2013-12-3-Charles-Dickens

1.Theperiodfrom1832to1901whenthereignofQueenVictoriaruledoverEngland.2.AftertheReformBillof1832passedthepoliticalpowerfromthedecayingaristocratsintothehandsofthemiddle-classindustrialcapitalists.3.Englandbecamethe“workshopoftheworld”.4.Yetbeneaththegreatprosperityandrichness,thereexistedwidespreadpovertyandwretchednessamongtheworkingclass.Historicalbackground5.TheEnglishworkersgotthemselvesorganizedinbigcitiesandbroughtforththePeople’sCharter,inwhichtheydemandedbasicrightsandbetterlivingandworkingconditions.6.Athome,theIrishquestionremainedunsolved.7.Therapiddevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,newinventionsanddiscoveriesingeology,astronomy,biologyandanthropologydrasticallyshookpeople’sreligiousconvictionsHistoricalbackground.1.Darwin’sTheOriginofSpecies(1859)andTheDecentofMan(1871)shookthetheoreticalbasisofthetraditionalfaith.Newscientificdiscoveriesincreasedpeople’sreligiousdoubtsandanxieties2.Utilitarianismwaswidelyacceptedandpracticed.Almosteverythingwasputtothetestbythecriterionofutility,thatis,theextenttowhichitcouldpromotethematerialhappiness.3.Dickens,Carlyle,RuskinandmanyothersociallyconsciouswritersseverelycriticizedtheUtilitariancreed,especiallyitsdepreciationofculturalvaluesanditscoldindifferencetowardshumanfeelingsandimaginations.Almosteverythingwasputtothetestbythecriterionofutility,thatis,theextenttowhichitcouldpromotethematerialhappiness.Thistheoryheldaspecialappealtothemiddle-classedindustrialists,whosegreeddrovethemtoexploitingworkerstotheutmostandbroughtgreatersufferingandpovertytotheworkingmass.Culturalbackground1.Victorianliteraturetookonitsqualityofmagnitudeanddiversity.Itwasmany-sidedandcomplex,andreflectedbothromanticallyandrealisticallythegreatchangesthatweregoingoninpeople’slifeandthought.Greatwritersandgreatworksabounded.2.Thenovelbecamethemostwidelyreadandthemostvitalandchallengingexpressionofprogressivethought.AmongthefamousnovelistsofthetimewerethecriticalrealistslikeCharlesDickens,WilliamMakepeaceThackery,CharlotteBronteetc.VictorianLiterature3.TheVictorianagealsoproducedahostofgreatprosewriters:ThomasCarlyle,ThomasBabingtonMacaulay,MatthewArnoldetc.4.Thepoetryofthisperiodwasmainlycharacterizedbyexperimentswithnewstylesandnewwaysofexpression.VictorianLiteratureCriticalRealismVictorianAgeisanageofrealismratherthanofromanticism---arealismwhichstrivestotellthewholetruthshowingmoralandphysicaldiseasesastheyare.Tobetruetolifebecomesthefirstrequirementforliterarywriting.Asthemirroroftruth,literaturehascomeveryclosetodailylife,reflectingitspracticalproblemsandinterestsandisusedasapeacefulinstrumentofhumanprogress.Sofarastheliteraryformisconcerned,themajorcontributionmadebythe19thcenturycriticalrealistsliesintheirperfectionofthenovel.The19thcenturycriticalrealistsmadeuseoftheformofnovelforfullanddetailedrepresentationsofsocialandpoliticalevents,andofthefateofindividualsandofwholesocialclasses.DramaticMonologueBydramaticmonologue,itismeantthatapoetchoosesadramaticmomentoracrisis,inwhichhischaractersaremadetotalkabouttheirlives,&abouttheirminds&hearts.In“listening”tothoseone-sidedtalks,readerscanformtheirownopinions&judgmentsaboutthespeaker'spersonality&aboutwhathasreallyhappened.RobertBrowningbroughtthispoeticformtoitsmaturity&perfection&his“MyLastDuchess”isoneofthebest-knowndramaticmonologues.MajorwritersCharlesDickensWilliamMakepeaceThackeray,CharlotteBronte,EmilyBronteElizabethGaskellGeorgeEliotRobertBrowningCharlesDickens(1812-1870)Hislife1812Borninafamilyofapoorclerk.1824London:Thewholefamilywenttotheprisonfordebt1824workinanundergroundcellaratablackingfactory,thenstudyatschoolagain1827enteralawyer’soffice1832hewastakenonthestaffofanewspaperandhislife-workofwritingbegan.“PickwickPapers”combinedwithacollectionofhumorouspicturesmadehimfamous.Dickens'sbirthplaceatNo.1MileEndTerrace,Landport,adistrictontheoutskirtsofPortsmouth.Dickens’snovelsThefirstperiod1836SketchesbyBoz博兹札记1836-37ThePickwickPapers1837-38OliverTwist1838-39NicholasNickleby1840-41TheOldCuriosityShop1841BarnabyRudgeThefirstperiod(1836-1841)AtthisstageDickensbelievedthatalltheevilsofthecapitalistworldwouldberemediedifonlymentreatedeachotherwithkindliness,justice,andsympatheticunderstanding.Dickensthoughtthatthewholesocialquestionwouldbesolvedifonlyeveryemployerreformedhimselfaccordingtothemodelsetbythebenevolentgentlemeninhisnovels.Thisnaïveoptimismischaracteristicofthepetty-bourgeoishumanitariansofhistime.Thesecondperiod1842AmericanNotes美国纪行1843-45MartinChuzzlewit马丁·翟述伟1843AChristmasCarol圣诞颂歌1844TheChimes1845TheCricketontheHearth1846-48DombeyandSon1849-50DavidCopperfieldThesecondperiod(1842-1850)Dickens’ssecondperiodbeganfrom1842,theyearafterhisfirstvisittoAmerica.Beforethevisit,DickensthoughtoftheUnitedStatesasaworldinwhichtherewerenoclassdivisionsandhumanrelationswerehumanitarian.Butwhatimpressedhimmostduringhisvisittherewastheruleofthedollarandtheenormouslycorruptiveinfluenceofwealthandpower.Dickens’snaïveoptimismtowardthecapitalistsocietywasprofoundlyshaken.Thethirdperiod(intensifyingpessimi