Chapter5 The Eighteenth Century.pptVIP

3) characteristics of Fielding‘s novels: a. The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrew ( 1) its story and significance (2) in his preface to this novel Fielding proudly announced that he had created a new genre called comic epics in prose and discussed its characteristic feature. (3) the novel turned from a novel of seduction into one of the first exemplars of the great English panoramic tradition, which was to reach new heights later in Thackeray and Dickens. b. The History of Tom Jones (1) its story and significance (2) the understanding of allegory in the story (3) to Fielding, the countryside represents the basic goodness of human race, whereas the city stands for evil and sin. 8. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816) 1) his life story: was born in Dublin, of Irish origin, and was educated at Harrow. 2) his literary achievements: drama: The Rivals, A Trip to Sarborough, The School for Scandal Mrs.Sheridan 3) The School for Scandal a. its story and significance b. it is written in the tradition of Comedy of Manners, and exposes the immorality, hypocrisy, money-hunting, and scandal-mongering of the idle classes in 18th century England. The Phases of Development The early thirty years: the age of Pope The classical poems of Pope The satirical essays and realistic novels of Daniel Defoe and Jonathan Swift The middle fifty years: the age of Johnson Some other representative writers were Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, Smollett,etc. Sentimental novel The last nearly twenty years: Pre-romantic period Topogrphical poetry Graveyard poets The Scottish Bard The Gothic Novel The End (1) the atmosphere is no longer sunny but sad and gloomy, and evil is found everywhere in this world. (2) through the loss of imagination, man has become a slave to the falsehood and hypocrisy of religion and society, and thus has lost the Heaven of Innocence and gained the Hell of Experience. b.