美国文学史及选读20世纪美国小说课件

Post-warNovelsRevisionWhatisdrama?WhoiscalledthefounderofAmericanDrama?NamesomeoftherepresentativesofAmericanDramaandtellustheirmajorworks.MajorfeatureDiversity“Thechildbornin1900wouldbebornintoanewworldwhichwouldnotbeaunitybutamultiple”

----HenryAdamsDiversified20thcenturyAmericannovel(postwarnovels)JewishFictionSouthernFictionRealisticFictionBlack

FictionJewishFiction

犹太小说SaulBellow(1915-2005)BernardMalamud(1914-1986)

FlanneryO'Connor(1925-1964)

SouthernFictionRealisticFiction

NormanMailer(1923-)JohnUpdike(1932-)J.D.Salinger(1919-)BlackFiction

RichardWright(1908-1960)RalphEllison(1914-1994)ToniMorrison(1931-)AliceWalker(1944-)LangstonHughes(1902-1967)JewishWriters

“toportraythedilemmasofmisfitheroesyearningformeaningfullivesandmoralregeneration”SaulBellow(1915-2005)BernardMalamud(1914-1986)SaulBellow(1915-2005)索尔·贝娄Winnerofthe1976NobelPrizeinLiteraturethevoiceofthemodernintellectualSaulBellow(1915-2005)

Works:DanglingMan,1944.《摇来晃去的人》TheVictim,1947.TheAdventuresofAugieMarch,1953.(wontheNationalBookAward)《奥吉·玛琪历险记》

SeizeTheDay(1956),《只争朝夕》HendersonTheRainKing(1959),

Herzog(1964),《赫索格》Mr.Sammler'sPlanet(1970).Humboldt‘sGift(1975),《洪堡的礼物》wasawardedthePulitzerPrize.BothHerzogandMr.Sammler'sPlanetwereawardedtheNationalBookAwardforfiction.SaulBellow(1915-2005)

Themes:

SaulBellow’sbasicthemesareessentiallythree-fold:

（p430）CharactersareJews,especiallyJewishintellectualsorwriterswho,facingviolenceandvictimization,trytodiscover“thequeernessofexistence”andovercomeit.HERZOG(1964)amanseekingbalance,tryingtoregainafootholdonhislife.

Themes:1.Alienation2.QuestSaulBellow(1915-2005)

Protagonist:Herzogundergoesasignificantchangeinhispersonalityandhiswayofperception.Weseeagradualbutclearmovementfromrestlessnesstotranquility,fromcoldandicyfeelingstowarmrecollectionsofthepastandjoyfulcontactwithchildandnature,andfromanegativeoutlooktoanattitudeofaffirmation.

A.Thelengthylettersthathewroteallindicatehisdesireforimprovementofthehumancondition.SaulBellow(1915-2005)

B.However,hecouldnothopetosaveanybodybeforehesaveshimself.Hehastotouchgroundandplacehimselfunderclosescrutiny.C.Thento

bepositive,seeingpositivethingsinpeople,andbeginningtoforgiveandloveevenhisfoes,ItisinterestingtonotethatHerzog’schangeis,inasense,archetypalofthechangeinthetemperofthetimes.SaulBellow(1915-2005)

Thestyle:Herzogreflectsbothmodernismandpostmodernismcharacteristicsaspectswell.Itisbasicallyastreamofconsciousnesswork,especiallyinthefirsttwothirdsofthebook..SaulBellow(1915-2005)

Thedifferencebetweenmodernismandpostmodernism:p435The1950sand1960switnessedatransformationontheliteraryscenefromModernismtoPostmodernism.Thismanifesteditselfinboththematicandformalterms.SaulBellow(1915-2005)

a.Thematically,thereis,betweenthetwophasesofliterarycreation,adifferenceinattitudetowardlife.Themoderniststendtoimposeshapeandsignificanceonlifewithwhichtheyfeelatodds,whilethepostmodernistsacceptlifeforwhatitis,chaoticandcontingentasitis,andtrytomakesenseofitforsurvival.b.Informalaspect,modernistwritingstendtobeponderouslyretrospective,oftenfullofinteriormonologues,andstreamofconsciousness.Postmodernistwritings,however,whilefeelingfreetoborrowtechnicallyfrommodernistworks,feelequallyfreetoborrowfromeveryothermodeofwritingthatservestheirpurpose.BernardMalamud(1914-1986)伯纳德·马拉默徳TheeffectsofsufferingarecentraltoMalamud'sfiction.HisJewssymbolizeallvictims.

BernardMalamud(1914-1986)

Comment:Americannovelistandshort-storywriterwhomadeparablesoutofJewishimmigrantlife;HehasbeenregardedasoneofthemajorwritersoftheJewishgroupinthepostwarperiod.

