《英美文学选读》（英）新古典主义时期（3） V. Henry Fielding 　　1. 一般识记：His life & career 　　English author， born in Sharpham Park， England， April. 22. 1707， and died in Lisbon， Portugal， Oct. & 1754. 　　During his career as a dramatist， Fielding had attempted a considerable number of forms of plays. Witty comedies of manners or intrigues in the Restoration tradition， farce or ballad operas with political implication， & burlesques & satires that been heavily upon the status quo of England. Of all his plays， the best known are The coffee-House Politician （（1730）， The Tragedy of Tragedies （1730）， Pasquin （1736） & The Historical Register for the Year 1736（1737）。 　　Fielding started to write novels when he was preparing himself for the Bar. In 1742 appeared his first novel， The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews & of his friend Mr. Abraham Adams， Written in Imitation of the Manner of Cervantes， which was first intended as a burlesque of the dubious morality & false sentimentality of Richardson's Pamela. The next year came The History of Jonathan Wild the Great， a satiric biography that harks back to Fielding's early plays. The novel was followed by The History of Tom Jones， a Foundling （1749） & The History of Amelia （1751）。 The former is a masterpiece on the subject of human nature & the latter the story of the unfortunate life of an idealized woman， a maudlin picture of the social life at the time. 　　2. 识记： His major works 　　1） Joseph Andrews 　　In this novel， Joseph supposedly the young handsome & chaste brother of Richardson's virtuous heroine Pamela， is tempted by his amorous mistress， supposedly aunt of Pamela's husband， Mr. B. Here， instead of being rewarded for his virtue， Joseph is turned out of doors by his mistress. But the burlesque ends here； the book quickly turns into a great novel of the open road， a "comic epic in prose"， whose subject is "the true ridiculous" in human nature， as exposed in all its variety as Joseph & the amiable quixotic parson journey homeward through the heart of England. The dominating qualities of the novel are its excellent character-portrayal， timely entrances & exits， robustness of tone &hilarious， hearty humor. 　　2） The History of Jonathan Wild the Great 　　It's a satiric biography that harks back to Fielding's early plays. It takes the life of a notorious real-life thief as a theme for demonstrating the petty division between a great rogue & a great politician such as Sir Robert Walpole， the Prime Minister. The ironical praises for the very qualities of the unscrupulous self-aggrandizement of wild point out the way the Prime Minister had achieved his "greatness." The Great Man， properly considered， is no letter than a great gangster. 　　3. 领会：His achievement in English novel 　　Fielding has been regarded by some as "Father of the English Novel，" for his contribution to the establishment of the form of the modern novel. Of all the eighteenth-century novelists he was the first to set out， both in theory & practice， to write specifically a "comic epic in prose，" the first to give the modern novel its structure & style. Before him， the relating of a story in a novel was either in the epistolary form （a series of letters）， as in Richardson's Pamela， or the picaresque form （adventurous wanderings） through the mouth of the principal character， as in Defoe's Robinson Crusoe， but Fielding adopted " the third-person narration，" in which the author becomes the "all-knowing God." He "thinks the thought" of all his characters， so he is able-to present not only their external behaviors but also the internal workings of their minds. In planning his stories， he tries to retain the grand epical form of the classical works but at the same time keeps faithful to his realistic presentation of common life as it is. 　　4. 领会：Characteristics of his language 　　His language is easy， unlabored & familiar， but extremely vivid & vigorous. His sentences are always distinguished by logic & rhythm， & his structure carefully planned towards an inevitable ending. His works are also noted for lively， dramatic dialogues & other theatrical devices such as suspense， coincidence & unexpectedness. 　　5.应用：Selected Reading 　　An Excerpt from chapter VIII， Book Four of Tom Jones. 　　Tom Jones， generally considered Fielding's masterpiece， brings its author the name of the "http://bbs.24en.com/images/smilies/default/titter.gif课堂笔记" />ose Homer." The panoramic view it provides of the 18th century English country & city life with different places & about 40 characters is unsurpassed. The language is one of clarity & suppleness. And last of all， the plot construction is excellent. Its 18 books of epic form are divided into 3 sections， 6 books each， clearly marked out by the change of scenes： in the country， on the high way & in London. By this， Fielding has indeed achieved his goal of writing a "comic epic in prose." 　　VI. Samuel Johnson 　　1. 一般识记：His life & literary career 　　Samuel Johnson， English writer， critic， & lexicographer， born in Richfield， England， Sept. 18.1709， and died in London. England， Dec， 13，1784. 　　Samuel Johnson， commonly called Dr. Johnson， was one of the greatest figures of 18th-century English literature. He was an energetic & versatile writer. He had a hand in all the different branches of literary activities. He was a poet， dramatist， prose romancer， biographer， essayist， critic， lexicographer & publicist. 　　2. 识记：His major works 　　His major works include poems： "London"（1738）， & "The vanity of Human Wishes"（1749）； a romance： The History of Rasselas， Prince of Abyssinia （1759）； a tragedy： Irene （1749）； several hundred essays which appeared in the two periodicals under his editorship-The Rambler & The Idler； & literary criticism as found in the preface to his edition of Shakespeare & in his comments on 52 poet in Lives of the Poets （1779-1781）。 As a lexicographer， Johnson distinguished himself as the author of the first English dictionary by an Englishman-A Dictionary of the English Language （1755）， a gigantic task which Johnson undertook single-handedly & finished in over seven years. 　　3. 领会：His neoclassical literary outlook &style 　　Samuel Johnson was the last great neoclassicist enlightener in the late 18th century. He was very much concerned with the theme of the vanity bear this theme. He tried to warn men against this folly & hoped to care then of it through his writings. In literary creation & criticism， be was rather conservative， openly showing his dislike for some newly rising form of literature &his appreciation for those writings which carried a lot of moralizing & his appreciation for those writings which carried a lot of moralizing & philosophizing. He held that a writer must adhere to universal truth & experience， i.e. Nature； he must please， but he must also instruct； he must not offend against religion or promote immorality； & he must let himself be guided by old principles. Like Pope， he was particularly fond of moralizing & didacticism. 　　Samuel Johnson's language is characteristically general， often Latinate & polysyllabic. His sentences are long & well structured with parallel words & phrases. However， no matter how complex his sentences are， his idea is always clearly expressed； & though he tends to use "learned words，" they are always accurately used Reading his works gives the reader the impression that he is talking with a very learned man. 　　4. 