山东师范大学-英国文学课堂课件(考研必备资料)Victorian Age

1TheVictorianAge(1832----1901)HistoricalBackgroundSub-dividedintothreeperiods1)Theearlyperiod(1832-1848)wasatimeoftroubles2)Themid-Victorianperiod(1848-1870)wasatimeofeconomicprosperity3)ThethirdphaseoftheVictorianagewitnessedthedeclineoftheBritishempireandthedecayofVictorianvalues.2TheReformBillof1832选举法修正案Notonlyre-apportionedrepresentationinParliament,makingthatbodymoreaccuratelyrepresentthecitizensofthecountry,butalsogavethepowerofvotingtothoselower,extendingtherighttovotetoanymanowningahouseholdworth£10,adding217,000voterstoanelectorateof435,000.TheReformActopenedthewaytofurtherchangesinthefutureofBritishpolitics(theReformActsof1867and1884,aswellastheFactoryActsandtheAbolitionofSlaveryAct,bothofwhichweresoontofollow).3Industryandcommercedevelopedfast.Theaffluenceofthemiddleclassincreased.Thelowerclasses,thrownofftheirlandandintothecitiestoformthegreaturbanworkingclass,livedevermorewretchedly.DevelopmentofscienceandtechnologyTheChartistMovement(Chartism):amovementforsocialandpoliticalreformintheUnitedKingdomduringthemid-19thcentury.ItgainsitsnamefromthePeople'sCharterof1838,whichsetoutthemainaimsofthemovement.4LiteraryCurrentNovel:VictorianerawastheageoftheEnglishnovel—realistic,thicklyplotted,crowdedwithcharacters.Itwastheidealformtodescribecontemporarylifeandtoentertainthemiddleclass.CharlesDickensWilliamMakepeaceThackerayGeorgeEliotTheBrontesistersPoetryAlfred,LordTennysonRobertBrowningMatthewArnoldNonfictionThomasBabingtonMacaulayJohnHenryNewmanThomasCarlyle5RealismThepresentationinartofdetailsfromactuallife.Duringthelastpartofthe19thcenturyandthefirstpartofthe20th,RealismenjoyedconsiderablepopularityamongwritersintheEnglish-speakingworld.Nowhere,perhaps,wasRealismmoreevidentthaninthenovel.Novelsoftendealtwithgrimsocialrealitiesandpresentedrealisticportrayalofthepsychologicalstatesofcharacters.6VictorianLiterature1.NovelTheEnglishnovelcameofagesuddenly,swiftly,anddramatically.Realism,whichpresentedadetailedportraitoflifeinnineteenth-centuryEngland.TheVictoriannovelistswereprimarilyconcernedwithpeopleinsocietyandwiththeirrelationtootherpeople.Thefunctionofanovelistwasalsoextendedfrommeredescriptionandmoralization道德说教tosocialcriticism.7Alltheevilsoftheexistinginstitutions—government,law,church,educationandpenal刑事的systems,withtheirinjusticeandcorruptionandthewretchednesscausedbythem—andthesocietyitselfwithitscorrupted,vain空虚的andevilmembersweremercilesslyexposedandcriticizedbythem.Novelswerepublishedininstallmentsinweeklymagazines.Thisstyleofpresentationoftenaffectedthecontentofthework,aspopularnovelswerestretchedouttoprolongtheirsuccessandunpopularoneswerealteredinattemptstowinthepublicaffection.8ThemajorVictoriannovelistsare:CharlesDickensWilliamMakepeaceThackerayCharlotteBrontëEmilyBrontëGeorgeEliotThomasHardy92Non-fictionProseFamoushistorians,critics,scientistsandessayistsabounded.ThomasMacaulay麦考利representsinthefullestdegreetheVictorianvigoranddelightinmaterialprogress.ThomasCarlyle,thehistorian,socialcritic,andprophet,wroteamajorhistoryoftheFrenchRevolution.JohnStuartMill,betterknownastheauthorofPrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy,wasthemostinfluentialEnglish-speakingphilosopherofthenineteenthcentury.JohnHenryNewman,oneoftheprimemoversoftheOxfordMovement,wroteaseriesofessaysonreligion,philosophy,andeducation.JohnRuskin,theforemostEnglishartcritic,revolutionizedartcriticismandwrotesomeofthemostsuperbproseintheEnglishlanguage.103PoetryVictorianpoetryisobsessedbythegreatideasofafictionalizedpast,itfunctionsasapopularencyclopediaorcommentarytomythorfolkloreanditisafashionablemanneristiccommentarytoavarietyofideas.ItsmostrepresentativepoetisAlfredTennyson.Hisproductionofpoetrywassteady,anditsvarietygreat.Theinfluenceoftheclassicliteraturesonhisstyleandexpressionisgreat;nopoetcombinesmoreharmoniouslyclassicperfectionandromanticfeeling.Tennysonisanindependentthinker,aconservativeliberal,andissowidelypopularbecauseheexpressesinfrankbutreverentfashionthemoderatelyadvancedconvictionsofhistime.HissocialidealsarethoseofVictorianhumanitarianism.11RobertBrowningstandsinstrikingartisticcontrasttoTennyson—acontrastwhichperhapsservestoenhancethereputationofboth.Browningisthemostthoroughlyvigorousanddramaticofallgreatpoetswhoemployotherformsthantheactualdrama.Browning’sfavoriteheroesandheroinesaremenandwomenmuchlikehimself,ofstrongwillanddecisivepowerofaction,abletotaketheleadvigorouslyandunconventionallyandtoplaycontrollingpartsinthedramaoflife.Hispoetryconstitutesaveryextendedstatementofhisphilosophyoflife.Thefoundationofhiswholetheoryisaconfidentandaggressiveoptimism.InformandspiritMatthewArnold’spoetryisoneoftheverybestlaterreflectionsofthatofGreece,dominatedbythought,dignified,andpolishedwiththeutmostcare.InsubstanceArnold’spoetryistheexpressionofhislongandtragicspiritualstruggle.12CharlesDickens(1812-1870)Ageniusrevealingtheverypulseoflife13TheFirstPeriodofHisLiteraryCareer(1836—1841)MarkedbyyouthfuloptimismThePickwichPapersOliverTwistNicholasNicklebyTheOld