淮师年期末英美文学史问答题及作品赏析

问答题

1.Whatarethethreedistinctivecharacteristicsofthestreamof

consciousnessnovel?

Thestreamofconsciousnesstraditionhasthreedistinctivecharacteristics.

l)Itassumesthatthemostsignificantexistenceofpeopleisintheirmental

andemotionalworldandnotintheoutsideworld.AccordingtoFreud,human

behaviorislargelydeterminedbytheunconsciousmind.Thestreamof

consciousnessnovelsattempttorevealthispsychologicalrealityinwords.

2)Itassumesthatthementalandemotionallifeisnotlinearandlogical,

butthattheprocessofthoughtisfilledwithfragmentaryideasandvarious

associations.Thesubconsciousdesiresareoftensuppressedbuttheyreveal

themselvesindreams,ar;,orliterature.

3)Itassumesthatthewriter'smajortaskistorevealtheinner-worldreality,

whichislikethehiddenpartofanice-bergunderwater.Comparedwiththe

observablepartofouractivity,theunobservablepartismoreactiveand

colorful.

2.WhatsthedifferencebetweenNeoclassicismandRenaissance?

Newclassicism.ArevivalofclassicalGreekandRomanformsin

art,music,andliterature,particularlyduringtheeighteenth

andnineteenthcenturiesinEuropeandAmerica,usuallyassociat

edwiththeEnlightenment,drawingonclassicalmodelsandemphas

izingreason,harmony,andrestraint.

Renaissancewastherevivalofclassicalliteratureandartistic

stylesinEuropeanhistory.Itwasthetransitionalperiodbetwee

ntheMiddle-Agesandmoderntimes,.Itwasperiodofsignifican

tachievementandchanges

Inneoclassicismstheywantedtorecreateclassicism,generallythestyleof

theGreeksandRomans.Therenaissancewasarebirth,allofasuddenreligion

wasnotthemainwaypeoplereceivedinformation,sciencestartedanswering

allofthoseunanswerablequestions.

Theneoclassicistswantedasimplerlesschaoticmethodofthought.

Neoclassicismwasthebeginningoftheenlightenment.Inthisphasetheemphasis

wascnlogicasthesupremetoolforintellectualdiscoveryandonorderand

simplicityinartisticform.Inverse,thefreedomoftheRenaissancewas

neglectedinfavourofstrictformswhileinmusicmoreformalstructures

tookoverfromRenaissancefreeform.

3.InwhatdifferentwayscanthenovelRobinsonCrusoebeinterpreted?

Thenovelcanbereadindifferentways.Mostsimply,itisastoryofsea

adventures.Toreaditpolitically,wemayinterpretthestoryasanartistic

projectionofcolonialexpansion.Crusoe,backedbyadvancedtechnology(the

gun),conquersalesscivilizedpeoplerepresentedbyFriday.Thoughtheybecome

goodfriends,Fridayhasremainedaservant,ifnotaslave,tohismasterCrusoe

sincethefirstdaytheymet.Toreaditsocially,wefindthatCrusoeJs

adventuresimplydifferentWesternculturalvalues.Thenovelsingsasongof

“thedignityoflabor,“asloganwhichthebourgeoisieusedtojustifytheir

accumulationofwealththroughdiligentworkandcolonialexpansion.Robinson

isaself-mademan.Hesucceedsincreatinganewlifeallthroughhisownefforts.

Thenovelalsoexploresthethemeof“backtonature”.Industrialization

broughtEnglandmaterialwealth,butitalsoendedthepeacefullifeinthe

countrysideandcreatedappallingpovertyinthecity.Thenovelexpressesa

desiretogobacktoamoreeconomicandbasiclifestyle.Afterfouryearson

theisland,Robinsonstartstolikeitsidylliclife.

4.ThemostliteraryofFrancisBacon?sworksishisfamouscollectionof

essays,TheEssays.CouldyoulistsomeofthetypicalfeaturesofTheEssays

indetail?

