英國20世紀文學課件

IntroductiontoLiteraturein20thCentury英國20世紀文學1.ThebackgroundtoModernism

1.1Thesocialbackground

TheinfluencesofthetwoWorldWarsonEnglishliterature:

Pre-war---over-suppliedenergy;over-confident;---over-greedy;over-enthusiastic;---imperialistideas;---colony-dismemberedintheworld.Post-war---Thesenseofbeinglost,adrift,weightless,aimless.It'sallsoabsurd,withoutmeaning.Modernismroseoutofskepticismanddisillusionofcapitalism.Esp.

theSecondWorldWarmarkedthelaststageofthedisintegrationoftheBritishEmpire.Britainsufferedheavylossesinthewar:thousandsofpeoplewerekilled;theeconomywasruined;andalmostallitsformercolonieswerelost.Peoplewereineconomic,cultural,andbeliefcrisises.英國20世紀文學1.2Ideologicalbackground

Ideologically,theriseoftheirrationalphilosophyandnewsciencegreatlyincitedmodernwriterstomakenewexplorationsonhumannaturesandhumanrelationships.A.Einstein's(1879—1955)theoryofrelativityprovidedentirelynewideasfortheconceptsoftimeandspace.B.Freud's(1856-1939)analyticalpsychologydrasticallyalteredourconceptionofhumannature.C.Nietzsche(1844-1900)Withthreesimplewords:"Godisdead,"Nietzschesenthisreadersintodespair.D.Basedonthemajorideasofhispredecessors,HenryBergson柏格森(1859-1941)establishedhisirrationalphilosophywhichputtheemphasisoncreation,intuition,irrationalityandunconsciousness.英國20世紀文學2.CharacteristicsofModernisminLiterature

1).OnecharacteristicofEnglishModernismis“thedehumanizationofart”.(藝術的非人化）Themajorthemesofthemodernistliteraturearethedistorted,alienatedandillrelationshipsbetweenmanandnature,manandsociety,manandman,andmanandhimself.2).Themodernistwritersconcentratemoreontheprivatethanonthepublic,moreonthesubjectivethanontheobjective.Theyaremainlyconcernedwiththeinnerbeingofanindividual.Therefore,theypaymoreattentiontothepsychictimethanthechronologicalone.Intheirwritings,thepast,thepresentandthefuturearemingledtogetherandexistatthesametimeintheconsciousnessofanindividual.英國20世紀文學3).Modernismis,inmanyaspects,areactionagainstrealism.Itrejectsrationalism,whichisthetheoreticalbaseofrealism;itexcludesfromitsmajorconcerntheexternal,objective,materialworld,whichistheonlycreativesourceofrealism;byadvocatingafreeexperimentationonnewformsandnewtechniquesinliterarycreation,itcastsawayalmostallthetraditionalelementsinliteraturesuchasstory,plot,character,chronologicalnarration,etc.,whichareessentialtorealism.Asaresult,theworkscreatedbythemodernistwritersareoftenlabeledasanti-novel,anti-poetryandanti-drama.英國20世紀文學3.LiteraryreactionsWritersofthisperiodfallintothreegroups.1).thereactionarywriterswhoglorifyimperialismandthedecadent,whosechieftraitsareextremeindividualism,pessimismandcynicism.TherepresentativewriterofthisgroupisRudyardKipling.2).thecriticalrealistswhocontinuedanddevelopedthetraditionsofcriticalrealism.Theysoughtfornewwaysandmeansofrevealingthetruthoflife.Intheworksofthesewriters,criticismofthebourgeoisworldreachesconsiderabledepthandpoignancy.Theycondemnedthecapitalistorderofthingsandutteredcriesofsufferingandprotest.TherepresentativewritersofthisgroupareGalsworthy,andBernardShaw.3).theprogressivewritersaftertheOctoberSocialistRevolution,whoarecloselyconnectedwithsocialistmovementofthepeople.TherepresentativesareRalphFox.

英國20世紀文學3.1PoetryItis,insomesense,arevolutionagainsttheconventionalideasandformsoftheVictorianpoetry.Themodernistpoetsfoughtagainsttheromanticfuzzinessandself-indulgedemotionalism,advocatingnewideasinpoetry-writingsuchastousethelanguageofcommonspeech,tocreatenewrhythmsastheexpressionofanewmood,toallowabsolutefreedominchoosingsubjects,andtousehard,clearandpreciseimagesinpoems.W.B.Yeats,T.S.EliotandEzraPound英國20世紀文學3.2Novels

Thedevelopmentof20thcenturyfictionischaracterizedbytwosimultaneousbutcontrarytendencies.Thefirstofthesetendenciesismodernism,amovementdeeplyaffectedbypsycho-analysisandexistentialismandrepresentedinfictionbystreamofconsciousnessnarration.Thesecondtendencyisacontinuationofthetraditionofrealisminheritedformthe19thcentury.Mostcriticstodayagreedthatthecrosscurrentsof20thcenturyfictionmorelikeapendulumswingingbetweenthesetwopoles.

