British Literature II.docx

British Literature II.docx

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BritishLiteratureII

TheVictorianPeriod

FirsthalfofRealism

Comment

Thecriticalrealismofthe19thcenturyflourishedinthefortiesandinthebeginningoffifties.Therealistsandforemostsetthemselvesthetaskofcriticizingcapitalistsocietyfromademocraticreality

Typicalwriters

CharlesDickens

ThegreatestEnglishrealistofthetime

Withastrikingforceandtruthfulness,hecreatespicturesofbourgeoiscivilization,describingthemiseryandsuffersofcommonpeople.

WilliamMakepeaceThackeray

criticalrealist

Thackeray‘snovelsmainlycontainasatiricalportrayoftheupperstrataofsociety

ElizabethGaskell

MaryBarton

describedtheinhumanconditionsofthelifeofEnglishworkersandbirthofChartistmovementastheinevitableresultofthemonstrousexploitation

CharlotteBronte

Furtheradherentsofthemethodofcriticalrealism

Humanism

Profoundhumanismwhichisrevealedintheirsympathyforthelaboringpeople.Thesewriterscreatepositivecharacterwhoarequitealientothevicesoftherichandwhoarechieflycommonpeople

Humor&satire

Theworldofgreedandcrueltyiscontrastedtoaworldwheretheunwrittenlawsofhumanismruleindefianceofallsorrowandinflictionsthatbefalltheheroes.Thisjuxtapositiondeterminesthecharacterandfunctionofhumorandsatireintherealisticnovelofthe19thcentury.

Humorousscenesmayattendtheactionsofthepositivecharacters,butthishumoristingedwithlyricismandservestostressthehumanquality,thesincerityandkindnessofsuchcharacter.Atthesametime,bittersatireandevergrotesqueisusedtoexposeandcriticizetheseamysideofreality.

SecondhalfofRealism

Comment

Inthefiftiesandsixtiestherealisticnovelentersastageofdecline

Theydonotrisetotherealizationofthenecessityofchangingthecontemporarysocialsystemradically.Theystrivefornomorethanimprovingitbymeansofreforms,whichbringsthemtoafutileattempttoreconcilingtheantagonisticclassforces---thebourgeoisandproletariat.

Typicalwriter

GeorgeEliot

Describedthelifeofthelaboringpeopleandcriticizedtheprivilegedclasses,expositorytendenciesaremuchweakerinherwork.Sheraisestheproblemofclasscontradictionmoreseldomandlessforcibly.

ThesignificanceofG.Eliot’sworkliesintheportrayalofthepattiesandstagnancyofEnglishprovinciallife.

Chartistwriters

Comment

Chartistliterature,foritdevelopedamongtheparticipantsoftheChartistmovementsbeforeandaftertherevolutionaryeventsof1848.

Theme

TheChartistwritersintroducedanewthemintoEnglishliterature---thestruggleoftheproletariatforitsrights

Poet---RobertBrowning

Comment

Adheringinhisbestworktotheideasofhumanism,Brownaeratedinhispoemsagalleryofinspiredpainters,musicianandscientist.

Feature

ManyofhispoemsaredevotedtotheglorificationofItaly,ofitspeople,natureandart.

AnItalianinEngland

BrowningportrayedanItalianrevolutionaryfightingforthefreedomofthecountry.

CharlesDickens

Position

ThethreegreatestVictoriannovelistsareDickens,ThackerayandGeorgeEliot.ThefirstofthesetoachievefamewasDickens,

whobecameagreatportrayerofchildlife.

Comments

AftersuccessofATaleofTwoCites,hisreputationwasgreat.Hisconcernfortheoppressedpoor,hissentiment（whichsometimeslippedintosentimentality）,hisflairfornarrative,oftenmelodramatic,andaboveall,hisinventionofcomiccharacter,combinedtomakehimmorepopularthananyotherEnglishnovelisthaseverbeen.

AllDickens’majornovelswerepublishedeitherinnumbers,likeNicholasNickleby,orininstallmentsinmagazine,whichfrequentlyaccountsfortheepisodicqualityofhiswork.

Pickwick

AtthetimeofhismarriagehewaswritingseriesofhumorousstoriestoaccompanyillustrationsofCockneysportinglife,therichlycomicadventuresofthePickwickClubintheEnglishcountryside.ThesalesofthePickwickpapersjumpedwiththeintroductionintothestoryoftheengagingCockneyservant,SamWeller,andby1837,whenitspublicationinnumberswascompleted

DickensattwentyfivehadriseninayearfromobscuritytoapoisonofpopularityunequaledinEnglandbeforeorsince.

OliverTwist

OliverTwist,hisfirsttruenovel,hadacarefullyworkedoutplot,incontrasttothepicaresqueofincidentsinPickwick.

ItspictureoftheworkhousescreatedundertheNewPoorLawandthedescriptionofthecriminalslumofLondoninwhichyoungOliverlivedbroughtDickensanewclassofseriousreaderinterestedinsocialreform.

MasterHumphrey’sClock

In1840Dickensbeganaweeklypaper,MasterHumphrey’sClock,patternedonSpectatorandTatler.Thereader’sinterestswerelessinthefamiliaressaysthaninthestorieswhichDickenswasproviding;graduallythepaperbecameonlytheframeworkforthepublicationoftwonovels:

theOldCuriosityShopandBarnabyRudge.BarnabyRudgeishisfirsthistoricalnovel.

