英国文学期末考试精心整理

英国文学复习纲要 Part 1 THE ROMANTIC PERIOD(1798-1832)Romanticism(the Age of Wordsworth)1) Time: Beginning with the publication of Wordsworths Lyrical Ballads(1798), ending with Walter Scotts death or passage of Reform Bill(1832).2) Historical Background: French Revolution(1789-1794) Industrial Revolution(1760-1840)a. Britain became the “workshop of the world”b. Three classes: the bourgeoisie, the aristocratic, the proletariat3) Definition: Romanticism is a term applied to literary and artistic movements of the late 18th and 19th century, Beginning as a revolt against classicism. There have been many varieties of Romanticism in many different times and places. Many of the ideas of English Romanticism were first expressed by the poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.4) Representative writers: The first generation of Romantic poets(Lake Poets)a. William Wordsworthb. Samuel Taylor Coleridgec. Robert Southey The second generation of Romantic poets:a. George Gordon Byronb. Percy Bysshe Shelleyc. John Keats The Romantic novelists:a. Walter Scott(historical novelist)b. Jane Austen The Romantic Essayist: Charles Lamb5) William Wordsworth(1770-1850) Major Works:a. Lyrical Ballads(a joint work of Wordsworth and Coleridge in 1798)Coleridges masterpiece The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is includedb. Long poem: Prelude(1805-1806)or Growth of a Poets Mind. It is a long and autobiographical poem considered his masterpiece. It has 13 books, analyzing the growth of his poetic genius during his childhood and youth, and recalls the lessons he owes to nature.c. Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey d. Lucy Poems:She dwelt Among the Untrodden WaysI travelled Among Unknown Mene. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud(iambic pentermeter)What is the poem about?The poem is about beauty of nature;There is vivid picture of the daffodils here, mixed with poets philosophical and mystical thoughts.f. Sonnets:Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802;London, 1802.g. The solitary Reaper(iambic tetrameter) The principles of poetry:“All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings ,which originates in emotion recollected in tranquility.”6) George Gordon Byron(1788-1824) Representative works: a. Two long poems:“Childe Harolds Pilgrimage”“Don Juan”(his satiric masterpiece)b. Two poetical drama:“Manfred”“ Cain” c. Oriental Tales:“Giaour”(1813)“The Corsair”(1814)“Lara”(1814)“The Bride of Abydos”(1813)“Parisina”“The siege of Corinth”(1816)d. Short Lyrics(nature, love, and political aspiration)“She Walks in Beauty”“When We Two Parted”“Hebrew Melodies”“Sonnet on Chillon” Byronic Hero(characterisics)a. Being a rebelb. Having a distance for social institutionsc. Being an exiled. Expressing a lack of respect for rank and privilegee. Having great talent f. Hiding an unsavory(令人生厌的)pastg. Being highly passionateh. Ultimately, being self-destructive PS: Mysterious, Gloomy, Passionate, Arrogant. Childe Harolds Pilgrimage:a. A long poem with 4 cantos:“The first canto of the poem is devoted to Portugal and Spain;”“The second canto deal with Albania and Greece;”“The third canto begins and ends with the touching address of the Author to his daughter, Ada.”“The fourth canto sings the beauty of Italy.”b. Philosophical and political viewsc. The concept of Byronic herod. Autobiographical based upon Byrons travelse. Spenserian Stanzas(9-line stanza, rhymed “ababbcbcc”) The Isles of Greece:a. A Greek singer at the wedding of Don Juan and Haidee;b. Byrons most effective poetical utterances on national freedomc. Contrast: struggle for their national freedom and liberationd. The freedom enjoyed by the Greek ancient peoplee. The enslavement of the early 19th century Greeks.7) Percy Bysshe Shelley(1792-1822) Literary Works:a. Two long poems:“Queen Mab”(Chartist Bible)“The revolt of Islam”(Spenserian Stanzas)b. Two lyrical dramas:“Prometheus Unbound”(Originates from the Greek tragedian Aeschyluss play PROMETHEUS BOUND)“The Cenci”c. Three Odes:Ode to the West WindTo the SkylarkThe Cloudd. The Masque of Anarchye. A Defense of Poetryf. Ozymandias (Octave and Sestet)g. A Song: Men of England(献给英格兰人民之歌)Theme: It is not only a cry calling upon all working people of England to rise up against their political oppressors ,but also an address to point out to them the intolerable injustice of economic exploitation.Rhetorical Devices:a. Contrast between hostile classes :bourgeoisie and proletariat b. Rhetoric questionc. Metonymyd. Metaphore. Parallelism Ode to the West Wind(Important Point)a. Rhyme(格律): this poems stanza consists of a set of four tercets(三行体),closed by a couplet rhyming with the middle line of the preceding tercet: aba bcb cdc ded ee.b. Contents(page 54-58)c. Three aspects described in the poem:“Dead leaf, swift cloud, wave”d. Tell the theme of the “Ode to the West Wind”?(1) It expresses Shelleys optimism belief that the old world must go, a new world must come with the spring, faden with fresh sweet promises for suffering humanity. It anticipates the political triumph.