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TheNeoclassicalPeriod(1688-1798)I.Backgroundinformation1.HistoricalbackgroundA.TheEnglishsocietyoftheneoclassicalperiodwasaturbulentone.Therewasconstantstrifebetweenthemonarchandtheparliament,betweentheToriesandtheWhigsoverthecontroloftheparliamentandgovernment,betweenopposingreligioussects,betweentherulingclassandthelaboringpoor,etc.Inshort,itwasanagefullofconflictsanddivergenceofvalues.B.TheeighteenthcenturysawthefastdevelopmentofBritainasanation.Towardsthemiddleofthecentury,Britainhadbecomethefirstpowerfulcapitalistcountryintheworld.Withtherapideconomicgrowth,thepopulationofthemiddleclassalsogreatlyexpanded.2.CulturalbackgroundA.Withthedevelopmentofcapitalism,thesocialandmoralvaluesofthemiddle-classpeoplebecamedominantinthesociety.Theybelievedinself-restraint,self-relianceandhardwork.Forthemthewholemeaningoflifewastowork,toeconomizeandtoaccumulatewealth.B.TheEnlightenmentMovementwasinfullswinginEnglandduringthisperiod.Thepurposeofthismovementwastoenlightenthewholeworldwiththelightofmodernphilosophicalandartisticideas.Theenlightenerscelebratedreason,equalityandscience,claimingthatreasonshouldbetheonly,andfinalcauseofanyhumanthoughtandactivities.C.Theenlightenersbelievedthatwhenreasonservedastheyardstickforthemeasurementofallhumanactivitiesandrelations,everysuperstition,injusticeandoppressionwastoyieldplaceto“eternaltruth”,“eternaljustice”and“naturalequality”.D.Theenlightenersadvocateduniversaleducation.Theybelievedthatifthemasseswerewelleducated,therewouldbegreaterchanceforademocratichumansociety.3.FeaturesoftheneoclassicalliteratureA.TheneoclassicalliteraturetooktheancientGreekandRomanclassicalworksandcontemporaryFrenchonesastheliterarymodel.B.Instyle,theneoclassicalliteraturewaspolite,urbane,witty,andintellectualasaresultofthewriters’consciouseffortstoseekproportion,unity,harmonyandgraceinliteraryexpressions.C.Literatureatthetimewasheavilydidactic(说教)andmoralizingandbecameaverypopularmeansofpubliceducation.D.Eachformorgenreofliteraturefollowedsomefinedlawsandrules.E.Poetry,includingsuchpopularformsasmockepic,romance,satireandepigram,waselegantinstructureanddictionandwasnotedforitsseriousnessandearnestnessintoneandconstantdidacticism.Thenovel,contrarytothetraditionalromanceofaristocrats,givesarealisticpresentationoflifeofthecommonEnglishpeople.IIMajorwritersoftheperiodA.DanielDefoe(1660-1731)1.PointsofviewDefoehadaremarkablyliberalmindandwasveryadvancedinopinion.HevaluedthePuritanethicandbelievedindiligence,self-relianceandfortitude.Ontheotherhand,havingundergonealotofupsanddownsinhisownbusinessandsociallife,hehadabetterunderstandingoftheworldandaheartbroadandreadyenoughtoembraceallthepeople,includingsocialoutlaws,andtookitashisdutytoworkforthewelfareofall.2.Majorworks(1)MollFlanders(1722)《摩尔·弗兰德斯》Ittellsofthepersonalhistoryofthetitularheroine.Mollisthedaughterofawomanthiefandistakenintothehomeofacompassionatemayor.Whenshegrowsup,sheisseducedandthendeserted.Fortwelveyears,shelivesasaprostitute.Shehasfivemarriages,onceevenwifetoherownbrother.Underthepressureofpoverty,sheturnstotheft.Sheiscaught,convictedandtransportedtoVirginia.Shemeetsoneofherformerhusbandsthere.Sherepentsandlivestherestofherlifeinprosperityonaplantation.Molloftenfeelsrepentantofherignoblewaysoflifeandmakesresolutionstobegood.However,compelledbyhercircumstances,shehastogoonwhoringandthieving.Throughherstory,Defoeseemstotrytoconvincehisreadersthatalthoughthesinnerisatlastpunishedforhissins,sheismoresinnedagainstthansinning.Itisthesocietythatforceshertorepeatedsinsandcrimes.Withherrobustcommonsense,warmth,andvitality,Mollhasstoodasacomfortandjustification,ifnotchampion,tosomeofherdisinheritedsistersinmanygenerationsduringthepasttwocenturies.(2)RobinsonCrusoe(1719)《鲁滨逊漂流记》RobinsonCrusoe(Plsseethetextforthestory)celebratesthe18th-centuryWesterncivilization’smaterialtriumphsandthestrengthofhumanrationalwilltoconquerthenaturalenvironment.Robinson,apparently,iscastasatypical18th-centurymiddle-classtradesman,theveryprototypeoftheempirebuilder,thepioneercolonist.Hissuccessinbuildingupfirstacomfortablelivingenvironmentandlateraprivatecolonyisshownasduetothesturdyqualitiesinhischaracter,tohisownunaidedefforts,tohiscourageandpatience,tohispracticalskill,andtohisintelligentpersistence.Inanothersense,RobinsonisEverymanstrugglingtomasternature.(3)AJournalofPlagueYear(1722)《大疫年日记》ItisadescriptionoftheGreatPlagueofLondon(1664-1665).Itispresentedasifitwereaneyewitnessaccountofthedisaster.AlthoughDefoecouldnothavehadmuchpersonalexperienceoftheplague,ashewasonlyasmallchildatthetime,thefictiongivesaconvincingeffortofbeingadirectrecordoftheevents.Theworkranksasoneofthefirstandmostgiftedpiecesofhistoricalreconstruction.Itisimportantinthehistoryofthenovelbecauseitshowsthecareforpersistentrecordofthedetailofdailylife,whichwastobecomeoneofthemostdistinguishingcharacteristicsofthenovelform.3.Specialfeatures(1)Defoewasananti-feudal,anti-romanticrealisticwriter.Hiswritingrevealshisrealconcernforhistime:man’sstruggleagainsthisnaturalandsocialenvironment,forsurvivalor