英美文学选读复习资料.docx

英美文学选读复习资料.docx

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英美文学选读复习资料

English Literature

ChapterOne TheRenaissancePeriod

I.Shakespeare’ssonnets

1.Withafewexceptions,ShakespearewriteshissonnetsinthepopularEnglishformofthreequatrainsandacouplet.Thecoupletusuallytiesthesonnettooneofthegeneralthemes,leavingthequatrainsfreetodevelopthepoeticintensity.

2.Thesonnet’smostcommonthemesconcernthedestructiveeffectsoftime,thequicknessofphysicaldecay,andthelossofbeauty,vigor,andlove.Althoughthepoemscelebratelife,theyarealwayswithakeenawarenessofdeath.

3.Hissonnet18expressesthatbeautifulthingscanrelyontheforceofliteraturetoreacheternity.Literatureiscreatedbyman,thusitdeclaresman’seternity.Thepoemshowsthemightyself-confidenceofthenewlyclass.Thevivid,variableandrichimagesreflectthelivelyandadventurousspiritsofthosewhowereopeningnewworld.

II.Shakespeare’sAMerchantofVenice

1.Theme 

（1）Justicevs.mercy:

 Shakespearesuggeststhatallmenshouldbemerciful.Thereisafurtheraspectofjustice—theinjusticerevealedintheChristians’treatmentoftheJews.

（2）Appearancevs.reality:

 e.g.superficialorexternalbeautyvs.moralorspiritualbeautyortruth（inthecaseofthreecaskets）;thelettersoflawvs.thespiritofthelaw.

（3）Commercialormaterialvaluesvs.love:

Trueloveismuchmoreworthwhilethanmoneyandmaterialvalues.AntonioepitomizestrueloveinhisfriendshipforBassanio.

2.ThecharacteranalysisofShylock 

ShylockisaJewishusurer,andheisatragic-comiccharacter.

Heiscomicbecausehefinallybecomestheonepunishedbyhisownevildeed.Heisavaricious.Heaccumulatesasmuchwealthashecanandheevenequateshislostdaughterwithhislostmoney.Heisalsocruel.Inordertorevenge,hewouldratherclaimapoundoffleshfromhisenemyAntoniothangetbackhisloan.

Heistragic,becauseheisthevictimofthesociety.AsaJew,heisnottreatedequallybythesociety.Thelawisharshtohim.Hehastomakeasmuchmoneyashecaninordertoprotecthim.HeisabusedbyAntonio,sohewantstogetrevenge.

III.ThecharacteranalysisofHamlet

Hamletisascholarandawarrior.Hisfatherhasbeenkilledbyhisuncle,Claudius,whothentakethethroneandmarrieshismother.Hamletisinformedbytheghostofhisfathertotakerevenge,buttheweaknessofindecisivenessorindeterminationinhischaracteralwaysdelayhisaction,andfinallyleadstohistragicfallofdeath.Hamletisnotamanofaction,butamanofthinkingatfirst.Hehesitatesatsomecrucialmoments.Atlastwhenheisforcedtotakesomeactions,hedoeskillClaudiusgloriously,buthealsosacrificeshisownlife.

V.Milton’sParadiseLost:

1.Structure:

ThestoryistakenfromtheOldTestament.ItextendschronologicallyfromtheexaltationofChristbeforethecreatureofuniversetothesecondcomingofChrist.Geographically,itrangesovertheentireworld.

2.ThecharacteranalysisofSatan:

Hehasthestrength,thecourageandthecapacityforleadership,buthedevotedallthosequalitiestoevil.HisdefianceofGodshowshisegoisticpride,hisfalseconceptionoffreedom,andhisalienationfromallgood.Hisownevilanddamnationgivehimpotentiallytragicdimensions.Therefore,SatanisenvelopedindramaticironybecausehefightinignoranceoftheunshakablepowerofGodandgoodness.

3.Features:

Parallelandcontrast

Thecentralconflictandcontrastbetweengoodandevilareintensifiedbythecontrastbetweenheavenandhell,lightanddarkness,loveandhate,reasonandpassion,etc.

ChapterTwo   TheNeo-classicalPeriod

III.ThesocialsatireofJonathanSwift’sGulliver’sTravels

TheaccountofLilliputianlife,especiallythegamesforpeopleatcourt,alludestothesimilarridiculouspracticesortricksintheEnglishgovernment.ThedescriptionofthecompetitioninthegamesbeforetheroyalmembersleadstothefactthatthesuccessofthosegovernmentofficialssuchasthePrimeMinisterliesnotintheirbeinganywiserorbetterbutintheirbeingmoredexterousinthegame.ThisalludestothepracticesinEngland.AndthepompouswordssingingoftheLilliputianemperorridiculethearistocraticarroganceandvanity.

IV.HenryFieldingandhisTomJones

Itisagoodexampleof“comicepicinprose”.FieldingdescribesthefightbetweenMollyandthevillagersandherfistfightwithGoodyBrowninthegrandstyleoftheHomericepic.HefirstofallcallsontheMusestoassisthiminrecountingthefightasifitwereofgreathistoricalimportance.LikeHomerwhowouldlistnamesofgodsinvolvedinthebattle,heliststhenamesofthevillagers.HetreatsMollyasagreatheroatbattle,an“Amazonianheroine”.Besides,heusesamock-epictoneandseemsverysolemnaboutwhatheisdescribing.Heusesformalwordsandrefinedlanguage.Finally,hemakesuseofdifferentfiguresofspeech,particularly,ironyandhyperbole. 

