Part IV The Literature of Realism教学幻灯片.ppt

詹姆斯是以其”国际主题“小说家闻名于世的。他的主要小说几乎全是以一个在欧洲的美国人为中心人物的。通过这个人物作者使美国人的积极主动与欧洲贵族的矫揉造作，美国人的天真纯朴与欧洲人的老奸巨猾形成了鲜明的对比。一般说来，作者以美国人的优点对欧洲人的缺点——以美国人的纯洁、实际、主动、真挚、活跃、自然和忠诚等对欧洲人（包括久住欧洲的美国人）的老于世故、拘泥形式、礼仪、文雅、艺术、虚伪和邪恶等等。 c. position in literature not popular in his life, but in 20th c. reasons: i. he lived mostly in Europe ii. language is complete and difficult iii. subject matter is too narrow the reasons for being popular: i. international theme, he penetrated it so deeply ii. refined language iii. psychological realism a pioneer showing inner consciousness of his characters in face of outward happiness 1st modern psychological analyst e. contribution (critical ideas) (1) most people regard him as the 1st one who regards fiction as a form of literary art. He thinks art must be related to life. Life is important in its own way. (The Art of Fiction) i. life and literature are related To him art without life is a poor affair, the province of art is all life, all feeling, all observation, all vision. ii. literature and art higher than life Though closely related to life, art is important in its own way. It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance. iii. point of view: the angle you’re trying to tell the story The author should avoid artificial omniscience, let his characters reveal themselves with minimal intervention of the author. f. Analysis of The Portrait of A Lady 1. plot It tells about the fate of one of those splendid Jamesian American girls, Isabel Archer, arriving in Europe, full of hope, and with a will to live a free and noble life, only to fail prey to the sinister designs of two vulgar and unscrupulous expatriates, Madam Merle and Gilbert Osmond 2. international theme 《贵妇画像》是詹姆斯”国际题材“小说中的姣姣者。它涉及欧美关系，反映了美国重新发现欧洲的痛苦过程。伊莎贝尔是全书的唯一中心。一切背景和其他人物都是为塑造她而服务的。詹姆斯为这位典型人物创造了典型环境。小说的大部分人物都是欧洲化了的美国人，只有沃伯顿公爵是位坦诚朴实、落落大方的欧洲人。伊莎贝尔遭遇的真正危险并非来自真正的欧洲人，而是来自欧洲化了的美国人。这就避免了民族沙文主义。奥斯芒德和默尔夫人都是给欧洲带坏的。这就深化了小说的社会主题，詹姆斯很注意环境的烘托。 ——王长荣：《美国现代小说史》，第35页。 In American Literature Root and Flower, A.