(2) The poet asks the wind to work in him, restoring him to spiritual health and creative vigor.e. What is the symbolic meaning of “the west wind”?(1) Regeneration which follows the destruction and death of winter.(2) The wind of spirit and inspiration(3) The destructive and revolutionary energies that had been seen in Europe(4) An abstract expression or manifestation of the spirit within nature.f. Ode: is a “single, complex” and often lengthy lyric poem, often in the form of a lengthy ceremonious address to a person or abstract entity, written in a dignified formal style on some lofty ,or serious matter.8) John Keats(1795-1821) Literary works:a. Five long poems(1)Endymion(borrowed from Greek Mythology)(2)Isabella(originated from Boccaccios Decameron)(3)The Eve of St. Agnes(plot is similar with Romeo and Juliet)(4)Lamia(5)Hyperion(originated from Greek Mythology)b. Short poems:(1) On the Grasshopper and the Cricket(2) Bright Star (3) When I have Fearc. Odes:(1) On Melancholy(2) On a Grecian Urn(3) To Psyche(4) To a Nightingale(5) To Autumnd. Poetical Principle(expressed in Ode on a Grecian Urn)“Beauty is truth ,truth beauty” Ode to a Nightingale(Important Point)a. Poetical theory:Negative Capabilitywhen man is capable of being in uncertainties , mysterious, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.b. The theme of “Ode to a Nightingale”?(考点)(1) In this ode, Keats not only expresses his raptures upon hearing the beautiful songs of the nightingale and his desire to go to the ethereal world of beauty together with the bird.(2) But he also shows his deep sympathy for and his keen understanding of human miseries in the society in which he lived.9) Jane Austen(1775-1817) Six Novels(Important point)(1) Sense and Sensibility(1811)(2) Pride and Prejudice(1813)(3) Mansfield Park(1814)(4) Emma (1815)(5) Northanger Abbey(1818)(6) Persuasion (1818) Characters : are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with particular moral, intellectual and emotional qualities by inferences from the dialogue and the action. Pride and Prejudice(Original title “First Impression”)a. Main characters:b. Chapter one(plot:page124)c. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.d. Attitudes towards marriage(考点)(1) For fortune, money and social rank(2) For beauty ,attraction and passion (3) For love, based on consideration of the persons personal merit as well as his economic and social ranke. Marriages:(1) Darcy and Elizabeth: a successful and lasting marriage, mutual understanding.(2) Bingley and Jane: a successful marriage, too gullible and too good-hearted to ever act strongly against external forces.(3) Lydia and Wickham: a bad marriage , appearance , good looks and youthful vivacity; hasty marriage based on superficial qualities quickly cools and leads to unhappiness.(4) Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet : their relationship was similar to that of Lydia and wickham; she was once as energetic as Lydia; he found refuge in his library or in mocking his wife; use good judgement to select a spouse.(5) Mr. Collins and Charlotte: on economics, rather than on love or appearance.CONCLUSION: These five marriages contribute to the theme that a happy and strong marriage takes time to build, and must be based on mutual feeling, understanding, and respect . Hasty marriages acting on impulse, and base on superficial qualities will not survive and will lead to inevitable unhappiness.Part2 THE VICTORIAN AGE (1832/1837-1902/1901)Critical Realism:1) Definition: The critical realism of the 19th century flourished in the forties and in the beginning of fifties. The realists first and foremost set themselves the task of criticizing capitalist society from a democratic viewpoint and delineated the crying contradictions of bourgeois reality. Charles Dickens was the greatest English realist of the time.2) Chartist Movement novels:(1) Dickens Hard Times(2) Charlotte Bronte Shirley(3) Mrs. Gaskell Mary Barton/North and South3) Outstanding poets in the second half of 19th century:(1) Alfred Tennyson(1809-1892)(2) Robert Browning(1812-1889)(3) Charles Algeron Swingburne(1837-1909)4) Charles Dickens(1812-1870)the greatest English realist of the time Literary works:(1) The first period(1836-1841)a. Oliver Twist: Its picture of the workhouses and description about lower poor children.b. Nicholas Nickleby: It begins as an expose of the cruelty and neglect of boarding schools in Yorkshire.c. The Old Curiosity Shop: Dickens contemporaries loved the pathos of the sufferings and death of Little Nell, who was created in the image of Dickens sister-in-law.d. Barnaby Rudge: his first historical novel(2) The second period(1842-1850)a. A Christmas Carol: his first and best Christmas bookb. David Copperfield: his autobiographical novel(3) The third period(1851-1865)a. Bleak House: a satire on the abuses of the Court of Chanceryb. Hard Times: is an earnest attack on the vulgarity and materialism of the rising middle class industrialists.c. Little Dorrit: the most vivid scenes are those in the debtors prison, remembered from his fathers stay in the Marshalsea.d. A Tale of Two Cities: “Paris and London”e. Great Expectations: Its about Pips growth story. Oliver Twist(考点)(1) Main Characterspage173.