英國文學史課件

1、Chapter 5 English Literature of the 18th Century,一.Historical background Politics: After the tempestuous events of the 17th century, England entered a period of comparatively peaceful development, and became a constitutional monarchy. Economy: Industrial Revolution. A unprecedented technical innovat

2、ions which equipped industry with steam, and new tools, rapid growth of industry and commerce influence the way of social life as a whole. New social class: ending of Enclosure Movement（圈地運動） leads to landless farmers going to the cities and becoming workers who owned nothing but labor and had to wo

3、rk long hours for low wages, and they became the industrial proletariat(無產(chǎn)階級,Culture：The 18 century marked the beginning of an intellectual movement in Europe, known as the Enlightenment(啟蒙運動) , which was an expression of struggle of the bourgeoisie against feudalism. The enlighteners fought against

4、 class inequality, stagnation, prejudices and other survivals of feudalism. They attempted to place all branches of science at the service of mankind by connecting them with the actual needs and requirements of people. The representatives of the Enlightenment in English literature were Joseph Addiso

5、n and Richard Steele ,the essayists and Alexander Pope, the poet. In their works they criticized all different aspects of contemporary England, discussed social problems, and even touched upon morality and private life. They intended to reform social life according to a more reasonable principle, an

6、d the principle is for bourgeois interests,二. The literary overview. (1) The Enlightenment. (2) The rise of English novels. the Middle Ages long romantic narrative poems, the Elizabethan age dramas the Restoration and Restorationdidactic(說教) and satirical verse the 18th century novels (3) Neo-classi

7、cism: a revival in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries of classical standards of order, balance, and harmony in literature. John Dryden and Alexander Pope were major exponents of the neo-classical school. (4) Satiric literature. (5) Sentimentalism,Neo-classicism: Addison, Steel and Pope belong

8、to the school of classicism. The classicists modelled (模仿)themselves on Greek and Latin authors, and tried to control literary creation by some fixed laws and rules drawn from Greek and Latin works. They wrote for the rising bourgeoisie to tidy up the capitalist social order,Alexander Pope（蒲柏） (1) L

9、ife: a. Catholic family; b. ill health; c. taught himself by reading and translating; d. friend of Addison, Steele and Swift. (2) three groups of poems: e. An Essay on Criticism (manifesto of neo-classicism) a didactic poem written in heroic couplets and sums up the art of poetry. f. The Rape of Loc

10、k(卷發(fā)遇劫記) a mock-heroic poem， in which he satirized the triviality (輕浮)and silliness of the high society with a delicate wit. g. Translation of two epics. Iliad （伊利亞特）and Odyssey（奧德賽） H. Essay on Man. a philosophical poem in heroic couplets aims to prove that the scheme of the universe is the best in

11、 spite of appearance of evil, and that our failure to see the perfection of the whole is due to our limited vision. This idea is summed up in a well-known line: “One truth is clear, whatever is, is right.,3) His contribution: i.An outstanding enlightener and the greatest English poet of the classica

12、l school. j. He was a master in the art of poetry and he is so perfect in using heroic couplets （英雄雙韻體）that no one has been able to approach him. k. He was at best in satire and epigram and was an example of conscious literary artist. (4) weakness: lack of imagination and lyrical gift. His satire wa

13、s not always just, often caused by personal grudge,2. Addison and Steele (1) Richard Steele（斯梯爾） : poet, playwright, essayist, publisher of newspaper The Tatler（閑談者報） . (2) Joseph Addison（艾迪生） : studies at Oxford, secretary of state, created a literary periodical “Spectator”（旁觀者報） (with Steele, 1711

14、) (3) Spectator Club. (4) The significance of their essays. a. Their writings in “The Tatler”, and “The Spectator” provide a new code of social morality for the rising bourgeoisie. b. They give a true picture of the social life of England in the 18th century. c. In their hands, the English essay com

15、pletely established itself as a literary genre（體裁）. Using it as a form of character sketching and story telling, they ushered in the dawn of the modern novel,Literature of Satire: Jonathan Swift(喬納森斯威夫特 ). 1. Life: (1) born in Ireland; his father died before he was born. (2) studies at Trinity Colle

