英美文学选读笔记完整笔记,全面归纳
英国文学与美国文学学习笔记摘抄
英国文学与美国文学学习笔记摘抄I.Literature文学i)English Literature英国文学I .Old and Medieval English literature(450-1066)&(1066-15世纪后期）上古及中世纪英国文学Background：英伦三岛自古以来遭遇过3次外族入侵，分别为古罗马人、盎格鲁-萨克逊人&诺曼底人。
其中后两次在英国文学史上留下了深远影响。
中世纪时期(约1066-15世纪后期）即从诺曼底征服起到文艺复兴前夕，为英国封建社会时期的文学，盛行文学形式为民间抒情诗(the folk ballad)和骑士抒情诗(the romance)。
I）The Anglo-Saxon Period(450-1066)盎格鲁撒克逊文明兴盛时期（上古时期）文学表现形式主要为诗歌散文。
i代表人物和主要作品：第一部民族史诗(the national epic)《贝奥武甫》Beowulf,体现盎格鲁撒克逊人对英雄君主的拥戴和赞美，歌颂了人类战胜以妖怪为代表的神秘自然力量的伟大功绩。
"Down off the moorlands' misting fells cameGrendel stalking;God's brand was on him.大踏步地走下沼泽地，上帝在每个人身上都打下了烙印。
"II)The Norman Period(1066-1350)诺曼时期In the early 11th century all England was conquered by the Danes for 23 years. Then the Danes were expelled, but in 1066 the Normans came from Normandy in northern France to attack England under the leadship of the Duck of Normandy who claimed the English throne. For the last Saxon king, Harold ,had promised that he would give his kingdom to William, Duck of Normandy, as an expression of his gratitude for protecting his kingdom during the invasion by the Danes. This is known as the Norman Conquest.诺曼征服Middle English中世纪英语III)The Age of chaucer(1350-1400)乔叟时期The Hundred Years' War英法百年战争Geoffrey Chaucer杰弗里.乔叟-中世纪最伟大诗人、英国民族文学奠基者。
新大纲自考《英美文学选读》笔记总结-背完必过
新大纲自考《英美文学选读》笔记总结-背完必过(总65页)--本页仅作为文档封面，使用时请直接删除即可----内页可以根据需求调整合适字体及大小--《英美文学选读》笔记背完必过Part One: English LiteratureAn Introduction to Old and Medieval English LiteratureI Understanding and application: (理解应用)1. England’s inhabitants are Celts. And it is conquered by Romans, Anglo Saxons and Normans. The Anglo-Saxons brought the Germanic language and culture to England, while Normans brought the Mediterranean civilization, including Greek culture, Rome law and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influence of these two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literature.2. The old English literature extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of England.3. The old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two groups: The religious group and the secular one4. Beowulf: a typical example of Old English poetry is regarded as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. It is an example of the mingling of nature myths and heroic legends.5. After the Norman’s conquest, three languages co-existed in England. French is the official language that is used by king and the Norman lords. Latin is the principal tongue of church affairs and in universities. Old English was spoken only by the common English people.6. In the second half of 14th century, English literature started to flourish with the appearance of writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and othersII Recite: (识记再现)1. Romance:①It uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds is a popular literary form in the medieval period.②It has developed the characteristic medieval motifs of the quest, the test, the meeting with the evil giant and the encounter with the beautiful beloved.③The hero is usually the knight, who sets out on a journey to accomplish some missions. There are often mysteries and fantasies in romance.④Romantic love is an important part of the plot in romance.Characterization is standardized, While the structure is loose and episodic, the language is simple and straightforward.⑤The importance of the romance itself can be seen as a means of showing medieval aristocratic men and women in relation to their idealized view of the world.2. Heroic couplet:Heroic couplet is a rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter. It is Chaucer who used it for the first time in English in his work The Legend of Good Woman.3. The theme of Beowulf:The poem presents a vivid picture of how the primitive people wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader. The poem is an example of the mingling of the nature myths and heroic legends.4. The Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales:The Wife of Bath is depicted as the new bourgeois wife asserting her independence. Chaucer develops his characterization to a higher artistic level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.5. Chaucer’s achievement:①He presented a comprehensive realistic picture of his age and created a whole gallery of vivid characters in his works, especially in The Canterbury Tales.②He anticipated a new ear, the Renaissance, to come under the influence of the Italian writers.③He developed his characterization to a higher level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.④He greatly contributed to the maturing of English poetry. Today, Chaucer’s reputation has beensecurely established as one of the best English poets for his wisdom, humor and humanity.6. “The F ather of English poetry”:Originally, Old English poems are mainly alliterative verses with few variations.①Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry to replace it.②In The Romaunt of the Rose (玫瑰传奇), he first introduced to the English the octosyllabic couplet (八音节对偶句).③In The Legend of Good Women, he used for the first time in English heroic couplet.④And in his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, he employed heroic couplet with true ease and charmfor the first time in the history of English literature.⑤His art made him one of the greatest poets in English; John Dryden called him “the father of Englishpoetry”.【例题】The work that presented, for the first time in English literature, a comprehensive realistic picture of the medieval English society and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life is most likely ______________. (0704)A. William Langland’s Piers PlowmanB. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury TalesC. John Gower’s Confession AmantisD. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight【答案】B【解析】本题考查的是中世纪时期几位诗人作品的创作主题和创作范围。
