Lecture 4.1-Washington Irving

WashingtonIrving(1783-1859)LifestoryawealthyNewYorkmerchantfamily,readwidelyandwrotealotofpoems,essaysandplaysfromaveryearlyage,alawyer,moreinterestedinwriting;traveledalot.AHistoryofNewYorkfromtheBeginningoftheWorldtotheEndoftheDutchDynasty,(usuallyknownasAHistoryofNewYork,《纽约外史》)writtenunderthenameofDiedrichKnickerbocker,1809,parodyoftheDutchcolony,aheavyblowwiththedeathofhisfiancée,MitildaHoffman,1815,sailedagainforEngland,remainedabroadfor17years,TheSketchBook,acollectionofessays,sketchesandstories,includingtheimmortalRipVanWinkle,appearedseriallyintheyearsof1819-1820.TheSketchBookestablishedIrving'sreputationathomeandabroad,anddesignated(marked)thebeginningofAmericanromanticism.AchievementsIrvingisthefirstbe’lletrist(alsobelle-lettrist=awriterofbelleslettres)inAmericanliterature,writingforpleasureatatimewhenwritingwaspracticalandforusefulpurposes.ThefirstAmericanliteraryhumorist.(belleslet·tres\bel-letrə\nplbutsinginconstr[F,lit.,fineletters](1710):literaturethatisanendinitselfandnotmerelyinformative;specif:light,entertaining,andoftensophisticatedliterature)HewasoneoftheFoundersofAmericanliteratureandgenerallyregardedasthefatherofAmericanliterature,andthefirstAmericanwriterofimaginativeliteraturetogaininternationalfame.Hewasamongthefirstmodernstowritegoodhistoryandbiographyasliteraryentertainment.HewasthefirstgreatprosestylistofAmericanromanticism.HewrotethefirstmodernshortstoriesandthefirstgreatAmericanjuvenileliterature.Heintroducedthenonfictionproseasaliterarygenre.HerestoredthewaningGothicromanceswhichPoesooninfusedwithpsychologicalsubtleties.Hisbest-knownstoriesawakenedaninterestinthelifeofAmericanregionsfromtheHudsonvalleytotheprairiesoftheWest.9Irving’sliterarycareer:the1stphase:from1809to1832predominantly“English”;immenselyinterestedinEuropeanorEnglishsubjects;triedtofindvalueinthepastandinthetraditionsoftheOldWorld;hisworkswerefilledwiththe“ruins,”relicsandotherobjectsofantiquityoftheOldWorld;inhiseyes,AmericawasyoungandcouldnotofferwhatEuropecouldtomenofimagination;Bytemperament,heseemstobeconservative.10the2ndphase:theremainingyearsofhislifeIrvingmainlylivesontheAmericanland;senttoEuropeattheageof33;returnedtoAmericaafteranabsenceof17yearswhenhewasabout50;uponhisreturn,hefoundawholenewspiritofnationalisminAmericanfeeling,artandliterature,andhebecameawarethattherewasbeautyinAmerica;inthelastyearsofhislifehewroteseveralbooksabouttheAmericanwest;butthisphasewasonlythe“minor”oneinhisliterarycareer.11Irving’sstyleofwriting:Irving’sstyleisimitative,andwroteintheneoclassicaltraditionofJosephAddison,andOliverGoldsmithandissometimesknownas“theAmericanGoldsmith”;hewasalsogreatlyinfluencedbyWalterScott.12FeaturesofIrving’swritings:First,Irvingavoidedmoralizingasmuchaspossible;hewrotetoamuseandentertain,whichdepartstonosmallextentfromthebasicprinciplesofhisPuritanforebears;Secondly,IrvingwasgoodatenvelopinghisstoriesinaGothicandsupernaturalatmosphere;13Thirdly,thecharactersinIrving’sworksarevividandtruesothattheytendtolingerinthemindofthereader;Fourthly,thehumorinhisworksissoeffectivethatthereadercannothelplaughingwhilereadinghim;Lastly,Irving’slanguageisrefinedandmusical.GothicNovelEuropeanRomantic,pseudomedievalfictionhavingaprevailingatmosphereofmysteryandterror.Itsheydaywasthe1790s,butitunderwentfrequentrevivalsinsubsequentcenturies.CalledGothicbecauseitsimaginativeimpulsewasdrawnfrommedievalbuildingsandruins,suchnovelscommonlyusedsuchsettingsascastlesormonasteriesequippedwithsubterraneanpassages,darkbattlements,hiddenpanels,andtrapdoors.Easytargetsforsatire,theearlyGothicromancesdiedoftheirownextravagancesofplot,butGothicatmosphericmachinerycontinuedtohauntthefictionofsuchmajorwritersastheBrontësisters,EdgarAllanPoe,NathanielHawthorne,andevenDickensinBleakHouseandGreatExpectations.Asawriter,thesignificanceofIrvingliesinhisliteraryinnovationsandtransitionalroleinthedevelopmentofAmericanliterature.Majorworks:TheSketchBookLifeofGoldsmithLifeofGeorgeWashington.BracebridgeHallTheLifeandVoyagesofChristopherColumbusRipVanWinkle19ThePlot:3PartStructureBeginning–AportrayalofhowRipisahen-peckedhusband,doesn’ttakestands.Middle–DescriptionsofRip’sadventuresintoKaatskill,anunexplainedjourneyofhimself.End–Hisreturntothevillage,andthebeginningofhimseekingforhimself.20CharacterAnalysis(1)--RipAfterRiphasgonetothemountains,hehasexperiencedseveralchanges,andunabletoreturnbacktohisoldidentitiesbeforehewent,butcompletelylostit.Hisdogisgone,whichrepresentshisalter.Hecouldnolongerreturnbacktotheamphitheatre,asimilarconceptin桃花園記,suggeststhattheenvironmenthaschanged.Hehasevenfoundacrowdofnewfacesinthevillage,whichhecouldnotrecognize.21CharacterAnalysis(2)--RipHeevenimitatestheothers,andisastonishedtodiscoverabeardonhisownchin.Hecouldconceiveofhowdifferenttheenvironmentandothersare,includingfashionsofclothing;hisvillage,andhisownhouse.RipfoundthatwhatdidnotchangewasMt.Katskills,buthecouldnolongerreturntoit.Hehasbecomeadouble,withbiasedpersonality,assuggested,I'mnotmyself...Ican'ttellwhat'sm