领会：His contribution to English language-A Dictionary of the English Language 　　In 1746， a group of booksellers commissioned Johnson to prepare a dictionary. Published in 1755， A dictionary of the English Language was the first real attempt at a systematic & interestingly written survey of English usage & the first dictionary to quote from poets & other writers to illustrate definitions. On the whole， the work showed great scholarship， although it contained humor & reflected a number of Johnson's prejudices. 　　5. 应用：Selected Reading 　　To the Right Honorable the Earl of chesterfield 　　The letter is written in a refined & very polite language， with a bitter undertone of defiance & anger. The seemingly peaceful retrospection， reasoning & questioning express， to the best satiric effect， the author's strong indignation at the lord's fame-fishing & his firm resolution not to be reconciled to the hypocritical lord. It expresses explicitly the author's assertion of his independence， signifying the opening of a new era in the development of literature. 　　VII. Richard Brinsley Sheridan 　　1. 一般识记： His dramatic career 　　Richard B. Sheridan， British dramatist & statesman， born in Dublin， Ireland， Oct. 30， 1751， and died in London， England， July 7， 1816. 　　Sheridan is ranked among the important comic playwrights of the English drama. His masterpiece. The School for Scandal （1777） is considered one of the finest English comedies of manners. A satire on gossip， hypocrisy， & the corrupting influence of fashionable city life， it is also admired for its ingenious plot construction & witty dissection of character. Sheridan's other outstanding comedy. The Rivals （1775）， is famous for the character Mrs. Malaprop， whose misuse of words has made her one of the great comic creation of the English theater. Both plays， in their attack on false sentimentalism & moralizing， represent a rebirth of the type of polished， sophisticated comedy written during the Restoration（1660-1700） 　　2.识记The theme of his plays 　　Morality is the constant theme of Richard B. Sheridan's plays. He is much concerned with the current moral issues & lashes harshly at the social vices of the day. 　　3.领会： His writing techniques 　　Sheridan's greatness also lies in his theatrical art. He seems to have inherited from his parents a natural ability &inborn knowledge about the theatre. His plays are the product of a dramatic genius as well as of a well-versed theatrical man. Though his dramatic techniques are largely conventional. They are exploited to the best advantage. His plots are well organized， his characters， either major or miner. Are all sharply drawn， & his manipulation of such devices as disguise， mistaken identity & dramatic irony is masterly. Witty dialogues & neat &decent language also make a characteristic of his plays. 　　4.领会：His major works 　　His plays， especially The Rivals & The School for scandal， are generally regarded as important links between the masterpieces of Shakespeare & those of Bernard Shaw， & as true classics in English comedy. In The Rivals， a comedy of manners， he is satirizing the traditional practice of the parents to arrange marriages for their children without considering the latter's opinion. The school for Scandal is a sharp satire on the moral degeneracy of the aristocratic-bourgeois society in the 18th century England， on the vicious scandal-mongering among the idle rich， on the reckless life of extravagance & love intrigues in the high society， and above all， on the immorality & hypocrisy behind the mask of honorable living & high-sounding moral principles. 　　Besides The Rivals & The School for Scandal， Sheridan's other works include： St. Patrick's Day， or the Scheming Lieutenant （1775）， a two act farce； The Duenna（1775）， a comic opera； The Critic（1779）， a burlesque & a satire on sentimental drama； & Pizarro （1799）， a tragedy adapted from a German play. 　　5.应用：Select reading 　　An Excerpt from Act 4， Scene III of The School for Scandal 　　1） Brief Introductions 　　The School for Scandal is mainly a story about 2 brothers， the hypocritical Joseph Surface & the good-natured， imprudent， spendthrift Charles Surface. 　　2） Theme 　　The School for Scandal is one of the great classics in English drama. It is a sharp satire on the moral degeneracy of the aristocratic-bourgeois society in the 18th-century England， on the vicious scandal mongering among the idle rich， on the reckless life of extravagance & love intrigues in the high society & above all， on the immorality & hypocrisy behind the mask of honorable living & high-sounding moral principles. And in terms of theatrical art， it shows the playwright at his best. No wonder， the play has been regarded as the best comedy since Shakespeare. 　　VIII. Thomas Gray 　　1. 一般识记：His life 　　Thomas Gray （1716-1771）， son of a London exchange broker， was born in Cornhill， London on Dec. 26， 1716. He was first educated at Eton. In 1734 he went to Cambridge University & left it in 1738 without taking a degree. In 1768 he was made professor of History & Modern Languages at Cambridge. He died at Cambridge， England， on July 30， 1771. 　　2. 识记： His major works 　　In contrast to those professional writers， Gray's literary output was small. His masterpiece， "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" was published in 1751. The poem once & for all established his fame as the leader of the sentimental poetry of the day， especially "the Graveyard School." His poems， as a whole， are mostly devoted to a sentimental lamentation or meditation on life， past & present. 　　In addition to his elegiac masterpiece， Gray is known for his odes， including "Ode on the Spring"（1742）， "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College"（1747）， "Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat" （1748）， "Hymn to Adversity"（1742）， & two translations from old Norse： The Descent of Odin（1761） & The Fatal Sisters（1761）。 　　3. 领会His style 　　A conscientious artist of the first rate， Gray wrote slowly & carefully， painstakingly seeking perfection of form & phrase. His poems are characterized by an exquisite sense of form. His style is sophisticated & allusive. His poems are often marked with the trait of a highly artificial diction & a distorted word order. 　　4. 应用：Selected Reading 　　"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" 　　1） Theme： It is a meditation on human mortality， the tragic dignity it gives to all mankind， & the stability & serenity of rustic life. The Elegy lies in Gray's perfect expression of what all men feel about life & death. In this poem， Gray reflects on death， the sorrows of life & the mysteries of human life with a touch of his personal melancholy. The poet compares the ordinary people with the great ones， wondering what the commons could have achieved if they had had the chance. Here he reveals his sympathy for the poor & the unknown， but mocks the great ones who despise the poor & bring havoc on them. 　　2）Language 　　The poem abounds in images & arouses sentiment in the bosom of every reader. Though the use of artificial poetic diction & distorted word order make understanding of the poem somewhat difficult， the artistic polish-the sure control of language， imagery， rhythm， & his subtle moderation of style & tone-gives the poem a unique charm of its own. The poem has been ranked among the best of the 18th century English poetry.