自考英美文学选读要点总结整理出考点26位作家完整
英美文学选读要点总结精心整理(只考26位作家)[英国』Chapter1 The Renaissance period（14世纪至十七世纪中叶）文艺复兴1. Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance.人文主义是文艺复兴的核心。
2. the Greek and Roman civilization was based on such a conception that man is the measure of all things.人文主义作为文艺复兴的起源是因为古希腊罗马文明的基础是以“人”为中心，人是万物之灵。
3. Renaissance humanists found in then classics a justification to exalt human nature and came to see that human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfection, and that the world they inhabited was theirs not to despise but to question, explore, and enjoy.人文主义者们却从古代文化遗产中找到充足的论据，来赞美人性，并开始注意到人类是崇高的生命，人可以不断发展完善自己，而且世界是属于他们的，供他们怀疑，探索以及享受。
4. Thomas More, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are the best representatives of the English humanists.托马斯.摩尔，克利斯朵夫.马洛和威廉.莎士比亚是英国人文主义的代表。
《英美文学选读》笔记
P3Middle English literature strongly reflects the principles (原则) of the medieval Christina doctrine (中世纪基督教学说) , which were primarily (主要) concerned with the issue of personal salvation (拯救)P4Geoffrey Chaucer is the greatest writer of this period.Chaucer characteristically( 表示特性地) regard life in term of aristocratic ideals (贵族理想) ,but he never lost the ability of regarding life as a purely(纯粹地) practical matter , the art of being at once involved in and detached from a given situation is peculiarly (特有地) Chaucer’sChaucer bore （带有）marks of humanism and anticipated ( 预期的)a new era (时代) to comeIn short, Chaucer develops his characterization (描述) to a higher artistic (艺术的,有美感的) level by presenting characters (引出人物) with both typical and individual dispositions (部署)Chaucer’s reputation (名誉) has been securely established as one of the best English poets for his wisdom, humor and humanityChapter 1Renaissances: The Renaissances which means rebirth or revival, is actually a movement stimulated ( 刺激) by a series of historical events, In essence( 本质上) , is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers (人道主义思想家) and scholars (学者) made attempt( 努力/尝试) to get rid of ( 摆脱) those old feudalist ideas ( 封建主义) in medieval Europe , to introduce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie (新兴的资产阶级) and to recover the purity (纯度) of the earlychurch from the corruption( 腐败,堕落) of the Roman Catholic Church/P7 P8Humanism is the essence ( 本质) of the RenaissanceThomas More , Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare and the best representatives of the English humanistWhen Henry VIII declared himself through the approval of the Parliament( 国会) as the supreme (极大的,最高的) Head of the Church of England in 1534 , the Reformation in England was in its full swing ( 高潮)P10The religious reformation was actually as reflection of the class strugglewaged ( 工资 )by the new rising bourgeoisie against the feudal class and its ideology ( 意识形态)The first period of the English Renaissance was one of imitation andassimilation ( 模仿与同化)In the early stage of the Renaissance, poetry and poetic drama were the most outstanding literary forms and they were carried on especially by Shakespeare and Ben JonsonThe Elizabethan drama , in its totally, is the real mainstream( 主流) of the English RenaissanceThe most famous dramatists in the Renaissance England are Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare and Ben JonsonP12Edmund Spenserhe was born in London and received good education & left Cambridge in 1576.in 1580, he was made secretary of Lord Grey of wilton. Spenser’s masterpiece(代表作)is the “ Faerie Queene ” is great poem of its age。
英美文学选读第四章笔记Victorianperiod
英美文学选读第四章笔记Victorianperiod第四章I.Multiple Choice1.Chronologically the Victorian Period refers to 1836~1901從時間上講，維多利亞文學時期恰好與維多利亞女王1836至1901年執政期相吻合，這一時間是英國歷史上最光輝燦爛的時期2.Although wrting from different points of view and with different techniques, writers in the Victorian Period shared one thing in common, that is, they were all concerned about the fate of the common people3.The author of the work“Dombey and Son” is Charles Dickens董貝父子是查爾斯。
逖更斯的作品---小保羅4.In the following figures, who is Dickens?s first child hem?Olive Twist 霧都孤兒中非人道的工廠廠房與黑暗的充滿犯罪的下層生活5.The death-bed scences of little Nell(the old curiosiry shop) and littlepaul(Dombey and Son) are the vivid description by Charles Dickens查爾斯是一位悲情大師，沒有人會忘懷老古玩店中，在病床上奉奉一息的小奈爾和董貝父子中的小保羅6.Which of the following comments on Charles Dickens is wrong?A.Dickens is one of the greatest critical realist writers of the ModernperiodB.His serious intention is to expose and criticize all thepoverty ,injustice,hypocrisy(偽善) and corruptness he sees allaround him狄更斯是偉大的批判現實主義作家，他以揭露抨擊社會的不公，虛偽,腐敗與貧究為已任,一方面他憎恨國家機器，尤其是議會，可另一方面作為城市資產階級作家，他又找不到解決問題的鑰匙，他所能做的隻是保持一咱充滿希望的樂觀主義，正如他前期的小說，或表達一種無助的憤概與反抗，正如他後期的小說C.The later works show the development of Dickens towards a highlyconscious artist of the modern type狄更斯後期的作品都表現出他正在向一個有著高度自覺意識的現代作家發展,塑造的人物都反映了一咱普遍壓抑的社會心理D. A Tale of Two Cities is one of his later works 雙城記7.Do you think, because I am poor,obscure,plain ,and little, I am soul less and heartless?...and If God had gifted me with some beauty, and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you” the above quoted passage is most probably taken from Jane Eyre難道你認為，因為我窮，默默無聞，不漂亮，個子瘦小，我尌沒有靈魂了嗎？你想錯了！要是上帝賜給我一點美貌和許多財富，我會讓你難以離開我，尌象現在我難以離開你一樣8.The Sentences “And now he stared at her so earnestly thatI thought the very intensity of his gaze would bring tears into his eyes,but they hurned with anguish, they dod not melt ” are found inWuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 艾米麗。
