英国文学10.pptVIP

Jane Austen Life Experience (1775-1817) 1. Birth: 1775/ the 7th of 8 children 2. Education: her father/ a few years’ schooling/ education at home: wide reading/ frequent male companionship discussions with brothers and her father’s students 3. She led a quiet and uneventful life and remained unmarried. 4. She spent nearly all her life composing and revising her novels. “working on a fine engraving made upon a little piece of ivory.” Points of View She holds the ideals of the landlord class in politics, religions and moral principles. Her works show a preference for the kindness, honesty, frankness, responsibility, good manners and sound sense. Closer to the 18th century Firm belief in the predominance of reason over passion, the value of ration and sense over that of sentimental, Gothic and romantic tendencies criticism: the folly, silly, snobbish, worldly and vulgar through subtle satire and irony Neoclassicism: order, reason, accuracy and gracefulness Characteristics of Her Work Chief Interest Her main concern is about human beings in their personal relations, human beings with their families and neighbors. 1). It is her conviction that a man’s relation to his wife and children is as important as his relations to his belief and career, and reveals him fundamentally. 2). Austen shows a human being not at moments of crisis, but in the most trivial incidents of everyday life. 3). She is particularly preoccupied with the relationship between men and women in love. 2. Artistic Features Cool authorial attitude Controlled and restrained imagination and passion Scenes from everyday life, vividly portrayed characters Simple language and conversing dialogues, witty, delightful and realistic, revealing the inner world of characters 3. Narrowness She writes within a narrow sphere. restricted to the provincial life of the 19th century England, all concerning 3 or 4 landed gentry families with the trivial incidents