ThemostliteraryofBaconJsworksishisfamouscollectionofessays,The

Essays,orCounsels,CivilandMorall.Theseessayswereimmediatelysuccessful

andgreatlylikedbythepublicforthreereasons.Firstly,theliteraryform

wasnewtotheEnglishaudience.Althoughessayshadbeenwrittensincethe

timeoftheancientGreeksandRomans,theformreceiveditsnameonlyafter

1580.itwastheFrenchphilosopherMontaignewhofirstcalledhisprosepieces

essays,andBaconborrowedthetitlefromhim.ButdifferentfromMontaigne?s

personaandinformalstyle,BaconJsstyleismoreformalandmoretightly

organized.

Secondly,theseessayscoveravarietyofsubjects,rangingfromabstract

subjectssuchas“themeaningoftruth”and“thecompositionofbeauty”

toconcrete,practicalmatterssuchasufriendship,“"marriage,“and

“parentsandchildren."Bacon'sessayscameatatimeofgreatintellectual

andsocialchanges----atimewhentheEnglishpeoplewerereadjustingtheir

visionsandmoralstandards.Thesechangesincludedavastnumberofmatters

suchasanewattitudetowardslifeanddeath,astrongerdesiretoexplore

theunknownfieldsofknowledge,andabetterunderstandingofone'sinner

selfinrelationtotheoutsideworld.

Thirdly,theseessays,thoughshort,aresinewy,fullofwisdom,andelegantly

phrased.Theyofferpeopleusefulandpracticaladvice,andencouragepeople

toplaymoreactiverolesintheirsociallife.Bacon'sessaysconsistofmany

goodexamplesofworldlywisdom.Thefollowingareamongthemostfrequently

quotedquotesintheEnglishlanguage.

5.GiveabriefaccountofthecontributionswhichWilliamWordsworthmadeto

thedevelopmentoftheEnglishpoetry.

AsagreatRomanticpoet,Wordsworthmadegreatcontributionstothedevelopment

oftheEnglishpoetry.UisLyricalBallads,writtenwithColeridge,isgenerally

regardedasthesymbolofthebeginningoftheRomanticperiodinEngland.He

definedthepoetasa“manspeakingtomen”andpoetryas“thespontaneous

overflowofpowerfulfeelings,whichoriginatesinemotionrecollectedin

tranquility.Wordsworthisregardedasaaworshipperofnature.nNature

standsoutinhispoetry.AcaseinpointisIwanderedLonelyasaCloud,one

ofthemostbeautifulpoemsinEnglishliterature.Hesympathizeswiththepoor

andtheirjoysandsorrowsarehisconstantthemes.Hispoetryischaracterized

bysimplicityandpurityofhislanguage.Wordsworthistheleadingfigureof

theEnglishRomanticpoetry,themajorpoeticvoiceoftheperiod.Themost

importantcontributionhehasmadeisthathehasnotonlystartecthemodern

poetrybutalsochangedthecourseofEnglishpoetry.HeisoneofEnglishuLake

Poets”.

6.WhatarethesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenEnglishRomanticismand

AmericanRomanticism?

英美浪漫主义比较

BritishRomanticism和AmericanRomanticism的比较

Time：

英：1798—1832WordsworthandColeridge'sLyricalBallads;deathofWaltScottsandthe

passageoftheReformBillintheParliament

美：1782—1861WashingtonIrving'sTheSketchBook;WaltWhitman'sLeavesofGrass

Background

Historically：

英：TheFrenchRevolutionTheEnglishIndustrialRevolution

美：Westwardexpansion

Economically：

英：agriculturalsocietyhadbeenreplacedbyamodernindustrializationone、economic

exploitationoftheworkersbythecapitalists

美：Boomingeconomy:experiencingindustrialtransformation

Politically：

英：Rousseau'snewideaaboutNature,society,education;radicalssympathizedtheFrench

Revolution,claimingLiberty,Equality,Fraternity

美：Two-partysystem;freedomanddemocracy

Definition：

英：RevoltoftheEnglishimaginationagainstoftheneo-classicalreason

美：Revoltagainstclassicism

Theme；

英：Bitterness,melancholy

美：Astrongsenseofoptimismandamoodof''feelinggood"ofthewholecountry

Contents：

英：1.spontaneousoutflowofpowerfeelings2.imagination3.nature4.escapefromsocietyand

returntonature

美：l.freeexpressionofemotionsandpsychicstatesofthecharter

2.emphasisonimaginativequalities:picturesque,exotic,sensuous,thesupernatural

3.thewildnessandAmericanPuritanism;moremoralizing

4.escapefromsocietyandreturntonature

Characteristics：

英：1.natureimages,dream-likeatmosphere,musicbeauty,2.Gothicelements

美：1.derivative2.Puritanism:moralizing3.Calvinisticviewoforiginalsin

LiteraryMovement：

英:无

美：Transcendentalism

Writers：

英：WilliamBlake,WilliamWordsworth,SamuelTaylorColeridge,GeorgeG.Byron,P.B.Shelley,

