英国文学简史-常耀信-Chapters-25-26

KeyPointsinChapter25PostwarFictionKingsleyAmisLawrenceDurrellWilliamGoldingDorisLessingIrisMurdochJohnWainJohnFowlesAlanSilllitoeAnthonyPowellPostwarFictionIntroductionIThewarmadeeverythingdifferent.PostwarBritainexperiencedimmensechanges.Democratizationandsocializationoccurred,valueswereshifting,andclassdifferencesbecamelessacutePeopletendedtovaluetheday-to-dayexperienceandtakeiteasy.Theyoungintellectualsofthe1950swerenormallyiconoclasticandanti-establishedstandards.Ambitiousanddisillusioned,theylashedoutagainstcontemporarysociety.PostwarFictionIntroductionIIInformaltermstheywereinrevoltagainstthehighliteraryidealsofmodernismandwroteinadeliberatelyvulgar,comic,andsatiricalvein.Theycreatedcharactersthatrepresentedtheirradical,parochialattitudesandbecameknownas“theAngryYoungMen.”Theepithet,“theAngryYoungMen,”wasoriginallyajournalistictermusedtodescribeagroupofplaywrightsandnovelistsofthemid-1950s,butithasalsocometoreferlooselytothemajorcharactersthattheseauthorshavecreated.PostwarFictionIntroductionIIIForinstance,KingsleyAmis’JimDixoninhisLuckyJim,WilliamCooper’sJoeLunninhisScenesfromProvincialLife,andJohnGeralsBraine’sJoeLamptoninhisRoomatthetop.SpecialmentionsshouldbemadehereofJohnOsborne’splay,LookBackinAnger,which,givingmanifestexpressiontothedisaffectionofthepostwargeneration,gaveitthenameof“theAngryYoungMen.”PostwarFictionIntroductionIVInadditiontothesewriters,therewerequiteanumberofotherwritersworkingdiligentlyonthepostwarliteraryscene.Theseinclude,amongothers,LawrenceDurrell,WilliamGolding,DorisLessing,IrisMurdoch,C.P.Snow,andMurielSpark.KingsleyAmis(1922-1995)IntroductionAmiswasanimportantfigureofhistime.Asanovelist,hebecamealeadingfigureof“theAngryYoungMen”group,andasapoet,hewasconsideredtobeoneimportantmemberoftheMovementpoetrycoterie.HismajorworksincludesuchnovelsasLuckyJim,ThatUncertainFeeling,ILikeItHere,TheAnti-DeathLeague,TheGreenMan,andTheOldDevils.LuckyJimisasatiriccomedy.ItspearheadsitssatiricedgeagainstaworldoffakesinwhichJimDixonlives.LawrenceDurrell(1912-1990)IntroductionLawrenceDurrellwasanovelistandapoet.HismostfamousworkishisAlexandriaQuartet.TheQuartetconsistsoffournovels:Justine,Balthazar,Mountolive,andClea.Thefour-volumenoveltellsastoryofloveandpoliticalintrigue.Durrellseemstosuggestthatphysicalsexdoesnothelptowardamelioratinghumancondition.Someotheravenuewillhavetobesoughtandfound.WilliamGolding(1911-1993)IntroductionWhenstillyoung,hetookanenormousinterestinliteratureandreadagoodmanyworks.HisfirstbookLordoftheFlies,establishedhimasarisingstaronthesceneandpavedthewayforhimtowintheNobelPrizein1983.Golding’svisionisconsistent.Hewouldliketoexamineman’sweaknessinanatomicprecision.Histhemeisthedarkside—orevil—ofhumannature.Heprefershisstorytobecalled“afable,”whichitcertainlyis.Afableisaveiledstoryabouthumanexistence.DorisLessing(1919-)IntroductionDorisLessingisoneofthemostsuccessfulprolificBritishnovelistsoftherecentdecades.Basicallyarealist,shetookinterestinwritinginthemythicmodeinthe1970s.Inthe1980ssherevertedbacktotherealisticmode,thoughstillexhibitingsometracesoffantasyattimes.Shefocusesmostlyonblack-whiterelationsandonthelifeofthewomaninamale–orientedworld.Herbestknownworkishernovel,TheGoldenNotebook.Thenovelisstructurallyintriguing.Itreadslikeanovelistwritingaboutanovelist,withstorieswithinthestoryandnovelswithinthenovel.IrisMurdoch(1919-)IntroductionIrisMurdochwasborninDublin,IrelandandgrewupinthesuburbsofLondon.Sheisaphilosopher-writer.TheBellisherfourthandfinestnovel.Itisanartisticrenderingofmythandrealitywellintertwined.Themajorthemeofthenovelislove,orfailureoflove.OtherworksofhersincludeUndertheNet,TheSandcastle,ASeveredHead,TheBlackPrince,andTheSea,theSea.JohnWain(1925-)IntroductionHeisoneofthepostwarnovelistswhoturnedawayfromtheprewarcrazeforexperimentationandwentbacktothe18th-centurytraditionofagoodstory-telling.Hisconcerniswiththelifeofthepresent,wherehetendstofindmanwantingindignityandmoralworthinfaceofadversity.HismosttragicnovelisprobablyhisThePardoner’sTale.ThewholenovelissetinagloomyofsterilityandmeaninglessnessWainisverypostmoderninspirit.JohnFowles(1926-)IntroductionHeisatoncepopularandseriousnovelist.Hisstoriesarebasicallytraditionalinnature,orlovestoriesinitsvariousforms,thatpresentlittleornoobscurityincomprehension.Thereseemstobesomekindofpatternthatunderpinshisstories:theheroundertakesaquest,withtheguidanceofsomewiseman,andfindsthewomenhelovesandbecomesspirituallywhole.HismostfamousnovelisTheFrenchLieutenant’sWoman.AlanSillitoe(1928-)IntroductionHisprotagonistsaremostlyangryyoungmen,comingfromworkingfamilybackgroundsandworkingmostlyinfactories.Theyaresorelyfrustratedandfuriouswiththeirlot.Hisbestfictionisprobablyhisfirstnovel,SaturdayNightandSundayMorning.KeyPointsinChapter26PostwarDramaSamuelBeckettJohnOsborneHaroldPinterTomStoppardATentativeConclusionPostwarDramaIntroductionThedecadesofthe1930sand1940swereadullanduninspiredperiodforEnglishdrama.TherewereSamuelBeckett,JohnOsborne,HaroldPinterandTo