《英美文学选读》笔记,全面归纳
《英美文学选读》笔记,全面归纳9年elf担任造反发言人。
主要的有:《儒林外史》(1794)、《洛书》(1795)。
四祖(1796-1807)无论他想象什么，他也看到了。
作为一个富有想象力的诗人，他用视觉形象而不是抽象的术语来表达自己的观点。
布雷克在平原上写他的诗《怀伊河谷》本身，用一个细节描述了归来的流浪者思想的宁静中心，传达了一种自然秩序的感觉，立刻生动地表现了船停下来的情景；炎热的热带阳光照耀了一整天。
其他水手一个接一个地渴死了，只有水手还活着，一直被口渴折磨着(1595)，这首诗表达了诗人第二次婚姻所引起的深刻的个人感情；阿莫里蒂(1595)，一系列十四行诗。
理解他的影响spesser诗歌的主要品质(完美的旋律②罕见的美感③精彩的想象力④崇高的道德纯洁它也揭示了人类在敌对的道德秩序中实现崇高愿望的挫折。
最后一个场景，浮士德面临他的厄运，出色地呈现了一些移民到殖民地的恐惧；有些人堕落到农场工人的水平，他是一个无辜的叛逆者，时间的三个统一，建筑的空间规律应该坚持时间的三个统一，建筑的空间规律应该坚持，这本书很快变成了一个开放的道路的伟大小说，一个\史诗般的散文\其主题是\真正荒谬的\人性，暴露在各种各样的约瑟夫悲剧:艾琳(1749)；几百篇论文出现在他编辑的两个期刊——《漫步者》，他必须取悦，但他也必须指导；他不能冒犯宗教或宣扬不道德；杜纳(1775)，喜剧歌剧；《批评家》(1779)，一部滑稽剧《水手的灵魂》中每一个相应的变化都被记录下来。
整个经历是一场极度疲劳的考验。
(2)\可汗\是柯勒律治吸食鸦片后在梦中创作的。
诗人在阅读忽必烈汗的作品时睡着了。
河流、宏伟宫殿的形象\人类想象力的产物是调和对立的装置(诗歌)；第12行到第30行是抑扬格五音步，其多样性是多节奏的；第31行到第34行是抑扬顿挫的四步抑扬顿挫，第35行是抑扬顿挫的五步抑扬顿挫。
他悲叹堕落的希腊，表达了他热切的希望被压迫的希腊人民应该赢得他们的自由；他赞美法国大革命，而在大陆上，他被誉为自由的捍卫者，人民的诗人。
(完整版)英美文学史复习笔记
英美文学复习时期划分-—Early ＆ Medieval literature 包括The Anglo-Saxon Period 和The Anglo-Norman Period--Renaissance 文艺复兴—-Revolution ＆ Restoration 资产阶级革命与王权复辟——Enlightenment 启蒙运动-—Romantic Period 浪漫主义时期——Critical Realism 批判现实主义——20th Modernism 现代主义传统诗歌主题：nature, life， death， belief, time， youth, beauty， love, feelings of differen t kinds, reason（wisdom), moral lesson， morality。
修辞名称：meter格律, rhyme韵， sound assonance谐音, consonance和音, alliteration头韵， form of poetry诗歌形式, allusion典故, foot音步， iamb抑扬格, trochee扬抑格， anapest抑抑扬格, da ctyl扬抑抑格, pentameter五音步文学体裁：诗歌poem，小说novel，戏剧novel起源：Christianity基督教Bible圣经myth神话The Roma nce of king Arthur and his knights亚瑟王和他的骑士（笔记）一、 1、The Anglo—Saxon period(496—1066）这个时期的文学作品分类：（pagan异教徒）(Christ ian基督徒）2、代表作：The song of Beowulf《贝奥武甫》（national epic）（民族史诗)采用了隐喻手法3、Alliteration押头韵（写作手法）例子：of man was the mildest and most beloved.To his kin the kindest, keenest for praise.二、 The Anglo-Norman period（1066—1350)Canto 诗章受到法国影响 English literature is also a combination of French and Saxon element s。
自考英美文学选读--英美文学课本中各要点总结
Part one: English Literature Chapter1 The Renaissance period（14世纪至十七世纪中叶）文艺复兴1. Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance.人文主义是文艺复兴的核心。
2. the Greek and Roman civilization was based on such a conceptionthat man is the measure of all things.人文主义作为文艺复兴的起源是因为古希腊罗马文明的基础是以“人”为中心，人是万物之灵。
3. Renaissance humanists found in then classics a justification to exalthuman nature and came to see that human beings were gloriouscreatures capable of individual development in the direction ofperfection, and that the world they inhabited was theirs not to despisebut to question, explore, and enjoy.人文主义者们却从古代文化遗产中找到充足的论据，来赞美人性，并开始注意到人类是崇高的生命，人可以不断发展完善自己，而且世界是属于他们的，供他们怀疑，探索以及享受。
4. Thomas More, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare arethe best representatives of the English humanists.托马斯.摩尔，克利斯朵夫.马洛和威廉.莎士比亚是英国人文主义的代表。
《英美文学选读》笔记(简单版)
《英美文学选读》笔记（简单版）Thomas More: Utopia 《乌托邦》Francis Bacon: Essays 《论说文集》或《随笔》"Knowledge is power"----BaconEdmund Spencer: Faerie Queen 《仙后》"Our sweetest songs are those that sing of saddest feelings."--- SpencerWilliam Shakespeare (1564-1616)1. 23rd, April 1564, Stratford-on-Avon2. His Father, a leather merchant 皮货商3. His school, a local Grammar school for 6 years4. His life, dramatist, actor, poet, proprietor5. His first son, Hamnet6. 4 tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth (Romeo and Juliet)7. Main works: 37 plays, 154 sonnets , 2 narrative plays戏剧 14行诗叙事诗Titus Andronicus 《泰特斯·安德洛尼克斯》Taming of the Shrew 《驯悍记》The Two Gentlemen of Verona 《维罗纳二绅士》Love's Labor's Lost 《爱的徒劳》A Midsummer Night's Dream 《仲夏夜之梦》King John 《约翰王的生平和逝世》Much Ado about Nothing 《无事生非》The Merry Wives of Windsor 《温莎的风流娘们》Julius Caesar 《朱力叶斯·凯撒》The Merchant of Venice 《威尼斯商人》As you like it 《皆大欢喜》8. Carl Marx: "Aeschylus and Shakespeare are the two greatest dramatic genius the world has ever known."9. His friend: "He does not belong to one time, but belongs to all times."William Shakespeare's writing feature1. A play in the play.2. Borrow plots from other stories such as Roman, Greek and ancient myth.3. Several threads running through the play.4. Combination of tragic and comic elements.William Shakespeare's writing style1. Tremendous vocabulary (16,000 words, invent words)2. Literary devices (alliteration, simile, metaphor)3. Use poetry in his playWilliam Shakespeare's humanistic ideas1. Against cruelty and anti-natural character of civil wars2. Against religious persecution, racial discrimination, social inequality.3. Hates rebellion and despises democracyThemes in Shakespeare's sonnets1. Express love and praise to a young man2. Immortalize beauty through verses3. Friendship or betrayal of friendshipSonnetOrigin: ItalyMost famous and influential sonneteer: PetrachSelected Reading of Shakespeare:1. [P37] Shakespeare's Sonnet 18:a. Ladies in the eyes of Shakespeare are not good and beautiful. His wife is 8 years older than him.b. Iambic pentameterc. Main ideas:i. Quatrain 1: praise the beauty of the young manii. Quatrain 2: changes in life and natureiii. Quatrain 3: "your" beauty will last foreveriv. Couplet: "your" beauty will live in my poem. à Immortalize beauty2. [P39] An Excerpt from The Merchant of Venicea. How does Shylock justify himself according to the accusation of Duke and Bassanio?