JohnKeats

美：WashingtonIrving,RalphWaldo匚merson,NathanielHawthorne,WaltWhitmen,Herman

Melville

7.InwhatdifferentwayscanthenovelMoby-Dickbeinterpreted?

ThedifficultsymbolofallisMobyDick,thewhitewhale,whichcanbe

interpretedindifferentwaysandmeansdifferentthingsfordifferentpeople.

ToAhab,thewhaleiseitheranevilcreatureitselfortheagentofanevil

forcethatcontrolstheuniverse,orperhapsboth.Astothereader,thewhale

canbeviewedasasymbolofthephysicallimitsthatlifeimposesuponman.

Itmayalsoberegardedasasymbolofnature,oraninstrumentofGod,svengeance

uponevilman.

ToIshmael,thewhalehasmultipleimplications.Itisanastonishingforce,

animmensepower,whichdefiesrationalexplanationduetoasenseofmystery

ithas.Itisbeautiful,benign,butmalignantaswell.Italsorepresentsthe

tremendousorganicvitalityoftheuniverse,forithasalifeforcethatsurges

onwardirresistibly,impervioustothedesiresorwillsofmen.Thesearejust

afewexampleofpossibleinterpretationspeoplecomeupwith.

Ingeneral,themultiplicityandambivalenceofthesymbolicmeaningofthe

whaleissuchthatitbecomesasourceofintensespeculation,anobjectof

profoundcuriosityforthereader,aswellasforIshmael.

8.WhatmakesDickinson,spoemsmemorabledespitetheirthematicsimplicity?

Herpoetryisuniqueandunconventionalinitsownway.Herpoemshavenotitles,

hencearealwaysquotedbytheirfirstlines.Inherpoetrythereisaparticular

stresspattern.Dickinson'sirregularorsometimesinvertedsentence

structurealsoconfusesreaders.However,herpoeticidiomisnotedforits

brevity,directnessandplainness.Herpoemsareusuallyshort,rarelymore

thantwentylines,andmanyofthemarecenteredonasingleimageorsymbol

andfocusedononesubjectmatter.Duetoherdeliberateseclusion,herpoems

tendtobeverypersonalandmeditative.Shefrequentlyusespersonaetorender

thetonemorefamiliartothereader,andpersonificationtovivifysome

abstractideas.Dickinson'spoetry,despiteitsostensibleformalsimplicity,

isremarkableforitsvariety,subtletyandrichness;andherlimitedprivate

worldhasneverconfinedthegreatpowerofhercreativityandimagination.

9.HowdoesnaturalismreflectedinTheodoreDreiser,sworks?Asagenre,

naturalismemphasizedheredityandenvironmentasimportantdeterministic

forcesshapingindividualizedcharacterswhcwerepresentedinspecialand

detailedcircumstances.Atbottom,lifewasshowntobeironic,eventragic.

Dreiserdescribedearthlyexistenceas“awelterofinscrutableforces,“in

whichwastrappedeachindividualhumanbeing.Inhiswords,Manisa“victim

offorcesoverwhichhehasnocontrol.”Tohim,lifeis〃sosad,sostrange,

somysteriousandsoinexplicable.z，Nowonderthecharactersinhisbooksare

oftensubjecttothecontrolofthenaturalforces一一especiallythoseof

environmentandheredity.

InSisterCarrieDreiserexpressedhisnaturalisticpursuitbyexpoundingthe

purposelessnessoflifeandattackingtheconventionalmoralstandards.

FromthefirstnovelSisterCarrieon,Dreisersethimselftoprojectthe

Americanvaluesforwhathehadfoundthemtobe-materialistictothecore.

