Theme 文学原理教程

.,Theme,.,Definition,-Thecentralideaorstatementaboutlifethatunifiesandcontrolsthetotalwork.,.,Athememaybestatedorimplied.Itistheperceptionaboutlifeorhumannaturethatthewriterwantstocommunicate.,.,MisconceptionsaboutTheme,1.Eachanovelhasatheme/themes.,.,Themeonlyexistsinthenovelthatseriouslyattemptstoreflectlifefaithfully;intendstorevealtruthaboutlife;arebasedonideasortheoriesoflife.,.,Eg:Novelsofratiocination(推理)/horrorhavenotheme.-Theyareaimedatentertainingthereader,notatimprovinghisunderstandingoflife.,.,2.Thethemeislargelywhatthenovelis.,.,ThedifferencebetweenThemesth.ofarulebywhichonecanregulatehisbehavior.Eg:-Bekindtoyourneighbours.-Honestyisthebestpolicy.,.,Theme-Morecomplicatedasanovelistoenhanceonesawarenessofliferatherthansimplytotellhimhowtobehave.,.,4.Onenovelhasonlyonetheme.Somehaveseveralsubthemestothemaintheme.Someareappreciatedfortheirthematicambiguity.,.,5.Thethemeisconfusedwiththesubject.,.,Subject-Amatter/anaffairTheme-AnideaSubject-Thetopiconwhichanauthorhaschosentowrite.Theme-Somestatementaboutorsomeopiniononthattopic.,.,Eg:Love-SubjectLoveisinvincible.-ThemeWar-SubjectWarisuseless.-Theme,.,Theme-Particulartothenovel,thoughsomearesimilar;Subject-Universal.Eg:TheScarletLetterTheGreatGatsbyWomeninLoveSubject-LoveTheme-Different,.,FiveRequirementsforStatingaTheme,Athememustbeexpressedintheformofastatementwithasubjectandapredicate.Eg:“Loveofonescountryofteninspiresheroicself-sacrifice”.,.,Payattentiontoitsconvertibilitytosentenceformifathemeisstatedinthephraseform.Eg:“Futilityofenvy”Envyisfutile.“Selflessmaternallove”Maternalloveisselfless.,.,2.Namesofcharacters2.DeathofEmilysfather;3.DeathofoldladyWyatt,Emilysgreat-aunt;4.CorpseofHomerBarron,.,TheDeclineoftheOldSouth1.Atonetime,theGriersonhomewasinoneofthefinestneighborhoodsinJefferson;bythetimeofEmilysdeath,“.garagesandcottonginshadencroachedandobliteratedeventheaugustnamesofthatneighborhood.”,.,2.ThereactiontotheYankee,HomerBarron:-TheyoungergenerationfindsiteasiertoacceptHomer,whiletheolderfolksfindhisrelationshipwithawomanborntooldSoutherngentilityunacceptable.,.,CommunityVs.Isolation-TheoddrelationshipbetweenthetownofJeffersonandEmily.,.,1.Atherfuneral,thenarratornotesthatEmilyhasbeen“.atradition,aduty,andacare;asortofhereditaryobligationuponthetown.”However,Emilyhasverylittletodowiththetownspeopleduringherlife.,.,2.Herfatherpreventsherfromdatinganyone;afterhisdeath,Emilycontinuestoisolateherselffromtherestofthecommunityforthebetterpartofherlife.,.,3.AlthoughEmilyisindifferenttothetown,thetownseemstobealmostobsessedwithher.ThereactionJeffersonhastoherrelationshipwithHomerBarronexemplifiesthisobsession.,.,4.