英國文學選讀 課后習題

ThomasHardy

TessoftheD’Urbervilles

1.HowdoesTessreacttoClare’ssuggestionthattheyshouldleavetheirshelter?Why?

Sheshowedastrangeunwillingnesstomove.Becauseshedoesn’twanttoputanendtoallthat’ssweetandlovelypeacefulnessandaffection.

2.WhatisthesignificanceofTessrestingonanaltarintheheathentemple?

1）Sheisthesacrificeofthesocialconventionsandprejudicewhichsocietyhasplaceduponher

2）InHardy'seyes,sheistheepitomeofthepurityofwomen,aspureasthesacrificeswhichareplaceduponthealtar.

3）Sheknowsthefatewhichisabouttobefalluponher,justasthesacrificesonthealtar,inescapabledeath.

4）Herdeathiscausedbyhumanhypocrisyandfoolishness,similartothatofasacrifice.

5）Attheend,theonlyplacewhichcanacceptherforwhosheisisdeathandsacrifice.

6）Biblicalallusion.Paralleltophrasethefirst,whenAbrahamandherwhereonthecarriage.SimilartothebiblicalstorywhereAbrahamwastosacrificehisson,thefamilysacrificedTess.

3. Commentonthissentence:“Justice’wasdone,andthePresidentofthelmmortals(inAeschyleanphrase)hadendedhissportwithTess”.InwhatsenseisTess’storytragic?

(1)Tessisatypicalvictimofthesociety.Povertyofthefamily,inhumanity,injusticeandhypocrisyofthesocietydecidehertragedy.Thetwomen—theonewhotakesawayhervirginityandpurity,theotherwhotakesawayherlovebutdesertsherontheverywedingnight—thoughapparentrivals,jointheirforcesinbringingaboutherfinaldestruction.Hersisapersonaltragedy;itcanalsobeasocialone.(2)ThetragicfateofTessandherfamilywasnotthatofanindividualfamily,butitwassymbolicofthedisintegrationoftheEnglishpeasantry---aprocesswhichhadreacheditsfinalandtragicstageattheendof19thcentury

JamesJoyceArabyP171

1.Whatisthesignificanceofthetitleofthestory?

1.Arabyis“asplendidbazaar”whereMangan’ssisterrecommendstheboytogo.Thereaftertheboy’simaginationseizesuponthenameArabyandinvestsitssyllableswith“anEasternenchantment”inwhichhis“soulluxuriates”

2.ArabybecomesaplacewherehissoulcanfindthemysticalbeautylackinginhisownmundaneChurch.

3.Theboyfeelsasummonsthathassymbolicover-tonesofaholycrusade.Butwhenhearrives,Araby,thedreamnewworldfortheboy,turnedouttobe“darkness”and“silence”.HisidealizedvisionofArabyisdestroyed,alongwithhisidealizedvisionofMangan’ssister,andoflove.

2.Chiefqualitiesoftheboy’scharacter?

Theboyisanaturalcharacterwithwhichtobeginabookbecausehepossessessomanyqualitiesattractivetoreaders.First,heissensitive—sensitiveenoughtoexperienceawiderangeoffeelingsinspiteofhistenderage,includingapparentlycontradictorycombinationslikefearandlonging(attheendofthestory'sfirstparagraph),angerandpuzzlement(whilefallingasleep),and,especially,"asensationoffreedom"inresponsetohismentor'spassingthatsurpriseshimandus."Ifounditstrange,"thenarratorsays,"thatneitherInorthedayseemedinamourningmood."

Second,heisintelligent—andnotmerelyintheconventionalsenseoftheword.Sure,heisbrainyenoughtoabsorbmuchofthearcaneinformationsharedwithhimbythepriest.(ItmakessensethathehasgrownintothearticulatestorytellerwhosharesthetaleofFatherFlynn'sinfluenceuponhim.)Buttheprotagonistof"TheSisters"alsopossessesanintuitiveunderstandingofhowotherhumanbeingsfeel,think,andact—emotionalintelligence,youmightcallit.

Itisnosurprisethataboysosensitive,sointelligent,wouldfindhimselfsomewhatalienatedfromothers—cutoff,fundamentally,fromhisfamilyandpeers.Heappearstolackaltogetheraconnectionwithhisuncle,muchlessOldCotter,anditissaidthatherarelyplays"withyoungladsofhisownage."Evenwhenheisinthecompanyofhisauntandthepriest'ssistersnearstory'send,thereader'smainsenseoftheboyisthatheisalone.