Atthebeginningofthiscentury,realismwasstillthemaintrend.Theheroicageofmodernistnovellastedfrom1912to1930.Realismreturnedinthe1930’sand50’s,andinthe1940’s,60’s,andearly70’sthependulumswungbacktoaformofmodernism.

Theresultofthisalternationhasbeenareciprocalinfluencethatcausedgreatchangeinbothmodernismandrealismsothatbothoftheseformsinthelatterhalfofthecenturyarequitedifferentfromtheearlyyears.

英國20世紀文學3.2.1.RealisticNovelsAsdiscussedintheprevioussections,theEnglishrealisticnovelwasinitiatedbyRichardson,Fielding,Austen,andbroughttoitsclimaxbyDickens,Thackeray,andotherbrilliantVictoriannovelists.Thislongtraditionofrealismwascontinuedintheearly20thcenturybysuchnovelistsasJohnCalsworthy,ArnoldBennett,andH.G..Wells,butintermsofdepthandbreadth,theirworksareinferiortothoseoftheirVictorianpredecessors.

英國20世紀文學3.2.2Psycho-AnalyticalNovel

D.H.LawrenceandJamesJoycebroughtEnglishmodernistfictiontoitsclimax.Lawrencechangedthetraditionalwaysofthinkingandfeelingabouthumanrelationshipsandrevealedthedeepestinstinctsofhumannaturethroughhisnovels.

英國20世紀文學3.3.3StreamofConsciousnessNovel

Themajorinnovationofthefictionofthe20thcenturyiscalled“streamofconsciousness.”ThetermoriginatedwithHenryJames’selderbrotherWilliamJames(1842-1910)who,inhisPrinciplesofPsychology(1890),pointedoutthatconsciousnessisnotlikeachainorachronologicalseries,butlikeariverorastream.Asaliteraryschooloffiction,itoriginatedinthe1920’s.

Streamofconsciousness,whichpresentsthethoughtsofacharacterintherandom,seeminglyunorganizedfashioninwhichthethinkingprocessoccurs,hasthefollowingcharacteristics.First,itrevealstheactionorplotthroughthementalprocessesofthecharactersratherthanthroughthecommentaryofanomniscientauthor.Second,characterdevelopmentisachievedthroughrevelationofextremelypersonalandoftentypicalthoughtprocessesratherthanthroughthecreationoftypicalcharactersintypicalcircumstances.Third,theactionoftheplotseldomcorrespondstoreal,chronologicaltime,butmovesbackandforththroughpresenttimetomemoriesofpasteventsanddramsofthefuture.Fourth,itreplacesnarration,description,andcommentarywithdramaticinteriormonologueandfreeassociation.

InEngland,thetechniqueisbestrepresentedintheworksofJamesJoyceandVirginiaWoolf.

英國20世紀文學3.4.DramaThe16thandearly17thcenturiesmarkedthegoldenageofEnglishdramaandsomecriticsbelievethatitalsomarkedtheendoftragicdramainEnglishandevenEuropeanliterature.ItiscertainthatthenexttwohundredyearsproducedlittlethatisremarkableinthatfieldexcepttheisolatedworksofSheridanandGoldsmithinthe18thcentury.Inthelastdecadeofthe19thcenturyandforthemostofthe20thcenturytherewasasplendidrevival.InasensemodernEnglishdramabeginswiththewittydrawing-roomcomediesofOscarWilde.GeorgeBernardShaw,hissuccessor,bringsstillanotherkindofwit,theprovocativeparadox,intodrama.ThebrilliantcomediesofOscarWildeandthebitingsocialsatiresofBernardShawarecarefullyconstructedandoftenhighlyentertaining,buttheyneverachievetheuniversalsignificanceoreitherthejoyorthepathosoftheearliermasters.Later,YeatsandEliotalsocontributegreatlytotherevivalofdrama,buttheirworksalsofallshortofenduringgreatness.AftertheSecondWorldWar,Englishdramadevelopedintwonewdirections:TheatreofAbsurd,representedbyPeckettandPinteranddramaofthelowerclasses,representedbyOsborneandWesker.

