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Lecture6TheAgeofRealismandNaturalism:HenryJamesContentAmericanRealismHenryJamesTeachingObjectivesandRequirements：1HelpthestudentstoknowaboutAmericanRealism2HelpthestudentstoknowaboutHenryJames1AmericanRealism(1865-1918)：1.1HistoricalBackground1.2FeaturesofAmericanRealism1.1HistoricalBackground：TheCivilWar(1861-1865),astruggleofindustryandcapitalistdemocracyagainstagricultureandslavery,wasaturningpointinAmericanhistory.AftertheWar,greatchangestookplaceinAmerica.Firstofall,theCivilWaraffectedboththesocialandvaluesystemofthecountry:aJeffersonianagrariancommunityintoanindustrializedandcommercializedsociety;wildernessgivingwaytocivilization.ThomasJeffersonTheWaralsobroughtsomenoticeablechangestotheAmericaneconomy:industrydevelopingatanunprecedentedrate;agriculturalproductivityincreasingdramatically;citiesexpandingatanalarmingrate.However,thechangeswerenotallforbetter:thewealthwasmorethaneverinthepossessionofthefew;businessandfinancialtycoonswerehonoredasnationalheroesandasmodelsfortheyouth;lifeforthemillionswasfastbecomingaveritablestruggleforsurvival.ItwaswhatMarkTwaincalled“TheGildedAge”,anageofextremes:ofdeclineandprogress,ofpovertyanddazzlingwealth,ofgloomandbuoyanthope—anageofgaudyexcessesthatonehistoriandescribedas“TheGreatBarbecue”.(P116-117)back1.2FeaturesofAmericanRealismAmericanRealism,aliterarymovement,cameinthelatterhalfofthenineteenthcenturyintheformoflocalcolor(thecarefulattentiontodetailsofthephysicalsceneandtothosemannerismsinspeech,dress,orbehaviorpeculiartoageographicallocality)asareactionagainst“thelie”ofromanticismandsentimentalism.Itexpressedtheconcernfortheworldofexperience,ofthecommonplace,andforthefamiliarandthelow.Itaimedattheinterpretationoftheactualitiesofanyaspectoflife,freefromsubjectiveprejudice,idealism,orromanticcolor.Inmattersofstyle,therewasacontrastbetweenthegenteelandgracefulproseontheonehand,andvernaculardictionandroughandreadyfrontierhumorontheother.(P118)P.S.：(WilliamDeanHowells,definingrealismas“nothingmoreandnothinglessthanthetruthfultreatmentofmaterial”,HenryJames,MarkTwain)back2HenryJames(1843-1916)2.1Life2.2James’creativelife2.3James’contributiontoliterature2.4James’writingstyle2.5DiscussionofDaisyMiller2.1LifeBornintoawealthyandtalentedNewYorkCityfamilyonApril15,1843.WasoneofthefewauthorsintheAmericanliteraryhistorywhowasnotobligedtoworkforaliving.Asayouth,livedinNewYork,London,ParisandRhodeIsland,andreceivedaremarkablycosmopolitanandeclecticeducation.In1862,enteredHarvardLawSchool,wherehemetWilliamDeanHowellsanddevelopedalifelongfriendshipwiththeman.DuringhisstudyatHarvard,readintensivelyBalzac,MerimeeandGeorgeSand,andalsostudiedearnestlythenovelsofGorgeEliotandHawthorne.HetouredEngland,FranceandItaly,andmetamongothers,FlaubertandTurgenev.In1876,settledinLondon.In1915,becameanaturalizedBritishcitizen.In1916,diedwithoutbeingmarried.back2.2James’creativelifeThefirstperiod:1865-1882,aperiodof“internationaltheme”,TheAmerican(1877),DaisyMiller(1878),TheEuropeans(1878),ThePortraitofaLady(1881),consideredtobehismasterpiece.Thesecondperiod:1882-1895,aperiodofdifferentthemesandforms,focusingoninter-personalrelationships,TheBostonians(1886),ThePrincesCasamassima(1886),ThePrivateLife(1893),TheDeathofaLion(1894)Thethirdperiod:1895-1905,amajorperiod,returningto“internationaltheme”,WhatMaisieKnew(1897),TurnoftheScrew(1898),TheWingsoftheDove(1902),TheBeastintheJungle(1903),TheAmbassadors(1903),TheGoldenBowl(1904)back2.3James’contributiontoliterature●James’sfamegenerallyrestsuponhisnovelsandstorieswiththeinternationaltheme.●Hehelpedperfecttheartofwriting.●Hedevelopedgraduallyfromearlyevaluationintermsofstiffmoralstandardstoinductiveinquiry,flexibility,andasubtleperfectionofaestheticnuances.●James’literarycriticismisanindispensableofhiscontributiontoliterature.◆Hiscriticismisbothconcernedwithformanddevotedtohumanvalues.◆Heholdsartmustberelatedtolifeandartformwouldgivethetruthfulimpressionofactuality(Essay:TheArtofFiction).◆Headvocatesanimmenseincreaseoffreedominnovelwritingandarguesforinclusionofthedisagreeable,theugly,andthecommonplace.◆Hedeclaresaworkofartmustliftuptheheart;thereisnosubstitutefortheforceandbeautyofitsprocess.◆Hearguesthattheartistshouldbeableto“feel”thelife,tounderstandhumannature,andthentorecordtheminhisownartform.●JamesbroughtanewartistryandsystemtotheEnglishnovel.●JamesisaremarkableNewWorldbridge(inthewordsofLeonEdel)fromtheEnlightenmenttoallthatis“modern”intheliteraryartofthetwentiethcentury.back2.4James’writingstyle●Jamestriedtobearecorderofthetimes.Hisrealism,emphasizingtheinnerawarenessandinwardmovementsofhischaractersinfaceofoutsideoccurrences,wascalledpsychologicalrealism.Hisliterarytechniqueswasmainlyconcernedwith“pointofview”,“limitedomniscience”.●James’Language,exquisiteandelaborate,isnotsoeasytounderstand.HeisoutstandinginAmericanliteraryhistoryforhisminute,detailed,lengthypsychologicalanalysis.Heisoftenhighlyrefinedandinsightful.Heisalwaysaccurateinwordselection,tryingtofindthebestexpressionforhisliteraryimagination.Inaword,hislanguageisof“h