The

school

boy,inthestory'Araby",isthe

narrator

ofthe

story

.Hehasnotyetattainedmajorityandisbynaturebashful.Helivedalonewithhisauntieanduncleandknewafewplay-mateswithwhomheplayedinthestreet.Mangan'ssisterwasperhapsonlygirlwholivedinhisneighborhood.Hestartedappreciatingherfigureand

dress

withoutactuallyrealizingthathehadgrowntolikeher.Beingpreadolescentpersonhehadnotbecomeconsciousthatsuchapassionisjustnaturalanditdoesnotcallforapologyorregrets.Ifhehadexpressedhis

noble

feelingofloveforthegirlhemighthavebeenabletoovercomehisbashfulness.Oncehehesitatedinexpressinghissentiments,hedevelopedaninhibitionwiththeresultthathewasneverabletomakehisfeelingsknowntoher.Hewentworshippinghersilently.Bychance,shehappenedtotalktohim,hefeltconfusedanddidnotknowhowtoexpresshimself.HisdesiretovisitArabybecameanobsessionforhimandhemadeuphismindtogotothemarketattheearliestandbringagiftforher.ThehourthathereachedAraby,wasnotatallfitforpurchasingsomethingreallyworthwhile.He

experienced

asortofbitternessevenworsethandefeat.Beingalonelyperson,heisinsearchofakindredsoul.Butlackingself-

confidence

heisnotabletowinher,asanyotherpersonwithoutinhibitioncouldhavedonesoeasily.Theboyinthestoryisso

bashful

andineptinhisrelationwithMangan'ssisteronly.Hewasquiteasociableboyinhisownwayandwasgoodatstudies.Hisauntieanduncleneverdiscoveredanyoddityabouthim.Hecertainlyprovedquitehelpfulwhenheaccompaniedhisauntonher

shopping

trips.AfterhismissedventurewithArabyhelostinterestinhisstudies.Histeacherstaredfeelingconcernedabouthim.Buthedidnotknowtherealreasonforthislackofinterestinhisstudies.Heisahardworkingandresponsibleboyandiscapableofchanginghis

attitude

inkeepingwiththechangingconditions.Hisunrequitedlovehasproveddisappointingexperienceforhim,butcertainlyitwouldhavemadehimwiserandmorepracticalinfuture.

3.Isanythinggainedbytheboythroughhisfrustrationandhumiliation?

Theboyisinitiatedintoknowledgethroughalossofinnocence

TheboyworshipsanddesiresMangan’ssister,andMangan’ssisteristhelightthatcontractstothegloomyreality.Butthequestendswhenhearrivesatthebazaarandrealizeswithslow,torturedclaritythatArabyisnotatallwhathehasimagined.Hefeelsangryandbetrayedandrealizeshisself-deception.Theboyisinitiatedintoknowledgethroughalossofinnocenceandfullyrealizestheincompatibilitybetweenthebeautifulandinnocentworldoftheimaginationandtheveryrealworldoffact.Sothe“quest”isnotfruitless,becauseithelpsthenarratorcometoself-knowledge.

D.H.Lawrence

Therocking-horsewinner

Doesthehousereallywhisper?

No,itisnotthehousewhispers.

Theexpensiveandsplendidtoys,theshiningmodernrockinghorseandthesmartdoll’shousearethereflectionoftheparents’vanity.Thiscoupleboughtsomanyexpensivethingsmeansthattheywanttohavealifeofnabobismandanabobismlifemeansthattheremustbemoremoney.Thisphrasewasusedintentionallytoemphasizethetheme“greed”

Doesluckmeanmoney?Howdoyoudefineluck?

No….

WhokillsPaul?

ItwasthesocietykilledPaul.Thedevelopmentofurbanindustrialismcausedpeopleonlycaremoney.Atthattime,peoplethoughtmoneyiseverything.So,inthenovel,thehousewhisperedandmomemphasizedlucksomanytimes.Paulwantedtogethismother’sattentionbymoneywhichforcedhimtoridetherocking-horseagainandagain.Paulwasillandthewholesocietywasilltoo.

MatthewArnoldDoverBeach

Form

PreservesthestructureoftheRomanticLyric(Descriptive-Meditative-Descriptive)

“DoverBeach”isapoemwiththemournfultoneofanelegyandthepersonalintensityofadramaticmonologue.Becausethemeterandrhymevaryfromlinetoline,thepoemissaidtobeinfreeverse—thatis,itisunencumberedbythestricturesoftraditionalversification.However,thereiscadenceinthepoem,achievedthroughthefollowing:

ParallelStructure

Thetideisfull,themoonliesfair(Stanza1);Sovarious,sobeautiful,sonew(Stanza4);

Hathreallyneitherjoy,norlove,norlight/Norcertitude,norpeace,norhelpforpain(Stanza4)

RhymingWords

to-night,light;fair,night-air;stand,land;bay,spray;fling,bring;begin,in(Stanza1)

WordsSuggestingRhythm

drawback,return;Begin,andcease,thenbeginagain(Stanza1);turbidebbandflow(Stanza2)

FiguresofSpeech

Alliteration:

to-night,tide;full,fair(Lines1-2);gleams,gone;coast,cliff;longline;whichthewaves;folds,furled;to-night,tide;full,fair;gleams,gone;coast,cliff(Stanza1)

Assonance:tide,lies;

ParadoxandHyperbole:gratingroarofpebbles

Metaphor:

whichthewavesdrawback,andfling(comparisonofthewavestoanintelligententitythatrejectsthatwhichithascaptured)

turbidebbandflowofhumanmisery(comparisonofhumanmiserytotheebbandflowofthesea)

TheSeaofFaith(comparisonoffaithtowatermakingupanocean)

breathofthenight-win