BernardMalamud(1914-1986)

Hisworks,excepthisfirstbook,TheNatural,areallaboutJewsandtheirlives:TheAssistant,ANewLife,TheFixer,TheTenants.Asamajor20th-Centurywriter,MalamudhelpedintroducemarginalethnicculturetomainstreamAmerica.

BernardMalamud(1914-1986)

Malamudwasbasicallyanautobiographicalwriter.HeconvertedthefactsofhisJewishlifeandimmigrantbackgroundintoimaginaryfiction.ToMalamud,aJewisagoodperson.OnedoesnothavetobeoneoftheJewishraceandfaithtobeaJew.EveryoneisaJewinthesensethattheJewishconditionisuniversaltoallmankind.TheAssistant(1957)《店员》man'sstruggletosurviveagainstallodds,andtheethicalunderpinningsofrecentJewishimmigrants.MorrisBoberIdaBober

HelenBober

FrankieAlpine

ThematicIssues1.SufferingandEndurance2.FatherandSonRelationshipsSouthernWriterFlanneryO'Connor(1925-1964)弗兰纳里·奥康纳

SheToldStoriesAboutPeopleLivinginSmallTownsintheAmericanSouth.FlanneryO'Connor(1925-1964)LateinherlifesomeoneaskedtheAmericanwriterFlanneryO’Connorwhyshewrote.Shesaid,"BecauseIamgoodatit.

"Andalusia,HomeofFlanneryO’ConnorWorks:WiseBlood1952《智血》AGoodManIsHardtoFind1955《好人难寻》TheViolentBearItAway1960《暴力得逞》EverythingThatRisesMustConverge1965《水到渠成》In“WiseBlood”ayoungman,HazelMotes,leavestheArmybutfindshishometownempty.Hefleestoacity,lookingfor“aplacetobe”.Onthetrain,heannouncesthathedoesnotbelieveinJesusChrist.Hesays,"Iwouldn'tevenifheexisted.Evenifhewasonthistrain."

Hismovingtothecityisanattempttomoveawayfromthenaturalworldandbecomeathing,amachine.Hedecidesthatallhecanknowiswhathecantouchandsee.Intheend,however,hedestroyshisphysicalsightsothathemaytrulysee,becausehesaysthatwhenhehadeyeshewasblind.CriticssayhisactionseemstoshowthatheisnolongerwillingtodenytheexistenceofJesusbutnowiswillingtofollowhimintothedark.AGoodManisHardToFind

(shortstorycollection)-1955

O'Connoroncereferredtothecollectionas'ninestoriesaboutoriginalsin'.Combiningadeftcomicsensibilitywiththegrotesqueandtragic,theyarestoriesinwhichcharactersleadlivesofbrutalpovertyandfiercecruelty;whereordinaryeventscantipoverintomisfortune,violenceanddespair.NormanMailer诺曼·梅勒

(b.1923-2007)Amulti-facetedtalent:anovelist,aphilosopher-metaphysician,apoet,aplaywright,afilmmaker,ajournalist,apolitician,andaperformer.NormanMailer(1923-)Works(p438)firstbook,

TheNakedandtheDead,hisbestwork.--aspectacularsuccessin1948.Thecriticalworldwasthrilledattheprospectthatanewmajorwriterwasemergingonthehorizon.TheNakedandtheDead(1948)《裸者与死者》

ThestoryofaU.S.ArmyplatoonduringtheinvasionofaJapanese-heldislandinthePacificduringWorldWarII

oneofthefinestnovelswritteninAmericasinceWorldWarIIAbouttheTitle:TheNakedandtheDead

“Thosewhohadfoughtsuchawarwereeitherstrippednaked,havinglostallhope,ordead,havinglostevenlifeitself.”丧失了人性良知的“裸者”和被死亡阴影笼罩的“死者”

However,mailer’sconclusionwasnotoneofabsolutehopelessness.Mailersaidina1948interview:Thebookfindsmancorrupted,confusedtothepointofhelplessness,butitalsofindsthattherearelimitsbeyondwhichhecannotbepushed,anditfindsthateveninhiscorruptionandsicknessthereareyearningsforabetterworld.NormanMailer(1923-)2)TheWhiteNegro,asociologicalandsemi-autobiographicalessay,oneofhisbestpieces,intheauthor’sownopinion.3)AdvertisementsforMyself,acollectionofthebestofMailer'sessays,stories,interviewsandjournalismfromthe40'sand50's.4)WhyAreWeinVietnam,asoul-searchingnovelontheplaceofviolenceintheVietnamYears.J.D.Salinger(1919-)

J.D.塞林格

Heisauniquewriterforacoupleofreasons.Hewroteonenovelandbecamefamousforit.Thenforthelastfewdecadesnoweversince1953,hehasbeenarecluseinhisNewHampshirehome,refusinginterviewsoranyotherformsofcontactwiththepressandtheworldoutside.