[P40-41] There are 3 reasons.b. Why does Shylock stick to his bond instead of taking twice his principle?He hates the Christians and is determined to revenge on them because his daughter elopes with a Christian.c. What do you think of Shylock in the early court scene? What about him later?In the early court scene, Shylock is cruel, eloquent, stubborn, tricky, isolated from law and friendship.In the later court scene, Shylock is greedy, sympathetic and oppressed by Christians.d. What is Shakespeare's attitude towards Shylock?He sympathizes those who are oppressed. Antonio is oppressed by Shylock. Shylock is oppressed by Christians.e. The whole play is a tragi-comedy. In the scene, Shylock is the tragic side. Antonio and his friends is the comic side.John Donne (1572-1631)1572 Born in a merchant family1591 Learn law at the Inns of Court in LondonPrivate Secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal.1601 29y. Married Egerton's niece, Ann More. He worked hard to fight against poverty. However, it's a secret marriage. When the marriage was exposed, he was put into jail. The Egertons regarded the marriage as an offence.1617 His wife died. He devoted his time and efforts to his priestly duties, writing sermons and religious poems.1621 Donne was appointed the Dean of St. Paul's and kept the post until his death.John Donne's major work1. Songs and Sonnets, wrote before 1600, 55 love poems.2. The Elegies and Satires, his elegies wrote for love whereas others' wrote for mourning dead people.3. Holy Sonnets & Sermons, Sonnets wrote about God, sexual life, problem of death and life. Sermons are Christian preaching. John Donne is famed for 3 things1. A great visitor of ladies2. A great frequenter of plays3. A great writer of conceited versesAt his time, John Donne was famed as a preacher. Today, he is famed as a lyric poet. John Donne compared parting love to compass, flea compared to the union of lovers. John Donne's conceit can be seen from his "Go catching the falling star" in which he listed many impossible things---the most impossible thing is a woman's faith and heart.Metaphysical poetry--- is commonly used to name the work of the 17th-century writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne. Metaphysical poets--- are the poets in the 17c England who often unconventionally use conceits and wit. The imagery is draw from everyday life.The form is the form of argument (with God, lover, himself). The diction is simple and the language is colloquial but powerful. John Donne is the leading of "metaphysical school".Selected Reading of John Donne1. [P66]The Sun Rising2. [P68]Death, Be not Proud (1)John Milton (1608-1674)1608 Born in London. A Catholic family. His father was both a scholar and a businessman.1620 Educated at St. Paul's School1625 Educated in Cambridge1643 Married a 17y. girl younger than him1649 Appointed Latin Secretary to Cromwell's Council of State1652 Became totally blind. His wife died. He married again.3 periods in John Milton's life1. English revolution1649 Charles I beheaded. Cromwell took the power1660 Restoration. Charles II took the power2. Political ideas: express his political ideas in pamphlets3. Poem: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes.Paradise Lost is a long epic divided into 12 books. The theme is the "Fall of Man", i.e. man's disobedience and the loss of Paradise.The original story is taken from Genesis. Adam and Eve are originally in innocent spiritual love. They are punished by God because they eat the apple of the Tree of Knowledge seduced by a serpent. Since they eat the apple, they begin to make love. God thinks they are not innocent. They committed sin. God drives Adam and Eve out of Eden.Satan is punished by God to suffer from fire. He knows that he can't win God by power, so he wins God by cheating. He seduced Eve to eat the apple.In Paradise Lost, Satan is the rebel who never bows down to God even when he failed. He is a good military leader. He refuses to acknowledge the power of God. He is determined to continue the battle. He feels sorrow at the sufferings of those angels. He has led to so terrible a punishment, but he is very cruel. He has indomitable pride, unconquerable rebellion, and the will to evil and power. He said, "Only do evil, no good". He tries to be as equal as God.Selected Reading of John Milton1. [P73] An Excerpt from Paradise LostChapter 2 The Neoclassical Period (1600-1798)The age of reason and enlightenment. It's a turbulent period.1660 The Restoration1665 The Great Plague --- Black Death. 70,000 died, 2/3 homeless.1688 The Glorious Revolution. James II exiled abroad. The persecution of Protestants. James II's daughter Marry and her wife William turned back to England as figurehead (King and Queen) without power. Power was in the Parliament. England became the first capitalist country with Constitutional monarchy, which marked the end of feudal society.1798 The publication of Lyrics by WordsworthIndustrial Revolution --- at the 2nd half of 18cPreparations for the revolution1. money --- by trading companies, e.g. East India Company--- by money investment2. goods, materials --- colonies, e.g. India, North America3. manpower --- "Act of Enclosure". The landless and homeless peasant began to work in cities--- the invention of textile machineIn the revolution, Bourgeois (middle class) became the main class in the society. Bankers, landlords, slave traders, merchants, colonists controlled the economy of the country at the time. They believed in self-reliance and hard working.The Giants of the Enlightenment Movement:Voltaire 伏乐泰, Mosteiqeu 孟德斯鸠, Dierot 狄德罗, Rousseau 卢梭.Gothic Novel1. Content: magic, supernatural elements, ghosts, monsters.2. Setting: old castle, graveyard, dark forest3. Atmosphere: horribleJohn Bunyan (1628-1688)1628 Born in a poor tinker's family. He received little education in a GrammarSchool1647 Married a Christian woman and became interested in Christianity.1660 Bunyan began to preach, but he didn't have a preaching license so he was put into jail for 6 years.1665 Great Plague in England, he was released from jail. Few months later, he was in jail again for another 6 years.1672 Declaration of Independence, he was released again.1675 His license of lay preacher was temporarily cancelled and he was in prison again.Throughout his life, he only read one book the Bible. His most famous work is The Pilgrim's Process.Bunyan's purpose of writing The Pilgrim's Process1. Urge people to abide by Christian doctrine2. To seek salvation through struggling with his own weakness and social evilsThe content of The Pilgrim's Process is about Christianity. The title means "life is a journey". It's a metaphor.Form of The Pilgrim's Process: Allegory1. A story in verse or prose with double meanings or meanings at two levels.2. Higher lever - concerning moral, religious, or political ideas. Lower level - your understanding of the story.3. Main characters in the story Christian, Faithful, Hopeful.4. The description of the story is realistic religious allegory.Selected Reading of John Bunyan: [P85]"The Vanity Fair" from The Pilgrim's ProcessWhy "The Vanity Fair" is a satire on the ruling class of Egnland?1. It's a symbolic picture of London at the time of Restoration2. In Vanity Fair, everything can be sold and bought, daily necessities, but also honor, kingdom, lust, pleasure and even lives.3. Evil things such as cheating, roguery, and adultery are normal in the Vanity Fair where there is no moral. It's a satire of the non-moral English ruling class.4. Faithful is put to death for his despising of the Vanities. It's a parallel of Bunyan's experience of imprisoned for preaching. John Bunyan's writing style --- moded after the BibleLanguage --- easy to read, colloquial, concrete and conciseForm --- allegorical form, realistic, true to life.Alexander Pope (1688-1744)1688 Born in the year of Glorious Revolution in a merchant Roman Catholic family.Because of his ill health, he didn't go to university. He received his education from a learned preacher. Because he is a Catholic, he can't do thing for the government.Pope is a deformed person. He suffered severe illness in his childhood.Illness accompanied him throughout his life.Alexander Pope's major work1711 An Essay on Criticism. The poem is a manifesto of English neoclassicism. It's expressed Pope's aesthetic theories of poetry. The poem is divided into 3 parts with 744 lines.Part I: bewailing the lack of true taste in critics; praising the ancients likeHomer, VirgilPart II: enumerating dangers of criticism; referring to literary scene of his dayPart III: giving rules for criticism; tracing the history of literary criticism.The poem is a comprehensive study on literary criticism. It was written in heroic couplet as Pope is a master in heroic couplet. Heroic couplet is 2 lines with the same rhymes, same length. 10 syllables, 5 stressed, 5 unstressed. Heroic couplet was first used by Chaucer.1712 The Rape of Lock is based on a real event. Bellina is as beautiful woman as a Goodness. She is admired by all the people around her, esp. a young man name. A Baron cut a small amount of Bellina's hair. In Bellina's opinion, it's an offence. Baronjust cut her hair for fun and admiration. So hatred is aroused between the two families. They become enemies. In this poem, Pope satires the idle, meaningless life of middle-class people.1728 The Dunciad is consisted of 4 books. It's the best satire of Pope. It's a very famous satirical poem about against personal enemies. Pope tries to attack on all personal enemies.1733-34 An Essay on Man. Pope gained his fame as a poet. It includes 4 epistles (letters). People review his philosophical and political views as an enlgitener.Selected Reading of Alexander Pope: [P93] An excerpt from Part 2 of An Essay on Criticism.Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)He was born in a butcher's family (wealthy but low social status). Defoe never went to university, but received good educationin a Dissenting Academy. Defoe has two interests: interest in business and interest in politics.Interest in business. He started from small business to become rich. He is a gifted man in business.Interest in politics. His political stand swang between the Whigs and the Tories. He wrote political pamphlets to attack the Whigs, but both of the two parties thought the pamphlets insulted them. So Defoe was sent to jail and pillory. He negotiatedwith the Prime minister to become a spy to Scotland. He tried to make the union of Scotland and England.1704, he issued a periodical The Review, on which he voiced his concerns for woman's right, economy, children and parents relationships, politics and other hot issues of the time.1718, he began to write novel.1719, his first novel Robinson Crusoe was published. It's based on a true story published on a newspaper. (Alexander is a Scottish who lives in an uninhabited island for 5 years.) The story is about the hero's life on the island. The first part is aboutthe career of Robinson Crusoe. The body of the novel is about his life on the island after the shipwreck. The story reveals the essence of British colonialism.The themes of Robinson's Crusoea. man's struggles against natureb. glorification of the bourgeois men who has the courage and will to face hardship and determination to improve his livelihood.c. Glorification