of the adventures of a confused teenage-boy in the adult world.
American Drama Brief History 1. Why is drama a late development in American culture? ü puritan dislike for theater ü “Too occupied with the business of surviving” ü European influences
2. Birth of drama in the course of Independence War 3. Concept of drama as: a) moral education – melodrama, love story, soap opera b) entertainment – comedy, musicle, vaundeville; minstrel show, black and white. 4. Eugene O`Neill (1888- 1953) – founder of modern American Drama. Little theaters movement. Beginning - 1918 production of his one- actor Bound East for Cardiff by Provincetown Players. 5. Drama in the 1920s. Conflict: nature vs. civilization. 6. Drama in the 1930s. The “Red Decade”. Conflict: social.
7. Post- war drama. Broadway. Off- Broadway. Off-Off Broadway. ü Arthur Miller (b. 1915) ü Tennessee Williams (1911- 1983). ü -Edward Albee (b.1928). 8. Contemporary drama. ü Decentralization ü Plurality of perspectives ü Multiculturalism (race; gender; regional; ethnic and sexual minorities) ü Sam Shepard Marsha Norman Amiri Baraka David Mamet Bett Hanley August Wilson Lanford Wilson Megan Terry Susan- Lorie Park
Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1233
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