Livinginsuchasocietywithsuchavaluesystem,thehumanindividualis

obsessedwithanever-ending,yetmeaninglesssearchforsatisfactionofhis

desires.Oneofthedesiresisformoneywhichwasamotivatingpurposeoflife

intheUnitedStatesinthelate19thcentury.Forexample,inSisterCarrie,

thereisnotonecharacterwhosestatusisnotdeterminedeconomically.Sex

isanotherhumandesirethatDreiserexploredtoconsiderablelengthsinhis

novelstorevealthedarksideofhumannature.InSisterCarrie,Carrieclimbs

upthesocialladderbymeansofhersexualappeal.Alsointhe“Trilogyof

Desire,“thepossessionofsexualbeautysymbolizestheacquisitionofsome

socialstatusofgreatmagnitude.However,Dreiserneverforgottoimplythat

thesehumandesiresinlifecouldhardlybedefined.Theyaretherelikea

powerful"magnetism"governinghumanexistenceandreducinghumanbeingsto

nothing.So1ikeallnaturalistshewasrestrainedfromfindingasolutionto

thesocialproblemsthatappearedinhisnovelsandaccordinglyalmostallhis

workshavetragicendings.

10.WhatarethemajorfeaturesofAmericanNaturalism?

Naturalismdesignatesaliterarymovementinthelate19thto

early20thcenturiesinFrance,AmericaandEngland.Itwasinsp

iredbytheprinciplesandthemethodsofnaturalscience.In1

iterature,naturalismextendedthetraditionofrealism,themajor

featuresofnaturalismare(1)Humansarecontrolledbylaw

sofheredityandenvironment.(2)Theuniverseiscold,indiffe

rentandhostiletohumandesires.(3)Naturalisticwritersare

pessimistic.Theychoosetheirsubjectsfromthelowerranksof

thesociety,andportraymiseryandpovertyofthe“underdogs”

.ThemainrepresentativesofNaturalisesuchasAmericanwriters

StephenCrane,RobertFrost,JackLondon.Works:Maggie,ABoy'sWill.

作品赏析

1.MakeacommentonthesatireemployedinJonathanSwift'sGulliver's

Travels.

Thefourpartsofthebookprojectthewriter'ssatireindifferentways:In

PartIthevicesintheEnglishsocietyofSwift'sdayareindirectly

satirizedbycomparingthemwithsimilarridiculouspracticesinthe

Lilliputianworld.InPartIIthesatireismoredirectlygiven,throughthe

hero'snarrationoftheEnglishsocietyandtheBrobdingnagking'shorror

uponhearingit.InPartIIIobtusescientificresearchesandphilosophical

discussionsinearly18th-centuryEnglandareridiculedviathedescription

oftheAcademyofProjectorsinLagado,andfalsehistoryiscriticizedinthe

episodeabouttheIslandoftheSorcerers;InPartIVthesatireisdirected

atthearistocratic-bourgeoissocietyofearly18th-centuryEnglandboth

directlythroughthehero,snarrationoftheEnglishsocietywhichresembles

thatoftheYahoosandindirectlybycontrastingtheEnglishscenewiththe

descriptionsofthenobilityoftheHouyhnhnms.Especiallyinconnectionwith

thefourthpartofthebook,itisnecessarytorefutethepreposterouscomment

uponSwiftasamisanthropeanduponthesatireontheYahoosasanattackon

allhumanbeings.ThoughtheYahoosaredescribedtobeverysimilartohuman

beingsinoutwardappearanceaswellasintheirunworthyactions,thechief

satiricalthrustsherearealltooobviouslyaimedatthespecificconditions

inEnglishsocietyoftheearly18thcentury.

2.MakeacommentonthethemeinJohnMilton,sParadiseLost.

Thecentralthemeof“ParadiseLost“istakenfromtheOldTestamentofthe

BibleanddealswiththeChristianstoryof“thefallofman”,including:

therebellioninHeavenofSatanandhisfellow-angels;theirdefeatand

expulsionfromHeaven;thecreationoftheearthandofAdamandEve;thefallen

angelsinhellplottingagainstGod;SatanJstemptationofEve;andthe

departureofAdamandEvefromEden.

