南开大学外国语学院美国文学课件theageofrealism.ppt

The Age of Realism 现实主义文学时期 The year 1865 is considered as an important year in the shift from Romanticism （浪漫主义）to Realism （现实主义）in American literature．Realism had always existed in literature，but yet not until the late nineteenth century did realism dominate in American Literature．The American society after the Civil War (1861—1865) provided rich soil for the rise and development of Realism． The Civil War was a turning point in American history．It brought America’s great change from an agrarian （农业的）to an industrial society．The principal issue of the war was the conflict between industry and capitalist dermocracy （民主） in the North and agriculture and slavery in the South．The war ended with the overwhelming triumph of industrialism over agrarianism. The War brought many great changes to every aspect of American people. Moreover, the Civil War also changed American people’s views on values, morality and religion．Before the Civil War，the puritan ethic （清教的价值观）was the dominant morality in America．Puritans believed in the principles of evil and“salvation”. They considered perseverance （坚持不懈），stark （全然的）simplicity，and strenuous （艰苦，繁重的）good works as virtue，and regarded idleness，drunkenness and sexual immorality as depravity （堕落）. However，materialism had shaken the religious conviction of the Puritans. Stimulated by materialism，people were eager to pursue money and enjoyed the pleasures of life．They became dubious about human nature and God’s benevolence （仁慈）. The Civil War marked a deterioration （恶化）of American moral values． Another important effect of the Civil War was American industrialization and urbanization （城市化） with its accompanying social diseases．With the war, there was an explosive growth of business and industry． This growth is symbolically shown in the rapid development of the railroad．The 35,000 miles of railroad track of 1865 increased to about 2,000,000 miles by the end of the century． The improvements in industrial technology and