of labor (Robinson lives on his own hands)The style of Robinson's Crusoea. realistic style, true to life, in detailsb. smooth, simple, colloquial languagec. long sentences are loose; short sentences are plain, easy to understandd. presents facts in order, the meaning is clearIn the following years, Defoe wrote another 4 novels: Captain Singleton (1720), Moll Flanders (1722), Colonel Jack (1722) and Roxana (1724). Defoe wrote them in the same pattern. The feature of the pattern:a. Traces the personal history of the titular hero or heroine of a low origin. After some ups and downs, he/she finally gets prosperity.b. Deals with moralizing, repentance, and revolutions to be good.c. Expresses the struggles for mere existence. Show the conflicts between existence and social environment.d. Blames the society for driving people to sinning.1720, Captain Singleton is sent to Africa when he was 3 months old. In Africa, he experiences many adventures. With good luck, he wins much gold. Back to England, he goes bankrupt and becomes a pirate.1722, Moll Flanders is the daughter of a woman thief. She is born in the Newgate Prison. In her life, she married 5 times with over 12 children. However, she never nurses a single child. She becomes a thief herself. She is transferred to the American colony as a criminal. She accumulates a wealth and buys a fare plant there. At the age of 30, she comes back to England. 1722, Colonel Jack is deserted by his parents at a very young age. He becomes a pickpocket. He is kidnapped and sent to the American colony. He is very clever and finally becomes a rich plant owner.1724, Roxana is the daughter of a Protestant refugee. She is beautiful and clever. She marries an English merchant. Because the merchant deserts her, she becomes a famous international prostitute. In Holland, she married a Dutch merchant. After his death, she finds that he was in great debts. She can't pay off the debts and is put into jail and died in jail.Daniel Defoe's satirical poems.1701, The True-Born Englishman, in the poem, Defoe defended King William, which won him the friendship of the King. He attacked the racial and family pride of the aristocrats in England.1703, A Hymn to the Pillory. He voiced his anger over the shameful punishment, courageous attack on the injustice of England's legal system. He was cheered by people as a hero to defend himself.Selected Reading of Daniel Defoe: [P98] An excerpt from Robinson CrusoeJonathan Swift (1667-1745)He was born in Dublin, Ireland, of an English family. His father died before he was born. A rich uncle sent Swift to the Trinity College. His most deed is against the ruling class of England.1689-1699, he worked as a private secretary to Sir William Temple, a retired diplomat. On the post, Swift made many famous politician friends and came to know many dirty and dishonest politicians of the day.1704, Swift published the satire, The Battle of the Books, which wrote about the quarrels between the Ancients and the Moderns. The Ancients were compared to bee. The Moderns were compared to spider. In literate theory, bee represents good - "bring honey"; spider represents selfish.1704, A Tale of a Tub attacks on religion or Christianity. In the satire, the father represents the God. His 3 sons indicate the 3 branches of Christianity: Roman Catholic, English Church, and Dissenters.The Battle of the Books, and A Tale of a Tub established Swift's name as a satirist.1705, he became a clergyman.1707, he moved to London and became a politician. He tries to speak for the Irish people. He was the editor of The Examiner, a Tory's periodical.1713, he was appointed the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.1716, Swift married a woman.1724, there were 2 great events in England.a. Wool industry --- English Congress passed the persuasion of developing wool industry in England. Irish people can't make money from wool because they have to return the land. Irish people had to live a miserable life. A famous slogan in Ireland at that time is "Burn everything that come from England except the coal" which voiced Irish people's determination of refusing England.b. Coin event --- A minister suggested and permitted to make new coins. The exchange rate between Irish coin and the new English coin was unfair. The minister and King got profit from the exchange.1724, Swift published the satireThe Drapier's Letters to attack the event. The exchange of new coin is canceled.1726, his wife died. It's a heavy blow on him. He wrote and published his greatest satirical work, Gulliver's Travels. The story is divided into 4 parts.Part I. Travels in Lilliput is a mini picture of modern English society. Two parties: High Heel and Low Heel indicates the Tories and the Whigs. Here, Swift satires the two parties. The war between Lilliput and its neighboring country about how to break eggs (big/small end). Big end - Roman Church. Small end - English Church. Swift satires the party and church fights are meaningless.Part II. Travels in BrobdingnagPart III. A show of the cruelty of the English ruling class. The Flying Island rules the below countries.Part IV. It's the sharpest and bitterest satire. In this part, human beings are reduced to animals. A wiser creature governs human beings. Gulliver wants to be a horse rather than a man. It shows how mean the human beings are.1729, the publication of the pamphlet A Modest Proposal. It's a greatest and bitterest satire.The theme of A Modest Proposala. The poor Irish people were forced to sell their one-year-old child for the rich people for