论萨拉·菲尔丁《大卫·素朴儿历险记》及续篇的善感观-英语语言文学专业论文.docxVIP

Engli English Abstract II II Abstract Sarah Fielding (1710-1768) was an important female British writer in the mid-eighteenth century. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu appreciated Sarah’s writing style and Samuel Richardson also highly praised her deep and subtle description of psychology. The Adventures of David Simple was Sarah’s first novel as well as her popular work. Many critics abroad have discussed the theme of sensibility or benevolence respectively, with little attention to the combination of the two elements—benevolent sensibility. This thesis discusses the “good human of feeling” in the novel and Sarah Fielding’s view on benevolent sensibility in the light of the combination of “good human” proposed by Shaftesbury, the English empirical philosopher of eighteenth century. The benevolent sensibility supported by Sarah Fielding was shown through the descriptions of rich but exquisite compassion and the emphasis of the disinterested motivation of benevolent behavior, that is the good human of feeling should possess the double virtues of the restrained sensibility and disinterested benevolence. Shaftesbury supposed natural affection was disinterested affection and the disinterested motivation of behavior was the genuine benevolence that represented the image of “good man”. Therefore, benevolent sensibility was the combination of natural affection and disinterested motivation of action. The benevolent sensibility in The Adventures of David Simple was mainly embodied through the descriptions of two types of characters that were the “good man of feeling” and the “good woman of feeling”. The good men with David Simple as the typical example who held the natural affection and disinterested motivation of benevolent action. And the above two elements should become the restrained combination. Camilla and Cynthia represented the good women of feeling in the novel who possessed the natural and restrained sensibility as well as the sense of disinterestedness and they embodied