美国文学-Naturalism

AmericanNaturalismI.NaturalismII.StephenCraneIII.FrankNorrisIV.TheodoreDreiserV.OtherAuthorsofthePeriodI.NaturalismBackgroundDefinitionFeaturesRepresentativeWritersGeneralCommentsBackground(1)Socialbackground:industrialismfinancialgiantsvs.proletariat;slumsingreatnumbers;heavyfreightratesofrailroadHowell’s“smilingaspect”realismtoogenteelandevenfalseBackground(2)Ideologicalbackground:newphilosophyDarwinianconcepts:“thesurvivalofthefittest”,“thehumanbeast”;HerbertSpenser’ssocialDarwinism:man’slifeiscontrolledbyenvironmentandheredity;Nietzsche’sidea:“Godisdead”anattitudeofgloomanddespairBackground(3)Changingliteraryclimate:youngwritersemerging;influenceofFrenchnaturalismEmileZola(1840-1902)Thepurposeofanovelistwastobeascientist,toplacehischaractersinasituationandthentowatchtheinfluencesofheredityandenvironmentdestroythem.DefinitionNaturalismisatermcreatedbyEmileZola,whichattemptstoapplyscientificprinciplesofobjectivityanddetachmenttoitsstudyofhumanbeings;Naturalismisamoredeliberatekindofrealisminnovels,stories,andplays,usuallyinvolvingaviewofhumanbeingsaspassivevictimsofnaturalforcesandsocialenvironment;InAmerica,naturalismappearedattheendofthe19thcentury.ThemostsignificantworkisDreiser’sSisterCarrie.apessimisticformofrealism,aharsherandextremerealism“Putrathertoosimplistically,oneroughdistinctionmadebycriticsisthatrealismespousingadeterministicphilosophyandfocusingonthelowerclassesisconsiderednaturalism.”(“NaturalisminAmericanLiterature”)CommonFeaturesThematically,naturalisticwriters:wrotedetaileddescriptionsofthelivesofthedowntroddenandoftheabnormal;hadfranktreatmentofhumanpassionandsexuality;wereconcernedabouthowmenandwomenwereoverwhelmedbytheforcesofenvironmentandbytheforcesofheredityTechnically,naturalisticwriters:madedetaileddocumentationoflife:nothingbutthetruth,morenakedandwickedthanrealism;createdgloomyandpessimisticatmosphereRepresentativeWritersStephenCraneFrankNorrisTheodoreDreiserEdwinArlingtonRobinsonJackLondonO’HenryUptonSinclairAmericanNaturalism:firstcameintoexistenceinMaggie,aGirloftheStreetsbyStephenCrane;thenhaditsmanifestoinMcTeaguebyFrankNorris;andlatercametoitsmaturityinSisterCarriebyTheodoreDreiser.GeneralCommentsContributions:Naturalisticwritersbreakintosuchforbiddenregionsasviolence,death,andsex;Theyclearthewayforthenextgeneration,“thelostgeneration”ofthe1920s.Limits:Naturalistsrelytoooftenonliteralfactandpreciselydocumentedcircumstance;Theirmaterialisoftensoflatandexternalastoholdbacksearchforvalueandmeaning.II.StephenCrane(1871-1900)LifeMajorWorksWritingFeaturesTextAnalysisLifeHewasborninNewJersey,theyoungestinadevoutfamilyoffourteenchildren.Hisdesiretowritewasinspiredbyhisfamily:hisfather,aMethodist(卫理公会教徒)minister,andhismother,adevoutwomandedicatedtosocialconcerns,werewritersofreligiousarticles,andtwoofhisbrothersarejournalists.Cranefrequentlylivedthedown-and-outlifeofapennilessartist;hewasapoet,ajournalist,asocialcriticandrealist.Crane’slifewasveryshort.Hiscareerasanauthorlastedonlyfrom1892to1900,butuptonowhismanyworkshavebeenremembered.MajorWorksnovels:Maggie,AGirloftheStreet(1893)《街头女郎梅季》;TheRedBadgeofCourage(1895)《红色英勇勋章》shortstories:TheBrideComestoYellowSky《新娘来到黄天镇》;TheOpenBoat《海上扁舟》;TheBlueHotel《蓝色旅馆》;AnExperimentinMisery《痛苦试验》poems:TheBlackRidersandOtherLines(1895)《黑衣骑士及其他》;WarisKind(1899)《战争是仁慈的》WritingFeatures(1)Hisbasicthemeisaboutenvironmentandheredityoverwhelmingman.AManAdriftonaSlimSparThepuffofacoatimprisoning:Afacekissingthewater-deathAwearyslowswayofalosthandAndthesea,themovingsea,thesea.Godiscold.人捉细木海上浮一个人紧握一根细木在海上漂浮:脸在吻着水死神，那只沉下的手在疲倦地缓慢地挥动而大海，那永流不息的大海却一如既往的浮动。上帝是冷漠的。“Environmentisatremendousthingintheworldandfrequentlyshapesliferegardless.”WritingFeatures(2)Heisoneofthefirsttotreatslums,prostitution,alcoholismandotherunpleasantsubjectswhichareassociatedwiththeschoolofnaturalism.Hisworkiswellknownforitsimageryandsymbolism.Hissyntaxisoftensimpleanddirect.TextAnalysis:TheRedBadgeofCourageSettingThestorysetsduringanunnamedwarintheCivilWar.Union(theNorth)Confederacy(theSouth)Plot(1)HenryFleming,aneighteen-year-oldfarmboy,enrollsasasoldierintheUnionarmy.HehasdreamedoffightingheroicallyinGreek-likebattlesallhislife.Infirstbattle,Flemingwitnessedthereal,cruelwarandthedeathofsoldiers.Hebegantorunlikeawildanimal.Atthesametime,hewantedtoownawound—“thesymbolofcourage”.Inhiswayofreturn,hewashitbyascaredsoldierandaccidentallygotthe“theredbadgeofcourage”.Hereceivedgreatpraiseandcarefulcarebecauseofthis“redbadge”.Plot(2)Inthesecondwar,feelingsoreandstifffromhisexperiences,Flemingbegantoactlikearealherotofightwithhisenemy.Hewaslikeawarbeastandfiredwithoutastopuntilhiscomradesremindhimoftheretreatoftheenemy.Hebecamearealman.Genre:aBildungsromanABildungsromanorcoming-of-agestory(成长小说),isaliterarygenrethatfocusesonthepsychologicalandmoralgrowthoftheprotagonistfromyouthtoadulthood,andinwhichcharacterchangeisthusextremelyimportant.Fleming’sMaturationbeforeenrollment:illusion;inthewar:disillusionandapprehension;inthe