food.b. English King allowed French King to recruit soldiers from Ireland to solve the problem of over population.c. Some politicians suggested sending Irish people to Australia to be concentrated servants because of over population.d. Swift lists some terrible scenes in the prose: a beggar mother followed by children in rugs; poor parents sell children. It's a satire against the English ruling class and the cruelty of English landlords.Selected Reading of Jonathan Swift: [P107] An excerpt from Gulliver's TravelHenry Fielding (1707-1754)1707 Fielding was born in an aristocratic family. His great grandfather was an Earl. (Duke 公, Marquis 侯, Earl 伯, Viscount 子, Baron男) He received his education in the Eton Public School1728 21y. He published his first play in London, but failed.1729 Fielding quarreled with his father, so his father cut off financial support. He had to make a living by himself.1730-37 He produced 25 plays of different times. His ballads, satires were alsovery successful. (Shakespeare wrote 37 plays)1734 He got married.1737 30y. The promulgation of Licensing Act restricted the publication of plays. So Fielding took up law. He spent 3 years to finish a 7-year course.1740 Fielding became a bar, but the money he earn couldn't support his familyHenry Fielding wrote 4 novels in his life. Henry Fielding is regarded as "Father of English Novel".1742 The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews. The hero Joseph Andrews is the servant of Mr. B's uncle and is the cousin of Pamela.Samuel Richardson's Pamela is a collection of letters written by herself and her parents. Pamela is a very beautiful and clever girl. Mr. B's mother is very found of here and teaches her knowledge. After the mother died, Pamela wants to go home, but Mr.B as a noble man seduces her, doesn't allow her to go home and imprisons her. Pamela write letters and sends the letters by a servant of Mr. B. Mr. B falls in love with Pamela through reading her letters. The novel persuades people to be virtuous. Henry Fielding's aims of writing the Adventures of Joseph AndrewsPart I, Fielding tries to attack Pamela. He thinks Pamela's chastity ispretentious and untrue. She uses her chastity to seduce Mr. B.Part II. Joseph Andrews meets his friend Parson Adams. Both of them travel through England. Fielding tries to give a panoramic view of England.Part I. It was first intended as a burlesque of the conventional virtue of false sentimentality.Part II. Fielding adopted "comic epic in prose"--- to write common people in form of great novel. Epic is used to describe great figures and heroes. He gave a vivid picture of English life.Major achievement: the description of Parson Adams. Adams is an absent-minded, vain man, so he is a ridiculous person, easy to be cheated.1743 Jonathan Wild the Great , Jonathan is a notorious criminal of the London underworld. He is a real person. He is hanged in 1725. Jonathan is described as a great man. He never participated in any crime, but he orders other people to commit crimes. He commands crime.Henry Fielding compared Jonathan to Prime Minister Walpole. The story is a political satire.1749 Tom Jones is a deserted child. He is adopted by a kind man who has his own child Blifil. The two children fell in love with the same girl Sophia. Tom is kind and he is truly in love with Sophia. Blifil loves Sophia for her beauty and money. Sophia's father knows that Tom is a deserted child so he wants Sophia to marry Blifil. Tom wants to see the outside world andmoves to London. Sophia wants to see the world too. So they go through a long journey and give a panoramic view of 18c's English life.In this novel, social evils are presented: cruelty, moral degeneracy, deceit, and hypocrisy. It's showed Fielding's view about human nature. Henry Fielding thinks that human nature is a combination of good and evil.The writing feature of Tom Jones --- "comic epic in prose", displays a kind of classic epic form. The novel contains 18 books in 3 sections.Section 1: life in the countrysideSection 2: life on the highwaySection 3: life in London1750 Amelia marries a poor solider. Her husband goes to London to seek fortune. He fights with other people in the street so he is put into jail. She is very faithful to her husband. When her husband is in prison, other officials try to seduce her. In the end, Amelia reunites with her husband and live happily.Henry Fielding's aim of writing Ameliaa. To condemn the moral degeneracy of the officials. To praise Amelia.b. To reveal the shameless deed of the noble and the rich.Henry Fielding's writing style1. Comic epic in prose: the grand style of classic epic in the depiction of common, ridiculous people.2. He started the third person narration. The narrator is a kind of all knowing God.3. The characters are vivid, convincing and true to life,4. His language is easy, familiar, vivid but vigorous.5. The content is noted for the theatrical devices: suspense, coincidence, surprise.What is "comic epic in prose"?1. The description in a grand style of classic epic. "Classic epic" has:(a) a great hero(b) calls on Muses(c) give a list of names of gods(d) compare small fights to great wars.2. Use verified language to narrate a small fight.3. Different figure of speech esp. irony, hyperboleSelected Reading of Henry Fielding: [P122] An excerpt from Tom JonesSamuel Johnson (1709-1784)1708 Johnson was born in a bookseller's family, in Richfield. His eyesight was very poor like John Milton1715 8y. He went to a Grammar School for 8 years which provided him a solid knowledge of Latin1728 He