1. American Literature and Chinese Literature School of English Studies SU Tiping 1

2. Discussions China, experts agree, is the nation of the future […] The commercial and intellectual success its emigrants have enjoyed in nations from Malaysia to the United States all augur ( 预示 ) impending global dominance. In literature, however, the Chinese mainland, as far as Western ears go, is pretty quiet. […] Bookstores, the Times reports, are bustling, but nearly half the purchases consist of textbooks and half the translations are of American books. — John Updike: “Bitter Bamboo”Bitter Bamboo What is the implication of Updike’s comment ? Do you agree with him? 2

3. American Literature in Yan’s Eyes The impression that most Chinese have of the United States is that although the US may not necessarily be very reasonable ， it is certainly very powerful. Because the US is so powerful ， it frequently focuses on its own interests ， rarely attending to anyone else’s. In this respect ， the US is like a mischievous adolescent. It cannot stop stirring up trouble around the world ， though it also has a firm sense of justice and chivalry ， and even righteousness. When it encounters an injustice ， it doesn’t hesitate to rush in to lend a hand. On the other hand ， when it encounters an adversary whom it perceives to be weak and unreasonable, it won’t hesitate to squash them like a bug. In short ， this child is certainly a lot of fun, but also a little wild. —— Yan Lianke 3

4. American Literature mainly refers to literature produced in American English by people living in the U.S.. It also includes literature produced in other countries by American expatriates and in other languages by minorities in the country such as American Indian literature and the Jewish literature in the Yiddish language. How to define American Literature 4

5. What’s your understanding about American literature and culture at present? Do you know the reason for the year of 1620 to be an important mark in American history? Why is the United States also called the New World by some people? 5

6. May Flower Compact 6

7. I. The American Wind Blowing in from the Chinese Literary Scene 1. Comparison of the Characteristics of American Literature and other countries’ literature A. European literature B. Latin American literature C. American literature 7

8. 2. The Beat Generation Kerouac: On the Road ; The Town and the City Ginsburg: Howl; Junky William Burroughs: Naked Lunch Neal Cassady: The First Third Joyce Johnson: Minor Characters 8

9. 3. Lost Generation Earnest Hemingway: Old Man and the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby, Tender is the Night 9

10. 4. Black Humor Joseph Heller: Catch 22 Kurt Vonnegut: Breakfast of Champions; Slaughter House Five Thomas Pynchon: Gravity’s Rainbow; V 10

11. 5. Nobel Prize Owners (10 persons) Sinclair Lewis (1930) Eugene O’Neill (1936) Pearl B. Buck (1938) William Faulkner (1949) Earnest Hemingway (1954) John Steinbeck (1962) Saul Bellow (1976) Isaac Singer(1978) Toni Morrison (1993) 11

12. 6. Other authors and their works Salinger: Catcher in the Rye Nabokov: Lolita Miller: Tropic of Cancer Updike: Rabbit trilogy Raymond Carver: Breakfast at Tiffany’s; In Cold Blood 12

13. II. The Wild Child Appearance of American Literature James Cooper: The Pioneer (1823) Mrs. Stowe: Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) Nathaniel Hawthorn: The Scarlet Letter Theodore Dreiser: Sister Carrier Melville: Moby Dick 13

14. III. A Broad yet Shallow Influence Kafka: The Metamorphosis; The Castle Marquez: A Hundred Years of Solitude 14