该成果的创新意义主要体现在：对西方文学作品中的个人主义进行理论研究目前在该领域研究中具有开拓性意义。自20世纪晚期以来，西方国家的文学批评理论通过国内学者的翻译、介绍逐渐引入我国内的外国文学研究领域，其中，哲学和政治学对文学批评的影响巨大，受各种派别(如新自由主义、社群主义、功利主义和共和主义)的影响，国内学者开始高度关注美国浪漫主义文学作品中个人主义研究，但是，对于个人主义问题还缺少比较深入的研究。此外，国内学术界在相当时间内把把个人主义研究置于哲学和文化范畴的研究模式内而限制了美国文学中人主义道德研究的推进和扩展。因此，该成果具有填补这一领域研究空白的作用。

Chapter Ⅰ Introduction

 1.The Current Study of American Individualism

 2.Research Contents

 3.The Significance of the Study

 4.Key Points

 5.Main Views

 6.Innovative Points

Chapter Ⅱ Transcendentalism: the Declaration of Spiritual Independence

 1.Inevitable Emergence of Transcendentalism

 2.Transcendentalism and Its Principles

 3.The Significance of Transcendentalism

Chapter Ⅲ The Study on Individualism in American Transcendentalism

 1.Nature: the Symbol of Spirit

 2.Oversoul: the Unity of Man's Soul and Nature

 3.Self-reliance: the Infinite Creativity

Chapter Ⅳ Emerson's Influence on America Individualism

 1.Emerson: the Advocator of Transcendentalism

 2.American individualism: a way to self-reliance and independence

 3.Emerson's influence on American individualism

Chapter Ⅴ Thoreau's Views of Individualism in Walden

 1.The Development of Individualism in Europe

 2.The Rise of Transcendentalism

 3.Thoreau's perspectives of individualism

 4.Thoreau 's Individualism Reflected in Walden

Chapter Ⅵ Thoreau's Ideal Individualism in Civil Disobedience and Walden

 1.The Track of Thoreau's Ideal Individualism

 2.Thoreau's Ideal Individualism in Civil Disobedience

 3.Thoreau's Ideal Individualism in Walden

Chapter Ⅶ The Formation and Development of American Individualism

 1.The Formation of American Individualism

 2.Puritanism as a Way to American Individualism

 3.Transcendentalism: the Birth of American Individualism

 4.American individualism

Chapter Ⅷ The Influence of Transcendentalism on Whitman's Poetry Composition

 1.Whitman's Acceptance of Transcendentalism

 2.Whitman's Innovation in Writing

 3.The significance of Whitman's Composition

Chapter Ⅸ The Exploration of Whitman's Democratic Thought

 1.The True National Poet

 2.The Democratic Consciousness

 3.The Consciousness of Americanism

 4.The Writing Features in Leaves of Grass

Chapter Ⅹ Transcendentalist Individualism in Leaves of Grass

 1.Transcendentalist Individualism

 2.Transcendentalist Individualism in Leaves of Grass

 3.The Distinctive Features of lndividualism in Leaves of Grass

Chapter Ⅺ Emily Dickinson: A Unique American Poetess

 1.Death Complex in Dicldnson's Poems

 2.Dickinson's Unique Writing Techniques

Chapter Ⅻ Puritanical Individualism in The Scarlet Letter

 1.The Fight for Her Own Destiny

 2.The Primary Unity of Reality

 3.The Individual Responsibility

Chapter ⅩⅢ Romantic Individualism in The Last of the Mohicans

 1.Cooper's Embrace of Individualism

 2.The Features of Romantic Individualism

 3.The Themes of Romantic Individualism

Chapter ⅩⅣ Moby Dick: Melville's Reflection on American Individualism

 1.The Connotation of American Individualism

 2.Melville's reflection on American Individualism

 3.Melville's Embrace of Fraternity