《英美文学选读》（英）浪漫主义时期（4）


　V. Percy Bysshe Shelley

　　1. 一般识记 His Life

　　Shelley （1792-1822） was born into a wealthy family at Sussex. Though gentle by nature， his rebellious qualities were cultivated in his early years. At 18， Shelley entered Oxford University， where he had written & circulated a pamphlet， The Necessity of Atheism （1811）， repudiating the existence of God. This event resulted in his expulsion from the university & being disinherited by his headstrong father. Early in 1818， Shelley & his wife Mary left England for Italy. During the Remaining four years of his life， Shelley traveled & lived in various Italian cities. Shelley was drowned in 1822 in storm near La Spezia， at the age of 30.

　　2. 识记 His Literary Outlook

　　Shelley grew up with violent revolutionary ideas under the influence of the free thinkers like Hume & Godwin， so he held a life-long aversion to cruelty， injustice， authority， institutional religion & the formal shams of respectable society， condemning war， tyranny & exploitation， However， under the influence of Christian humanism， Shelley took interest in social reforms. He realized that the evil was also in man's mind. So he predicted that only trough gradual & suitable reforms of the existing institutions could benevolence be universally established & none of the evils would survive in this "genuine society"， where people could live together happily， freely & peacefully.

　　3. 识记 His major works

　　1） Lyrics： "To a Skylark" & "Ode to the West Wind"

　　In "To a Skylark，" the bird， suspended between reality & poetic image， pours forth an exultant song which suggests to the poet both celestial rapture & human limitation. Best of all the well-known lyric pieces is Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind " （1819）； here Shelley's rhapsodic & declamatory tendencies find a subject perfectly suited to them. The autumn wind， burying the dead year， preparing for a new Spring， becomes an image of Shelley himself， as he would want to be， in its freedom， its destructive-constructive potential， its universality. "I fall upon the thorns of Life！ I bleed！" calls the Shelley that could not bear being fettered to the humdrum realities of everyday！ The whole poem has a logic of feeling， a not easily analyzable progression that leads to the triumphant， hopeful & convincing conclusion： "If winter comes， can Spring before behind？" The poem is written in the terza rima form Shelley derived from his reading of Dante. The nervous thrill of Shelley's response to nature however is here transformed through the power of art & imagination into a longing to be united with a force at once physical & prophetic. Here is no conservative reassurance， no comfortable mysticism， but the primal amorality of nature itself， with its mad fury & its pagan ruthlessness. Shelley's ode is an invocation to a primitive deity， a plea to exalt him in its fury & to trumpet the radical prophecy of hope & rebirth.

　　2） Poetic drama： Prometheus Unbound （1820）

　　Shelley's greatest achievement is his four-act poetic drama， Prometheus Unbound. According to the Greek mythology， Prometheus， the champion of humanity， who has stolen the fire from Heaven， is punished by Zeus to be chained on Mount Caucasus & suffers the vulture's feeding on his liver. Shelley based his drama on Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus， in which Prometheus reconciles with the tyrant Zeus. Radical & revolutionary as Shelley， he wrote in the preface： "In truth， I was averse from a catastrophe so feeble as that reconciling the Champion with the oppressor of Mankind." So he gave a totally different interpretation， transforming the compromise into a liberation. With the strong support of Earth， his mother； Asia， his bride & the help from Demogorgon & Hercules， Zeus is driven from the throne； Prometheus is unbound. The play is an exultant work in praise of humankind's potential， & Shelley himself recognized it as " the most perfect of my products."

　　3） Prose： Defence of Poetry

　　4. 领会 Characteristics of Shelley's Poetry

　　Shelley is one of the lending Romantic poets， an intense & original lyrical poet in the English language. Like Blake， he has a reputation as a difficult poet： erudite， imagistically complex， full of classical & mythological allusions. His style abounds in personification & metaphor & other figures of speech which describe vividly what we see & feel， or express what passionately moves us.

