美国文学简史常耀信版讲义6

TheWritersofthe“LostGeneration”LostGeneration“Listen,Robert,goingtoanothercountrydoesn’tmakeanydifference.I’vetriedallthat.Youcan’tgetawayfromyourselfbymovingfromoneplacetoanother.There’snothingtothat.”TheSunAlsoRises,pg.19WhatistheLostGeneration?Literally,itisthegenerationofpeoplebornbetween1883and1900.TheyweredisillusionedbyWorldWarI.KnowninEuropeasthe“1914Generation”.TheOtherLostGenerationThephrasewascoinedbyGertrudeStein(spokentoHemingway):“Youareallalostgeneration.”GroupofAmericanwritersinthePost-WorldWarOneerawhowere:•DispleasedwithAmericansocialvalues,sexualandaestheticconventions,andestablishedmorality.FirstfledtocitiessuchasChicagoandSanFrancisco;thentoParis,London,Madrid,Barcelona,andRome(inparticular,Montparnasse).•Allpioneerednewwaysofwriting,rebellingagainstthetraditionalVictorianliterarystyle.•WriterssuchasErnestHemingway,F.ScottFitzgerald,JohnDosPassos,andGertrudeStein.Between1921and1924,thenumberofAmericansinParisgrewfrom6,000to30,000.PariswastheprimecityinwhichtheLostGenerationchosetowander.ParisMontparnasseservedastheheartofartisticcreativityandintellectinParisafterthewar.Containedmanycheapstudios,apartments,andwasalsoanareafilledwithimportantcafesandothernightlife.AlloftheLostGenerationwritersfoundthemselveshereatonetimeoranother.MontparnasseF.ScottFitzgerald•DroppedoutofPrincetonUniversityin1917tofightinWWI,butthewarendedbeforeheshippedout.•oneofthemostpopularandaccomplishedwritersofthemovement.•majorworksThisSideofParadiseTheLastTycoonTheBeautifulandtheDamnedTheGreatGatsbyAboutTheGreatGatsby:ThesettingisNewYorkCityandLongIslandduringthe1920s.Nick,thenarrator,isayoungPrincetonman,whoworksasabondbrokerinManhattan.HebecomesinvolvedinthelifeofhisneighboratLongIsland,JayGatsby,shadyandmysteriousfinancier,whoisentertaininghundredsofguestsatlavishparties.GatsbyrevealstoNick,thatheandNick'scousinDaisyFayBuchanan,hadabriefaffairbeforethewar.However,DaisymarriedTomBuchanan,arichbutboringmanofsocialposition.GatsbylostDaisybecausehehadnomoney,butheisstillinlovewithher.HepersuadesNicktobringhimandDaisytogetheragain.GatsbytriestoconvinceDaisytoleaveTom,who,inturn,revealsthatGatsbyhasmadehismoneyfrombootlegging.Daisy,drivingGatsby'scar,hitsandkillsTom'smistress,MyrtleWilson,unawareofheridentity.GatsbyremainssilenttoprotectDaisy.TomtellsMyrtle'shusbanditwasGatsbywhokilledhiswife.WilsonmurdersGatsbyandthencommitssuicide.NickislefttoarrangeGatsby'sfuneral,attendedonlyGatsby'sfatherandoneformerguest.ABriefAnalysis:Dreamofwealth---moneybringshimnothingbutmorallybankruptDreamofsocialposition---hestrugglestobeapartoftheupperclass,butremainsunalterablyanoutsider.Dreamoflostlove---onlyfindthewomanisnotquitetheidealloveofhisdream---Hislifeisagrandirony.Conclusion:Throughoutthenovel,Fitzgeraldpresagesthedecayofhisgeneration.Cynicalyetpoignant,thenovelisadevastatingportraitoftheso-calledAmericanDream,whichmeasuressuccessandloveintermsofmoney.Hisbookwasmeantasagrimsigntoforeshadowthatdestruction.Lifestory---Bornin1899inIllinois,thesonofacountrydoctor.---badlyinjuredintheRedCrossAmbulanceCorpinItalybeforehis19thbirthday.---foughtinWorldWarIIandthensettledinCubain1945.---in1954,hewasawardedtheNobelPrizeinLiterature---becauseoftheexpulsionfromCuba,hemovedtoIdaho---commitsuicidebyshootinghimself,inJuly,1961.ErnestHemingwayMajorworks:TheSunAlsoRises(1926)AFarewelltoArms(1929)ForWhomtheBellTolls(1940)TheOldManandtheSea(1952)Writingcareer:---FirstmajornovelwasTheSunAlsoRises,winhisthepositionasspokesmanofthe“lostgeneration”1926---Thenovelconcernsagroupofpsychologicallybruised,disillusionedexpatriateslivinginpostwarParis,whotakepsychicrefugeinsuchimmediatephysicalactivitiesaseating,drinking,traveling,brawling,andlovemaking.---hisnextimportantnovel,AFarewelltoArms,1929,basedonhisexperience---ThestorytellsofatragicwartimeloveaffairbetweenanambulancedriverandanEnglishnurse.---ForWhomtheBellTolls,1940---indetailinganincidentinthewar,arguesforhumanbrotherhood---TheOldManandtheSea,1952,restoringhisliteraryimage---celebratingtheindomitablecourageofanagedCubanfisherman.TheSunAlsoRisesThebookwasasuccessandestablishedHemingwayasaninternationally-knownauthor.WhileHemingway,likeFitzgerald,exploresandcritiquesthesuperficialityofhischaracters'indulgentlifestyles,hetouchesuponanumberofotherthemes,manyofwhichhavetodowithnewnotionsofmasculinityarisingafterthewar.Jake'spurportedimpotenceisapowerfulsymbolfortheemasculatedpostwarmalepsyche,andbull-fightingdescribessexaswarfareonseveralmetaphoricallevels.Emasculationandimpotence:OneofthekeychangesHemingwayobservesintheLostGenerationisthatofthenewmalepsyche,batteredbythewarandnewlydomesticated.Jakeembodiesthisnewemasculation;mostlikelyphysicallyimpotent,therefore,canneverhaveBrett.JakeiseventhreatenedbythehomosexualmenwhodancewithBrettinParis;whilenotsexuallyinterestedinher,theyseemedtohavemoremanhoodthanJake,physicallyspeaking.Thoughaveteran,Jakenowworksinanofficeandfrittersawayhistimewithsuperficialsocializing;headmiresbull-fighterssomuch,becausetheyarefarmoreheroicthanheisoreverwas.MainTh