ChapterThree   TheRomanticPeriod

I.Wordsworthandhis“Iwanderedlonelyasacloud”

Thepoemiscrystalclearandlucid.Belowtheimmediatesurface,wefindthatalltherealisticdetailsoftheflowers,thetrees,thewaves,thewind,andalltherealisticdetailsoftheactivejoy,areabsorbedintoanover-allconcretemetaphor,therecurrentimageofthedance.Theflowers,thestars,thewavesareunitsinthisdancingpatternoforderindiversity,oflinkedeternalharmonyandvitality.Throughtherevelationandrecognitionofhiskinshipwithnature,thepoethimselfbecomesasitwereapartofthewholecosmicdance.

II.Shelleyandhis“OdetotheWestWind”

Inthepoem,Shelleyeulogizesthewestwindasapowerfulphenomenonofnaturethatisbothdestroyerandpreserver.Thewindenjoysboundlessfreedomandhasthepowertospreadmessagesfarandwide.ThekeynoteinthepoemisShelley’sever-presentwishforhimselfandhisfellowmentosharethefreedomofthewestwind,rememberingmeanwhilehisownandcommonhumanmiseries.Andthedominantmoodisthatofhoperatherthandespair,asthepoetishopingfortherealizationofthefreedomandjoy.Theoptimismexpressedinthelasttwolinesshowthepoet’scriticalattitudetowardtheuglysocialrealityandhisfaithinabrightfutureforhumanity.

IV.ThecharacteranalysisofElizabethinJaneAusten’sPrideandPrejudice

ElizabethisabeautifulyoungladyintheBennets.Sheisintelligent,contrastingherempty-minded,snobbishandvulgarmother.Sheisawomenofdistinctcharacter.Sheisnotpassive,butpursuehertruelovebravely.SheturnsdownMr.Collin’smarriageproposalandseekingherhappinesswithDarcy,theoneshepossessestrueaffectionforher.Sheisalsocourageous.WhenDarcy’sauntladycomestoforceherintoapromiseofneverconsentingtomarryDarcy,sheboldlychallengesherauthority,contemptandarrogance.Onthewhole,Elizabethisatypicalimageofthegood,attractiveladyinthe19thcentury.

ChapterFour   TheVictorianPeriod

I.ThefeaturesofCharlesDickens

1.Hiscriticalrealism:

Whilestickingtotheprincipleoffaithfulrepresentationofthe18th-centuryrealistnovel,hecarriedthedutytothecriticismofthesocietyandthedefenseofthemass.

2.Heisamasterstoryteller.Withhisfirstsentence,heengagesthereader’sattentionandholdsittotheend.

3.Whathewritesismainlythemiddleandlower-middleclasslifeinLondon.

4.Heisamasteroflanguagewithalargevocabularyandanadeptnesswiththevernacular.

5.Heisagreathumoristaswellasagreatpainterofpathos.Healwaysminglesthetwotomakehisfictionalworldrealistic.

6.Hischaractersarenotonlytruetolifebutalsolargethanlife.Therearebothindividualcharactersandtypecharacters.

II.CharlotteBronte’sJaneEyre

1.Theme:

ThenovelsharplycriticizesthereligioushypocrisyofcharityinstitutionslikeLowoodSchool,wheregirlsaretrainedtobehumbleslaves.Itrebukesthesocialdiscriminationandfalseconventionaboutloveandmarriage.Besides,thenovelisamoralfable.Ittellsusthatpeoplehavetogothroughallkindsofphysicalormoralteststoobtaintheirfinalhappiness.

2.ThecharacteranalysisofJaneEyre:

JaneEyreisanorphanchildwithafieryspiritandalongingtoloveandbeloved.Sheispoorandplain,butshedarestolovehermaster,amansuperiortoherinmanyways,asalittlegoverness.Sheisbraveenoughtodeclaretothemanherloveforhim.Shecutsacompletelynewwomenimage.Sherepresentsthosemiddle-classworkingwomenwhoarestrugglingforrecognitionoftheirbasicrightsandequalityasahumanbeing.

III.EmilyBronte’sWutheringHeight

1.Thenovelisanextraordinarymovinglovestory:

thepassionbetweenHeathcliffandCatherineisthemostintense,beautiful,andthemosthorriblepassionseverfoundamonghumanbeings.

2.Itisalsoaworkofcriticalrealism.Heathcliffisabused,rejectedanddistortedbythesocietyonlybecauseheisapoororphanofobscureparents.Hesuffersallkindsofinhumantreatmentafterthedeathofhisbenefactor.HelovesCatherinedearlybutforcedtobeseparatedfromher.So,Heathcliff’scruelrevengeuponhisenemiesisjustifiedinaway.

3.Theauthormakesclearthatitiswrongtodiscriminateonthebasisofsocialstatus,anditiscruelanddestructivetobreakgenuine,naturalhumanpassions.AlthoughCatherineandEdgar’smarriageisidealintheeyesofthewholeneighborhood,herloveforHeathcliffishardandeverlasting.  

ChapterFive   TheModernPeriod

I.ThefeaturesofShaw’splays:

1.Problemplays:

Hetookthemodernsocialissuesashissubjectwiththeaimofdirectingsocialreforms.Mostofhisplaysareconcernedwi