英美文学 第四章.docx

英美文学 第四章.docx

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英美文学第四章

PartFourTheAgeofRealism

ChapterIHistoricalBackgroundoftheAgeofRealism

Politicalandsocialeventsinfluencewritersinboththemeandtechnique.WearedealingwiththeperiodfollowingthemostimportantsingleinfluenceonAmericanliterature—theCivilWar（1861-1865）.TheindustrializedNorthfoughttheagrarianSouthliketwoseparatecountriesforsupremacy.Thefactorydefeatedthefarm,andtheUnitedStatesheadedtowardcapitalism.ThewarledmanytoquestiontheassumptionssharedbytheTranscendentalist–naturalgoodness,theoptimisticviewofnatureandman,benevolentGod.Ittaughtmenthatlifewasnotsogood,manwasnotandGodwasnot.Thewarmarkedachange,inthequalityofAmericanlife,adeteriorationofAmericanmoralvalues.

Inpost-warAmerica,commercetooktheleadinthenationaleconomy.Railroadstripledandpetroleumwasdiscoveredinsizeablequantities.By1880halfthepopulationintheeastlivedintowns,andmovementawayfromthefarmbecameobvious.Increasingindustrializationandmechanizationofthecountry,nowinfullswingafterthewar,soonproducedextremesofwealthandpoverty.Wealthandpowerweremoreandmoreconcentratedinthehandsofthefew“captainsofindustry”suchasRockefeller,CarnegieandMorgan.Thesepeopleavoidedserviceduringthewarandmadefantasticprofitsintheboomingwar-timeeconomy.Nowtheybecamedominantinthesocialandeconomiclifeofthenation.Thespiritofself-reliancethatEmersonhadpreachedbecamepervertedintoadmirationfordrivingambition,alustformoneyandpower.Childrenwerebroughtuponsuccessstorieswhichsaidthatapersonwithambitioncouldmakehisownworld.WhenRockefellerclaimedinallseriousnessthathismoneyhadbeengivenhimbyGod,nobodylaughed.Inthemeantime,lifeforthemillionswasfastbecomingastruggleforsurvival.

Addedtothiswasthefactthatthefrontierwasclosing.ThefrontierhadbeenafactorofgreatimportanceinAmericanlife.Aslongasthefrontierwasthere,peoplecouldalwayshopetoescapetroublesoverthenexthillandhaveabetterlifeahead.Nowthatthefrontierwasabouttoclose,areexaminationoflifebegan.TheworthoftheAmericandream,theidealized,romanticviewofmanandhislifeintheNewWorld,begantoloseitsholdontheimaginationofthepeople.Beneaththeglitteringsurfaceofprosperitytherelaysufferingandunhappiness.Frustrationwaswidelyfelt.Whathadbeenexpectedtobea“GoldenAge”turnedouttobea“Gilded”one.

Bythe1870sNewEnglandRenaissancehaswaned.HawthorneandThoreauweredead.EmersonandotherNewEnglandcelebrities,thoughstillwriting,wereoldandfeeble.Melvillehadceasedtopublish.OftheoldergenerationWhitmanaloneremainedactive,asolitarysingerinthefieldwithhisLeavesofGrass.TheageofRomanticismandTranscendentalismwasbyandlargeover.BostonandNewEnglandceasedtobetheculturalcenterofthecountry.Meanwhile,youngerwritersappearedonthescene.WilliamDeanHowells,HenryJames,MarkTwain,andagoodnumberof“localcolorists”likeBretHartebegantopublish.Theageofrealismhadarrived.

Asaliterarymovementrealismcameinthelatterhalfofthe19thcenturyasareactionagainst“thelie”ofromanticismandsentimentalism.Itexpressedtheconcernfortheworldofexperience,ofthecommonplace,andforthefamiliarandthelow.WilliamDeanHowellsfeltthathemustwritewhatheobservedandknew.MarkTwainhad,ashisaimofwriting,thesoul,thelife,andthespeechofthepeopleinmind.MarkTwainservesasafrontierhumoristandworkinghiswayintopolitesociety,whilenotforgettingwherehecamefrom.WithHowells,James,andMarkTwainactiveonthescene,realismbecameamajortrendinthe1870sand1880s.

Chapter

ProminentFiguresintheAgeofRealism

1.WilliamDeanHowells.（1837-1920）

A.Hislife.

HowellswasborninasmalltowninOhioandbroughtupinthehumblesurroundingsofAmericanMidwest.Hehadlittleformaleducationbutwaswidelyread.Hebecameareporterandby1860,hadhadthreeofhispoemsprintedinTheAtlanticMonthly.HewasappointedAmericanconsulinVenice,wherehelearnedtoknowEuropeandcontrastitwithAmerica.Onreturninghomeattheendofthewar,HowellsmovedtoBostonandbecameeditor-in-chiefofthecountry’smostinfluentialjournal,theAtlanticMonthly.HemadefriendswithLowell,LongfellowandHolmes,andmarriedintoaneminentNewEnglandfamily.

Howellswasaprolificwriter.Andhewasgenerous,helpingyoungerandmoreradicalwriterstogetahearing.WriterssuchasGarland,Crane,HenryJamesandMarkTwainallenjoyedhisfriendlyadviceandassistanceintimeofneed.HebecamethechampionofliteraryrealisminAmerica.HisworkshavebeenreprintedandheisnowconsideredasamajorfigureinAmericanliteraryhistory.

