英国文学简史-常耀信-Chapters-15-16

KeyPointsinChapter15ThomasHardyIntroductionTessoftheD’UrbervillesJudetheObscureGeorgeGissingGeorgeMooreOscarWildeRobertLouisStevensonThomasHardy(1840-1928)IntroductionIHewasasonofabuilderandbecameabuilderhimselfandoneofthethreemostpreeminentVictorianwriters.InHardy’stimescienceandindustrializationwenthandinhandandinfullswing,thenationwasheadingtothephaseofaggressiveandbarbariccapitalism,andmillionsofpeoplefoundthemselvesstrugglingformereexistence.Themoodoffrustration,despair,andpessimismhangedoverthenation,andtheageofEmileZola’snaturalismhadarrived.ThomasHardyIntroductionIIHardyisaprolificwriter.Hissix“Wessexnovels”includeUndertheGreenwoodTree,FarfromtheMaddingCrowd,TheReturnoftheNative,TheMayorofCasterbridge,TessofD’Urbervilles,andJudetheObscure.Theyarealltragediesofakind.HisfamousverseworksincludePoemsofPastandPresent,andtheepicdramaTheDynasts.ThomasHardyIntroductionIIIHardy’sstoriesarealwaysmovingandbewitching.Theytouchheartsnotsomuchbyplotsasthroughthepathosoftheemotionaltangle.Hardyplacesemphasisonthedeeperpsychologyofhischaracters.ThisisafeatthatindicatesHardy’sempathywiththemodernspirit.Hardy’slanguagepossessesasilentpowerandcharm.Hisproseisstuddedwithrhetoricaldevices,poeticimagery,andmetaphors,andisrichlyconnotative.ThomasHardyTessoftheD’UrbervillesItisthemostpastoralofHardy’snovels.Majorcharacters:Tess,AlecD’Urbervilles,AngelClaireTheturnofeventsandthemomentofcatharsisprovethatthenovelisaclassicAristotleantragedy.Thekingoftheworldofthenovelis“thePresidentofImmortals,”ormaybevariouslycalled“fate,”“destiny,”or“chance.”itrepresentstheforcesbeyondhumancontrolbutcontrollingthelivesofthehumans.ThomasHardyJudetheObscureItwasHardy’slastbuthasbeenseenbymanyashisbestnovel.JudeFawleytheWessexvillagerisastonemasonwithaspirationsforChristminister(Hardy’scoinednameforOxford)religiousscholarship.Hisfamilyhasbeenunderacursethatnomarriagecanendhappily.Majorcharacters:Jude,Arabella,SueBridehead,Phillotson,FatherTimeRobertLouisStevenson(1840-1928)IntroductionStevensonwentagainsttheVictorian“grain.”Hewroteromances.Famousworks:TreasureIsland,TheStrangeCaseofDr.JekyllandMr.Hyde.ThelateVictorianperiodwasbesetwithamultitudeofproblems,andthecommonrunofmankindsufferedpovertyandindignity.Stevenson’sTreasureIslandcameatatimewhenthehopelessweredaydreamingforcomfortandreliefofsomekind.KeyPointsinChapter16VictorianpoetryAlfredLordTennysonRobertBrowningMathewArnoldAlfredLordTennyson(1809-1892)IntroductionIHebecamethepoetlaureateafterthedeathofWordsworth.Hismajorworksare:ThePrincess,InMemoriam,Maud,EnochArden,andTheIdyllsoftheKing.TheIdyllsoftheKingwasreadandenjoyedwithaviditybyhiscontemporarieschieflyforitsdidacticfeatures.InmorethanonesenseTennysonwasadomesticpoet,placingabundantemphasisonlove,dutyandallegianceandonmarriageandhomeandchildren.AlfredLordTennysonIntroductionIIThepoetalwayssingspraiseofthespiritualaspectoflove.TodayTennysonisappreciatedforhislyricalgeniusandforhistechnicalvirtuosity.TheIdyllsoftheKingwasanadequatedocumentationandconfirmationofthemajorfeaturesofVictorianlife.Theseincludedomesticvirtues,theemphasisonthehome,familyaffectionsandlove,hero-worship,theidentityoftheselfandself-realizationthroughdutyandservice,moralearnestness,andpositiveachievements.ThepoemisaclearrecordofearlyTennyson’semphasisonartandtheartist’sneedtokeephisprivacyandhisprivatelovewholeandfreefrominterference.RobertBrowning(1812-1889)IntroductionIAlthoughlatetoreceiverecognition,BrowningwasconsideredsecondonlytoTennysoninhisownday.Todayheisrememberedforhisexperimentanduseofthedramaticmonologueandhiscontributiontothediscoveryofthemythicalmethodandsymbolisminthewritingofpsychologicalpoetry.Browning’spoetryrepresentstheexuberantandoptimisticspiritofhistime.Hiswatchwordis“strive.”RobertBrowningIntroductionIIHemadethedramaticmonologueanormasapoeticformforpresentingtheinternalworldofthecharacters.Thishasastrongmodernringbecauseitresemblesastream-of–consciousnessstyleinmodernwriting.Itrepresentsajumpinperceptiononthepartoftheartistfromwritingabouttheexternalitiesoflifeandpeopletothescrutinyandexplorationoftheinnerconsciousnessofthecharacters.Hismasterpieceishisepic-lengthpoem,TheRingandtheBook.MatthewArnold(1822-1888)IntroductionIHehasbeenknownastheVictorianpoetofloneliness.hereceivedrecognitionaspoetnumberthreeofhistimeimmediatelyafterTennysonandBrowning.Majorworks:TheScholarGypsy,“DoverBeach,”EssaysinCriticism,CultureandAnarchy,andLiteratureandDogma.Hefeltthatpoetryshouldbringjoyandhappinessandloveandcertitudetoanagewhenthesewereabsentandpeopleweresuffering.Asaliterarycritic,Arnold’stheorywasoriginalinideasandassuredintone.MatthewArnoldIntroductionIIAsasocialcritic,ArnoldwasworriedaboutthedirectionwhichEnglandwastaking.AsArnoldsawit,themiddleclasswasleadingthecountryinawrongway.Whathemeantby“anarchy”wasthevanishingoftheunifyingabsolutesandthejeopardizingofsocialstability.Theessenceofhiscultureisadesireafterthethingsofthemindandastrivingtowardaknowledgeofsomeuniversalorder.