Daniel Defoe.docx
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DanielDefoe
DanielDefoe(1660-1731)
1.Hislife
Englishnovelist&journalist,borninLondon,England,1660,anddiedinLondon,Apr.26,1731.LikePope,heneverwenttouniversity,buthereceivedagoodeducationinoneofthebestDissentingacademies.Hestartedasasmallmerchant&allhislifehisbusinessunderwentmanyups&downs&yethewasneverbeaten.Defoealsohadazestforpolitics.Hewrotequiteanumberofpamphletsonthecurrentpoliticalissues.
2.Hissocialoutlook
Asamemberofthemiddleclass,Defoespokefor&tothemembersofhisclass&hisnovelsenjoyedgreatpopularityamongthelesscultivatedreaders.Inmostofhisworks,hegavehispraisetothehard-working,sturdymiddleclass&showedhissympathyforthedowntrodden,unfortunatepoor.
3.Hismajorworks
DefoeisgenerallyconsideredthefirstgreatrealisticnovelistinEnglishfiction.Hebasedhisstoriesoncurrentevents&materials,suchasthemaps&logsofactualseavoyages,personalmemoirs&historicaloreyewitnessreports.
PerhapshismostpopularnovelisRobinsonCrusoe(1719),anadventurestorybasedpartlyontheactualexperienceofamanwhohadbeentrappedonadesertedisland.AJournalofthePlagueYear(1722),sometimesconsideredhisbestwork,hassuchacolorful&detailedaccountoftheLondonplagueof1664&1665thatitseemstohavebeenwrittenbyanobserveronthescene.Defoe'sthirdmasterpiece,MollFlanders(1722),isalivelynoveltracingtheadventuresofafemalerogue.Toldintheformof"confessions",thenarrativeincludesvividdescriptionsofthecourts,prisons,&othersocialinstitutionsofDefoe'sera.
4.Characteristicsofhisworks
Defoewasaverygoodstory-teller.Hehadagiftfororganizingminutedetailsinsuchavividwaythathisstoriescouldbebothcredible&fascinating.Hissentencesaresometimesshort,crisp&plain,&sometimeslong&rambling,whichleaveonthereaderonimpressionofcasualnarration.Hislanguageissmooth,easy,colloquial&mostlyvernacular.Thereisnothingartificialinhislanguage:
itiscommonEnglishatitsbest.
RobinsonCrusoe《鲁滨逊漂流记》
(1)Background:
arealincident;1704,AlexanderSelkirk,aScottishsailor,wasthrownontoadesolateislandbythemutinouscrewofhisship.Helivedtherealonefor5years.Defoereadabouthisadventuresinanewspaperandwenttointerviewhimtogetfirst-handinformation.
ThefirsttranslationwasdonebyLinShuin1905andbecamequitepopularinChina.
(2)Plot:
runawayfromhome→becomeasailor→aplanterinBrazil→toanuninhabitedislandbecauseofshipwreck→madealivingthereallbyhimself→saveanegronamedFridaywhobecamehisservant→backtoEngland→visittheremoteislandagainandFridaywaskilled
Originalnameofthenovel:
TheLifeandStrangeSurprisingAdventuresofRobinsonCrusoe
apicaresquenovelwithalittlechange(maincharacterisdifferent)
(3)(Discussion)RobinsonCrusoe'scharacterization:
typicaloftherisingEnglishbourgeoisclass,practical,diligent,arestlesscuriositytoknowmoreabouttheworldandadesiretoproveindividualpowerinthefaceofsocialandnaturalchallenges;shrewd,careaboutmoneyandgoodatmanaging;courageousandintelligenttoovercomeallkindsofobstacles
(4)(Discussion)Theme:
praisinglaborandman'scourageandefforttoconquernature,butatthesametimehebeautifiescolonialismandslavery(Friday)
(5)(Asksomequestionsabouttheexcerpt)
WhatisthefirstthingmentionedintheexcerptdonebyRobinson(Thefirstparagraph)(keepinghiscalendar)
HowRobinsonmadeahomeforhimselfstepbystepontheremoteisland
(Findingsomeusefulthingfromthewreckedship-makingalittlepalearoundhistent-makingahutwiththeroof-enlarginghiscaveandmakingitlikeastorehouse-makingachairandatable-makinglargeshelves-keepeverythinginorder
(6)(Discussion)Style:
journalistictruthwithmanyvividdetails,simpleandplainsentencestructureandlanguage,firstpersonpointofview,naturalorderinnarration,makingthestoryintimatetothereadersandbecomepopularamonglowerclasses
(1)Mainidea
RobinsonCrusoeisaromancebyDefoe.In1704AlexanderSelkirk,whohadrunawaytoseaandjoinedaprivateeringexpeditionunderDampier,wasathisownrequestputashoreontheuninhabitedislandofJuanFernandez.Hewasrescuedin1709byWoodesRogers.Defoewasprobablyfamiliarwithseveralversionsofthistale,andaddedmanyincidentsfromhisownimaginationtohisaccountofCrusoe,presentingitasatruestory.TheextraordinarilyconvincingaccountoftheshipwreckedCrusoe’ssuccessfuleffortstomakehimselfatolerableexistenceinhissolitudefirstrevealedDefoe’sgeniusforvividfiction;ithasaclaimtobethefirstEnglishnovel.
Theauthortellsnow,withthehelpofafewstoresandutensilssavedfromthewreckandtheexerciseofinfiniteingenuity,Crusoebuilthimselfahouse,domesticatedgoats,andmadehimselfaboat.Hedescribestheperturbationofhismindcausedbyavisitofcannibals,hisrescuefromdeathofanindigenousnativehelaternamesFriday,andfinallythecomingofanEnglishshipwhosecrewareinastateofmutiny,thesubduingofthemutineers,andCrusoe’srescue.
