lecture_3 美国文学史课件.ppt

Lecture 3 American Realism I. Background 1. Politically: industrialized Hamiltonian North fought against agrarian Jeffersonian South, the north defeated the farm, America move toward capitalism, Transcendentalists. 3 fundamental issues: 1) agrarian ——industrial 2) plantation ——commercial 3) east ——west. 2. Economically: Commerce took lead in economy; extreme wealth and extreme poverty “Gilded Age”’ reaction II. Features Realism came as a reaction against “the lie” of Romanticism and sentimentalism. 1. Familiar aspect of contemporary life and everyday sense are represented in a matter-of-fact way. Truthful treatment of materials. 2. Typical character in typical surroundings: Characters from all social levels are examined II. Features 3. Focus on commonness of the lives of the common people who are customarily ignored by the arts. 4. Objective view rather than idealized view of human nature. 5. Open ending. It tells the reader that life is complex and cannot be fully understood. Open ending leaves much room for reader to think over the possible conclusion of the story. 6. They tend to reform society. III. Representatives of Realistic Period Henry James (1843-1916) 1. Literary careers: 1865—1882: international theme (American innocence V.S. European sophistication) The American Daisy Miller The Portrait of a Lady 1882—1895: inter-personal relationship (poorly received) turned to play-writing (failures) turned Daisy Miller into a play Guy Dormville 1895—1900 childhood adolescence, then back to “ international theme” The Turn of the Screw What Maisie Knew The Ambassadors The Golden Bowl The Ivory Tower The Sense of the Past 2. Aesthetics: Theory of fiction “The Art of Fiction” (1884) the aim of a novel is t