(2) Plotpage173-186.(3) Major Themes:a. Poverty is a prominent concern in Oliver Twist throughout the novel. Dickens enlarges on this theme, describing slums so decrepit(破旧的)that whole rows of houses are on the point of ruin.b. In Oliver Twist ,Dickens delivers a somewhat mixed message about social caste(阶级),crime and social injustice. Olivers illegitimate(不合法的) workhouse origins place him at the nadir(最底层) of society；as an orphan without friends, he is Routinely despised.c. Crime and punishment is another important pair of themes, as is “sin and redemption”. Dickens describes criminal acts ranging from picking pockets to murder.5) William Makepeace Thackeray(1811-1863)wrote of the upper class Representative Works:(1) The Book of Snobs势力集It made his reputation as a social sartirist.(2) Vanity Fair名利场(3) Henry Esmond a historical novel(4) The VirginiansThe novel is the sequel(续集) to Henry Esmond Vanity Fair Novel Without a Hero(1) The subtitle of the novel points to the authors intention to portray, not individuals singly, but the whole of the notorious “Vanity Fair”, a appellative(普通名词)Thackeray bestows on English bourgeois and aristocratic society.(2) This title was borrowed by Thackeray from “The Pilgrims Progress” by Bunyan.(3) Main characters: page 193(4) plotpage193-196(5) Themes:a. The life of the upper class of England in the early decades of the 19th century.b. Attack on the social relationship of the bourgeois world by satirizing the individual in the different strata of the upper societyc. It is a word where money grubbing is the main motive for all members of the upper class.6) George Eliot(1819-1880) Mary Ann Evans Major works:(1) Adam Bede(1859) 亚当.贝德(2) The Mill on the Floss弗洛斯河上的磨坊(3) Silas Marner织工马南 Adam Bede(1) Main characters:a. Adam Bede/Dinah Morrisb. Arthur/ Hetty Sorrel(2) Plot:page213-2167) Charlotte Bronte and Emily Bronte Charlotte Brontes works:(1) The Professor(2) Jane Eyre(3) Shirley(4) Villette Emily Brontes work: Wuthering Heights Anne Brontes works:(1) Agnes Grey(2) The Tenant of Wildfell Hall威尔德.霍的佃户 Jane Eyre the first governess novel in English literature(1) Jane Eyres Developmenta. Janes childhood at Gatesheadb. Education at Lowood Schoolc. As Adeles governess at Thornfieldd. With the River family at Moor Housee. Reunion with and marriage to Rochester at Ferndean(2) Themes of Jane Eyrea. Morality: Jane works out a morality expressed in love, independence and forgiveness.b. Social class: c. Gender relationshipsd. love and passione. Independence: Wuthering Heights(1) Main Characters: page264-268(2) Narrators: Nelly DeanLockwoodReaders(3) Flashback（倒叙）/Opposite principles(对比)(4) Settings:a. Wuthering Heights呼啸山庄b. Thrushcross Grange画眉山庄(5) Plot: The turbulent love story and revengea. Catherine and Heathcliffs loveb. Catherines marriage to Edgar Lintonc. Heathcliffs plans for revenge.(6) The character of Heathcliff（考点）a. A sympathetic figure: unfortunate, lonely waif(流浪儿)maltreated by Hindley ,jeered at by the Lintons ,betrayed by Catherin.b. Entirely wicked, a criminal: love turning into desperate hatred mad and inhuman revenge.c. He is a fictional character, he is often regarded as a Romantic Byronic hero, his passions destroys both himself and those around him.d. His complicated nature makes him a rare character with component of both“ the hero and the anti-hero.”e. He is moved by irresistible passion, doomed to the despair of a solitary life.f. He is characterized as passionate, dark, brooding and vindictive(有复仇心理的).(7) Themes:a. A romantic love story and a tale of revengeb. From the social point of view, the story is a tragedy of social in equally.c. The cosmic harmony of the destruction and re-establishment.Part3 TWENTIETH CENTURY LETERARUREThe transition from 19th to 20th century1) Thomas Hardy(1840-1928)(the novelist of 19th century/ the poet of 20th century)Wessex Novels(6 novels)a. Under the Greenwood Treeb. Far from the madding crowdc. The Return of the Natived. The Mayor of Casterbridgee. Tess of the DUrbervillesf. Jude the ObscureTess of the DUrbervilles(1) Main Characters:a. Tess DUrbervilles the protagonistb. Alec DUrbervilles the son of an aristocrat and a seducerc. Angel Clare a clergymans son and Tesss husband(2) Themes:a. The tragic fate of Tess and her family was not that of an individual family, but it was symbolic of the disintegration of the English peasantry(农民) -a process which had reached its final and tragic stage at the end of 19th century.(ache of modernism)b. It was also an attack on the moral conventions of the Victorian society and the hypocritical morality which caused the tragedy.(the sexual double standards to which Tess falls victim)(3) Elements of Tesss Tragedy:a. Tesss ignorant father and motherb. Victorian hypocritical moral value(inferior to men, mens property , childkeeper)c. The unfair legal system, the exploiting classd. The poverty of the familye. Alec and Angelf. Tesss imperfect persona