16、ge; detested the routine curriculum (3) worked as a private secretary of a renowned distant relative; he never forgot this bitter experience of living under the roof of a noble family. Afterwards, he tried to help every young of talent who seemed deserving. (4) the Dean of St. Patricks in Dublin and

17、 after he withdrew from active party strife(黨派爭斗), realizing that there was but little difference between the Tories （特洛伊黨）and the Whigs（輝格黨）, the two opposite parties of the ruling classes. 2. Works: The Battle of Books, A Tale of a Tub, Gullivers Travels,3. Gullivers Travels.（格列佛游記） Part I. Satire

18、the Whig and the Tories, Anglican Church and Catholic Church. This part describes his shipwreck in Lilliput（小人國） where the tallest people were six inches high. His meekness(溫順) has gained popularity in the country and he helps them defeat another Lilliputian country, his refusal to ruin the country

19、making the King not happy. At this time, the Queens palace harem (寢宮) is on fire. Out of emergency, he piddles(撒尿) on the palace to extinguish the fire, which makes the Queen annoyed； rumor has it that the King wants to kill him, so he escapes from the Lillilput,Part II. Satirethe legal system; cond

20、emnation of war. This part depicts his voyage to Brobdingnag, where people there are sixty feet in height. The King regards Europe as if it were an anthill(蟻丘)，and says “I cannot but conclude that the bulk of your natiyes(同胞) to be the most harmful race that Nature ever suffered to craw upon the sur

21、face of the Earth. ” Gulliver, after living among such a great race, could not but feel tempted to laugh at the strutting(傲慢) and bowing（造作） of English lords and ladies,Part III. Satire on philosophers and projectors. In the Island of Sorcerors, Gulliver was able to call up famous men of ancient tim

22、es and question them. Then he found the world to have been misled by prostitute writers. He saw, too, by looking at an old yeoman, how the race had greatly deteriorated through vice and corruption. Part IV. Satiremankind He was now in a country where horses were possessed of reason and were the gove

23、rning class, while the Yahoos, though in the shape of men, were brute beasts with such vices as stealing and lying. He praised the life and virtues （美德）of the horses while he was disgusted with he Yahoos, whose relations reminded him of those existing in English society to such a degree that he shud

24、dered(發(fā)抖) at the prospect of returning to England,Summary Swift hated all kinds of oppressionspolitical, economical and religious. But he cherished a greatest love for the people. His Gullivers Travel gives an unparalleled satirical depiction of the vices of his age,English Novels of Realistic tradi

25、tion. 1. The Rise of novels. (1) Early forms: folk tale（民間傳說） fables（寓言） myths（神話） epic poetry romances fabliaux （諷刺性寓言） novelle（中短篇小說） - imaginative nature of their material. (imaginative narrative) (2) The rise of the novel The rise and growth of the realistic novels is the most prominent achievem

26、ent of the 18th century, which has given world such novelists as Defore, Swift, Richardson, Fielding, Smollett and Sterne,2. Daniel Defoenovelist, poet, pamphleteer, publisher, merchant, journalist.) (1) Life: (a kind of jack-of-all-trades) a. business career（travel in Spain, Italy, France and Germa

27、ny）; b.writing career (journalist，novelist); c. interested in politics (soldier, publish pamphlet,) The Trueborn Englishmana satire土生英國人 The Shortest Way with the Dissents消滅不同教派的捷徑,2) Robinson Crusoe. a. the story. Robinson Crusoe is an Englishman from the town of York in the seventeenth century, th

28、e youngest son of a merchant of German origin. Encouraged by his father to study law, Crusoe expresses his wish to go to sea instead. he eventually succumbs to temptation and embarks on a ship bound for London with a friend. Although a storm causes the near deaths of Crusoe and his friend, this trip

29、 is financially successful, and Crusoe plans another voyage to Africa,But his second trip ends up shipwrecked off of the coast of Trinidad.Crusoe soon learns he is the sole survivor of the expedition and seeks shelter and food for himself. Onshore, he finds goats he can graze for meat and builds him

30、self a shelter. He erects a cross that he inscribes with the date of his arrival . He also keeps a journal of his household activities, noting his attempts to make candles, his lucky discovery of sprouting grain, and his construction of a cellar, among other events . Crusoe begins to feel more optim

