American Literature 1.ppt

AmericanLiterature,PartFourModernAmericanLiterature(1910-),Chapter7,AmericanliteratureafterWWI,7.2,SherwoodAnderson(1876-1941),SherwoodAnderson,I.LifeandCareer,borninthecountrysideofOhio,intheMiddleWest-oneofsevenchildrenofapoorlaborerwhoeventuallyabandonedhisfamily.hadafewyearsofschoolingworkedatmanyjobs-asafactoryworker,ahousepainter,afarmhand-andheendedupinChicagowherehemarriedandbecamequitesuccessfulasawriterofadvertisements,I.LifeandCareer,Whilehewroteliteratureinhissparetime,hewasencouragedbytheleadersofChicagosliterarymovement.Hepublishedhisfirsttwonovelsthefirstoneastorybasedonhisownfathersirresponsiblelife,thesecondaproletariannovel.TheywerereceivedwellenoughsothatAndersoncouldquithisjobandspendhisfulltimewriting.,II.LiteraryWorks,Winesburg,Ohio(1919),hisvolumeofshortstories-ItmarkedaradicalchangenotonlyinthecontentbutalsointheformoftheAmericanshortstory-Becausetheirhappeningsdifferedsoinformfromthoseofearlierfiction,manyreadersconsideredAndersonsstoriesalmostplotless.,II.LiteraryWorks,II.LiteraryWorks,PoorWhite(1920)-anovelcontrastedtheharsh,dehumanizingadvancesofindustrializationwiththeold,disappearingharmonyofthecountryside,II.LiteraryWorks,II.LiteraryWorks,TheTriumphoftheEgg-hisfirstcollectionofshortstories-Thesestoriesallcontainedonecentraltheme,whichwasthedecayingofAmericansociety.-”DarkLaughter”idealizedthelifeofNegroesincomparisonwiththatofwhitesaromanticillusionofAndersons,forblackswere,infact,oppressedasseverelyaslowerclassthanwhitesatthatperiod.,II.LiteraryWorks,II.LiteraryWorks,BeyondDesire-hismostpoliticallyconsciousnovel-ItdescribedlaborstrugglesinasoutherntextilemillduringtheGreatDepression.,II.LiteraryWorks,DeathintheWoods-hisfinalcollectionofshortstories,withbroad,humanitarianthemes,III.WritingStyle,Andersonsstyleofwritingappearssimple,easy,almostconversational.Infact,hisstorieswereverycarefullyconstructed,withoutplot,toseemmorecasual,morenatural,closertoreallifethantoliteraryart.,III.WritingStyle,Andersonwroteaboutlonely,sadpeople,deformedintheircharactersbyfrustrationsimposedbytheirsocietiesandenvironment.Heshowedhow,intheirstruggles,theywouldclutchatsomeaspectoftruth,butadoptanarrow,rigidviewofit.Intryingtoliveaccordingtotheirnarrowviewoftruth,unabletounderstandwidertruths,theywouldbecomegrotesque,therebyturningtheirsmalltruthsintofalsehoods.,III.WritingStyle,ButAndersonfeltcompassionforsuchemotionallystuntedpeople,whowerethevictimsofmodernexistence,andhemadehisreadersfellsympathyforthem,also.Hemadetheirstrangebehaviorunderstandable,andexposedtheirinnersweetnessorbitterness.,III.WritingStyle,TheworksofAndersonhaveobviousweaknessesaswell.Foronethingtheyareveryuneven.-ThebestareamongtheeternalofAmericanliterature,whiletheworsttendtobeslipshodanddefectiveinplotordialogueorboth.-EvenhisstyleisdeficientsothatitisruthlesslyparodiedinHemingwaysTheTorrentsofSpring.,PointsofView,Andersonisnotmuchreadtoday.ItistruethatheisnowchieflyrememberedastheauthorofWinesburg,Ohioandahandfulofstorieslike“IWanttoKnowWhy,”“DeathintheWoods,”and“TheEgg”,buteventhismuchisalreadyenoughtoentitlehimtoameasureofimmortality.,PointsofView,Winesburg,Ohio,thebookgaveAndersonaforemostpositionincontemporaryAmericanletters.