英国文学史及选读教学课件TheVctoriaAge

1、The Victorian Age (1832-1902)Unit Objectives1. To have the basic knowledge about the brief history of the Victorian Period.2. To be familiar with Charles Dickens writing styles and major contribution to English literature.3. To know something about Bronte Sisters and their representative works: Jane

2、 Eyre and Wuthering Heights ContentsThe BackgroundCharles Dickens and his position in British literatureBronte Sisters and their writingsHistorical Background(1832-1868) - began with the passage of the Reform Bill in 1832 and closed at the end of the Boer War in 1902. Victoria age:Victoria age:Betwe

3、en the queen Victorias accession in 1837 and her death in 1901. She ruled for 63 years, the longest in English history. It can be divided into 2 periods:- Early Victoria Period （1832-1868）- Late Victoria Period （1869-1902）Politicallya period of great social unrest (Chartist Movement 1838-48);Reform

4、Bill (1832) was enacted, giving right to representation of growing cities and 50% raise of electorate to middle class. Economically An age of prosperity and progress the richest and most powerful; the 1st urban and industrial society in the world; The development of science and technology: railways,

5、 telegraphs, journalism; Culturally 97% people able to read by 1900; cheaper paper; faster printing; easier circulation; more working readers demanding cheap literature:Literarilypoetry Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892): poet laureateRobert Browning (1812-1889)Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)NovelA

6、Golden Age of Novel：(Critical) realist novelsCritical realism flourished as a literary current.*Critical Realism The English critical realists of the 19th century flourished in the forties and in the beginning of fifties.The realists set themselves the task of criticizing capitalist society from a d

7、emocratic viewpoint and delineated the crying contradictions of bourgeois reality. Critical realists reveal the social reality and criticize the injustice, poverty and religious hypocrisy.Critical realists reveal the social reality and criticize the injustice, poverty and religious hypocrisy.The Fea

8、tures of English Critical Realism1. Gives a satirical portrayal of the bourgeoisie and shows profound sympathy for the common people.2. Democratic and humanistic3. Unable to find a good solution to the social contradictions.*Some major novelists:William Makepeace Thackeray Vanity Fair 名利场George Elio

9、t The Mill on the Floss 弗洛斯河上的磨房Charles Dickens（1812-1870）- born in 1812; - the second of eight children; - poor schooling but wide reading;- began to work at 12 in a warehouse;- a law clerk, then a newspaper； - reporter, and finally a novelist. His lifeHe was one of the greatest critical realist wr

10、iters of the Victorian Age and accomplished over twenty novels.Greatly with his efforts and accomplishments, Critical Realistic tradition was firmly established.He successfully portrayed a number of characters by presenting a lot of exact actions and words that fit these characters in their position

11、s and in their environments.*contribution to English literature*Writing FeaturesHe offers a most complete and realistic picture of the English bourgeois society of his age in his novels.His novels tell much of the unhappy experiences of his own childhood.He is a great humorist and satirist. His nove

12、ls are full of humor and satire.He is good at creating characters with black humor.He couldnt overstep the limits of his class and failed to see the necessity of a bitter struggle of the oppressed against their oppressors.*Writing FeaturesHis major works The Pickwick Papers (1837) Oliver Twist (1837

13、1839) David Copperfield (1849-50) A Tale of Two Cities (1859) Bleak House (1852) Hard Times (1853-54) Great Expectations (186o1861) The Bronte sisters Charlotte Bronte Emily Bronte Anne BronteAll talented writers All died young All lovers of literature Received some education in Charity school with a bad living condition*Jane EyreThe criticism of the bourgeois system of educationPosition of women in the societyEducation is the key to all social problemsCharlotte Bronte(