Fund project: This article is the research result of the 2012 Hebei Provincial Social Science Fund Project "Research on the Impact of American Romanticism on the American Spiritual Construction" (Project No.: HB12WX008). Zhao Zhaoxia Huang Tian'e The American Romantic literary period began in the late 18th century, climaxed with transcendentalism, and began to decline when the American Civil War broke out. At the end of the 18th century, although the United States achieved political independence, it was still culturally dependent on Britain and did not have its own independent literature. With the increasing political and economic power and the continuous expansion of territory, the American people's national pride has also grown day by day, thus giving rise to the first prosperity of American literature in the field of literature - Romantic literature. The 1820s and 1930s were the heyday of American Romanticism. Some writers began a path of literary innovation. Real American writers and poets grew up. They got rid of the influence of British literature in their literary and artistic forms, including prose, essays, and poetry. , short stories, novels, etc. all have very distinctive national characteristics and begin to embody the unique national spirit of the United States of America - the ideas of individualism, liberalism, democracy and equality, as well as patriotic enthusiasm.
1. The localization of creative themes inspired patriotism
From the establishment of the United States of America to the "Western Expansion Movement", American romantic writers began to create in Americans' own language Works based on Native American themes. They tried to highlight the local cultural characteristics, portray local characters, and reflect the national character and temperament of the Americans through the description of the natural scenery of the United States. The new era of American native characteristics is an important symbol of American cultural independence and the establishment of American spirit. It has established American national literature and national spirit and inspired Americans' strong patriotic enthusiasm and national consciousness.
Washington Irving, known as the "Father of American Literature", made outstanding contributions to the localization of American literature in terms of creative themes. He understands the local customs, collects folklore, accumulates rich creative materials, and strives to explore and express American social history, local customs and customs. His famous works "Notes on What He Saw" and "Rip Van Winkle" are the most prominent representatives of localized themes. Their works are characterized by strong national consciousness and national themes, and have become part of the American cultural tradition. Irving was committed to creating literature with truly American characteristics. In his works, he described the unique scenery and atmosphere of life in the Hudson Valley, and chose small native Americans as the protagonists of his works. He highlighted this through humorous exaggeration and vivid language. It has a unique American flavor and American character archetypes, and uses a satirical tone to mock Americans' arrogance, pragmatism and other aspects of life.
In the decades after it gained independence, the United States expanded its territory from more than 2 million square kilometers to more than 9 million square kilometers. The vast wilderness was the frontier theme writer James Fenimore Cooper. Provides rich creative inspiration. His "Leatherstocking Story" takes the United States' expansion into the western frontier and the demise of the Indian tribes as the background, showing how Americans bravely opened up American civilization. In "The Tale of Leatherstocking", Cooper depicts the protagonist's patriotism and spirit of struggle despite hardships, embodying the strong American romanticism and national spirit. Cooper's frontier consciousness is full of yearning for freedom and love for nature. It is the embodiment of the process of localization of American culture and American literature, and the source of American freedom, democracy and individuality.
Romantic writers not only depicted the natural scenery of the United States in terms of localization of creative themes, but also explored the localization of American culture. Henry David Thoreau delicately described the beautiful scenery of Walden Pond in "Walden Pond", advocating people to get closer to nature and explore life purposefully in order to pursue spiritual sublimation. The essence of "Walden" is the pursuit of personal freedom and self-liberation, which is the starting point of any freedom; Emerson emphasizes the sublimity of nature, the sacredness of man and the ideas of self-reliance, believing that both man and nature have divinity, so people should believe The ideas of liberalism and humanism are self-evident; in his "Leaves of Grass", Whitman praises labor, nature, and the ideal image of the "individual". The all-encompassing spirit reflects the optimistic spirit of the working people during the democratic revolution, despises slavery and all social phenomena that are not in line with the ideals of freedom and democracy, and shows their broad love for mankind.
2. The liberal democratic thought of transcendentalism
Transcendentalism, which emerged in New England in the 1830s, was an important ideological emancipation movement in the history of American thought. Influenced by romanticism, transcendentalism, which originated from monotheism, emphasized the direct communication between man and God and the divinity in human nature. It believed that God, nature and mankind were all connected through the same soul, and the result was liberation. Human nature improves human status and makes human freedom possible. Transcendentalism has a strong critical spirit, and its social goal is to establish a morally perfect, truly democratic and free society. The emergence of transcendentalism marked the heyday of Romantic literature.
The Transcendentalist Club, represented by Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, etc., was established in 1836. In the following seven years, Transcendentalism advocated using consciousness as a weapon and abandoning reason. Lord's empiricism advocates that consciousness is the true location of the human mind.
Emerson's "Nature" promotes the humanistic thought of "God is with me" and "everyone sees God in his heart". Nathaniel Hawthorne's works such as "The Scarlet Letter" and "Young Goodman Brown" advocate that people should disclose their souls, so that they can get rid of the shackles of human nature, constantly understand themselves, and lead to the free state of the soul. Transcendentalism advocates human abilities and praises the essential spirit of human beings, that is, the spirit of freedom and democracy. Democracy here refers to an ideal of the perfect state that exists in human nature in a broad sense. In that era of confidence, hope and progress, the transcendentalists saw the hope of true democracy and freedom. In 1838, the transcendentalist Oristes Brownson expressed his optimism about freedom and democracy: "Here is a virgin land, a vast field, a new people with a future, endless ideas, infinite freedom. Here, only here, philosophers can experiment on human nature, showing when and where How to maintain yourself when you have freedom.” ① The transcendentalists’ pursuit of the realm of true democracy and freedom is not only reflected in the ideological field, but also attempts to practice this idea in reality. Thoreau went to live in Walden Pond and lived a self-sufficient life for two years and two months. He actively advocated a simple lifestyle, sought the meaning of life and individual freedom, and understood the nobility of the spirit and the pursuit of the soul. Sublimation; the purpose of the Transcendentalists establishing Brook Farm was to implement their admiration for nature and individualism into real life, hoping to live a simple life in harmony with nature and realize man's true freedom and liberation.
Transcendentalism is a declaration of American spiritual independence. Although the idea of ??establishing a harmonious society advocated by transcendentalism is utopian, it can inspire people, give people hope, and make people's hearts and minds harmonious. The freedom of thought gave birth to the American people's spirit of self-confidence, self-help, self-improvement and pursuit of democracy and freedom, and promoted the establishment and development of the American national spirit.
3. Free innovation in creative form
In terms of creative form, the literature of the American Romantic period inherited some traditions of European romantic literature to a certain extent, but most of them Some American romantic literary works have their own specific social, historical, and cultural backgrounds, so they place more emphasis on the value of individualism and intuition, and they also highlight diversity in creative forms and languages ??such as novels, short stories, poetry, and prose. and innovativeness.