To-Kill-a-Mockingbird-杀死一只知更鸟(英文版)

HarperLee,thecontemporaryAmericanwriter,isnoticeableforhergreatnovelToKillaMockingbirdwhichhasbeenwelcomedandlovedbyreaderssinceitspublication.ThisnovelfocusesonthetrialoftheblackmanTomthoughtheeyesofthelittlegirlScoutwhoexperiencesinnocencetomatureinordertodisplaythesocialrealityandassailthesocialevilssuchasthesocialhierarchy,racialdiscriminationandthedarksideofhumannature,atthesametime,theauthorconvincesthereaderthatthereisstillgoodandjusticeinhumanbeing.WhileToKillaMockingbirdhasbeenabestsellerthatwonreader’slovesinceitwaspublishedin1960,andthebookreceivedthePulitzerPrizeforFictionin1961.In1999,itwasnamedthebestnovelofthecenturyinaninvestigationlaunchedbythelibrarymagazine.Harper•LeewasawardedthePresidentialMedalofFreedomin2007,butthestudyofthenovelisrelativelyfew,inviewofthis,thepapertriestoanalyzeToKillaMockingbirdfromthewiderangeofinfluenceonAmericanLiterature－Gothicfeaturetoallowmorereaderstoappreciatethecharmofthenovel.Allinall,theuseofGothicelementsinHarper•LeeToKillaMockingbirdenhancesthereadabilityofthenovel,givingtheirworksaspecialartisticcharmandmakingithandeddownamongtheenduringmasterpiece.HarperLeeisanAmericanwriter,whoearnsherfameworldwidebywritingthenovelToKillaMockingbird,whichisprizedbythenovelistandessayistTrumanCapote:“Someonerarehaswrittenthisveryfinenovel,awriterwiththeliveliestsenseoflifeandthewarmest,mostauthentichumor.Atouchingbook…solikeable.”1HarperLeewasbornonApril28,1962,inMonroeville,Alabama,whosefatherwasalawyer.OneofLee’schildhoodfriendswasthefuturenovelistandessayistTrumanCapotewholivedwithrelativesnextdoortoLee’sfamily.DuringherundergraduatestudiesattheUniversityofAlabama,Leewroteforseveralstudentpublications,whichbuiltasolidfoundationforherfuturewriting.Inthemid1950s,shemovedtoNewYorkCity,whereshecompletedandpublishedToKillaMockingbirdintheyear1960.ToKillaMockingbirdwasanimmediatebestsellerandwongreatcriticalacclaim,includingthePulitzerPrizeforLiteratureinApril1961.ShewasawardedthePresidentialMedalofFreedomoftheUnitedStatesforhercontributiontoliteraturein2007.ToKillaMockingbirdtellsthegrowthofthelittleheroinebothinphysicalandmental,inwhichthelittlegirllearnsalotoflessonsfromwhatshehasexperienced.Themajoreventinvolvingthetrialoftheblackyoungmanwhoisactuallyinnocentdisplaysthemainsocialproblem－racialprejudiceinthatage.ThenovelfocusesonthestoryoccursinthesmalltownMaycombthatsufferstheseverGreatDepression.ScoutandJemarerearedbytheirfather,fortheirmotherdiedwhentheywereveryyoung.DuringsummervacationtheymakeacquaintancewithDillwhoisinhisaunt’s.Thethreechildrengettogethertohavemoreexcitingadventures.Theyventuretothemysterioushouse,inwhichlivesaneccentricperson－BooRadleywhoisactuallyavictimofhisfather’sindifferenceandautocratic.However,theyarescaredtodeathbythelargeshadowofBoo’sbrotherandrushedhome.Lateinthenight,AtticusisinformedofthecaseinwhichtheblackyoungmanTomisaccusedofrapingMayellaEwell.AtticuspromisedtodefendforTom.TomissentencedtodeathalthoughAtticusshowsTom’sinnocencebytheself-evidenttestimony.Afterthetrialends,lifereturnstoquietness,butEwellvowstoretaliateforhefeelsheisfooledbyAtticusandJudge.ScoutandJemareattackedbyBobEwellonthelatenightofHalloween.Atthedangerousmoment,theyaresavedbyBooRadleywhobecomestherealhumanbeingratherthanafreakintheirmind.Gothicfictionisassociatedwiththedevelopmentofaestheticconceptsublimity.SincetheclassicOntheSublimewrittenbyLonginusinthelate17thcentury,hasbeentranslatedintoEnglish,manycriticsandwritershavediscussedandexploredtheoriginofsublimity,whoargueconsistentlythatthegrand,horriblethingscancausealoftybeauty.Thiskindofviewisfurtherdevelopedbythewell-knownBritishpoliticalcommentatorandcritic,EdmundBurkeinthe18thcentury.InhisaestheticsbookAPhilosophicalInquiryintotheOriginofOurIdeasoftheSublimeandBeautiful,heexpresseshisviewinonesectionOftheSublimeinthisbook:“Whateverisinanysorttoexcitetheideasofpain,anddanger,thatistosay,whateverisinanysortterrible,orisconversantaboutterribleobjects,oroperatesinamanneranalogoustoterror,isasourceofthesublime;thatis,itisproductiveofthestrongestemotionwhichthemindiscapableoffeeling.”4HarperLeehasbeeninfluencedbytheGothictraditioninSouthAmericainacertaindegree.Fiveyearsaftershewasborn,thenotorioustrial-theScottsboroCaseoccurred,inwhichthenineyoungblackmenwerechargedwithrapingtwowhitewomenandbecamethevictimsofracialprejudice.Withthatageasthesetting,HarperLeecatchestheclimateoftheageandcriticizestheracialdiscriminationinherworkToKillaMockingbird.ThebookgivesavividdescriptionofapanoramaofAmericainthe1930s,whichechoesthecivilrightsmovementinthe1960s.Afteritspublicationthebookwaswell-soldandbecameabigshot.ToKillaMockingbirdisregardedasthesecondbookonlynexttoTheHolyBibleinbeing“mostoftencitedasmakingadifference”inpeople’slives.ItisstillacontroversialquestionwhetherHarperLee’snovelToKillaMockingbirdbelongstotheGothicfictionornot.However,tosomeextend,theGothictraditionisdeeplyrootedinSouthAmericanliteratureandexertsagreatinfluenceonthewriters’writingstyle.HarperLeeusestheGothicwritingtechniquesskillfully.AsanAmerican