　　5. 应用 Selected Readings

　　1） A Song： Men of England （1）

　　This poem was written in 1819， the year of the Peterloo Massacre. It is unquestionably one of Shelley's greatest political lyrics. It is not only a war cry calling upon all working people of England to rise up against their political oppressors， but also an address to point out to them the intolerable injustice of economic exploitation. In the poem Shelley pictured the capitalist society as divided into two hostile classes： the parasitic class （"drones"） & the working class （"bees"）。

　　The song contains eight quatrains； generally each line contains 4 accented syllables. The rhyme scheme for each stanza is uniformly aabb. The last two stanzas of the poem are ironically addressed to those workers who submit passively to capitalist exploitation. They serve as a warning to the working people， that if the latter should give up their struggle they would be digging graves for themselves with their own hands compared to the preceding stanzas， these lines appear weak & ineffectual.

　　2） Ode to the West Wind

　　The poem Ode to the West Wind was the best known of Shelley's shorter poems. In the poem the poet describes vividly the activities of the West Wind on the earth， in the sky & on the sea， & then expresses his envy for the boundless freedom of the West Wind & his wish to be free like the wind & scatter his words among mankind. He gathered in this poem a wealth of symbolism， employed a structural art & his powers of metrical orchestration at their mightiest. The autumn wind， burying the dead year， preparing for a new Spring， becomes an image of Shelley himself， as he would want to be， in its freedom， its destructive-constructive power， its universality， "I fall upon the thorns of life！ I bleed！" calls the Shelley that could not bear being fettered to the humdrum realities of everyday！ The whole poem has a logic of feeling， a progression that leads to the triumphant， hopeful & convincing conclusion： "If Winter comes， can Spring be far behind？" Here is no reassurance， no mysticism， but the primal amorality of nature itself， with its mad fury & its pagan ruthlessness. Shelley's ode is an invocation to a primitive deity， a plea to exalt him in its fury & to trumpet the radical prophecy of hope & rebirth.

　　VI. John Keats

　　1. 一般识记 His Life & Literary Career

　　John Keats （1795-1821） was born in London & educated at the Clarke's School. At 15， he left school & was apprenticed to a surgeon， Thomas Hammond. Subsequently from 1815 to 1816， Keats studied medicine at Guy's Hospital in London. But he left this profession very soon. He read much of Spenser， Milton & Homer. It was Spenser who awakened in Keats his dormant poetic gift， & the first verses which he wrote were in imitation of the Elizabethan Poetry. Besides the classical elements， Hunt， the radical journalist & minor poet， was a vital influence on the early Keats， cultivating him with a taste for liberal politics as well as for the fine arts.

　　Keats's first important poem "On first Looking into Chapman's Homer" was published in 1816 in the paper， Examiner， run by Hunt. In 1817， he published his first volume of poems. In 1818， a poem based on the Greek myth of Endymion & the moon goddess， Endymion， was published. From 1818 to 1820， Keats reached the summit of his poetic creation. In July 1820， the third & best of his volumes of poetry， Lamia， Isabella， The Eve of St. Agnes， & Other Poems， was published. Keats died in Rome on February 23，1821.

　　2. 识记 His Major Poetic Works

　　The odes are generally regarded as Keats's most important & mature works. Their subject matter， however， is the poet's abiding preoccupation with the imagination as it reaches out to union with the beautiful. In the greatest of these works， he also suggests the undercurrent of disillusion that accompanies such ecstasy， the human suffering which forever questions the visionary transcendence achieved by art.

　　1）"Ode to a Nightingale"

　　It expresses the contrast between the happy world of natural loveliness & human world of agony. Here the aching ecstasy roused by the bird's song is felt like a form of spiritual homesickness， a longing to be at one with beauty. The poem first introduces joy & sorrow， song & music. Death & rapture which free him into the world of dream. By combining a tingling anticipation with a lapsing towards dissolution， Keats manages to keep a precarious balance between mirth & despair， rapture & grief. Inspired by the nightingale's song， his thoughts now ascend from the transfigured physical world， through the imagined ecstasy of death， to the timeless present of the nightingale's song. The ultimate imaginative view of "faery lands forlorn" evaporates in its extremity as the full associations of the word "toll" the poet back from his near-loss of self-hood to the real & human world of sorrow & death.

　　2） "Ode on an Grecian Urn"

　　It shows the contrast between the permanence of art & the transience of human passion. The poet has absorbed himself into the timeless beautiful scenery on the antique Grecian Urn： the lovers， musicians & worshippers on the Urn exist simultaneously & for ever in their intensity of joy. They are unaffected by time， stilled in expectation. This is at once the glory & the limitation of the world conjured up by an object of art. The urn celebrates but simplifies intuitions of ecstasy by seeming to deny our painful knowledge of transience & suffering.

　　3） Endymion

　　Endymion was a poem based on the Greek myth of Endymion & the moon goddess. In this poem， Keats described his imagination in an enchanted atmosphere-a lovely moon-lit world where human love & ideal beauty were merged into one. Endymion marked a transitional phase in Keats's poetry， though he himself was not satisfied with it.

　　4） Isabella

　In July 1820， the third & best of his volumes of poetry， Lamia， Isabella， The Eve of St. Ages， &Other Poems， was published， The three title poems all deal with mythical & legendary themes of ancient， medieval， & Renaissance times. At the heart of these poems lies Keats's concern with how the ideal can be joined with the real， the imagined with the actual & man with woman.

　　3.领会Characteristics of Keats's Poetry

　　Keats's poetry is always sensuous， colorful & rich in imagery， which expresses the acuteness of his senses. Sight， sound， scent， taste & feeling are all used to give an entire understanding of an experience. He has the power of entering the feelings of others-either human or animal. With vivid & rich images， he paints poetic pictures full of wonderful color. Keats's poetry， characterized by exact & closely-knit construction， sensual descriptions， & by force in imagination， gives transcendental values to the physical beauty of the world.

　　4.应用 Selected Reading：

　　"Ode on a Grecian Urn"

　　The Grecian Urn that the poem depicts is a piece of ancient Greek pottery with a pastoral scene overwrought upon it. The urn represents a piece of artifact， & it has endured a long history， yet remains untarnished， & the pastoral scene on it can still be seen clearly.

　　On the surface， this ode is about the Grecian Urn， but we can fairly say it is a commentary on nature & art， for art has the power to preserve intense human experiences， so that they may go on being enjoyed by men from generation to generation. Pleasure in life cannot be protected from change， while artifact can remain intact.

　　The Ode consists of 5 stanzas， the first four stanzas describing a pastoral scene on the urn， & the last epitomizing the relation of the timeless ideal world in art to the woeful actual world.

　　VII Jane Austen

　　1. 一般识记Her life & Literary Career

　　Jane Austen （1775-1817） was born in a country clergyman's family on 16 December 1775， in the parish of Steventon. She was educated at home with her sister. Through a wide reading of books available in her father's library， Jane acquired a thorough knowledge of 18th -century of Dr. Johnson， the poetry of W. Cowper， as well as the novels by Richardson & Fielding. She lived a quiet， retired &， in public terms， uneventful life， though she did move to several places like Bath， Southampton & Chawton. And her closest companion was her elder sister Cassandra， who like her， never married. Austen began as a child to write novels for her family entertainment. Her works were later published anonymously due to the prejudice against women writers then. She died in Winchester.

　　In her lifelong career， Jane Austen wrote altogether six complete novels， which can be divided into two distinct periods. Her first novel， Sense & Sensibility （1811）， tells a story about two sisters & their love affairs； Pride & Prejudice （1813）， the most popular of he novels， deals with the five Bennet sisters & their search for suitable husbands； & Northanger Abbey （1818） satirizes those popular Gothic romances of the late 18th century， Mansfield Park （1814） presents the antithesis of worldliness & unworldliness； Emma （1815） gives the thought over self-deceptive vanity； & Persuasion （1818） contrasts the true love with the prudential calculations. Several incomplete works were published long after Austen's death. These include The Watsons （1923）， Fragment of a Novel （1925）， & Plan of a Novel （1926）。

　　2.识记 Her Major Works

　　Pride & Prejudice， originally drafted as "First Impressions" in 1796， is the most delightful of Jane Austen's works. The title tells of a major concern of the novel pride & prejudice. If to form good relationships is our main task in life， we must first have good judgment. Our first impressions， according to Jane Austen， are usually wrong， as is shown here by those of Elizabeth. In the process of judging others， Elizabeth finds out something about herself： her blindness， partiality， prejudice & absurdity. In time she discovered her own shortcomings. On the other hand， Darcy too learns about other people & himself. In the end false pride is humbled & prejudice dissolved.

　　3. 领会 Her Literary creation & literary achievements

　　In her lifelong career， Jane Austen wrote altogether 6 complete novels. They are Sense & Sensibility； Pride & Prejudice； Northanger Abbey； Mansfield Park； Emma & Persuasion. Austen's main literary concern is about human beings in their personal relationships. Because of this， her novels have a universal significance. She is particularly preoccupied with the relationship between men & women in love. Stories of love & marriage provide the major themes in all her novels.

　　The works of Jane Austen， delightful &profound are part of the supreme achievements of English literature. With trenchant observation & in meticulous detail， she presents the quiet， day-to-day life of the upper-middle-class English. Her characteristic theme is that maturity is achieved through the loss of illusions. Faults of character displayed by the people of her novels are corrected when， through tribulation， lessons are learned. Even the most minor characters are vividly particularized in Austen's lucid style. All these show a mind of the shrewdest intelligence adapting the available traditions & deepening the resources of art with consummate craftsmanship. Because of her sensitivity to universal patterns of human behavior， Jane Austen has brought the English novels， as an art form， to its maturity， & she has been regarded by many critics as one of the greatest of all novelists.

　　4. 应用Selected Reading

　　An Excerpt From Chapter I of Pride & Prejudice

　　1） Structure， characterization & language style

　　The structure of the novel is exquisitely deft， the characterization in the highest degree memorable， while the irony has a radiant shrewdness unmatched elsewhere. At the heart of the novelist's exploration of the marriage， property & intrigue lies the exhilarating suspense of the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet & Darcy， & Jane Austen's delicate probing of the values of the gentry. The moments of high comedy in the novel are always related to deeper issues. Elizabeth's rejection of the odious Mr. Collins suggests her independence & self-esteem， but when Collins is accepted by her friend Charlotte Lucas， we see the reality of marriage as a necessary step if a woman is to a void the wretchedness of aging spinsterhood. Conversely， in the elopement of Lydia & Wickham， we are shown the dangers of feckless relationships unsupported by money. The comic characters in Pride & Prejudice are： Mr. & Mrs. Bennet， Mr. Collins & that monstrous snob Lady Catherine de Burgh， who make us laugh even as they parody erroneous views of marriage & class.

　　5. 应用 Characteristics of Jane Austen's novels

　　1） Austen's novels describe a narrow range of society & events： a quiet， prosperous， middle class circle in provincial surroundings， which she knew well from her own experience

　　2） Her subject matter is also limited， for most of her novels deal with the subject of getting married， which was in fact the central problem for the young leisure-class lady of that age， who had no other choice in her life but to find a good husband.

　　3） Austen's interest was in human nature； in her depiction of human nature， instead of being fascinated by great waves of elevated emotion， by passion or heroic experience， she focused on the trivial & petty details of everyday living， which became very interesting through her truthful & lively description.

　　4） Austen's novels are brightened by their witty conversation & omnipresent humor. Her language shines with an exquisite touch of lively gracefulness， elegant & refined， but never showy.