-Somethingbetweenanovelandacollectionofshortstories,thisbookwasaperfectexampleofAndersonsfiction.,PointsofView,Thestoriesabandonedtraditionalideasofplotandstory-tellinginordersimplytoexposethecharacterswhowererepressedandfrustratedbyintolerablesocialandindustrialsystems.Itwasatotallynew,untriedwayofwriting.,CharacteristicsofHisWriting,Sincehefeltthat“thetruehistoryoflife”was“thehistoryofmoments”andnotachartedplan,eventsinhisstoriesoftenarenotarrangedinwell-definedandcompletedpatterns.Rathertheyseemtobetherecordingofevents.,CharacteristicsofHisWriting,Insteadoftellingastoryaboutactionsandevents,hegavepsychologicalinsightsintothecharacters,buildingupagrowingintensityofemotionuntiltheendofthestory.,IV.Story:SophisticationNotes:,“Sophistication”:成年选自安德森的短篇集俄亥俄州的温斯堡镇。ofthefiguretheworld:他将在世界上扮演的角色Thesadnesstotheboy:成年的惆怅已经来到这少年的心头。inherpresencetoboast:他当着她的面，一时冲动，吹起牛来。,IV.Story:SophisticationNotes:,5.AttheFairinhiscompany:在集市上，她倒乐于被人看见他和她做伴。6.Imgoingtoinlife:我要在人生中做出一番事业来。7.Oldwindbag:吹牛的老混蛋8.sputter:唾沫飞溅地说,IV.Story:SophisticationNotes:,9.“ThereisnooneHelensbreeding”:“这里没有人配和海伦这样教养好的姑娘往来。”10.WaterworksPond:自来水厂蓄水11.thewarmunthinkingremembers:热情、轻率的小家伙与思索和记忆作斗争。,IV.Story:SophisticationNotes:,12.whatthereisisintensified:他生性好回顾，这一性情愈来愈强烈了。13.sweatedadancefloor:挥汗奏乐，让年轻人的双脚在舞厅的地板上飞快地旋转。14.thespellthatheldthemwasbroken:“spell”一词形容人们入神着迷的一种状态。此处指他们入神的状态被打破了。,IV.Story:SophisticationQuestions:,SherwoodAndersonwasgreatlyinterestedinpsychology,thescienceofthemindthattriestoexplainwhypeopleact,think,andfeelastheydo.Rereadthe5thparagraph,whichdescribesthemomentaboy“crossesthelineintomanhood.”(a)HowdoesthispassagegiveyoudeeperinsightintoGeorgesmentalconfusion?,IV.Story:SophisticationAnswers:,(a)Itexplainswhathappenswhenanintelligentpersonviewshimselfobjectivelyforthefirsttime.UpuntilthistimeGeorgehasbelievedhisownboasts.WhenearlierhehadbraggedtoHelenaboutwhathewoulddoandtoldherthesortofwomensheshouldbecome,hehadactedasaboywhobelievesallthingspossible.Nowhesensestheuncertaintyoflife,seesthelifeofamanasamomentintime,andforthefirsttimeisawareoftheimminenceofdeath.Heseemscutofffromthecrowdsaroundhim,andislonely.,IV.Story:SophisticationQuestions:,(b)Wouldyouagreethatthispassagealsostatesthethemeof“Sophistication”?,IV.Story:SophisticationAnswers:,(b)Yes.Itexplainsthechangesthatoccurwhenaboybecomesaman,ormaturesintellectually.,IV.Story:SophisticationQuestionsandanswers:,WhatcircumstancesleadtoGeorgeWillardsnewsenseofmaturity?,IV.Story:SophisticationQuestionsandanswers:,Heisolderandmoreexperienced.Thedeathofhismotherhasnodoubtmakehimfeelagreatersenseofresponsibilityabouthisownfuture,andatthesametimecausedhimtoponderthemeaningandpurposeandmysteryoflife.HeisabouttoleaveWinesburgtotrytomakeacareerforhimselfelsewhere.,IV.Story:SophisticationQuestions:,(a)AlthoughthestoryisfocusedonGeorge,howdoestheauthormakeyousympathizewithHelentoo?,IV.Story:SophisticationAnswers:,(a)HeleninherownwayfeelswhatGeorgefeels.SheleavestheyoungprofessorandhermothertosearchforGeorge.Sherespondstohismoodandactions.,IV.Story:SophisticationQuestions:,(b)HowdoesHelenreacttoGeorgesnewsenseofmaturity?,IV.Story:SophisticationAnswers:,(b)Sheseemstoknowinstinctively