美國文學現(xiàn)實主義階段著名作家與作品 The Literature of Realism

ChapterⅣ

TheLiteratureofRealism

2023/9/51TheBackground

ofAmericanRealismThefiftyyearsbetweentheendoftheCivilWartotheoutbreakoftheFirstWorldWarChangesineveryaspectofAmericanlifeIndustrializationandtheurbanization,“TheGildedAge”TiredofsentimentalfeelingsofRomanticismInterestinrealityoflife2023/9/52WilliamDeanHowells:

“IconfessIdonotcaretojudgeanyworkoftheimaginationwithoutfirstapplyingthistesttoit.Wemustaskourselvesbeforeanythingelse.Isittrue?–truetothemotives,theimpulses,theprinciplesthatshapethelifeofactualmenandwomen?”2023/9/53TheCharacteristic

ofAmericanRealismInterpretationoftheactualitiesofanyaspectoflife,freefromsubjectiveprejudice,idealism,orromanticcolor.2023/9/541.HistoricalBackground:

“TheGildedAge”.IntheperiodbetweentheendoftheCivilWarandthebeginningofWorldWarI,thecountrydevelopedrapidlyinvariousfields.Bythe1870stheNewEnglandRenaissancehadwaned.Ahostofnewwritersappeared.TheysoughttoportrayAmericanlifeasitreallywas.Localcolorfictionreacheditspeakofpopularityinthe1880s.NaturalismdominatedAmericanliteratureofthefirstdecadeof20thcentury.2023/9/552.WaltWhitman(1819-1892):

thepoetofAmericandemocracy

3.EmilyDickinson(1830—1886):2023/9/564.HarrietBeecherStowe(1811-1896)FamilyBackground:raisedinastronglyreligiousatmosphereHerfatherLymanBeecher,wasadistinguishedclergyman;Twobrothers(HenryWardandEdward):celebratedpreachers;Oldersister(Catherine):aneducator2023/9/57HarrietBeecherStowe(1811-1896)2023/9/58Stowe’sHouseinCincinnati

2023/9/59CincinnatiSuspensionBridgeoverOhioRiver2023/9/510“TheMother’sStruggle”:AScenefromUncleTom’sCabin2023/9/511Mrs.Stowe’sLife:Born:June14,1811-Litchfield,ConnecticutIn1832:MovedtoCincinnati,Father:presidentofLaneTheologicalSeminaryIn1836:marriedCalvinEllisStowe,aseminaryprofessoratLane;In1830s,and1840s,wrotestoriesformagazines;By1850,shewasthemotherofsevenchildren;In1850,movedtoBrunswick,MaineDied:July1,1896-Hartford,Connecticut2023/9/512CommentsonStowe’sLifeAsharplyalternatingmixtureofsuccessandnotorietyandpersonaltragedyandpain.Traveledwidely,metheadsofstatesuchasAbrahamLincolnandQueenVictoria.Herseventiethbirthdaywassomethingofanationalevent.Twosonsdiedveryyoung,anotherwasanalcoholic,thescandalofherbrother…2023/9/513FactsaboutUncleTom’sCabinBasedonseveralslavenarratives,suchasthoseofFrederickDouglassandJosiahHenson.

18yearslivingacrosstheOhioRiverfromslaveholdingcommunities;fromfugitiveslavesandvisitstotheSouth,shegotapersonalknowledgeoftheinstitutionofslavery.Theauthor’ssenseofherownsufferingandoppressioninthecharactersofTomandhisfellowslaveEliza,theprotagonistsofthebook’stwomainplots.2023/9/514PopularityofUncleTom’sCabinWritteninsparemomentsafterdoinghousework,SeriallypublishedintheNationalEra(fromJune5,1851toApril1,1852)Anovernightsuccess----sold3000copiesthefirstday;Sold350,000copiesinthefirstyear;aninternationalbestseller;translatedintoabout40languagesThenonfiction:AKeytoUncleTom’sCabin(1853)2023/9/5155.O.Henry(1862—1910)

Realname:WilliamSidneyPorterAprolificwriter,HewrotemostoftenofNewYorkcity,wherehespenthislateryears.Hisnameforthecitywas“BaghdadontheSubway.”BorninNorthCarolina,withoutmuchschoolingandvirtuallyorphaned.Hefollowedseveraloccupations:abookkeeper,adrugstoreclerkandaTexasRanger.AcentralfigureinthepeakperiodoftheAmericanmagazineshortstory.Diedindrunkenness.2023/9/516CharacteristicsofO.Henry’sWorks:

Hisworkisfullofhumor;hisstoriesareamusing;Drawingdirectlyfromhisexperiencewithmanyoddjobs,hecombinedrealismwithaworldofhisown,reflectingafatalisticviewoflife;THisworkistypicallyAmerican,andhegivesusagoodideaofvarioustypesofpeopleintheUnitedStates;Thethemeo