《英美文学选读》（英）维多利亚时期（1）


Chapter 4 The Victorian Period

　　一。 学习目的和要求

　　通过本章的学习，对19世纪维多利亚时代英国的政治，经济，历史，文化背景，对维多利亚时代的诗歌，散文，小说在创作思想上的进步和创作技巧上的改革，以及对该时代主要作家的生平，观点，创作旨意，艺术品特点及其代表作的主题，结构，语言，人物刻画等都有一个全面的了解。并通过作品选读加深体会感受，增强对作品的理解和鉴赏能力。

　　二。 考核要求

　　（一） 维多利亚时期概述

　　1. 识记：（1）维多利亚时期的界定

　　（2）社会政治，经济，文化背景。

　　2. 领会：（1）维多利亚时期的文学特点

　　（2）批判现实主义小说对后世文学的影响。

　　3. 应用：宪章运动，功利主义，批判现实主义，戏剧独自等名词的解释

　　（二） 该时期的重要作家

　　1. 一般识记：重要作家的生平与创作生涯

　　2. 识记： 重要作品及主要内容

　　3. 领会：重要作家的创作思想，艺术特色及其代表作品的主题思想，人物塑造，语言风格，社会意义等。

　　4. 应用：（1）狄更斯和萨克雷作品的批判现实主义思想及各自的创作手法，艺术特色。

　　（2）小说《简.爱》，《呼啸山庄》的主题思想与人物塑造。

　　（3）“我逝去的公爵夫”；中的戏剧独白。

　　（4）乔泊.艾略特和哈代小说中环境，氛围描述与人物内世界的展示。

　　A. Introduction to the Victorian Period

　　1. 识记

　　（1） Definition： the Victorian Period

　　Chronologically the Victorian period roughly coincides with the reign of Queen Victoria who ruled over England from 1836 to 1901. The period has been generally regarded as one of the most glorious in the English history.

　　（2） Political， Economical & Cultural Background

　　The early years of the Victorian England was a time of rapid economic development as well as serious social problems. After the Reform Bill of 1832 passed the political power from the decaying aristocrats into the hands of the middle-class industrial capitalists， the Industrial Revolution soon geared up. Towards the mid-century， England had reached its highest point of development as a world power. And yet beneath the great prosperity & richness， there existed widespread poverty & wretchedness among the working class. The worsening living & working conditions， the mass unemployment & the new Poor Law of 1834 with its workhouse system finally gave rise to the Chartist Movement （1836-1848）。

　　During the next twenty years， England settled down to a time of prosperity & relative stability. The middle-class life of the time was characterized by prosperity， respectability & material progress.

　　But the last three decades of the century witnessed the decline of the British Empire & the decay of the Victorian values.

　　Ideologically， the Victorians experienced fundamental changes. The rapid development of science & technology， new inventions & discoveries in geology， astronomy， biology & anthropology drastically shook people''s religious convictions. Darwin''s The Origin of Species （1859） & The Descent of Man （1871） shook the theoretical basis of the traditional faith. On the other hand， Utilitarianism was widely accepted & practiced. Almost everything was put to the test by the criterion of utility， that is， the extent to which it could promote the material happiness.

　　2. 领会

　　（1） Features of the Victorian Literature

　　Victorian literature， as a product of its age， naturally took on its quality of magnitude & diversity. It was many-sided & complex， & reflected both romantically & realistically the great changes that were going on in people''s life & thought. Great writers & great works abounded.

　　（2） Features of Victorian novels

　　In this period， the novel became the most widely read & the most vital & challenging expression of progressive thought. While sticking to the principle of faithful representation of the 18th-century realist novel， novelists in this period carried their duty forward to the criticism of the society & the defense of the mass. Although writing from different points of view & with different techniques， they shared one thing in common， that is， they were all concerned about the fate of the common people. They were angry at the inhuman social institutions， the decaying social morality as represented by the money-worship & Utilitarianism & the widespread misery， poverty & injustice. Their truthful depiction of people''s life & bitter & strong criticism of the society had done much in awakening the public consciousness to the social problems & in the actual improvement of the society.

　　Victorian literature， in general， truthfully represents the reality & spirit of the age. The high-spirited vitality， the down-to-earth earnestness， the good-natured humor & unbounded imagination are all unprecedented. In almost every genre it paved the way for the coming century， where its spirits， values & experiments are to witness their bumper harvest.

　　3. 应用 Definitions of several terms

　　1） The Chartist Movement （1836-1848）

　　The English workers got themselves organized in big cities & brought forth the People''s charter， in which they demanded basic rights & better living & working conditions. They， for three times， made appeals to the government， with hundreds of thousands of people''s signatures. The movement swept over most of the cities in the country. Although the movement declined to an end in 1848， it did bring some improvement to the welfare of the working class. This was the first mass movement of the English working class & the early sign of the awakening of the poor， oppressed people.

　　2） Utilitarianism

　　Almost everything was put to the test by the criterion of utility， that is， the extent to which it could promote the material happiness. This theory held a special appeal to the middle-class industrialists， whose greed drove them to exploiting workers to the utmost & brought greater suffering & poverty to the working mass.

　　3） Critical Realism

　　The Victorian Age is an age of realism rather than of romanticism-a realism which strives to tell the whole truth showing moral & physical diseases as they are. To be true to life becomes the first requirement for literary writing. As the mirror of truth， literature has come very close to daily life， reflecting its practical problems & interests & is used as a powerful instrument of human progress.

　　4） Dramatic Monologue

　　By dramatic monologue， it is meant that a poet chooses a dramatic moment or a crisis， in which his characters are made to talk about their lives， & about their minds & hearts. In " listening" to those one-sided talks， readers can form their own opinions & judgments about the speaker''s personality & about what has really happened. Robert Browning brought this poetic form to its maturity & perfection & his "My Last Duchess" is one of the best-known dramatic monologues.

