英国文学史及作品选读课件Chapter 9The Victorian Age.pptVIP

Chapter Ⅸ The Victorian Age 1832-1901 1. Historical background: The Victorian age can be roughly divided into three periods: 1832-1848: a time of social unrest; 1848-1870: a period of economic prosperity and religious controversy; 1870-1901: a period of decay of Victorian values. 2. The Victorian Poets Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892); Robert Browning (1812-1889); Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) 2.1 Lord Alfred Tennyson  Poet Laureate. He wrote many lyrics in memory of his friend Arthur Hallam, including “Break, Break, Break”. 2.2 Robert Browning (1812-1889): “My Last Duchess” Duke of Epigraph Ferrara was an actual man. In the 16th century, the duke of this Italian city arranged to marry a second after the mysterious death of his very young first wife. Questions: 1. What do you think happened to the Duchess? 2. To whom is the duke addressing his remarks about the duchess in this poem? What is ironic about the situation? 3. Why was the duke unhappy with his first wife? What does this reveal about the duke? What does the poem’s title suggest about his attitude toward women in general? 3. The Victorian novelists: Charles Dickens William Makepeace Thackeray Emily Bronte Thomas Hardy Oscar Wilde 3.1 Charles Dickens (1812-1870): Dombey and Son (1847-1848) Through the portrayal of Mr. Dombey, Dickens shows the pride of the upper strata of the British bourgeoisie in the mid-19th century, who considered themselves the elite of the world. Dickens saw that the expansion of capitalism instead of bringing benevolence and equality of human society, produced of handful of commercial and industrial magnates. And their pride of wealth, or “purse-pride”, is the theme of the novel. 3.2 William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863) Life: Born in Calcutta, India; the son of a Collector in the East India Company’s service. Father died when he was three; sent home to England in 1817. Educated at Charterhouse, Trinity College, Cambridge. Left in 1830 witho