《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(13周)
合集下载
《Short Stories》 讲义
《Short Stories》讲义在文学的广袤天地中，短篇小说（Short Stories）犹如一颗颗璀璨的星辰，以其独特的魅力闪耀着。
它们或许没有长篇巨著那般宏大的篇幅和复杂的情节架构，但却能在有限的文字里，传递出深刻的情感、独特的见解和引人入胜的故事。
短篇小说的一个显著特点就是其篇幅的精炼。
相较于长篇小说，短篇小说需要作者在更短的篇幅内塑造鲜明的人物形象，构建引人入胜的情节，并传达深刻的主题。
这就要求作者具备高超的文字驾驭能力和谋篇布局的智慧。
比如，莫泊桑的《项链》就是一篇经典的短篇小说。
故事以女主人公马蒂尔德借项链参加舞会为开端，因丢失项链而辛苦还债为发展，最终揭示项链是假的为结局。
整个故事紧凑而又充满戏剧性，在短短几千字内，将马蒂尔德的虚荣、命运的无常以及社会的现实展现得淋漓尽致。
再看欧·亨利的《麦琪的礼物》，一对贫困的夫妻为了给对方送上一份珍贵的礼物，分别卖掉了自己最宝贵的东西，然而最终的礼物却都失去了实用价值。
这样的情节既温馨又充满了讽刺，让人在为他们的爱情感动的同时，也对生活的无奈有了更深的思考。
短篇小说的魅力还在于其情节的巧妙构思。
好的短篇小说往往能在开篇就迅速抓住读者的注意力，然后通过巧妙的情节转折和发展，让读者始终保持着紧张的阅读状态。
例如，芥川龙之介的《罗生门》，以一个破败的城门为背景，通过一个仆人的心理变化和选择，展现了人性的复杂和黑暗。
从一开始仆人的犹豫，到最后为了生存而放弃道德，每一个情节的推进都让人意想不到，却又在情理之中。
而在契诃夫的《变色龙》中，通过对警官奥楚蔑洛夫围绕一条狗的态度反复变化，将其见风使舵、趋炎附势的丑态刻画得入木三分，让人在捧腹大笑的同时，也对社会的丑恶现象有了深刻的认识。
短篇小说的人物塑造同样至关重要。
由于篇幅限制，作者无法像在长篇小说中那样对人物进行全方位的细致描绘，但却可以通过抓住人物的关键特征和典型行为，使人物形象鲜明而生动。
比如鲁迅的《孔乙己》，仅仅通过孔乙己站着喝酒却穿着长衫、“排出九文大钱”等几个典型的动作和细节，就将一个深受封建科举制度毒害的读书人的形象呈现在读者面前，让人对他的可怜与可悲感同身受。
《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(第三周)
Story 2 Discussion
Story 2 Discussion
Plot summary Who: Peyton Farquhar —a plantation owner of the South; a slave master Where: Owl Creek Bridge
When: during the Civil War
Omniscient point of view
• Definition: a narrator knows everything about all the characters. (all-knowing) • Such a narrator is free to move and to comment at will, and can tell us what characters say and do as well as their thoughts and feelings. • E.g. Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
Created with Haiku Deck
story 2 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
—Ambrose Bierce —Plot
Adapted film 猫头鹰桥事件 La Rivière du hibou (1962) 导演: 罗伯特· 安利可 编剧: Ambrose Bierce 制片国家/地区: 法国 语言: 英语 上映日期: 1962 片长: 28分钟
• Third-person narrator does not appear as a character in a story. • Third-person narrator may see into the minds of all characters, a single character, or none of the characters but merely describes events from the outside. • A) omniscient point of view • B) limited omniscient point of view • C) objective or dramatic point of view
英文经典短篇小说阅读与赏析课件
The star guided the three men to a manger ( /ˈmeɪndʒə/马槽) where they discovered the child.
The men offered the child their gifts: gold（黄金）, incense （乳香） and myrrh（/ mə/殁 药）. This event is known as
But later Jim gives Della a beautiful set of combs, which proves to be of no use for her now.
Then, Della gives the chain to Jim, but is told that Jim has sold his gold watch to get the money to buy the combs for her hair.