(2)Analysis
InRobinsonCrusoe,DefoetracesthegrowthofRobinsonfromanaiveandartlessyouthintoashrewdandhardenedman,temperedbynumeroustrialsinhiseventfullife.TherealisticaccountofthesuccessfulstruggleofRobinsonsingle-mindedlyagainstthehostilenatureformsthebestpartofthenovel.Robinsonhereisarealhero:
atypical18thcenturyEnglishmiddleclassman,withagreatcapacityforwork,inexhaustibleenergy,courage,patienceandpersistenceinovercomingobstacles,instruggleagainstthehostilenaturalenvironment.Heistheveryprototypeoftheempirebuilder,thepioneercolonist.IndescribingRobinson’slifeontheisland,DefoeglorifieshumanlaborandthePuritanfortitude,whichsaveRobinsonfromdespairandareasourceofprideandhappiness.Hetoilsforthesakeofsubsistence,andthefruitsofhislaborarehisown.
(3)Textexplanation
节选一开始就讲到Robinson在构思建造安身之处,他认为大海旁边并不合适。
接着,他非常详细地说明了选择合适地方的理由。
最后,他选定一个山丘侧面的一块平地,在那儿依着山壁搭起了一个两层的帐篷,上面还蒙上了一层船上搬来的舱盖布,并在山壁上挖出一个洞穴……
在做这些事情过程的间歇中,Robinson持枪外出巡视,发现荒岛上有山羊出没。
但山羊极其怕人,且奔跑速度极快,所以他只好爬上一块岩石上观察以等待时机……
就这样,Robinson有了固定的居住场所,还可以生火做饭,同时他还扩大了那个做地窖用的洞穴。
《鲁宾逊漂流记》是英国文学史上第一部伟大的小说。
笛福从新兴资产阶级和殖民主义的立场出发,歌颂了在Robinson身上所体现出来的百折不挠、冒险进取的殖民精神。
Robinson是欧洲文学史上第一个资产阶级正面人物形象,读者也应该清醒地认识到他作为资产阶级和殖民主义一员的局限性。
ThethemesofRobinson'sCrusoe
a.man'sstrugglesagainstnature
b.glorificationofthebourgeoismenwhohasthecourageandwilltofacehardshipanddeterminationtoimprovehislivelihood.
c.Glorificationoflabor(Robinsonlivesonhisownhands)
attackontheinjusticeofEngland'slegalsystem.Hewascheeredbypeopleasaherotodefendhimself.
Exercises:
1.Peoplealwayssaythat:
"Asamemberofthemiddleclass,Defoespokeforandtothemembersofhisclass".Howdoyouunderstandthissentence?
Pleaseexplainitwiththecharacterofhim.
参考答案:
1)Inmostofhisworks,Defoegavehispraisetothehard-working,sturdymiddleclassandshowedhissympathyforthelower-classpeople.RobinsonCrusoewassuchacharacter.
2)Robisongoesouttosea,getsshipwreckedandmarooned/landedonalonelyisland,strugglestolivefor24yearsthereandfinallyissavedbyashipandreturnstoEngland.DuringtheperiodRobinsonleadsaharshandlonelylifeandsurvivesbygrowingcorps,taminganimals,etc.growingfromanaiveyoungmanintoahardenedman.
3)Withagreatcapacityforwork,inexhaustibleenergy(精力充沛),courageandpersistenceinovercomingdifficulties(在克服困难方面持之以恒),instrugglingagainstnature,Crusoebecomestheprototype/representativeoftheempirebuilder,thepioneercolonist.(他是大英帝国缔造者的完美典范,同时也是殖民者的先驱).
4)Inthenovel,Defoeglorifiedhumanlaborandthepuritanfortitudewhichthemiddleclasspraisedhighly,sohecanberegardedasaspokesmanofthebourgeois.(P98-100)
2.DanielDefoe’snovelRobinsonCrusoewasagreatsuccesspartlybecausetheprotagonistwasarealmiddle-classhero.DiscussCrusoe,theprotagonistofthenovel,asanembodimentoftherisingmiddleclassvirtuesinthemid-eighteenthcenturyEngland.
Answers:
A.Socialbackground:
TheEighteenthCenturyEnglandwitnessedthegrowingimportanceofthebourgeoisormiddleclass.
a.TheIndustrialRevolution
b.Theexpansionofinternationalmarkets;
c.Values/virtues/moralstandards/...differentfromthoseofthefeudalaristocraticclass-courageous,fullofenergy,hardworking,practical,resourceful,self-reliant,etc;thus
d.Literatureshouldgive/providearealisticpresentationofthelifeofthecommonpeople;itshouldmeetthedemand/interestofthemiddleclasspeople.
B.RobinsonCrusoeembodiesthevirtueofthemiddleclasspeople.
a.Crusoeasanadventurous/courageousmanfullofenergyandcourage:
(examplefromthetext):
b.Crusoeasapracticalman:
(examplefromthetext);
c.Crusoeasaresourceful/self-reliantman:
(examplefromthetext);
d.Crusoeasapatient/persistentman:
(examplefromthetext);
e.Andothers.
3.DanielDefoedescribes______asatypicalEnglishmiddleclassmanofthe18thcentury,theveryprototypeoftheempirebuilderorthepioneercolonist.
A.TomJonesB.Gulliver
C.MollFlandersD.RobinsonCrusoe
4.CrusoeistheherointheLifeandStrangeSurprisingAdventuresofRobinsonCrusoe,ofYork,Mariner(alsoknownasRobinsonCrusoe)by_______.
A.JonathanSwiftB.DanielDefoe
C.GeorgeEliotD.D.H.Lawrence
5.Fridayisacharacterinthenovel_____.
A.Gulliver’s