The-death-of-moth.ppt

TheDeathoftheMoth-VirginiaWoolf,Contents,AbouttheAuthor,Text,Sayingsaboutdeath,4,1,2,3,Questions,AbouttheAuthor,Britishnovelist,alsodistinguishedfeministessayist,critic,andacentralfigureoftheBloomsburygroup.,(1882-1941),Bornandbroughtupinanupper-middle-class,sociallyactive,literaryfamily.Waseducatedathome,becomingavoraciousreaderofthebooksinherfathersextensivelibrary.Experiencedherfirstboutofmentalillnessafterhermothersdeathandsufferedfrombipolardisorder,mania-depressionillness,fortherestofherlife.,AfterthedeathoftheirfatherandVirginiassecondnervousbreakdown,VanessaandAdrian(hersisterandbrother)boughtahouseat46GordonSquareinBloomsbury.WoolfcametoknowLyttonStrachey,CliveBell,RupertBrooke,ect.TheytogetherformedthenucleusoftheintellectualcircleofwritersandartistsknownastheBloomsburyGroup（布鲁姆斯伯里团体）.,TheBloomsburyGroup：agroupofwriters,intellectuals,philosophersandartistswhoheldinformaldiscussionsinBloomsburythroughoutthe20thcentury.ThisEnglishcollectiveoffriendsandrelativeslived,workedorstudiednearBloomsburyinLondonduringthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury.Theirworkdeeplyinfluencedliterature,aesthetics,criticism,andeconomicsaswellasmodernattitudestowardsfeminism,pacifism,andsexuality.ItsbestknownmemberswereVirginiaWoolf,JohnMaynardKeynes（凯恩斯，经济学家）,E.M.Forster,andLyttonStrachey.,Bloomsbury,VirginiaWoolf,DuncanGrant,JohnMaynardKeynes,LyttonStrachey,WoolfisconsideredoneofthegreatestinnovatorsintheEnglishlanguage.Inherworkssheexperimentedwithstream-of-consciousnessandtheunderlyingpsychologicalaswellasemotionalmotivesofcharacters.,Streamofconsciousnessisanarrativemodethatseekstoportrayanindividualspointofviewbygivingthewrittenequivalentofthecharactersthoughtprocesses,eitherinalooseinteriormonologue,orinconnectiontohisorheractions.Stream-of-consciousnesswritingisusuallyregardedasaspecialformofinteriormonologueandischaracterizedbyassociativeleapsinsyntaxandpunctuationthatcanmaketheprosedifficulttofollow.,WoolfsNovels,TheVoyageOut(1915)NightandDay(1919),traditionalinmethod.,JacobsRoom(1922)Mrs.Dalloway(1925)TotheLighthouse(1927)TheWaves(1931),increasinglyinnovative,Orlando(1928)TheYears(1937)BetweentheActs(1941)HerbiographyofRogerFry(1940),experimentalnovelsThebiographyisacarefulstudyofafriend.,WoolfsEssays,TheCommonReader(1925),TheSecondCommonReader(1933),TheDeathoftheMothandOtherEssays(1942),TheMomentandOtherEssays(1948).ARoomofOnesOwn(1929)feministtractsThreeGuineas(1938),Feminism,Shewasverymuchconcernedwiththerightsandpositionofwomen,especiallyofintelligentwomenandwomenwriters.Sheactivelytookpartinthestruggleforwomansrightsofsuffragetheydonotexcitethatpleasantsenseofdarkautumnnightsandivy-blossomwhichthecommonestyellowunderwingasleepintheshadowofthecurtainneverfailstorouseinus.Theyarehybridcreatures,neithergaylikebutterfliesnorsombreliketheirownspecies.Neverthelessthepresentspecimen,withhisnarrowhaycolouredwings,fringedwithatasselofthesamecolour,seemedtobecontentwithlife.,Itwasapleasantmorning,mid-September,mild,benignant,yetwithakeenerbreaththanofthesummermonths.Theploughwasalreadyscoringthefieldoppositethewindow,andwherethesharehadbeen,theearthwaspressedflatandgleamedwithmoisture.Suchvigourcamerollinginfromthefieldsandthedownbeyondthatitwasdifficulttokeeptheeyesstrictlyturneduponthebook.,Therookstoowerekeepingoneoftheirannualfestivities;soaringroundthetree-topsuntilitlookedasifavastnetwiththousandsofblackknotsinithasbeencastupintotheair;which,afterafewmomentssankslowlydownuponthetreesuntileverytwigseemedtohaveaknotattheendofit.Then,suddenly,thenetwouldbethrownintotheairagaininawidercirclethistimewiththeutmostclamourandvociferation,asthoughtobethrownintotheairandsettleslowlydownuponthetreetopswereatremendouslyexcitingexperience.,Thesameenergywhichinspiredtherooks,theploughmen,thehorses,andeven,itseemed,theleanbare-backeddowns,sentthemothflutteringfromsidetosideofhissquare,ofthewindow-pane.Onecouldnothelpwatchinghim.Onewas,indeed,consciousofaqueerfeelingofpityforhim.Thepossibilitiesofpleasureseemedthatmorningsoenormousandsovariousthattohaveonlyamothspartinlife,andadaymothsatthat,appearedahardfate,andhiszestinenjoyinghismeageropportunitiestothefull,pathetic.Heflewvigorouslytoonecornerofhiscompartment,and,afterwaitingthereasecond,flewacrosstotheother.,Whatremainedforhimbuttoflytoathirdcornerandthentoafourth?Thatwasallhecoulddo,inspiteofthesizeofthedowns,thewidthofthesky,thefar-offsmokeofhouses,andtheromanticvoice,nowandthen,ofasteameroutatsea.Whathecoulddohedid.Watchinghim,itseemedasifafiber,verythinbutpure,oftheenormousenergyoftheworldhadbeenthrustintohisfrailanddiminutivebody.Asoftenashecrossedthepane,Icouldfancythatathreadofvitallightbecamevisible.Hewaslittleornothingbutlife.,Yet,becausehewassosmall,andsosimpleaformoftheenergythatwasrollinginattheopenwindowanddrivingitswaythroughsomanynarrowandintricatecorridorsinmyownbrainandinthoseofotherhumanbeings,therewassomethingmarvelousaswellaspatheticabouthim.Itwasasifsomeonehadtakenatinybeadofpurelifeanddeckingitaslightlyaspossiblewithdownandfeathers,hadsetitdancingandzigzaggingtoshowusthetruenatureoflife.,What,accordingtoWoolf,isthe“truenatureoflife”?,Thusdisplayedonecouldnotgetoverthestrangenessofit.Oneisapttoforgetallaboutlife,seeingithumpedandbossedandgarnishedandcumberedsothatithastomovewiththegreatestcircumspectionanddignity.Again,thethoughtofallthatlifemighthavebeenhadhebeenborninanyothershapecausedonetoviewhissimpleactivitieswithakindofpity.,Afteratime,tiredbyhisdancingapparently,hesettledonthewindowledgeinthesun,andthequeerspectaclebeingatanend,Iforgotabouthim.Then,lookingup,myeyewascaughtbyhim.Hewastryingtoresumehisdancing,butseemedeithersostifforsoawkwardthathecouldonlyfluttertothebottomofthewindowpane;andwhenhetriedtoflyacrossithefailed.BeingintentonothermattersIwatchedthesefutileattemptsforatimewithoutthinking,unconsciouslywaitingforhimtoresumehisflight,asonewaitsforamachine,thathasstoppedmomentarily,tostartagainwithoutconsideringthereasonforitsfailure.,Afterperhapsaseventhattemptheslippedfromthewoodenledgeandfell,flutteringhiswings,ontohisbackonthewindow-sill.Thehelplessnessofhisattituderousedme.Itflasheduponmethathewasindifficulties;hecouldnolongerraisehimself;hislegsstruggledvainly.But,asIstretchedoutapencil,meaningtohelphimtorighthimself,itcameovermethatthefailureandawkwardnessweretheapproachofdeath.Ilaidthepencildownagain.,Thelegsagitatedthemselvesoncemore.Ilookedasiffortheenemyagainstwhichhestruggled.Ilookedoutofdoors.Whathadhappenedthere?Presumablyitwasmidday,andworkinthefieldshadstopped.Stillnessandquiethadreplacedthepreviousanimation.Thebirdshadtakenthemselvesofftofeedinthebrooks.Thehorsesstoodstill.Yetthepowerwasthereallthesame,massedoutsideindifferent,impersonal,notattendingtoanythinginparticular.Somehowitwasopposedtothelittlehay-coloredmoth.Itwasuselesstotrytodoanything.,Onecouldonlywatchtheextraordinaryeffortsmadebythosetinylegsagainstanoncomingdoomwhichcould,haditChosen,havesubmergedanentirecity,notmerelyacity,butmassesofhumanbeings;nothing,Iknew,hadanychanceagainstdeath.Neverthelessafterapauseofexhaustionthelegsflutteredagain.Itwassuperbthislastprotest,andsofranticthathesucceededatlastinrightinghimself.Onessympathies,ofcourse,wereallonthesideoflife.Also,whentherewasnobodytocareortoknow,thisgiganticeffortonthepartofaninsignificantlittlemoth,againstapowerofsuchmagnitude,toretainwhatnooneelsevaluedordesiredtokeep,movedonestrangely.,WhyisWoolfsomovedbythemothsdeath?Whydoesshecallthemothsprotest“superb”?,Again,somehow,onesawlife,apurebead.Iliftedthepencilagain,uselessthoughIknewittobe.ButevenasIdidso,theunmistakabletokensofdeathshowedthemselves.Thebodyrelaxed,andinstantlygrewstiff.Thestrugglewasover.Theinsignificantlittlecreaturenowknewdeath.AsIlookedatthedeadmoth,thisminutewaysidetriumphofsogreataforceoversomeananantagonistfilledmewithwonder.Justaslifehadbeenstrangeafewminutesbefore,sodeathwasnowasstrange.Themothhavingrightedhimselfnowlaymostdecentlyanduncomplaininglycomposed.Oyes,heseemedtosay,deathisstrongerthanIam.,Atfirstthespeakerintheessayfeelspityforthelimitationofmothslife.Whenthemothstrugglesagainstdeathattheend,howhasherattitudechanged?,Lifeismortalbutdeatheternal.Deathmeansdyingtothephysicalworld.Italsomeansbeingbornintothespiritworld.,StylisticFeaturesoftheText,A.Synonyms:Theuseofseveralsynonymstogethertoamplifyorexplainagivensubjectorterm.Akindofrepetitionthataddsforce:1.pity(2)pathetic(2,3)sympathies(5)2.useless,helplessness,futile,vainly,failure(4)3.hardfate(2),oncomingdoom(5),death,dead,B.Contrast:lifeanddeath;darkandbright;individualandmassive;upintheskyanddownontheground;vast,big,gigantic,magnitudeandsmall,minute,tiny,diminutive;naturalandsupernatural,Questionsfordiscussion,1.Describetheweatherthemorningofthedaytheauthorrecounts.2.Whatisthemothdoingthefirsttimetheauthorseesit?3.Howdoestheauthortrytohelpthemoth?4.Whatisthemothslastaction?HowdoesWoolfreact?5.WhatdoesWoolfseeoutthewindow?Howdoestheauthorlinkthemothwithwhatsgoingonoutside?6.Whatarethesymbolicmeaningsofthemothandthesceneoutdoors?7.WhatarethefiguresofspeechWoolfusedtodescribetheoutdoorsceneandthemothsactions?8.Doesthethoughtofdeathevercometoyou?Underwhatcircumstances?9.Whatsyourattitudetowarddeath?Howdoesitaffectyourattitudetowardlife?,Somesayingsabo