The Modern Period 英美文学.ppt

themodernperiod,influencesofthetwoworldwarsthecatastrophic(disastrous)firstworldwartremendouslyweakenedthebritishempireandbroughtaboutgreatsufferingstoitspeople.thesecondworldwarmarkedthelaststageofthedisintegration(destroy)ofthebritishempire.,historicalbackground,thecenturyhadtofacetworuinouswarsthatcostmanylivesandmadedestructionofproperty:thousandsofpeoplewerekilled;theeconomywasruined;andalmostallitsformercolonieswerelost.theoncesun-never-setempirefinallycollapsed.,historicalbackground,thepostwareconomicdislocation(disturbance)andspiritualdisillusionproducedaprofoundimpactuponthebritishpeople,whocametoseethewretchedness(unpleasantsituation)incapitalism.,historicalbackground,sinceworldwar,britainsawmomentouschangesinitssocialandpoliticallife.differentkindsofphilosophicalideasappearedinthewesternworld.inthemiddle-19thcentury,marxismshoweditsappearance.darwinstheoryofevolutionmadeastronginfluenceonthepeoplesmind.alberteinsteinstheoryofrelativityprovidedentirelynewideasforconceptsoftimeandspace.,modernism,modernismgrewoutofskepticismanddisillusionofcapitalism.afterthefirstworldwar,allkindsofliterarytrendsofmodernismappearedasfollows.1.expressionism:apracticeinartofseekingtodepictsubjectiveemotionsandresponsesthatobjectsandeventsarouseintheartist);2.surrealism:theprinciples,ideals,orpracticeofproducingfantasticorincongruousimageryoreffectsinart,literature,film,ortheaterbymeansofunnaturalorirrationaljuxtapositionsandcombinations;,modernism,3.futurism:inthewesternhistoryofart,especiallyinthemodernpaintinghistoryof20th,thereweremanymodernpaintingtrends,suchasfauvism,cubism,dadaandsurrealism,etc.futurismisoneofthem.4.dadaism:amovementinartandliteraturebasedondeliberateirrationalityandnegationoftraditionalvalues;5.imagism:amovementinpoetryadvocatingfreeverseandtheexpressionofideasandemotionsthroughclearpreciseimages;6.streamofconsciousness:thecontinuousuneditedchronologicalflowofconsciousexperiencethroughthemind.,modernism,towardsthe1920s,thesetrendsconvergedintoamightytorrent(pour)ofmodernistmovement,whichsweptacrossthewholeeuropeandamerica,theprinciples,ideals,orpracticeofproducingfantasticorincongruousimageryoreffectsinart,literature,film,ortheaterbymeansofunnaturalorirrationaljuxtapositionsandcombinations,majorfiguresofthismovement,kafka,franz(1883-1924):czech(捷克斯洛伐克的)-bornauthorwritingingerman;picasso,pablo(1881-1973):spanishpainterandvirginiawoolf.,modernismafterthesecondworldwar,afterthesecondworldwar,avarietyofmodernism,orpost-modernism,likeexistentialistliterature,theateroftheabsurd(theaterthatseekstorepresenttheabsurdityofhumanexistenceinameaninglessuniversebybizarreorfantasticmeans),newnovelsandblackhumor,rosewiththespuroftheexistentialistideathat“theworldwasabsurd,andthehumanlifewasanagony.”,modernismstheoreticalbaseandthemes,modernismtakestheirrationalphilosophyandthetheoryofpsycho-analysisasitstheoreticalbase.themajorthemesarethedistorted,alienatedandillrelationshipsbetweenmanandnature,manandsociety,manandman,andmanhimself.themodernistwritersconcentratemoreontheprivatethanonthepublic,moreonthesubjectivethanontheobjective.theyaremainlyconcernedwiththeinnerbeingofanindividual.,featuresofmodernism,modernismisareactionagainstrealism.itrejectsrationalism,whichisthetheoreticalbaseofrealism.itexcludesfromitsmajorconcerntheexternal,objective,materialworld,whichistheonlycreativesourceofrealism.byadvocatingafreeexperimentationonnewformsandnewtechniquesinliterature,itcastsaway(throw)almostallthetraditionalelementsinliteraturesuchasstory,plot,character,chronologicalnarration.,whichareessentialtorealism.,englishpoetryinthe20thcentury,intheearlyyearsofthiscentury,thomashardyandthewarpoetsoftheyoungergenerationwereimportantrealisticpoets.hardyexpressedhisstrongsympathiesforthesufferingpoorandhisbitterdisgustsatthesocialevilsinhispoetryaswellasinhisnovels.thesoldiers-poetsofworldwarirevealedtheappallingbrutalityofthewarinamorerealisticway.,poetryinthe20thcentury,theearlypoemsofpoundandeliotandyeastsmaturedpoetrymarkedtheriseofmodernpoetry.themodernistpoetsfoughtagainsttheromanticfuzzinessandself-indulgedemotionalism,advocatingnewideasinpoetrywritingsuchastousethelanguageofcommonspeech,tocreatenewrhythmsastheexpressionofanewmood,toallowabsolutefreedominchoosingsubjects,andtousehard,clearandpreciseimagesinpoems.williambutleryeats(1865-1939):irishpoet”whereasbennettpresentedavividpictureofenglishlifeintheindustrialmidlands(thecentralcountiesofengland)inhisbestnovels.,realisticnovelsinthe1920s,therealisticnovelsofthisperiodweremoreorlesstouchedbyapessimisticmood,preoccupiedwiththethemeofmansloneliness,andshapedindifferentforms:socialsatiresbyaldoushuxley(bravenewworld,1932)andgeorgeorwell(nineteeneighty-four,1949);comicsatiresbyontheenglishupperclassbyevelynwaugh(ahandfulofdust,1940).,realisticnovelsin1920s,anotherimportantaspectofrealisticnovelsinthisperiodisthefactthatthereroseafewworking-classwriters,whogaveadirectportrayaloftheworking-peoplespovertyandsufferings,bysinginghighlyoftheheroicstrugglesagainstcapitalismwagedbytheworkingclass.amongthisgroup,thescottishwriterlewisgrassicgibbonwasthemostoutstanding.histriolog:sunsetsong(1932),cloudhowe(1933),andgreygranite(1934)presentthesocialchangesandtheworking-peopleslifeonfarms,intowns,andcitiesthroughthepersonalexperienceofchrisguthrie.,novelsinthe1950sand60s,inthemid-1950sandearly1960s,thereappearedagroupofyoungnovelistsandplaywrightswithlower-middle-classorworking-classbackgrounds,whoereknownas“theangryyoungmen.”theydemonstratedaparticulardisillusion(醒悟）overthedepressingsituationinbritainandlaunchedabitterprotestagainsttheoutmodedsocialandpoliticalvaluesintheirsociety.theyportrayedunadorned(notdecorated)working-classlifeintheirnovelswithgreatfreshnessandvigoroftheworking-classlanguage.,modernistnovelsinthefirstthreedecades,thefirstthreedecadesofthiscenturyweregoldenyearsofmodernistnovel.psycho-analysisplayedaparticularlyimportantroleinstimulatingthetechnicalinnovationsofnovelcreation.psycho-analysisbasicallyholdsthenotionthatmultiplelevelsofconsciousnessexistedsimultaneouslyinthehumanmind,thatonespresentwasthesumofhispast,present,andfuture,andthatthewholetruthabouthumanbeingsexistedintheunique,isolated,andprivateworldofeachindividual.,writersofmodernistnovels,writerswhodiggedintohumanconsciousness1.dorothyrichardsonspilgrimage(-1915-1938);2.jamesjoycesulysses(1922);3.virginiawoolfesmrs.dallowaytheabove-mentionednovelstheycreatedarepreoccupiedwithstream-of-consciousness.,anothergroupofmodernistnovelists,inthisgroupofmodernistwriters,westillseetheoldtraditions,buttheirsubjectmatterabouthumanrelationshipsandtheirsymbolicorpsychologicalpresentationsofthenovelsareentirelymodern.e.m.fosterandd.h.lawrencearetherepresentativesinthisgroup.,e.m.foster,hismasterpieceisapassagetoindia(1924).itisanovelofdecidedlysymbolistaspirations,inwhichtheauthorsetupafableofmoralsignificancethatimpliesahighlymystical,symbolicviewoflife,death,humanrelationship,andtherelationshipofmanwiththeinfiniteuniverse.,d.h.lawrence,unlikejamesjoyce,lawrencewasnotconcernedwithtechnicalinnovationsverymuch:hisinterestlayinthetracingofpsychologicaldevelopmentofhischaractersandinhisenergeticcriticismofthedehumanizing(deprivingofhumanqualities)effectofthecapitalistindustrializationonhumannature.hebelievedthatlifeimpulsewastheprimacyofmansinstinct,andthatanyconsciousrepressionofsuchanimpulsewouldcausedistortionorperversionoftheindividualspersonality.,d.h.lawrence,inhisbestnovelstherainbow(1915)andwomeninlove(1920),lawrencemadeabold(fearless)psychologicalexplorationofvarioushumanrelationships,especiallythosebetweenmenandwomen,withagreatfrankness.lawrenceclaimedthatthealienationofthehumanrelationshipsandtheperversion(unhealthiness)ofhumannatureinthemodernsocietywerecausedbythedesiresforpowerandmoney,bythewholecapitalistmechanicalcivilization,whichturnedmenintoinhumanmachines.modernistnovelscametoadeclineinthe1930s.,dramatistsinthelastdecadeofthe19thcentury,oscarwildeandgeorgebernardshaw,inasense,pioneeredthemoderndramathoughtheydidnotmakesomanyinnovationsintechniquesandformsasmodernistpoetsornovelists.wildeexpressedasatiricalandbitterattitudetowardstheupper-classpeoplebyrevealingtheircorruption,theirsnobbery,andtheirhypocrisyinhisplays,especiallyinhismaterpiece,theimportanceofbeingearnest(1895).,georgebernardshaw,shawisamoreimportantfigureindramathanwlide.heisconsideredtobethebest-knownenglishdramatistssinceshakespeare.hisworksareexamplesoftheplaysinspiredbysocialcriticism.johngalsworhtycarriedonthistraditionofsocialcriticisminhisplays.thesilverbox(1906)andstrife(1910)aresuchexamples,inwhichgalsworthypresentsnotonlyrealisticpicturesofsocialinjustice,butalsotheworkersheroicstrugglesagainsttheiremployers.,arevivalofpoeticdramain1930s,oneoftheearlyexperimentersofpoeticdramawast.s.eliotwhoregardeddramaasthebestmediumofpoetry.eliotwroteseveralverseplaysandmadeaconsiderablesuccess.murderinthecathedral(1935)withitspurelydramaticpower,remainsthemostpopularofhisverseplays.aftereliot,christopherfrygainedconsiderablesuccessinpoeticdrama.hisexuberant(joyous)commonplaceversedrama,theladysnotforburning(1948),attracteddelightedaudience.,dramaticrevolutionin1950s,influencedbydramasineuropeandamerica,englishdramaticrevolutioncameinthe1950sanddevelopedintwodirections:t