Introduction 1
1．The Current Study of American Individualism 3
2．Research Contents 5
3．The Significance of the Study 7
4．Key Points 8
5．Main Views 9
6．Innovative Points 9
Chapter Ⅱ 10
Transcendentalism:the Declaration of Spiritual Independence 10
1．Inevitable Emergence of Transcendentalism 12
2．Transcendentalism and Its Principles 15
3．The Significance of Transcendentalism 17
Chapter Ⅲ 22
The Study on Individualism in American Transcendentalism 22
1．Nature:the Symbol of Spirit 24
2．Oversoul:the Unity of Man's Soul and Nature 27
3．Self-reliance:the Infinite Creativity 29
Chapter Ⅳ 35
Emerson's Influence on America Individualism 35
1．Emerson:the Advocator of Transcendentalism 36
2．American individualism:a way to self-reliance and independence 40
3．Emerson's influence on American individualism 44
Chapter Ⅴ 50
Thoreau's Views of Individualism in Walden 50
1．The Development of Individualism in Europe 51
2．The Rise of Transcendentalism 54
3．Thoreau's perspectives of individualism 58
4．Thoreau's Individualism Reflected in Walden 62
Chapter Ⅵ 71
Thoreau's Ideal Individualism in Civil Disobedience and Walden 71
1．The Track of Thoreau's Ideal Individualism 72
2．Thoreau's Ideal Individualism in Civil Disobedience 77
3．Thoreau's Ideal Individualism in Walden 80
Chapter Ⅶ 87
The Formation and Development of American Individualism 87
1．The Formation of American Individualism 88
2．Puritanism as a Way to American Individualism 91
3．Transcendentalism:the Birth of American Individualism 95
4．American individualism 102
Chapter Ⅷ 110
The Influence of Transcendentalism on Whitman's Poetry Composition 110
1．Whitman's Acceptance of Transcendentalism 111
2．Whitman's Innovation in Writing 116
3．The significance of Whitman's Composition 121
Chapter Ⅸ 126
The Exploration of Whitman's Democratic Thought 126
1．The True National Poet 127
2．The Democratic Consciousness 129
3．The Consciousness of Americanism 132
4．The Writing Features in Leaves of Grass 137
Chapter Ⅹ 141
Transcendentalist Individualism in Leaves of Grass 141
1．Transcendentalist Individualism 143
2．Transcendentalist Individualism in Leaves of Grass 146
3．The Distinctive Features of Individualism in Leaves of Grass 154
Chapter Ⅺ 161
Emily Dickinson:A Unique American Poetess 161
1．Death Complex in Dickinson's Poems 163
2．Dickinson's Unique Writing Techniques 177
Chapter Ⅻ 187
Puritanical Individualism in The Scarlet Letter 187
1．The Fight for Her Own Destiny 188
2．The Primary Unity of Reality 193
3．The Individual Responsibility 196
Chapter ⅩⅢ 202
Romantic Individualism in The Last of the Mohicans 202
1．Cooper's Embrace of Individualism 204
2．The Features of Romantic Individualism 205
3．The Themes of Romantic Individualism 209
Chapter ⅩⅣ 214
Moby Dick:Melville's Reflection on American Individualism 214
1．The Connotation of American Individualism 215
2．Melville's reflection on American Individualism 218
3．Melville's Embrace of Fraternity 228