Americatrips

HisfirsttriptoAmericabeganwithanenthusiasticanduncriticalreceptionwhichslowlysouredasDickensbegantospeakoutagainstslaveryandtheAmericanpublishers’piracyofEnglishbooks.He,inturn,wasdisgustedbythecrudenessoflifeandmannersinAmerica,andinparticularbyhisownlackofprivacythere.

HisAmericanNotes,publishedonhisreturntoEnglandprovokedgreatresentmentintheUnitedState.

InhisnextnovelMartinChuzzlewit,heoncemoreusedhisobservationonthetriptodrawtheludicrouscharactersoftheAmericanepisodesofthebook,andagaintherewastrans-Atlanticprotest.Thisnovelisconcernedwiththeevilsoftheloveofmoney,butDickensembroideredthetalewiththehumorofsomeofhismostcomiccharacter,suchastheoldnurseSaraGampandthehypocriticalPecksniff.

AChristmasCarol

HisfirstandbestChristmasbook,AChristmasCarol,failedtosellaswellasheexpected

DavidCopperfield

DavidCopperfield,pleaseeveryone.Manyoftheeventsofitshero’schildhoodandhisromancewithDoraareclearlyreminiscencesofDickens’youth.Themellowveinofmemoryprovidedarangeofcharacterizationheneversurpassed,andsuchcreationsasthemarvelousMicawberandthecringingUriahHeephavemadeitthemostperenniallypopularofhisnovels.

BleakHouse

BleakHouse,asatireontheabusesoftheCourtofChancery,showDickensathisbestinhandlingcomplexnarrativesandinterlockingplots,buttheprevailingmoodofsombernesswasnewtohisreaders.

HardTimes

HardTimesisanearnestattackonthevulgarityandmaterialismoftherisingmiddleclassindustrialists.

ATaleofTwoCities

Thestoryofredemptionthroughdevotionshowshisabilityathandlingpurenarrative,andithasalwaysbeenonofhismostpopularnovels,althoughitlackshischaracteristichumor.

GreatExpectation

GreatExpectationistoldinthefirstpersonbyPip,ayoungmanwholearnsthroughadversitytodiscardhiswonsuperficialsnobbishness.Becauseoftheunityofinterestcenteredonthechiefcharacter,andthecrediblequalityofitsromanticstory,manycriticshavecalleditthebestofhisnovels.

WilliamMakepeaceThackeray

Comments

BythistimehispopularityrivaledthatofDickens,withwhomhewasfriendlyifnotintimate;theironlyquarrelwashealedjustbeforeThackeray’sdeath.

ThesentimentalitywhichhesharedwithDickensoverscenesofsuffering,andtheoccasionallymaudlinqualityofhis“good”womenaretemperedinhisworkwithasatiricalsometimescynical,viewofsocietywhichperhapshasmoreappealtodaythaninhiswontime.

Thackeraywasalways,gregarious,andhelovedtheeasylifeoftheupperclass,withwhomhewasfriendlybutwhowerefrequentlythebuttsofhissatire.

YellowplushCorrespondence

TothenewFraser’sMagazinehecontributedhisfirstimportantsuccess,theYellowplushCorrespondence,thefictionalmemoirsofpushingandself-importantfootman,ofwhichthethemeasonehelaterusedfrequently:

theridiculousnessofpretension.Reviews,sketches,andnovelsfollowinFraser’s,notablyCatherine,writtentosatirizesuch“NewgateCalendar”novelsofcrimeOliverTwistandHarrisonAinsworth’sJackSheppard,TheGreatHoggartyDiamond,andBarryLyndon.

TheBookofSnobs

TheBookofSnobsmadehisreputationasasocialsatirist.

VanityFair

Hisfirstmasterpieceoflongnovels,VanityFairappearedinmonthlyinstallments.

ItssettingisEnglandduringandaftertheNapoleonicWars,butitspanoramicviewoffollyandvanityisuniversal.

BeckySharp,theunscrupulousgovernessofwhoseadventuresdominatethebook,isgenerallyrecognizedasoneofthemostvividlydrawscharactersintheEnglishnovel.

HenryEsmond

HenryEsmond,ahistoricalnovelforwhichhisstudiesofthehumoristshadprovidedthebackground.

Itissetintheperiodinhistoryhelovedbest,thereignofQueenAnne,butthelovestoryofEsmondandLadyCastlewoodisinpartareflectionofhiswonfeelingforMrs.Brookfield.

Perhapsitwastheonlyoneofhisnovelsnotpublishesserially,Esmondhasafinishandstructuralorganizationgreaterthananyofhisotherworks.

TheNewcomes

Hisdelightfulfairy-tale,ThecentralcharacterofTheNewcomesisanotherviewofThackerayhimselfasayoungmanofgoodinstinctswhicharethwartedbyhisownshortcomings;

Clive’sstrugglestoestablishhimselfasanartistandthetrialsofhisfirstmarriagearereminiscentofThackeray’scurlymanhood.

Therealinterestofthebook,however,isinthecharacterizationofClive’scapriciouslycharmingsweetheart,Ethel,andofthehonorableandguilelessoldColonelNewcomes.

TheVirginians

Thelastofhisgreat