Asthepoethimselfmakesclearinthefirstbook,thepurposeoftheepic

istouasserteternalprovidenceandjustifythewaysofGodtoman”.That

meanstoadvocatesubmissiontotheAlmighty.Butafterreadingitonegets

theimpressionthatthemainideaofthepoemisarevoltagainstGod,s

authority.Inthepoem,Godisnobetterthanaselfishdespot,seatedupon

athronewithachorusofangelsabouthimeternallysinginghispraises.He

iscruelandunjustinhisstruggleagainstSatan.HisArchangelisabore.

Hisangelsaresilly.WhiletherebelSatanwhoroseagainstGodand,though

defeated,stillsoughtforrevenge,isbyfarthemoststrikingcharacterin

thepoem.

3.SummarizethestoryofMarkTwain,sTheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnand

commentonthetheme.

A.MarkTwain，snovelTheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnisas

equeltoTheAdventuresofTomSawyer.TheStorytakesplaceal

ongtheMississippiRiverbeforetheCivilWarintheUnitedSt

ates,around1850.Alongtheriver,floatsasmallraft,with

twopeopleonit;Oneisanignorant,uneducatedblackslave

namedJimandtheotherislittleuneducatedoutcastwhiteboy

abouttheageofthirteen,calledHuckleberryFinnorHuckFinn.

ThenovelrelatesthestoryoftheescapeofJimfrcmslavery

and,moreimportant,howHuckFinn,floatingalongwithJim

andhelpinghimasbesthecould,changeshismind,hisprejudi

ce,aboutBlackpeople,andcomestoacceptJimasamanand

asaclosefriendsaswe11.Duringtheirjourney,theyex

perienceaseriesofadventures:comingacrosstwofrauds,the

“Duke"andthe"King”,witnessingthelynchingandmurderof

aharmlessdrunkard,beinglostinafogandfinallyTom'sco

mingtorescue.

B.Thethemeofthenovelmaybebestsummedinaword”free

dom”:HuckwantstoescapefromthebondofcivilizationandJ

imwantstoescapefromtheyokeofslavery.MarkTwainusest

heraft'sjourneydowntheMississippiRivertoexpresshisthem

aticcontrastsbetweeninnocenceandexperience,natureandcultur

e,wildernessandcivi1ization.

4.MakeananalysisofOdetotheWestWindwrittenbyPercyByssheShelly.

分析雪莱的西风颂

⑴OdetotheWestWindisanodewrittenbyPercyByssheShel

leyin1819nearFlorence,Italytoexpresshisbeliefofrefor

mandrevolution.In'OdetotheWestWind,JPercyByssheShelleytriesto

showhisdesirefortranscendence,byexplainingthathisthoughtsandideas,

likethe，wingedseeds，aretrapped.TheWestWindactsasaforceforchange

andforwardmovementinthehumanandnaturalworld.

Shelleyseeswinternotjustasthelastseasonofvegetationbutasthelast

phaseoflife.Shelleyobservesthechangingoftheweatherfromautumntowinter

anditseffectsontheenvironment.Shelleyistryingtoshowthatamanys

ideascanspreadandliveonbeyondhislifetimebyhavingthewindcarryhis

Jdeadthoughts，whichthroughdestruction,wi11leadtoarebirthinthe

imagination,andinthenaturalworld.Shelleybeginshispoembyaddressing

the,WildWestWind，.Hethenintroducesthethemeofdeathandcomparesthe

deadleavesto'ghosts’.Theimageryof*Pestilence-strickenmultitudes，（瘟

疫灾区众人）makesthereaderawarethatShelleyisaddressingmorethanapile

ofleaves.Shelleyusedthephrase'wingedseeds'representsI.The'closing

night'isusedalsotomeanthefinalnight.The'pumice'showsdestruction

andcreationbecausewhenthevolcanoeruptsitdestroys.Thisactsasan

introductionandaforeshadowofwhatistocomelater.'alsohelpsthereader

preparefortheclimax高潮whichShelleyintended.Itseemsthatitisonly

inhisdeaththatthe'WildSpirit'couldbelifted'asawave,aleaf,acloud'

toblowfreeinthe'WildWestWind'.The'pumice，浮石的isprobablyShelley，s

bestexcimpleofrebirth.Astherisingactioncontinues,Shelleytalksabout

the'Mediterranean'地中海andits*summerdreams'.Again,heusessoft

soundingwordstocalmthereaderintothesamedream-likestateofthe

Mediterranean.Hethenwriteslikeamourningsong'Ofthedyingyear,towhich

thisclosingnight/Willbethedomeofavastsepulchre/Vaultedwithallthey

congregatedmight，.Percyseeshis'dome'asavolcanoandwhenthe'dome'

does'burst,'itwillactasa,DestroyerandPreserver，andcreator.In'Ode

totheWestWind,,Shelleyusesthewindtorepresentdrivingchangeanda

carrierforhisideas.