B.HisLiteraryContributionsandAchievements

Howells’sliterary-aestheticideasareinfluentialonAmericanrealismandallthefollowingauthors.

1Hedefinesrealismas“fidelitytoexperienceandprobabilityofmotive”,asaquestoftheaverageandthehabitualratherthantheexceptionalortheuniquelyhighorlow.

2Tohimrealismisbynomeansmerephotographicpicturesofexternalsbutincludesacentralconcernwith“motives”andpsychologicalconflicts.

3Besides,hebelievesauthorsshouldminimizeplot.Afreeandsimpledesignmustbetheirfirstchoice.

4Inaddition,charactersmusthavesolidityofspecificationandbereal.

5AsHowellssawit,realism,interpretingsympathetically“commonfeelingsofcommonplacepeople,”wasbestsuitedasatechniquetoexpressthespiritofAmerica.

6Howellsemphasizesonethicsandmorality.Inhisopinion,truthisthehighestbeauty,buttruthliesonthesideofhigh-mindedpeople,while“…thebeast-manwillbe…subdued.”

C.BriefIntroductionofTheRiseofSilasLapham

Howellswasaprolificwriter.Hewrotevolumesofdrama,poetryandnovelsinadditiontocriticism,traveloguesandautobiography.ThegreatestofallhisworksisTheRiseofSilasLaphaminwhichHowells’squalitiesasanovelistareshownattheirbest.

Thebookrelatesthestoryofanewupstartinmid-19-centuryBoston.SilasLaphamisaself-mademan.Hestartshispaintbusinessandbecomesamillionaire.Thatishismaterialriseintheworld.AspiringtoconquerBostonpolitesociety,hespendsalotofmoneyonbuildingagorgeoushouseina“respectable”areaofthetown.Butthebusinesscompetitionbecomeskeener.Silasisindanger.Somemenfromjointbusinesscompaniesofferabigsumofmoneyforsomepropertyofhiswhichheknowstherailroadneedsandwouldforceanyowneroutataruinousprice.Cheating,hewouldsurvive;butagreaternumberofpeoplewouldsuffer.Beinghonestwouldbehisundoing.Hedecidestobehonest.Hefallsandsuffers.Falling,heachieveshismoralandethical“rise”.Lapham’smoralrisebeginswithhisfinancialfall.

TheRiseofSilasLaphamisafinespecimenofAmericanrealisticwriting.Thereisnothingheroic,dramaticorextraordinary.Howellsisheresodevotedtothesmall,thetrivial,andthecommonplacethathewasevenmockedonoccasionforbuilding“inthestonesofthestreetwhenhemighthavebuiltinmoredurableandbeautifulmaterial.”

Howells’emphasishasalwaysbeenonethics.Hestressestheneedforsympathyandmoralintegrity,andtheneedfordifferentsocialclassestoharmoniouslyadapttotheirenvironmentandtooneanother.Inthestory,thehousewhichLaphamspendsafortunetobuild,wasburneddownintheend.ToLaphamitisasymbolofhissuccessandhisaspirationforthepolitesocietywhichhedreamsofconquering.Buthiswifeseesitasanemblemofherhusband’sselfishindividualism,declaringthatthereisbloodonitstimbers.Thus,theburningdownofthehouserepresentsthevictoryofHowells’sidealizedviewofmanandsociety,forHowellswascriticaloftheriseofmaterialisminAmericanlife.AmericaatthetimewasbuildingahouseoftheCarnegiesandtheRockefellersattheexpenseofthemiserablemillions.Lapham’shouseisarepresentationofthesocietyHowellsfearedAmericawasbecoming.Itisarepresentationoftheevilswhichhefeltwereovertakingthecultureheknewandloved.Hewouldliketoseehiscountrybecomeamorehumane,amorallyhigherplace.

Placedinhistoricalperspective,Howellsisfoundlackinginqualitieswhichwouldhavemadehimgreatandeternal.Inrefinement,heisnotuptoHenryJames;inroughandhumor,hefallsshortofMarkTwain.Inaddition,bytheturnofthecentury（the19thcentury）,naturalismhadreplacedhis“smiling”brandofrealism.Hisvoguehadpassed,andhebecamea“deadcult”.Buttimeandhistoryarejust.ThepartwhichheplayedinthehistoryofAmericanliteraturewillnotbeforgotten.IfheisnotgreatinthesensethatMarkTwainandWilliamFaulkneraregreat,heisatleastamajorfigureinthatliterature.Thismuchiscertain.

2.HenryJames（1843-1916）

A.HisLife

HenryJameswasbornintoawealthyculturedfamilyofNewEngland.HewasoneofthefewauthorsinAmericanliteraryhistorywhodidnothavetoworryaboutmoney.Hisearlyupbringingwasunusual:

hewasexposedtotheculturalinfluenceofEuropeataearlyage.Laterhemetanddevelopedalife-longfriendshipwithHowells,whobecamehis“moralpolice”.ForawhileheattendedHarvardLawSchool,wherehereadliteraturewidelyinsteadoflaw.HetouredEngland,FranceandItaly.AtfirstJamestriedtoliveandworkasanartanddramacriticinNewYork,butfoundthematerialisticbentofAmericanlifeanditslackofcultureintolerable.HesettleddowninLondonexceptforsomevis