Abstract: This paper aims at delineating how the American literary research has adopted the methods traditionally applied in natural sciences and analyzing its achievements. The paper claims that the adoption of natural science methods in literary studies has the following main achievements. When the dichotomy between fiction and reality is undermined, the mutual influence between them can be realized, and the concept of literature and the scope of literary studies can be re-defined. The unique nature of literature has been highlighted to explore all possible dimensions of the world for the seeking the evolutionary direction for human being, while literary studies take on a future-oriented dimension of practice.

Key words: American, contemporary literary studies, natural sciences