went to Oxford University1731 22y. His father died. He quit Oxford without a degree.1735 26y. He married an old rich widow who was 20years older than him. Hemarried her for money.1738 29y. His first poem1747 He compiled English dictionary1752 His wife died. He was in great debt and was arrested.1755 The first publication of English dictionary brought him fame and money.1762 The British government gave him an annual pension of £300, which freed him from the burden of "writing for a living". His life before 1762 was very difficult.He had a hand in all the different branches of literary activities. He was a poet诗人, dramatist 剧作家, prose romancer散文传奇小说作家, biographer 传记作者, essayist 随笔作家, critic 批评家, lexicographer 词典编纂者and publicist 政治评论家. Johnson was the last great neoclassicist enlightener in the late 18c. His point of view:1. He concerned with the theme of the vanity of human wishes.2. In literary creation and criticism, he was rather conservative, openly showed his dislike and fondness.3. He insisted that a writer should adhere to universal truth and experience i.e. Nature.4. He was particularly found of moralizing 道德教化and didacticism 教训主义.Johnson's writing style.1. His language is characteristically general, of Latinate 从拉丁文衍生来的and frequently polysyllabic多音节的2. His sentences are long and well structured, interwoven 交织with parallel words and phrases but clearly expressed.3. He tends to use "learned words", uses words accurately.Selected Reading from Samuel Johnson: [P132] "To the Right Honorable the Earl of Chesterfield"Richard Brinkley Sheridan (1751-1816)1751 Sheridan was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father was an actor and theater manager. He was educated at Harrow (Eton, 2 public schools). His works are mainly plays. In fact, Dublin is the cradle of many famous writers, like Jonathan Swift.1770 Sheridan moved to Bath, the most fashionable place in 18c's England.1772 He was in love with a beautiful lady who is a singer and actress. He fought two duels and finally married her.1774 The appearance of his first play The Rivals won him an immediate success and fame.1776 He became a part owner and manager of the Drury Lane Theater, so it's easy for him to stage his plays.1777 The appearance of his masterpiece The School for Scandal.1780 His play-writing career ended. He was elected M.P. of the Parliament and became an orator.1809 The Drury Lane Theater was burn in a fire. His financial support was cut off.1812 His political career ended. He had no money to afford the election.1816 Sheridan died in poverty and neglect. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.The first English writer buried in Westminster Abbey was Chaucer. Samuel Johnson was also rested there.Richard Brinsley Sheridan is chiefly known as a playwright. Two plays: The Rivals, The School of Scandal.The Rivals (1774)The heroine Lydia comes from an upper-class family. Lydia is a sentimental girl. She often dreams to elope with a poor young man. Captain Absolute loves Lydia. He is a Baron. He pretends to be a poor young man to win the heart of Lydia. However, Lydia's aunt is a rich woman. She refuses the proposal made by Captain Absolute. Captain Absolute's father makes a proposal to Lydia's aunt. The father reveals the real identity of his son so the aunt accepts the proposal. When Lydia knows the identity of Captain Absolute, she is disillusioned. She finally realized that romance is not realistic.Theme of The Rivals.1. Sheridan ridicules the sentimental and pseudo-romantic fancies of the young woman of the upper class.2. Sheridan presents a true picture of the aristocratic-bourgeois world where money talks. (like the arranged marriage)The School of Scandal (1777)The school of scandal refers to the living room of Lady Sneerwell.Lady Sneerwell: She often laughs at people, esp. underdogs.Mrs. Candour: Candour means justice, but here it's an irony. She is a scandal monger.Sir Backbite: Backbite means bite people from behind. He is a two-blade man.Joseph Surface and Charles Surface: Surface means superficial. You can't judge the brothers by their appearance.Theme of Sheridan [P136]In his plays, morality is the constant theme. He is much concerned with the current moral issues and lashes harshly at the social vices of the day.Writing style of Sheridan [P136-137]1. His dramatic techniques are largely conventional. They are exploited to the best advantage.2. His plots are well organized, his characters, either major or minor, are all sharply drawn, and his manipulation of such devices as disguise, mistaken identity and dramatic irony is masterly.3. Witty dialogues and neat and decent language also make a characteristic of his plays.。
英美文学选读要点总结精心整理3
【美国】Chapter 1 The Romantic Period浪漫主义时期1. From the end of the 18th century to the outbreak of he Civil War. It started with the publication of Washington Irving’s The Sketch Book and ended with Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. It is also called “the Americ an Renaissance”.浪漫主义时期开始于十八世纪末，到内战爆发为止，华盛顿.欧文出版的《见闻札记》标志着美国文学的开端，惠特曼的《草叶集》是浪漫主义时期文学的压卷之作。
（也可称为“美国德文艺复兴”）2. The desire for an escape from society and a return to nature became a permanent convention of American literature.对逃离社会，回归自然的渴求成为美国文学的一个永恒的话题。
3. The American Puritanism as a cultural heritage exerted great influences over American moral values.美国清教作为一种文化遗产，对美国人的道德观念产生了很大的影响。
4. Besides, a preoccupation with the Calvinistic view of original sin and the mystery of evil marked the works of Hawthorne, Melville and a host of lesser writers. 在霍桑，麦尔维尔以及其他一些小作家的作品种加尔文主义的原罪思想和罪恶的神秘性都得到了充分的表现。