英國20世紀文學4.SometermsSo,aftertheFirstWorldWar,allkindsofliterarytrendsofmodernismappeared:symbolism,expressionism,surrealism,futurism,Dadaism,imagismandstreamofconsciousness.Towardsthe1920s,thesetrendsconvergedintoamightytorrentofmodernistmovement,whichsweptacrossthewholeEuropeandAmerica.AftertheSecondWorldWar,avarietyofmodernism,orpost-modernism,likeexistentialistliterature,theateroftheabsurd,newnovelsandblackhumor,rosewiththespuroftheexistentialistideathat"theworldwasabsurd,andthehumanlifewasanagony."英國20世紀文學Symbolism:象征主義AliterarymovementthataroseinFranceinthelasthalfofthe19thcenturyandthatgreatlyinfluencedmanyEnglishwriter,particularlypoets,ofthe20thcentury.TotheSymbolicpoets,anemotionisindefiniteandthereforedifficulttocommunicate.Sosymbolicpoetstendtoavoidanydirectstatementofmeaning.Instead,theyworkthroughemotionallypowerfulsymbolsthatsuggestmeaningandmood.Expressionism:表現(xiàn)主義Amovementintheartsduringtheearlypartofthe20thcenturythatemphasizedsubjectiveexpressionoftheartist'sinnerexperiences.，強調(diào)藝術家的內(nèi)心經(jīng)驗的主觀表達Surrealism:超現(xiàn)實主義20th-centurymovementinartandliteraturethattriestoexpresswhatisinthesubconsciousmindbyshowingobjectsandeventsasseenindreams,etc.Itischaracterizedbyfantasticimageryandincongruousjuxtapositionofsubjectmatter.以怪誕的意象和主題的不協(xié)調(diào)并存為特征,藉表現(xiàn)夢境等以表達潛意識的內(nèi)容英國20世紀文學Futurism:AnartisticmovementoriginatinginItalyaround1910whoseaimwastoexpresstheenergetic,dynamic,andviolentqualityofcontemporarylife,especiallyasembodiedinthemotionandforceofmodernmachinery.未來主義：一種1910年左右發(fā)源于意大利的文藝思潮，意在表現(xiàn)當代生活有力的、充滿活力的和激烈的特點，尤其主張表現(xiàn)現(xiàn)代機械文明的動感和暴力Dadaism:AEuropeanartisticandliterarymovement(1916-1923)thatfloutedconventionalaestheticandculturalvaluesbyproducingworksmarkedbynonsense,travesty,andincongruity.達達主義運動：歐洲文學藝術界的運動(1916-1923年），通過隨意涂寫、嘲諷、不和諧的作品，來藐視傳統(tǒng)的藝術和文化價值英國20世紀文學Imagism:AliterarymovementlaunchedbyBritishandAmericanpoetsearlyinthe20thcenturyinreactionagainstVictoriansentimentalismthatadvocatedtheuseoffreeverse,commonspeechpatterns,andclearconcreteimages.意象主義：在20世紀早期由英美詩人發(fā)起的反對維多利亞式傷感主義的一場文學運動，主張使用自由體、普通的語言模式和清晰具體的影象Streamofconsciousness:thecontinuousflowofsense-perceptions.thoughts,feelings.andmemoriesinthehumanmind;oraliterarymethodofrepresentingsuchablendingofmentalprocessesinfictionalcharacters,usuallyinanunpunctuatedordisjointedformof“interiormonologue”.

