美国文学realism

Realism(1860~1890)IRealismIIFeaturesofRealismIIIAmericanRealismIVRepresentativesTerminBriefBroadlydefinedas“thefaithfulrepresentationofreality”or“verisimilitude,”(逼真)realismisaliterarytechniquepracticedbymanyschoolsofwriting.Althoughstrictlyspeaking,realismisatechnique,italsodenotesaparticularkindofsubjectmatter,especiallytherepresentationofmiddle-classlife.Definition:RealismRealism:amodeofwritingthatgivestheimpressionofrecordingor“reflecting”faithfullyanactualwayoflife.Inaddition,inliterature,thetendencytoemphasizethelimitationsthatreallifeimposesonhumanity,andtoshowhowthoselimitationsaffectlife.Romanticism,Realism,NaturalismTheromanceissaidtopresentlifeaswewouldhaveitbe—morepicturesque,fantastic,adventurous,orheroicthanactuality;realism,ontheotherhand,issaidtorepresentlifeasitreallyis.Realisticfictionisoftenopposedtoromanticfiction.Naturalismisametaphysicaltheorythatholdsthatallphenomenacanbeexplainedmechanisticallyintermsofnatural(asopposedtosupernatural)causesandlaws.Naturalismpositsthattheuniverseisavastmachineororganism,devoidofgeneralpurposeandindifferenttohumanneedsanddesires.AccordingtoWilliamHarmonandHughHolman,“Whereromanticiststranscendtheimmediatetofindtheideal,andnaturalistsplumbtheactualorsuperficialtofindthescientificlawsthatcontrolitsactions,realistscentertheirattentiontoaremarkabledegreeontheimmediate,thehereandnow,thespecificaction,andtheverifiableconsequence.”RealisminAmericanLiteratureInAmericanliterature,thetermrealismencompassestheperiodoftimefromtheCivilWartotheturnofthe20thcenturyduringwhichWilliamDeanHowells,HenryJames,MarkTwain,andotherswrotefictiondevotedtoaccuraterepresentationandanexplorationofAmericanlivesinvariouscontexts.Backgroundp116-7FeaturesofAmericanRealism1.Itrendersrealitycloselyandincomprehensivedetail.2.Characterismoreimportantthanactionandplot;complexethicalchoicesareoftenthesubject.3.Charactersappearintheirrealcomplexityoftemperamentandmotive.4.Classisimportant;thenovelhastraditionallyservedtheinterestsandaspirationsofmiddleclass.5.Eventswillusuallybeplausible.6.Dictionisnaturalvernacular,notheightenedorpoetic;tonemaybecomic,satiric,ormatter-of-fact.7.Objectivityinpresentationbecomesincreasinglyimportant:overtauthorialcommentsorintrusionsdiminishasthecenturyprogresses.8.Interiororpsychologicalrealismisavariantform.RealisticTechniques1.Settingsthoroughlyfamiliartothewriter2.Plotsemphasizingthenormofdailyexperience3.Ordinarycharacters,studiedindepth4.Completeauthorialobjectivity5.ResponsiblemoralityAuthorsofAmericanRealismWilliamDeanHowells(1837-1920)HenryJames(1843-1916)MarkTwain(1835-1910)WilliamDeanHowells(1837-1920)thefatherofAmericanRealismthedeanofAmericanlettersWilliamDeanHowells(1837-1920)ILifep118IIHowells’TheoryofRealismIIIHowells’SubjectsIVMajorWorksVTheRiseofSilasLaphamVIEvaluationIITheoryofRealismP119TheoryinBrief1.“fidelitytoexperience”2.“commonfeelingsofcommonplacepeople”3.“Realismisnothingmoreandnothinglessthanthetruthfultreatmentofmaterial.”IIIHowell’sSubjectsThemiddle-classfamilyTheeconomicaspectsofmiddle-classlifeIVMajorWorksAModernInstance(1882)TheRiseofSilasLapham(1885)IndianSummer(1886)AHazardofNewFortunes(1889)CriticismandFictionLiteratureandLifeTheRiseofSilasLaphamThisnovelisafinespecimenofAmericanrealisticwriting.TheworldofSilasLaphamisthatofthecommonplaceBostonianofthelatenineteenthcentury.Thereisnothingheroic,dramaticorextraordinary.TheRiseofSilasLaphamPlotP120LoveSubplotp122VIEvaluation1.Knowninhislifetimeasthe“deanofAmericanletters,”orthefatherofAmericanRealism,Howellswastheleadingspokesmanofliteraryrealisminnineteenth-centuryAmerica.Inanageofgenteelauthors,hewasoneofanewbreed,raisedinhumblesurroundingsinAmerica’smidlands.2.HowellsportrayedtheAmericanscene.Heattemptedtomakehischaractersnotheroicbut“real”withalltheirvirtuesandalltheir“vacancyandtiresomeness.”3.Muchofhisrealismwasexternal,charactersandeventsviewedfromwithout.Hisworksrarelyachieved,orsoughttoachieve,whatmoderncriticsthinkofaspsychologicaldepth.4.Theevilsofhischaracterswereslight,theirpassionsrestrained,theirtriumphsfew.Heavoidedtheexcitementsandcatastrophesofromanticismjustasheavoidedsexandsensualityandwhatheconsideredtobethesordidexcessesofnaturalism.HenryJames(1843-1916)•novelist,literarycritic,playwright,essayistACitizenoftheWorld1.Atruecosmopolite.2.Hislifeexperienceinfluenceshisliterarycreationgreatly.3.TheconfrontationbetweenanAmericanandaEuropean.HenryJames(1843-1916)ILifeIIMajorWorksIIIMajorThemesIVSubjectsVTheoryofFictionVIThePortraitofaLadyVIIInfluencesILifeHenryJameswasbornintoawealthyculturedfamilyofNewEngland.Hisfather,HenryJames,Sr.wasaneminentphilosopherandreformer,andhisbrother,WilliamJames,wastobethefamousphilosopherandpsychologist.HenryJameswasoneofthefewauthorsinAmericanliteraryhistorywhodidnothavetoworryaboutmoney.HewasexposedtotheculturalinfluenceofEuropeataveryearlyage.Laterhemetanddevelopedalife-longfriendshipwithWilliamDeanHowells.ForawhileheattendedtheHarvard