《英美文学选读》（英）维多利亚时期（2）

　　I.Charles Dickens

　　1. 一般识记 His Life & Literary Career

　　Charles Dickens （1812-1870） was born at Portsmouth. His father， a poor clerk in the Navy Pay office， was put into the Marsalsea Prison for debt when young Charles was only 12 years old. The son had to give up schooling to work in an underground cellar at a shoe-blacking factory - a position he considered most humiliating. We find the bitter experiences of that suffering child reflected in many of Dickens's novels. In 1827， Charles entered a lawyer's office， & two years later he became a Parliamentary reporter for newspapers. From 1833 Dickens began to write occasional sketches of London life， which were later collected & published under the title Sketches by Boz （1836）。 Soon The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club （1836-1837） appeared in monthly installments. And since then， his life became one of endless hard work. In his later years， he gave himself to public readings of his works， which brought plaudits & comfort but also exhausted him. In 1870， this man of great heart & vitality died of overwork， leaving his last novel unfinished.

　　2. 识记His Major Works

　　Upon his death， Dickens left to the world a rich legacy of 15 novels & a number of short stories. They offer a most complete & realistic picture of English society of his age & remain the highest achievement in the 19th-century English novel. In nearly all his novels， behind the gloomy pictures of oppression & poverty， behind the loud humor & buffoonery， is his gentleness， his genial mirth， & his simple faith in mankind.

　　The following is a list of his novels & other collections in three periods：

　　（1） Period of youthful optimist

　　Sketches by Boz （1836）； The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club （1836-1837）； Oliver Twist （1837-1838）； Nicholas Nickleby （1838-1839）； The Old Curiosity Shop （1840-1841）； Barnaby Rudge（1841）

　　（2） Period of excitement & irritation

　　American Notes （1842）； Martin Chuzzlewit （1843-1845）； A Christmas Carol （1843）； Dombey & Son （1846-1848）； David Copperfield （1849-1850）

　　（3） Period of steadily intensifying pessimism

　　Bleak House （1852-1853）； Hard Times （1854）； Little Dorrit （1855-1857）； A Tale of Two Cities （1859）； Great Expectations （1860-1861）； Our Mutual Friend （1864-1865）； Edwin Drood （unfinished）（1870）

　　3. 领会 Distinct Features of His Novels

　　（1） Character Sketches & Exaggeration

　　In his novels are found about 19 hundred figures， some of whom are really such " typical characters under typical circumstances，" that they become proverbial or representative of a whole group of similar persons.

　　As a master of characterization， Dickens was skillful in drawing vivid caricatural sketches by exaggerating some peculiarities， & in giving them exactly the actions & words that fit them： that is， right words & right actions for the right person.

　　（2） Broad Humor & Penetrating Satire

　　Dickens is well known as a humorist as well as a satirist. He sometimes employs humor to enliven a scene or lighten a character by making it （him or her） eccentric， whimsical， or laughable. Sometimes he uses satire to ridicule human follies or vices， with the purpose of laughing them out of existence or bring about reform.

　　（3） Complicated & Fascinating Plot

　　Dickens seems to love complicated novel constructions with minor plots beside the major one， or two parallel major plots within one novel. He is also skillful at creating suspense & mystery to make the story fascinating.

　　（4） The Power of Exposure

　　As the greatest representative of English critical realism， Dickens made his novel the instrument of morality & justice. Each of his novels reveals a specific social problem.

　　4. 领会 His Literary Creation & Literary Achievements

　　Charles Dickens is one of the greatest critical realistic writers of the Victorian Age. It is his serious intention to expose & criticize in his works all the poverty， injustice， hypocrisy & corruptness he saw all around him. In his works， Dickens sets a full map & a large-scale criticism of the 19th-century England， particularly London. A combination of optimism about people & realism about society is obvious in these works. His representative works in the early period include Oliver Twist， David Copperfield & so on.

　　His later works show a highly conscious modern artist. The settings are more complicated； the stories are better structured. Most novels of this period present a sharper criticism of social evils & morals of the Victorian England， for example， Bleak House， Hard Times， Great Expectations & so on. The early optimism could no more be found.

　　Charles Dickens is a master story-teller. His language could， in a way， be compared with Shakespeare's. His humor & wit seem inexhaustible. Character-portrayal is the most outstanding feature of his works. His characterizations of child （Oliver Twist， etc.）， some grotesque people （Fagin， etc.） & some comical people （Mr. Micawber， etc.） are superb. Dickens also employs exaggeration in his works. Dickens's works are also characterized by a mixture of humor & pathos.

　　5. 应用 Selected Reading

　　An Excerpt from Chapter III of Oliver Twist

　　The novel is famous for its vivid descriptions of the workhouse & life of the underworld in the 19th-century London. The author's intimate knowledge of people of the lowest order & of the city itself apparently comes from his journalistic years. Here the novel also presents Oliver Twist as Dickens's first child hero & Fagin the first grotesque figure.

　　This section， Chapter III of the novel， is a detailed account of how he is punished for that " impious & profane offence of asking for more" & how he is to be sold. At three pound ten， to Mr. Gamfield， the notorious chimneysweeper. Though we can afford a smile now & then， we feel more the pitiable state of the orphan boy & the cruelty & hypocrisy of the workhouse board.