英國20世紀文學

Streamofconsciousness:Firstitisapsychologicaltermindicating"thefluxofconsciousandsubconsciousthoughtsandimpressionsmovinginthemindatanygiventimeindependentlyoftheperson'swill".Inlate19thcentury,theliterarydeviceof"interiormonologue"wasoriginatedinFranceasanapplicationofmodernpsychologicalknowledgetoliterarycreation.Inthe20thcentury,undertheinfluenceofFreud'stheoryofpsychologicalanalysis,anumberofwritersadoptedthe"streamofconsciousness"methodofnovelwriting.Thestrikingfeatureofthesenovelistsistheirgivingprecedencetothedepictionofthecharacters'mentalandemotionalreactionstoexternalevents,ratherthantheeventsthemselves.Indoingso,thenovelistabandonedtheconventionalusagesofrealisticplotstructure,characterizationanddescription,andtheirworksbecamesuccessionsof"fleetingimagesoftheexternalworldmingledwiththoughtsandhalf-thoughtsandshadowsofthoughtattachedtotheimmediatepresentormovingbackandforthinmemory".InEnglishliterature,JamesJoyceandVirginiaWoolfarethetwobest-knownnovelistsofthe"streamofconsciousness"school.英國20世紀文學Modernism:Looselyitisasynonymofanythingcontemporary.Strictly,Modernismwasaninternationalmovementinliteratureandartsintheearlydecadesof20thcentury,characterizedbysuchmovementsasSymbolism,Imagism,Futurism,Expressionism,Surrealism,StreamofConsciousness.Modernismtakestheirrationalphilosophyandthetheoryofpsycho-analysisasitstheoreticalbase.Themajorthemesofthemodernistliteraturearethedistorted,alienatedandillrelationshipsbetweenmanandnature,manandsociety,manandman,andmanandhimself.Themodernistwritersconcentratemoreontheprivatethanonthepublic,moreonthesubjectivethanontheobjective.Theyaremainlyconcernedwiththeinnerbeingofanindividual.Byadvocatingafreeexperimentationonnewformsandnewtechniquesinliterarycreation,Modernismcastsawayalmostallthetraditionalelementsinliteraturesuchasstory,plot,character,chronologicalnarration,etc.,whichareessentialtorealism.Asaresult,theworkscreatedbythemodernistwritersareoftenlabeledasanti-novel,anti-poetryandanti-drama.英國20世紀文學Postmodernism:isoftenappliedtotheliteratureandartafterWorldWarII.Postmodernisminvolvesnotonlyacontinuation,sometimescarriestoanextreme,ofthecountertraditionalexperimentsofmodernism,butalsodiverseattemptstobreakawayfrommodernistforms.Postmodernart(andthought)favorsreflexivityandself-consciousness,fragmentationanddiscontinuity(especiallyinnarrativestructures),ambiguity,simultaneity,andanemphasisonthedestructured,decentered,dehumanizedsubject.Existentialistliterature,theateroftheabsurdandblackhumorarejustsomeschoolsinit.英國20世紀文學Existentialism:Aphilosophythatemphasizestheuniquenessandisolationoftheindividualexperienceinahostileorindifferentuniverse,regardshumanexistenceasunexplainable,andstressesfreedomofchoiceandresponsibilityfortheconsequencesofone‘sacts.存在主義：一種強調(diào)在懷有敵意或冷漠的世界中個人經(jīng)歷的獨特性和孤立性的哲學，它認為人的存在是不可解釋的，并強調(diào)選擇的自由和對自己行為的結(jié)果負責Blackhumor:Thejuxtaposition,asinwritingordrama,ofmorbidorabsurdelementswithcomicalorfarcicalones,especiallysoastoproduceashockingordisturbingeffect.黑色幽默：病態(tài)或荒謬的成分與喜劇或鬧劇成分并列出現(xiàn)，如在寫作或戲劇中，尤指為了產(chǎn)生令人震驚或震撼的效果英國20世紀文學TheatreoftheAbsurd荒誕派戲劇

TheatreofheAbsurd,derivedfromExistentialism,andinfluencebySymbolism,Expressionism,andSurrealism,isoneofthemostimportantandinfluentialliteraryschoolsaftertheSecondWorldWar.ItoriginatedinFranceinthemid50’sandsoonspreadoverEuropeandAmerica.InadditiontoBeckett,itschiefrepresentativesareEugeneIonesco(1912-)inFrance,EdwardAlbee(1928-)inAmerica,andHaroldPinter(1930-)inEngland.英國20世紀文學5.MainLiteraryCriticalSchoolsRussianFormalism

俄國形式主義(1920sand1930s)

他們認為文學不是心理學、社會學,而是由聲音、意象、節(jié)奏、韻律、句法、敘述等因素、技巧構成的語言,它有自己的規(guī)律和結(jié)構。文學藝術就是指風格、技巧及藝術手段。文學評論的作用就是要客觀地、科學地分析文學作品的風格,分析和評價它的結(jié)構,而不是用某一道德和真理標準去評價其內(nèi)容。它的理論和創(chuàng)作實踐都置內(nèi)容于不顧，而把形式強調(diào)到一種絕對化的程度。但這一流派對聲音組合、節(jié)奏和詩歌形式等方面的分析技巧,對不同敘述方式及不同文學特點的分析技巧,對文學評論的發(fā)展起到了積極作用。英國20世紀文學NewCriticism

