The Evolution of British Novel

1、The Evolution of British Novel Bi Wenjuan British Definition to Novel:a. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) (a 18th century savant ) “a small tale, generally of love” “一种通常描写爱情的小故事”b. Walter Allen (1911-1995) (literary critic and novelist) “an artistic, conscious creation and processing for some aesthetic p

2、urpose” “一种富有艺术性并出于某种美学目的有意识地创作与加工而成的文学形式。” The start of British Novel: a. John Bunyan(1628-1688) The Pilgrims Progress, 1678 (allegorical novel) b. Daniel Defoe, 1660-1731 Robinson Crusoe, 1719 (novel of adventure) c. Samuel Richardson, (1689-1761) Pamela, 1740 (epistolary novel ) d. Henry Fielding

3、, 1707-1754 Tom Jones (1749) (picaresque novel)Note:Allegory: a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. The underlying meaning has moral, social, religious, or political significance, and c

4、haracters are often personifications of abstract ideas as charity, greed, or envy.Thus an allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning. Novels in 18th century: flourishmentFeatures: Diversity and Flexibilitya. autobiographical memoir（“自传性回忆” ） Daniel Defoe: Robinso

5、n Crusoe: “Father of British Realist novels” a vivid discription of pioneering consciousness and spirit of adventrue in the period of primitive capital accumulation in Britian. b. the epistolary novel Love-letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister （1683）- the first epistolary novel Aphra Behn(1640-1

6、689), British female writer, Samuel Richardson: Pamela 帕梅拉（1740） Clarissa克拉丽莎( 1748) Grandison格兰狄森( 1754)The vital change in narration: the change in the role of the authorTwo advantages:closer to the readerarthentically display the psychology and emotion of the hero or heroinec. SatireJonathan Swif

7、t, 1667-1745 Gullivers Travels, 1726 - a funny and thought-provoking novel with primary purpose of bitterly and sacarstically commenting political events, which set a precedent for satire in literature. Note: satire- a literary term used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with

8、the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satiric attack. d. Picresque novelHenry Fielding Tom JonesNote: picresque novel- a popular sub-genre of prose fiction which is usually satirical and depicts, in realistic and often humorous detail, the adventures of a roguish hero of low soci

9、al class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society.Technique : his comic epic in prose “散文式喜剧史诗” He imitated the narration in classical epic, and insert some comic touch to subside the seriousness and tragicalness in classical epic.e. New ExperimentLawrence Stern 1713 1768 leader of Sentimentalism

10、Tristram Shandy, 1759The term sentimentalism is used in two senses: (1) An overindulgence in emotion, especially the conscious effort to induce emotion in order to enjoy it. (2) An optimistic overemphasis of the goodness of humanity (sensibility) Sentimentalism vs. rationalism.When British novel has

11、 just come into being, he seemed dissatisfied with it. He did a significant innovation in novel writing. It is he who for the first time broke traditional structure, abandoned traditional narration according to time sequence. He created a brand-new way to depict the inner world of the hero. f. Preem

12、inent female novelist : Jane AustinIf not more elevated, her novel is at least the equal of any male novelists work in quality during her time. She is adept in expressing themes with sacarstic style and witty dialogues, and meanwhile she displays a broad picture of life with so limited settings and

13、characters. Novels in 19th century: Consolidation and DevelopmentWalter Scott, 1771-1832 Ivanhoe 1819His historical novels present a magnificant picture of history with a rich gallary of characters.Realism: Readability and high attainment in arrangement of plot and art in language. The novelists are

14、 of strong sense of social responsibility to mercilessly expose social evils and corruption.Charles Dickens, 1812-1870 David Copperfield William M. Thackeray, 1811-1863 Vanity FairCharlotte Bronte, 1816-1855; Jane EyreEmily Bronte, 1819-1848 Wuthering HeightsGeorge Eliot, 1819-1880 The Mill on the F

15、lossThomas Hardy, 1840-1928, Tess of the dUrbervillesNovels in 20th century: vital changes in artistryHerbert George Wells (1866-1946) The time MachineJohn Galsworthy (1867-1933） The Forsyte SagaIn face of changed reality, they still follow traditional criteria in creation, which seems unable to ful

16、lfil the purpose of conveying modern experience and drastic changes. Modernism: Henry James, 1843-1916 Portrait of a LadyJoseph Conrad, 1857-1924 Heart of Darkness Virginia Woolf, 1882-1941 Mrs DallowayDavid H. Lawrence, 1885-1930 Sons and Lovers James Joyce, 1882-1941 Ulysses-The climax of modernis

17、m in Britan novelsFeatures of modernist novelsModernism and pluralism: a new aesthetic consciousness and valuea. Subject matter: focusing on psychic world with essential purpose of displaying isolation，alienation, and even morbid psychology. b. Forms: various and flexible，deemphasizing plots, instead creating intriguing strucure, in which sequential time, ordered place, reasonable causality and logic are gone, instead, we find obscure fleeting consciousness, broken complicated images and chattered pieces of life.