塞林格在欧洲期间曾经与一个女医生结婚，但不久便离异。1953年他与一个叫克莱尔·道格拉斯（ClaireDouglas）的女学生相识，两人后来在1955年结婚，但是后来又离婚。1972年塞格林在一本杂志上看到一个名叫乔伊斯·梅纳德（JoyceMaynard）的耶鲁大学女学生的文章和照片，立即被她吸引，两人开始通信。两人的关系在十个月后破裂。如今，塞林格娶了三任妻子科琳。科琳是一名护士，比他小50岁左右。

Thenovelcenteredonasensitive16-year-old,HoldenCaulfield,whofleeshiseliteboardingschoolfortheoutsideworldofadulthood,onlytobecomedisillusionedbyitsmaterialismand

phoniness.TheCatcherintheRye(1951)《麦田里的守望者》J.DSalinger(1919-)Onenovel,TheCatcherintheRye,(p442)hasbeendefinitelyaveryinfluentialbooktocomeoutofthepostwarperiod.IthasbeenpopularwiththepostwaryounggenerationwhohavefoundinHoldenanapproximationoftheirownexperience.Holdenrepresentsasocialtypeofadolescentsthrownuponthemselvesinacorruptanddecadentworld.ItisacriticallookattheproblemsfacingAmericanyouthduringthe1950s.J.DSalinger(1919-)Itrelatesthepainfulstoryofahigh-schoolboygrowingupintheworldofdecadentNewYork.Thenoveldepictsineloquentlanguageanadolescent’sdisgustanddespairatthefallenstateoftheadultworldaroundhim.Itisaworldofjerksandperverts,asalientfeatureofwhichisitsdecadence.JohnUpdike(1932-)约翰·厄普代克

awriterofmannerswithhissuburbansettings,domesticthemes,reflectionsofennuiandwistfulness,and,particularly,hisfictionallocalesontheeasternseaboard,inMassachusettsandPennsylvania.

Updikeisbestknownforhisfour

Rabbitbooks,depictionsofthelifeofaman--Harry"Rabbit"Angstrom–throughtheebbsandflowsofhisexistenceacrossfourdecadesofAmericansocialandpoliticalhistory.Rabbit,Run(1960)isamirrorofthe1950s,withAngstromanaimless,disaffectedyounghusband.RabbitRedux(1971)--spotlightingthecountercultureofthe1960s--findsAngstromstillwithoutacleargoalorpurposeorviableescaperoutefrommundaneness.InRabbitIsRich(1981),Harryhasbecomeprosperousthroughaninheritanceagainstthelandscapeofthewealthyself-centerednessofthe1970s,astheVietnamerawanes.

Thefinalvolume,RabbitatRest(1990),glimpsesAngstrom'sreconciliationwithlife,andinadvertentdeath,againstthebackdropofthe1980s.LicksofLove—Rabbitisbackalive,resurrectedinthememoriesofhisfamily.JohnUpdike(1932-)

This“rabbit”isthenicknameforthemaincharacter,Harryangstrom,apersonofnoimportanceinAmericanmiddlesociety.Theseriesofnovelsrelatesthesagaofthisman,abluecollar,whosepeakinlifewasahighschoolbasketballstar.Thenicknameindicatesmajorcharactertraitsoftheman_hisuncontrollablesexualdesireandhisplaceasapettypersoninsociety.Likearabbit,heisalwayslookingforsomethingandisalwaysrunningawayfromsomething.Therabbithasthusbecomealegendinthepostwarperiod.BlackWritersRichardWright(1908-1960)

RalphEllison(1914-1994)

ToniMorrison(1931-)

AliceWalker(1944-)RichardWright(1908-1960)

NativeSon(1940)protestnovelThemes:

racialprejudice,poverty,criminalityMajorcharacter:BiggerThomasTripartitestructure:“Fear,”“Flight,”and“Fate”

RalphEllison(1914-1994)

Hemayturnouttobethemostalivefictionaltalentofhisgeneration,andperhaps,withFaulknerandMelvilleandTwain,ofAmericanwritingofalltime.----JackLudwigInvisibleMan(1952)AgreatclassicinAmericanliteratureAbookonracialdiscrimination,black-whiterelationship,andtherebelliousstancetowardanunjustandrepressivesocietyAnarchetypalexistentialstoryofmoderntimesAnodysseyof