英国维多利亚时期

Chapter 4 The Victorian Period

一。学习目的和要求

通过本章的学习，对19世纪维多利亚时代英国的政治，经济，历史，文化背景，对维多利亚时代的诗歌，散文，小说在创作思想上的进步和创作技巧上的改革，以及对该时代主要作家的生平，观点，创作旨意，艺术品特点及其代表作的主题，结构，语言，人物刻画等都有一个全面的了解。并通过作品选读加深体会感受，增强对作品的理解和鉴赏能力。

二。考核要求

(一) 维多利亚时期概述

1. 识记：(1)维多利亚时期的界定

(2)社会政治，经济，文化背景。

2. 领会：(1)维多利亚时期的文学特点

(2)批判现实主义小说对后世文学的影响。

3. 应用：宪章运动，功利主义，批判现实主义，戏剧独自等名词的解释

(二) 该时期的重要作家

1. 一般识记：重要作家的生平与创作生涯

2. 识记：重要作品及主要内容

3. 领会：重要作家的创作思想，艺术特色及其代表作品的主题思想，人物塑造，语言风格，社会意义等。

4. 应用：(1)狄更斯和萨克雷作品的批判现实主义思想及各自的创作手法，艺术特色。

(2)小说《简.爱》，《呼啸山庄》的主题思想与人物塑造。

(3)“我逝去的公爵夫”;中的戏剧独白。

(4)乔泊.艾略特和哈代小说中环境，氛围描述与人物内世界的展示。

A. Introduction to the Victorian Period

1. 识记

(1) Definition： the Victorian Period

Chronologically the Victorian period roughly coincides with the reign of Queen Victoria who ruled over England from 1836 to 1901. The period has been generally regarded as one of the most glorious in the English history.

(2) Political， Economical & Cultural Background

The early years of the Victorian England was a time of rapid economic development as well as serious social problems. After the Reform Bill of 1832 passed the political power from the decaying aristocrats into the hands of the middle-class industrial capitalists， the Industrial Revolution soon geared up. Towards the mid-century，England had reached its highest point of development as a world power. And yet beneath the great prosperity & richness， there existed widespread poverty & wretchedness among the working class. The worsening living & working conditions， the mass unemployment & the new Poor Law of 1834 with its workhouse system finally gave rise to the Chartist Movement (1836-1848)。

During the next twenty years， England settled down to a time of prosperity & relative stability. The middle-class life of the time was characterized by prosperity， respectability & material progress.

But the last three decades of the century witnessed the decline of the British Empire & the decay of the Victorian values.

Ideologically， the Victorians experienced fundamental changes. The rapid development of science & technology， new inventions & discoveries in geology，astronomy， biology & anthropology drastically shook people''s religious convictions. Darwin''s The Origin of Species (1859) & The Descent of Man (1871) shook the theoretical basis of the traditional faith. On the other hand， Utilitarianism was widely accepted & practiced. Almost everything was put to the test by the criterion of utility， that is， the extent to which it could promote the material happiness.

2. 领会

(1) Features of the Victorian Literature

Victorian literature， as a product of its age， naturally took on its quality of magnitude & diversity. It was many-sided & complex， & reflected both romantically & realistically the great changes that were going on in people''s life & thought. Great writers & great works abounded.

(2) Features of Victorian novels