英国文学史维多利亚时期文学背景及特点.ppt

TheVictorianAge,(1832-1902),Objectives,1.TohavethebasicknowledgeaboutthebriefhistoryoftheVictorianPeriod.2.Toknowsomethingaboutthecriticalrealist3.TobefamiliarwithCharlesDickenswritingstylesandmajorcontributiontoEnglishliterature.,HistoricalBackground,-beganwiththepassageoftheReformBillin1832andclosedattheendoftheBoerWarin1902.,Victoriaage:,Victoria；thequeenVictoriasaccessionin1837andherdeathin1901.Sheruledfor63years,thelongestinEnglishhistory.TheperiodhasbeengenerallyregardedasoneofthemostgloriousintheEnglishhistory.,QueenElizabeth(1533-1603)andQueenVictoria(1819-1901).,TheEnglishpeoplewereproudoftwoqueensintheirhistory:QueenElizabeth(1533-1603)andQueenVictoria(1819-1901).Therearesimilaritiesbetweenthetwoqueens.First,bothqueenswereonthethroneforalongperiodoftime,QueenElizabethbeingonthethroneforoverfortyyears(1558-1603)andQueenVictoriamorethan60years(1837-1901).,Secondly,duringtheirlongreignsEnglanddevelopedrapidlybothpoliticallyandeconomically.DuringthereignofQueenElizabeth,capitalismfirsttookitsshape,andthesmallislandcountrydefeatedthestrongnavalpowerSpainin1588.DuringthelongreignofQueenVictoria,Englandgrewtheworkshopoftheworldaswellasitsfinancialandpoliticalcenter.,Thirdly,duringtheirreigns,literatureflourished.IntheageofQueenElizabethdramaflourishedandwithittherewasthegreatestdramatistWilliamShakespeare.whereasintheageofQueenVictoria,novelflourishedandwithitagalaxyofbrilliantnovelistsappearedontheliteraryscene.,TheVictorianagecanberoughlydividedintothreeperiods,theearlyperiod1832-1854,atimeofsocialunrest;themiddleperiod1855-1879,aperiodofeconomicprosperityandreligiouscontroversy;thelastperiod1880-1901,aperiodofdecayofVictorianvalues.,Itcanbedividedinto2periods:-EarlyVictoriaPeriod（1832-1868）-LateVictoriaPeriod（1869-1902）,thefirstfourteenyearswerefilledwithunrest,alarmandmisery,andtheycontrastedwiththegrowingprosperityandgeneralgoodfeelingofthesucceedingtwenty-twoyearswhenEngland,havingcommittedherselftoindustrialismandfreetrade,becauseforathemetheworkshopoftheworld,一Political,1Reform2ChartistMovement(1838-48),TheProgressofReform,greatchanggesinadministrationleadership/financialpolicyWhigToriesemancipationofslaves(dominions)effectotherareas,TheimpetusofrefomAseriesoflaws;childLabourinfactoriesin1833FactoryAct(1833)PoorLawAmendmentAct(1834)TherepealoftheCornLawsin1846TenHoursActin1847,TheReformBillof1832extendedtherighttovotetoallmenowningpropertyworthtenpoundsormore.Thisbillextendedtherighttovotetotheindustrialcapitalistsandthelowermiddleclass,butnottheworkers(theyhadtowaituntil1867whenasecondReformBillwaspassed),ThesecondaccomplishmentoftheReformBillwastoeliminatethe“rottenboroughs”andgavethevacantseatstotheindustrialcities.ThisBillbrokethemonopolyinParliamentoftheconservativelandownersandendedthelongreignoftheTorypartywhichhadbeeninpoweralmostcontinuouslyfrom1783to1830.TheWhigparty,whichrepresentedtheinterestsoftheindustrialcapitalistsandbusinessmen,cameintopower.,Withtheintroductionofthesteamengine,itwaspossibleforthecapitaliststohireunskilledworkers,suchaswomenandchildren.Manyskilledworkerswereunemployed,andwhatmadethesituationsworsewastheenforcementoftheCornLaws,whichforbadeimportinganygrainfromforeigncountrieswhenthepriceofwheatdroppedtoacertainprice;thismeasurekeptwheatatahighpriceintheinterestsofthelandedclass.In1845seriouscropfailuresinEnglandandthepotatoblightinIrelandkeptthepriceofbreadstillhigher.,UndertheeconomicpolicyofLaissezfaire(apolicybasedontheUtilitarianphilosophy)whichassertedthatthefunctionofprivatepropertyandnottointerferewiththeeconomicoperationofthecountry,thecapitalistsdidnotfeeltheywereresponsibleforthepovertyoftheworkingpeople.Inordertodemandtheirownrights,theworkingpeoplelaunchedlarge-scaledemonstrations.TheyputforwardtheirpoliticaldemandsintheformofaCharterandorganizedmeetingstocollectsignatures.Inthe1830sand1840sthecountrywasthreatenedbysocialunrest.TheChartistMovementreacheditspeakin1838,1842,and1848.,ChartistMovement,Themajorcontraditioninthepoliticalarenabecamemoredefinitebetweenlabourandcapital.TheworkersforsocialjusticeandabetterlifeForwantofpossessingvotesandleadership,aunifiedpurposeandfunds,TheMovementFizzledOut,Reson:1ToomasCarlyle2HungryFortiesthreantigcloudRulingclassestwofears;pestilenceandrisingmob,2019/12/14,21,可编辑,Thoughitfailed,Chartismsignififiedthefirstgreatpoliticalmovementofproletariat(无产阶级）inEnglishhistory.,二EconomicAnageofprosperityandprogresstherichestandmostpowerful;the1sturbanandindustrialsocietyintheworld;Thedevelopmentofscienceandtechnology:railways,telegraphs,journalism;,三Culturally97%peopleabletoreadby1900;cheaperpaper;fasterprinting;easiercirculation;moreworkingreadersdemandingcheapliterature:,Victoriannovelsarecharacterizedbythecommonfeaturesbelow:1.Theplotisunfoldedagainstasocialbackgroundwhichisbroaderthanwhatithadbeeninpreviousnovels.TheplotdrawsmaterialsfromsocietyandrelatestheminsuchawaythattheVictoriannovelsreflectthecomplexityofhumanrelationsinacapitalistsocietyandrevealthewritersattitudestowardsthesociety.,2.Thecause-effectsequenceismuchmorestrikingthaninpreviousnovels.Generallyspeaking,amotiveorasetofcircumstancesgivesrisetoaneventwhichproducesaneffectonacharacter,andthroughthemechanicsofinternalcausation,itgivesrisetoanothereventwhichinturnsbecomesanothercause.Andallthisiscentredaroundthecentralcharacter.Thiskindofdevelopmentofplotiscalled“linearcausation,”whichmakestheVictoriannovelsbetterconstructedthanpreviousones.,3.MostoftheVictoriannovelswerefirstpublishedinserialform,thatis,byinstalment,beforetheywerefullypublishedinasinglebook.Theyfirstappearedinpamphlets,periodicals,ornewspapers.ThiswastrueofCharlesDickensworksandWilliamThackeraysVanityFair.Theserialformmaybedetrimentaltotheplot,asHenryJames(1843-1916)characterizedtheworksofDickensas“largeloosebaggymonsters.”,However,thiswasnotnecessarilyso.ThelaternovelsofDickenswerewellconstructed.Likeanactororpublicspeaker,theVictorianwritershadasense,duringtheprocessoftheirwriting,ofhowtheirreaderswouldrespondtotheirworks.Theyhadtomeetthechallengethatwasputtothewriterstoholdtheinterestofthereadersineveryissueandhadtoprovidethemdelightandentertainment.,4.TheVictoriannovelsweretaintedbythespiritofPuritanismoftheVictorianage.TheVictoriancapitalistswerenotoriousfortheirhypocrisy.Thoughcruellyexploitingtheworkingclassandlivingluxuriouslythemselveswithlittlecareforthemiseriesofthepoor,theypreachedthatthekeytosuccesswasthattheyweresober,earnest,hardworking,andthattheyabstainedfromworldlypleasures.,TheirPuritanstandardofsexualbehaviourwasverystrict.Womenshouldbekeptinnocent,i.e.,ignorant.TheirPuritancodehadmuchbearingsontheliterature.Forwheneversexualmatterwastouched,Victorianwriterswouldtryeverymeanstokeepawayfromit.Itwasespeciallysosincenovelswerecommonlyreadinfamilygatheringanditwasnecessarynottoincludeinthenovelwhatmightcauseembarrassmenttotheladies.,5.TheVictoriannovelswerecharacterizedbytheirmoralpurpose.Manywriterswrotenovelswithapurposetoedifyreadersandtobringaboutreforms.Ofcourse,thiswasnonewthinginEnglishliterature.ButtheVictorianwriters,livinginanagewhentherewerestrikingdifferencesbetweentherichandthepoorandwhentheevilsofthecapitalistsocietyweresoconspicuous,invariablycriticizedcertainaspectsofthesocietyandadvocatedtheirremedy.SomeChinesescholarscalledthemcriticalrealisticnovelists,anepithetorlabeltoovaguetobeappliedtosuchavarietyofwriters.,LiterarilypoetryAlfredTennyson(1809-1892):poetlaureateRobertBrowning(1812-1889)ElizabethBarrettBrowning(1806-1861)N