Part I Comprehension and appreciation
Time: On Christmas Eve
Event: Buying gifts
Characters: Della and Jim (Magi)
About the plot Logic: Beginning-Development-Result
the Adoration of the Magi.
That night, God told them in
their dreams to ignore Herod's
orders. The next day the Magi
left secretly.
Massacre of the Innocents /ˈmæsəkə(r) / /ˈɪnəsnt /
《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(第一周)(12英本2班) (1)
Today‟s Agenda
—about the instructor
—about the course —class website
—Chapter 1 Plot (I)
Photo by 55Laney69 - Creative Commons Attribution License https:///photos/42875184@N08
A woman is sitting in her old, shuttered house. She knows that she is alone in the whole world; every other thing is dead. The doorbell rings.
Story? Essay? Poem? Play?
Novel
Photo by 55Laney69 - Creative Commons Attribution License https:///photos/42875184@N08
Created with Haiku Deck
Read the following paragraphs
Created with Haiku Deck
About the course
Expected duration: 16 weeks Overview Selected readings of English short stories is a class that uses famous short stories in both American and British literature to help students enhance their reading ability, get to know the cultures of foreign countries, and most importantly, master the basic literary criticism skills. Students in this course will focus on the function and significance of basic elements of the short stories upon various selected readings.
Reading Short Stories-英语短篇小说课件
Theme
-- major idea
-- presented indirectly -- diverse
Techniques of Short Story
a. b. c. d. Allegory Central symbols Scenic technique (objective point of view) Irony (language and theme) --verbal irony --satirical irony --situational irony Unreliable narrators Epiphany (Designate an event in which the essential nature of something – a person, a situation, an object – was suddenly perceived) Interior monologue Stream of consciousness Flashback
The End!
2. Development of Short Stories in America
19th century (stereotyped pattern) --The tale of unified effect of Poe --Surprise-ending story of O. Henry 20th century (formula was broken) --Chehkov: stories with effect on mood and evocative description --Maupassant: „twist‟ ending, a restrained tone, impeccable use of detail
《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(第十五周)
Irony
What Is Irony? Common forms
Review
What Is Irony?
Definition of Irony
Irony is a figure of speech that achieves emphasis by saying the opposite of what is meant, the intended meaning of the words being the opposite of their usual sense.
Situational Irony
situational irony
“It’s no use going to see little Hans in winter,” the miller used to say to his wife. “when people are in trouble we must leave them alone and not bother them, that is my idea of friendship and I am sure I am right. So I shall wait till spring comes, and then I shall visit him and he will give me a large bouquet of primrose, and that will make him very happy.” “You think so much about others,” said his wife. “it’s pleasure to hear what you say about friendship. I am sure the priest himself cannot say such beautiful things as you do, though he lives in a three-storeyed house, and wears a gold ring on his little finger.” (Oscar Wilder: The Devoted Friend)
《英语短篇小说选读》讲义(第十四周给学生的)
Symbols
Related literary terms —allegory —metaphor —analogy
Symbols
柯尔律治曾说过：“一个思想，在这个词的最高意 义上，只有一个象征才能传达。”象征又分为寓言 式象征和非寓言式象征。寓言式象征是指象征物与 被象征物不是靠暗示和联想，而是靠固定的替代， 这样的象征往往形成一个固定的型式。非寓言式象 征则是在特定语境下，靠暗示和联想而实现的象征。 象征还可分为公共象征和私设象征：公共象征是某 种文化传统中约定俗成的，读者都明白是何所指的 象征。而私设象征则是指作者在作品中靠一定的方 法建立起来的象征。
Instructor: Esther Lv
2nd December, 2014
Week 14
Photo by Zitona - Creative Commons Attribution License /photos/zitona
Created with Haiku Deck
Discussion on story 13
Historical background • The effects of the Gold Rush were substantial. San Francisco grew from a small settlement of about 200 residents in 1846 to a boomtown of about 36,000 by 1852. Roads and other towns were built throughout California. In 1849 a state constitution was written, and a governor and legislature were chosen. Overnight California gained the international reputation as the "golden state". Generations of immigrants have been attracted by the California Dream.