新批評1940s-1960s這一流派的評論家主張對文學作品進行仔細地閱讀(closereading)和詳盡的文本分析,因為這是唯一能夠理解和解釋作品的途徑。他們認為,研究和評論文學作品只需孤立地仔細閱讀作品本身,而不需要研究作者的生平或思想、作者的寫作意圖、作品的素材來源及作家寫作時代的政治、歷史及社會背景。他們認為把作品同作者聯(lián)系起來是一種“荒謬”(fallacy)。同時他們也反對在分析和評論作品時考慮讀者的反應和對讀者的影響。他們認為作品本身就是一個統(tǒng)一的完整體,由互相聯(lián)系的各部分組成,其組成部分共同為整體服務,表達作品的中心思想;作品的語言、風格、結(jié)構、主題思想都在作品的本身,而不在作品之外。因而他們集中分析作品中的語義、節(jié)奏、意向、比喻、詞源、詞與詞之間的關系,研究作品的格調(diào)、組織結(jié)構等。英國20世紀文學PsychoanalyticCriticism

心理分析批評1920s-1980s用心理分析的手段對文學進行分析評論。文學評論家在分析文學作品時,就應像分析夢那樣,將文學作品的本身當作作者夢的表象,通過心理分析方法分析作品的不同層次而達到揭示作品真正意義、作者隱藏的動機及壓抑的欲望。心理分析評論家很重視對作者的研究。他們認為通過研究作者的生平、傳記、信件等可以深入了解作者的心理狀態(tài)及其潛意識,進而可以揭示其作品的潛在含義。50年代之后,心理分析評論家也開始注重對作品人物及對讀者進行心理分析研究,認為這是理解作品時不可缺少的兩個方面。英國20世紀文學Reader’sresponseCriticism

讀者反映批評1960s—它籠統(tǒng)地指這一時期中的幾種注重讀者閱讀過程和讀者如何理解、對待文學作品的文學批評流派。他們重視的是讀者讀文學作品的過程,強調(diào)的是讀者在閱讀文學作品時對作品的反應和接收情況。他們的主要觀點是,文學作品的意義不僅在于作品的本身,而更在于讀者對該作品的反應。不同讀者在讀同一作品時會對有不同的理解,對作品的意義會有不同的看法,因為讀者的社會背景、文化程度、個人經(jīng)歷、思想境界及思想方法都不同。對于這些評論家來說,一部文學作品不僅僅有一個意義,它有多個意義。他們認為,讀者讀書的過程就是創(chuàng)造的過程,在閱讀的過程中,作品和讀者相互起作用;作品對讀者產(chǎn)生影響,使讀者聯(lián)想到他過去的經(jīng)歷,激起讀者某種情感和思想;同時讀者又是一個重要的參與者,他在參與創(chuàng)造作品的意義,他和作品共同創(chuàng)造了作品的含義。這一流派的評論家經(jīng)常研究影響讀者對文學作品反映的因素是什么,作品的意義是什么,作者及作品對讀者閱讀有什么作用等等。英國20世紀文學StructuralistCriticism

結(jié)構主義批評1960s它受到瑞士語言學家索緒爾(FerdinanddeSaussure)結(jié)構語言學的影響,認為文學的結(jié)構同語言學一樣是一系列符號按一定規(guī)律構成的結(jié)構系統(tǒng),通過研究系統(tǒng)內(nèi)部各組成部分之間的關系就可以研究作品的意義。他們強調(diào)對不同文學體裁,不同文學形式進行系統(tǒng)的研究,通過同一體裁的不同作品的研究去探討這一文學體裁的特點,從而找出這一體裁的結(jié)構系統(tǒng)。結(jié)構主義文學評論家從宏觀上對不同文學體裁的內(nèi)部規(guī)律的探討是有積極意義的,他們對文學作品結(jié)構及句法的分析方法對理解作品也有一定的幫助。但結(jié)構主義批評家過分地強調(diào)了文學作品的內(nèi)在結(jié)構的意義,錯誤地認為統(tǒng)過研究文學作品的結(jié)構就可以發(fā)現(xiàn)作品的意義同“新批評”及“形式主義”批評家相同,他們都沒有把文學作品同作者的生平、世界觀及作者創(chuàng)作時的歷史背景聯(lián)系起來,因而無法正確地評價一部作品的真正思想意義和藝術價值。英國20世紀文學Post-structuralistorDe-constructionistCriticism

后結(jié)構主義或解構主義批評后結(jié)構主義并不是推翻結(jié)構主義的基本理論,而是結(jié)構主義的繼續(xù)和發(fā)展。從理論上講,結(jié)構主義和后結(jié)構主義的區(qū)別在于,前者主要從語言學的角度探討文學,而后結(jié)構主義是從哲學的