(2)“OdetotheWestWind”iswrittenbyPercyByssheShelley,whoisone

oftherepresentativesofromanticisminEngland.Inthispoem,thewestwind

isboththedestroyerandpreserver.Itwilldestroytheoldwor1candherald

inanewone.

Thefirststanzadescribesthepowerofwestwindanditseffectsontheland.

Theautumnbreezessweptoverthelandandtakeeverythingawayincludingthe

deadleaves.Besides,thewestwindscattersseedsontheforestsoil,where

theytakerootasnewgrowth.Bothdestroyerandpreserver,thewindensures

thecyclicalregularityoftheseasons.

InstanzaII,thewindhelpsthecloudsshedrain,asithadhelpedthetrees

shedleavesinstanzaI.Justasthedeadleavesnourishesnewlifeintheforest

soil,sodoestheraincontributetoNature?sregenerativecycle.

InstanzaIIT,theWestWindwieldsitspoweroverthesea;butun1ikethe

firsttwostanzas,thisoneisintroducedbyanimageofcalmandpeace.The

MediterraneanSeaispicturedassmoothandtranquil,sleepingalongsidethe

oldItaliantownofBaiae.OnceaplaygroundofRomanemperors,Baiaesunkas

aresultofvolcanicactivityandisnowthebedofalushunderwatergarden.

Butthewindcanalso“waken”(line29)theseaanddisturbthesummer

tranquilityofthewatersinanautumnstorm.

AfterthreestanzasofdgscribingtheWestWind'spower,whichareallechoed

inthefirstthreelinesofStanzaIV,thespeakeraskstobemovedbythis

spirit.Forthefirsttimein“OdetotheWestWind,“thewindconfronts

humanityintheformofspeakerofthepoem.Nolongeranidealisticyoungman,

thisspeakerhasexperiencedsorrow,pain,andlimitations.Hestumbles,even

asheaskstobespirituallyuplifted.Atthesanetime,hecanrecallhisyounger

yearswhenhewasutameless,andswift,andproud“likethewind.These

recollectionshelphimtocallonthewindforinspirationandnewlife.In

thismanner,thepoemsuggeststhathumans,too,arepartofthenever-ending

naturalcycleofdeathandrebirth.

IfStanzaIVistheexplanationofwhytheWestWindisbeinginvcked,Stanza

Vistheprayeritself.Therequestsofthespeakerseemtogatherspeedmuch

asthewinddoes;whilehebeginsbyaskingtobemovedbythewind,hesoon

askstobecomeonewiththispower.Asabreezemightigniteaglowingcoal,

thespeakerasksforthewindtobreathenewlifeintohimandhispoeticart.

Withhislastquestion,thespeakerremindshisaudiencethatchangeisonthe

horizon,beitpersonalornatural,artisticorpolitical.

Shelleyemployedthe“terzarimav,anItalianmeasurefirstusedbyDante

inhiswell-knownpoemLaDivinaCommedia.Herewefindavariantoftheoriginal

Italianpattern:five14-linedstanzasofiambicpentameter,eachofthestanzas

containingfourtercetsandaclosingcouplet.Therimeschemeisaba,bcb,

cdc,ded,ee.

5.DiscussJaneEyre,sstrongqualitieswithexamplesfromthenovelJaneEyre.

Notlongaftersheisbackfromheraunt'sfuneral,Janefindsherself

hopelesslyinlovewithMr.Rochesterbutsheisawarethatherloveisout

ofthequestionbecauseofthegreatdifferencebetweentheminsocialstatus.

So,whenforcedtoconfrontMr.Rochester,shedesperatelyandopenlydeclares

herequalitywithhimandherloveforhim,shedeni