维多利亚时期 victorian

THEVICTORIANERATheVictorianera,fromthecoronationofQueenVictoriain1837untilherdeathin1901,wasaneraofseveralunsettling动乱不安socialdevelopmentsthatforcedwritersmorethaneverbeforetotakepositionsontheimmediateissuesanimating鼓舞士气therestofsociety.Thus,althoughromanticformsofexpressioninpoetryandprosecontinuedtodominateEnglishliteraturethroughoutmuchofthecentury,theattentionofmanywriterswasdirected,sometimespassionately,tosuchissuesasthegrowthofEnglishdemocracy,theeducationofthemasses,theprogressofindustrialenterpriseandtheconsequentriseofamaterialisticphilosophy,andtheplightofthenewlyindustrializedworker..CriticalrealisminEngland1.Historyoftheperiod(1832-1868)TheprogressofReform(1832,ReformBill,fourthingsstandout)Chartism2.Literarycurrent:criticalrealismPolitical,Economical&CulturalBackgroundTheearlyyearsoftheVictorianEnglandwasatimeofrapideconomicdevelopmentaswellasserioussocialproblems.AftertheReformBillof1832passedthepoliticalpowerfromthedecayingaristocratsintothehandsofthemiddle-classindustrialcapitalists,theIndustrialRevolutionsoongearedup开动准备好.Towardsthemid-century,Englandhadreacheditshighestpointofdevelopmentasaworldpower.Andyetbeneaththegreatprosperity&richness,thereexistedwidespreadpoverty&wretchednessamongtheworkingclass.Theworseningliving&workingconditions,themassunemployment&thenewPoorLaw济贫法of1834withitsworkhouse济贫院，贫民习艺所，教养院systemfinallygaverisetotheChartistMovement(1836-1848).Duringthenexttwentyyears,Englandsettleddowntoatimeofprosperity&relativestability.Themiddle-classlifeofthetimewascharacterizedbyprosperity,respectability&materialprogress.ButthelastthreedecadesofthecenturywitnessedthedeclineoftheBritishEmpire&thedecayoftheVictorianvalues.Ideologically,theVictoriansexperiencedfundamentalchanges.Therapiddevelopmentofscience&technology,newinventions&discoveriesingeology,astronomy,biology&anthropologydrasticallyshookpeople‘sreligiousconvictions宗教信仰.Darwin’sTheOriginofSpecies物种起源(1859)&TheDescentofMan人类的起源(1871)shookthetheoreticalbasisofthetraditionalfaith.Ontheotherhand,Utilitarianism功利主义实用主义waswidelyaccepted&practiced.TheChartistMovement(1836-1848)TheEnglishworkersgotthemselvesorganizedinbigcities&broughtforththePeople'scharter,inwhichtheydemandedbasicrights&betterliving&workingconditions.They,forthreetimes,madeappealstothegovernment,withhundredsofthousandsofpeople'ssignatures.Themovementsweptovermostofthecitiesinthecountry.Althoughthemovementdeclinedtoanendin1848,itdidbringsomeimprovementtothewelfareoftheworkingclass.ThiswasthefirstmassmovementoftheEnglishworkingclass&theearlysignoftheawakeningofthepoor,oppressedpeople.UtilitarianismAlmosteverythingwasputtothetestbythecriterionofutility,thatis,theextenttowhichitcouldpromotethematerialhappiness.Thistheoryheldaspecialappealtothemiddle-classindustrialists,whosegreeddrovethemtoexploitingworkerstotheutmost&broughtgreatersuffering&povertytotheworkingmass.DramaticMonologueBydramaticmonologue,itismeantthatapoetchoosesadramaticmoment戏剧性时刻oracrisis,inwhichhischaractersaremadetotalkabouttheirlives,&abouttheirminds&hearts.Inlisteningtothoseone-sidedtalks,readerscanformtheirownopinions&judgmentsaboutthespeaker'spersonality&aboutwhathasreallyhappened.RobertBrowningbroughtthispoeticformtoitsmaturity&perfection&hisMyLastDuchessisoneofthebest-knowndramaticmonologues.CriticalRealismTheVictorianAgeisanageofrealismratherthanofromanticism-arealismwhichstrivestotellthewholetruthshowingmoral&physicaldiseasesastheyare.Tobetruetolifebecomesthefirstrequirementforliterarywriting.Asthemirroroftruth,literaturehascomeveryclosetodailylife,reflectingitspracticalproblems&interests&isusedasapowerfulinstrumentofhumanprogress.FeaturesoftheVictorianLiteratureVictorianliterature,asaproductofitsage,naturallytookonitsqualityofmagnitude&diversity.Itwasmany-sided&complex,&reflectedbothromantically&realisticallythegreatchangesthatweregoingoninpeople'slife&thought.Greatwriters&greatworksabounded.FeaturesofVictoriannovelsInthisperiod,thenovelbecamethemostwidelyread&themostvital&challengingexpressionofprogressivethought.Whilestickingtotheprincipleoffaithfulrepresentationofthe18th-centuryrealistnovel,novelistsinthisperiodcarriedtheirdutyforwardtothecriticismofthesociety&thedefenseofthemass.Althoughwritingfromdifferentpointsofview&withdifferenttechniques,theysharedonethingincommon,thatis,theywereallconcernedaboutthefateofthecommonpeople.Theywereangryattheinhuman野蛮不人道socialinstitutions,thedecayingsocialmoralityasrepresentedbythemoney-worship&Utilitarianism&thewidespreadmisery,poverty&injustice.Theirtruthfuldepictionofpeople'slife&bitter&strongcriticismofthesocietyhaddonemuchinawakeningthepublicconsciousnesstothesocialproblems&intheactualimprovementofthesociety.Victorianliterature,ingeneral,truthfullyrepresentsthereality&spiritoftheage.Thehigh-spiritedvitality,thedown-to-earthearnestness,thegood-naturedhumor&unboundedimaginationareallunprecedented.Inalmosteverygenreitpavedthewayforthecomingcentury,whereitsspirits,values&experimentsaretowitnesstheirbumperharvest丰收.Thestrengthandweaknes