31、istic about being on the island, describing himself as its “king.” He trains a pet parrot, takes a goat as a pet, and develops skills in basket weaving, bread making, and pottery,One day Crusoe is shocked to discover a mans footprint on the beach. Then he learns that the island is occasionally visit

32、ed by some cannibals(食人者），who come to celebrate their victories over their enemies. Robinson happens to see one such celebration and manages to save one of the victims. This man, named Friday by Robinson, proves to be a Negro(黑人) and becomes Robinsons true and faithful companion（伙伴）. Meanwhile，an En

33、glish ship drops anchor(錨) off the island. The captain takes Robinson and Friday to England,b. the significance of the character. Robinson is representative of the English bourgeoisie at the earlier stages of its development. He has excellent qualities: his marvelous capacity for work, his boundless

34、 energy and persistence in overcoming obstacles. He struggles hard against nature and makes her bend(屈服) before his will. He is most practical exact, always religious and at the same time mindful of his own profit. His every voyage is connected with some commercial enterprise,c. the significance of

35、Daniel Defoes novels. The book is so well-received by English readers that wherever there was a Bible, there was a Robinson Crusoe. The writers of Enlightenment attached great importance to the moulding of character and to education through the influence of varied environment. Defoe is therefore reg

36、arded as the one of the forerunners of the English realistic novel,3. Henry Fielding（菲爾?。﹏ovelist. (1) Life: a. unsuccessful dramatic career; He attacked all manner of contemporary vicesthe corruption of politics, the injustice of the law, the depravity (腐化墮落)of high society， and his theatre was shu

37、t down by the government. b.legal career; writing career. (2) works. Joseph Andrews 約瑟夫安德魯斯 Jonthan Wild.江奈生魏爾德 Tom Jones 湯姆瓊斯 Amelia 阿米利亞,Tom Jones is a foundling（棄兒） discovered on the property of a very kind, wealthy landowner, Squire Allworthy, in Somerset in Englands West Country. Tom grows into

38、 a vigorous and lusty, yet honest and kind-hearted, youth. He develops affection for his neighbours daughter, Sophia Western. On one hand, their love reflects the romantic comedy genre that was popular in 18th-century Britain. However, Toms status as a bastard（私生子） causes Sophias father and Allworth

39、y to oppose their love; this criticism of class friction in society acted as a biting social commentary. The inclusion of prostitution and sexual promiscuity in the plot was also original for its time, and also acted as the foundation for criticism of the books “l(fā)owness.“ Blilfil，the villain of the

40、story，is sober, discreet, and pious beyond his age. He does every thing for his own benefits. He seeks to hasten his uncles death to get his property; he intends to marry Sophia with the aim of obtaining her fortune; he employs a lawyer to get Tom Jones sentenced to death,The significance 1.Henry Fi

41、elding is the founder of the English realistic novel and set up the theory of realism in literary creation. “Nature itself”, i.e., the exact observation and study of real life, was the basis of Fielding s work. By “Nature” he meant the close and constant study of men and women in real life. He estab

42、lished all the form of the modern novel. His contribution to the history of the novel is unique, and he has been rightly called the “father of the English novel.,2.Fielding is a master of style. His style is easy, unlabored, and familiar, but extremely vivid and vigorous. 3.He believed in the educat

43、ional function of the novel. The purpose of novel is not only to amuse, but also to instruct. 4.His method of relating a story: story is told directly by the author, which enables the author to develop his narrative in the fullest, freest, and clearest manner. 5. Satire abounds in Fieldlings novels,

44、Writers of Sentimentalism. 1. Introduction 2. Samuel Richardson（塞繆爾理查遜） novelist, moralist (One who is unduly concerned with the morals of others.) (1) Life: a. printer book seller; b. letter writer. (2) works； Clarissa Harlowe 克拉麗莎哈婁 Sir Charles Grandison 恰爾斯格蘭迪孫爵士 Pamela帕米拉, or Virtue Rewarded美德有報

45、,3) Pamela帕米拉, or Virtue Rewarded美德有報. a. the story :written in the form of letters. Pamela, a little waiting-mid, writes to her father and her two friends about her experience in the noble family, and her refusal to the temptation of the son of the noble family b.the significance Pamela was a new thing in these ways: a) It disca