　　II. The Bronte Sisters

　　1. 一般识记 Their lives & literary Career

　　Charlotte Bronte （1816-1855）， Emily Bronte （1818-1848）， & their gifted sister Anne Bronte （1820-1849）， came from a large family of Irish origin. Their father was a clergyman at Haworth， Yorkshire. When they were young， the Bronte sisters were sent to a school for clergymen's daughters. The oldest two died there due to the poor & unhealthy conditions. This experience inspired the later portrayal of Lowood School in the novel Jane Eyre （1847）。 After the death of the elder sisters， Charlotte & Emily were brought home to be educated by their father. For some time， they worked in a boarding school & were subsequently governesses in rich families.

　　Charlotte & her two younger sisters had a great fondness for literature. In 1845 appeared a volume of poetry entitled Poems by Carrer， Ellis & Acton Bell （the pseudonyms of Charlotte， Emily & Anne）， but received little attention. Then the three sisters turned to novel writing. Charlotte's first novel The Professor was rejected by the publisher. But her second one， Jane Eyre， won immediate success when it appeared in 1847. In the same year， Emily's single & unique work Wuthering Heights & Anne's Agnes Grey were also published. Soon they were followed by Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall （1848）。

　　After the death of Emily & Anne， Charlotte continued writing. Her next important novel Shirley， a work about the industrial troubles between the mill-owners & machine-breakers in Yorkshire in 1811-1812 came out in 1849. Another novel Villette appeared in 1853. This is her most autobiographical work， largely based on her experience in Brussels. In 1854， charlotte married her father's curate. She died a few months later in pregnancy. The Professor， her first written work， was published posthumously in 1857.

　　2. 识记 Charlotte's Literary Creation

　　Charlotte Bronte's works are all about the struggle of an individual towards self-realization， about some lonely & neglected young women with a fierce longing for love， & understanding & a full， happy life. All her heroines' highest joy comes from some sacrifice of self or some human weakness overcome. Besides， she is a writer of realism combined with romanticism. On the one hand， she presents a vivid realistic picture of the English society by exposing the cruelty， hypocrisy & other evils of the upper classes & by showing the misery & suffering of the poor. Her works are famous for the depiction of the life of the middle-class workingwomen， particularly governesses. On the other hand， her writings are marked throughout by intensity of vision & of passion. By writing from an individual point of view， by creating characters who are possessed of strong feelings， fiery passions & some extraordinary personalities， by using some elements of horror， mystery & prophesy， she is able to recreate life in a very romantic way. The vividness of her subjective narration， the intensely achieved characterization， especially those heroines who are totally contrary to the public expectations & the most truthful presentation of the economical， moral， social life of the time -all this earns her works a never dying popularity.

　　3. 应用 Selected Readings

　　Excerpt One： from Chapter XXIII of Jane Eyre by charlotte Bronte

　　The work is one of the most popular & important novels of the Victorian age. It is noted for its sharp criticism of the existing society， e.g. the religious hypocrisy of charity institutions， the social discrimination & the false social convention as concerning love & marriage. At the same time， it is an intense moral fable. Jane， like Mr. Rochester， has to undergo a series of physical & moral tests to grow up & achieve her final happiness. The success of the novel is also due to its introduction to the English novel the first governess heroine. Jane Eyre is a completely new woman image. She represents those middle-class workingwomen who are struggling for recognition of their rights & equality as a human being. The vivid description of her intense feelings & her thought & inner conflicts brings her to the heart of the audience.

　　Jane Eyre's character：

　　Jane Eyre， an orphan child with a fiery spirit & a longing to love & be loved， a poor， plain， little governess who dares to love her master， a man superior to her in many ways， & even is brave enough to declare to the man her love for him， cuts a completely new woman image. In this novel Charlotte characterizes Jane Eyre as a naive， kind-hearted， noble-minded woman who pursues a genuine kind of love. Jane Eyre represents those middle-class workingwomen who are struggling for recognition of their basic rights & equality as a human being. The vivid description of her intense feelings & her thought & inner conflicts brings her to the heart of the audience.

　　The selected part is taken from Chapter XXIII， not long after Jane is back from her aunt's funeral. Jane finds herself hopelessly in love with Mr. Rochester but she is aware that her love is out of the question. So， when forced to confront Mr. Rochester， she desperately & openly declared her equality with him & her love for him. The passion described here is intense & genuine.

　　Excerpt Two： from Chapter XV of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

　　1） Emily's subject matter

　　As far as Emily's literary creation is concerned， she is， first of all， a poet Her 193 poems， mostly devoted to the matter of nature with its mysterious workings & its unaccountable influence upon people's life， are works of strange sublimity & beauty. They are ample proof for the poetic genius of this young， reclusive woman. But， to the common readers， she is better known today as the author of that most fascinating novel， Wuthering Heights.

　　2） The theme of the novel

　　The novel is a riddle which means different things to different people. From the social point of view， it is a story about a poor man abused， betrayed & distorted by his social betters because he is a poor nobody. As a love story， this is one of the most moving： the passion between Heathcliff & Catherine proves the most intense， the most beautiful & at the same time the most horrible passion ever to be found possible in human beings.

　　3） The structure of the novel

　　The novel has a unique structure： the story is told through independent narrators unidentical with the author， whose personality is therefore completely absent from the book. The story is told mainly by Nelly， Catherine's old nurse， to Mr. Lockwood， a temporary tenant at Grange. The latter too gives an account of what he sees at Wuthering Heights. And part of the story is told through Isabella's letters to Nelly. While the central interest is maintained， the sequence of its development is constantly disordered by flashbacks. This makes the story all the more enticing & genuine.

　　The excerpt taken here is from ChapterXV， the death scene of Catherine， narrated by Nelly to Mr. Lockwood. When Edgar is away at church， Heathcliff seizes the chance to see the dying Catherine. The intense love between the two is fully shown in this agonizing scene.