英语短篇小说阅读指导ppt课件
Focusing on emotions
Setting: outside the station the night before
This part of the story is told in flashback(倒叙).
That had taken some time, so much he missed the last train and when the police found him shivering outside the locked up station, so cold he couldn’t answer loudly enough the pink-faced big copper who yelled in his face, “What’s your name sir?” spraying his face with spittle as he did so, leaving them no choice but to search an exhausted, frozen old black man and finding him in possession of mysterious condiments including a bag of dried bitter-leaf which could of course be mistaken for anything that resulted in him getting read his rights and charged with … possession???
Focusing on emotions
Setting: on the way home
Tip: Read emotions through characters’ interaction!
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
Theme:
•The statement about views of life. •It is an abstract concept (general ideas) (particular)
Theme Versus Subject
• Subject: what a work is about. It can usually
• When you have stated the theme of a story, would you say that the theme of that particular story reinforces values you hold, or does it to some degree challenge them?
II. Difference between theme and
subject
1
2
Subject:
•The focal point of the story. •Such as fate, love, war, death, growth, racial prejudice, etc. (universal)
Instructor: Esther Lv 28th November, 2014 Week 13
Photo by Zitona - Creative Commons Attribution License /photos/zitona
Created with Haiku Deck
III. Finding the theme
How can we identify the theme of a story? • Asking questions
In other words, what specific details, characters, actions, incidents, etc, suggest the truth of the theme statement?
Today’s Agenda
—Chapter 6 Theme —The Unicorn in the Garden
Photo by 55Laney69 - Creative Commons Attribution License https:///photos/42875184@N08
society? • Is the society flawed? • If so, how?
IV. Common themes
• Questions about humans and the world • Do characters control their lives? Do
E.g. “In Beauty and the Beast, Belle learns that true beauty comes from within.” “In Beauty and the Beast, we learn through Belle and the beast that true beauty comes from within.”
Requirements for stating a theme
2. The theme is a generalization about life based on the novel and the statement of theme should be true also of other people or life situation.
III. Finding the theme
• Is the title informative? What does it mean or suggest? Did the meaning change after you read the story?
• Does the main character in any way change in the story?
Misconceptions about theme
One novel has only one theme —sub-themes to the main theme —thematic ambiguity —democratic element
Great short stories frequently have more than one themes.
• What is the theme of a novel?
• Is it the main idea or the subject matter?
I. Definition of theme
• Generally speaking, theme is defined as the central or dominating idea in a literary work.
I. Definition of theme
• Key words: • Controlling • Unifying the whole story • Idea or insight • Abstract; generalized idea
I. Definition of theme
• It can be a broad idea, message, or lesson that is conveyed by a work. The theme may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly.
Misconceptions about theme
Theme is a moral or a lesson —Be kind to your teachers —Honesty is the best policy
A theme is to enhance one’s awareness of life rather than simply to tell him how to behave.
• Do certain passages, dialogues or description seem to you to point toward the theme?
III. Finding the theme
• Do you find certain repetitions of words or of incidents highly suggestive and helpful in directing your thoughts toward a theme?
Requirements for stating a theme
1. A theme must be expressed in the form of a statement with a subject and a predicate.
E.g. Love of one’s country often inspires selfsacrifice.
Requirements for stating a theme
3. Over-generalization should be avoided. (Words like “always”, “never” ,“all” and “every” should be avoided.) Dos: —extract from a particular novel —some; sometimes; may Do not: —assumptions from your own past experience
Misconceptions about theme
Each novel has a theme; E.g. novels of horror
detective novels
Theme exists only in the novel that seriously attempts to reflect life faithfully or intends to reveal truth about life.
Requirements for stating a theme
4. The theme must account for all the major details and must not be contradicted by any details in the novel.
5. One should avoid reducing a theme to a clichéor platitude like “beauty is only skin-deep.”
Created with Haiku Deck
Contents:
• I. Definition of theme • II. Difference between theme and
subject • III. Finding the theme • IV. Common themes
Brainstorming
be expressed in one word. E.g. “Love” is a subject of Romeo and Juliet
• Theme: what the work says about the
subject. It should be a complete sentence or statement. E.g. “In Romeo and Juliet, we learn that adolescent romance can be a stronger force than family ties.”