English-Critical-Realism

Ⅲ.EnglishCriticalRealism:Inthisperiodoftenseclassstruggleappearedanewliterarytrend-criticalrealism.Englishcriticalrealismofthe19thcenturyflourishedinthefortiesandintheearlyfifties.ThecriticalrealistsdescribedwithmuchvividnessandgreatartisticskillthechieftraitsoftheEnglishsocietyandcriticizedthecapitalistsystemfromademocraticviewpoint.ThegreatestEnglishrealistofthetimewasCharlesDickens.Withstrikingforceandtruthfulness,hecreatespicturesofbourgeoiscivilization,describingthemiseryandsufferingsofthecommonpeople.Anothercriticalrealist,WilliamMakepeaceThackeray,wasanolesssevereexposerofcontemporarysociety.Thackeray'snovelsaremainlyasatiricalportrayaloftheupperstrataofsociety.ThemethodofcriticalrealismwerefurtheradoptedbysuchwritersasCharlotteandEmilyBronte,andElizabethGaskell.Inthefiftiesandsixtiestherealisticnovelenteredastageofdecline.GeorgeEliotdescribedthelifeofthelabouringpeopleandcriticizedtheprivilegedclasses,butthepowerofexposurebecamemuchweakerinherwork.ThesignificanceofherworkliesratherintheportrayalofthepettinessandstagnancyofEnglishprovinciallife.TheEnglishcriticalrealistsofthe19thcenturynotonlygaveasatiricalportrayalofthebourgeoisieandalltherulingclasses,butalsoshowedprofoundsympathyforthecommonpeople.Intheirbestworks,thegreedandhypocrisyoftheupperclassesarecontrastedwiththehonestyandgood-heartednessoftheobscuresimplepeopleofthelowerclasses.HencetheuseofhumourandsatireintheEnglishrealisticnovelsofthe19thcentury.Humorousscenesmayattendtheactionsofthepositivecharacters,butthishumouristingedwithlyricismandservestostressthefinequalitiesofsuchcharacters.Atthesametime,bittersatireandgrotesqueisusedtoexposetheseamysideofthebourgeoissociety.Throughthesketchesofvariousnegativecharactersgivenbirthtobythecapitalistsystem,criticalrealismrevealsthecorruptinginfluenceoftheruleofcashuponhumannature.Hereliestherootofthedemocraticandhumanisticcharacterofthecriticalrealismofthe19thcentury.Butthecriticalrealistsdidnotfindawaytoeradicatesocialevils.Theydidnotrealizethenecessityofchangingthebourgeoissociety.Theywereunabletofindagoodsolutiontothesocialcontradictions.Thechieftendencyintheirworksisnotofrevolutionbutratherofreformism.Theyoftenstartwithapowerfulexposureoftheuglinessofthebourgeoisworld,merelytocloseinamuchtoocoincidentalhappyendingoranimpotentcompromise.Hereweseeatoncethestrengthandtheweaknessofcriticalrealism.Sofarastheliteraryformorgenreisconcerned,themajorcontributionmadebythe19thcenturycriticalrealistsliesintheirperfectionofthenovel.Liketherealistsofthe18thcentury,the19thcenturycriticalrealistsmadeuseofthebroadcanvasofthenovelforfullanddetailedrepresentationsofsocialandpoliticalevents,andofthefateofindividualsandofwholesocialclasses.However,therealisticnovelsofthe19thcenturywentastepfurtherthanthoseofthe18thcenturyinthattheynotonlypicturedtheconflictsbetweenseparateindividualswhostoodfordefinitesocialstrata,butalsoshowedthebroadsocialconflictsoverandabovethefateofmereindividuals.WhatwiththeirartisticrepresentationofvitalsocialmovementssuchasChartismandtheirvividdescriptionofdramaticconflictsofthetime,the19thcenturyrealisticnovelsbecometheepicofthebourgeoissociety.Chapter2.DickensCharlesDickens,thegreatestrepresentativeofEnglishcriticalrealism,wasbornin1812atPortsmouth,wherehisfatherwasaclerkintheNavyPayOffice.Whenhewasaboutfouryearsofage,hisfamilymovedtoChatham,andthefiveyearshespenttherewerethehappiestofallhisboyhood.WhatschoolingDickenshadhegotatChathamatasmallday-school.Thenoneday,hefoundapileofEnglishnovelsinalittleroomupstairstowhichIhadaccess(foritadjoinedmyown),andwhichnobodyelseinourhouseevertroubled.Fromthatblessedlittleroom,'RoderickRandom','PeregrinePickle','HumphreyClinker','TomJones','TheVicarofWakefield','DonQuixote','GilBias',and'RobinsonCrusoe'cameout,aglorioushosttokeepmecompany.Theykeptalivemyfancyandmyhopeofsomethingbeyondthatplaceandtime,—they,andthe'ArabianNight'，andthe'TalesoftheGenii',—anddidmenoharm;forwhateverharmwasinsomeofthemwasnotthereforme;Iknewnothingofit…Thiswasmyonlyandmyconstantcomfort.WhenIthinkofit,thepicturealwaysrisesinmymind,ofasummerevening,theboysatplayinthechurchyard,andIsittingonmybedreadingasifforlife.Everybarnintheneighbourhood,everystoneinthechurch,andeveryfootofthechurchyard,hadsomeassociationofitsown,inmymind,connectedwiththesebooks,andstoodforsomelocalitymadefamousinthem.In1821theDickensfamilymovedtoapoorquarterinLondon.Mr.Dickenswasheavilyindebtanddidnotknowwhichwaytoturnformoney.Thefewpossessionstheyhadweresoldonebyone,butthingsstillwentfrombadtoworse.FinallyMr.DickenswastakentotheMarshalseaPrison,London,fordebt.ShortlyafterwardsMrs.Dickensandtheyoungerchildrenwenttotheprison,too,tojointhefather.Meanwhilethe12-year-oldCharles,weakandsensitive,wassenttoworkinanundergroundcellaratablackingfactoryintheEastEndofLondon.Worktherebeganateightinthemorningandendedateightatnight.Hisjobwastocoverthepotsofpaste-blacking;firstwithapieceofoil-paper,andthenwithabitofbluepaper;totiethemroundwithastring;andthentoclipthepapercloseandneat,allround,untilitlookedassmartasapotof