V-The-Victorian-Age复习重点

VTheVictorianAge—EnglishCriticalRealism.1Historicalbackground:TheReformBillof1832markedthepassingofthepoliticalpowerfromthedecayingaristocratstotheindustrialcapitalists.TheChartistMovement(宪章运动)oftheworkingclassdemandedrightsofvotingandbeingvoted,ofshorterhoursofworkandofbetterworkingandlivingconditions.AsaresultofIndustrialRevolution,Englandbecamethe“workshopoftheworld”.Thereappearedgreatdifferenceandsharpcontrastbetweentherichandthepoor.Therewasarapiddevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,withnewinventionsanddiscoveriesinastronomy,biologyandanthropology,etc.Womencametoseetheirownproblems,risingtofightfortheirrightsofvotingandbeingvoted,ofequalityandfreedom,andofeducationandemploymentopportunities..2Culturalbackground:Darwin’sevolutionarytheory,CarlMarx’shistoricalview,andotherkindsofnewphilosophicalideasgreatlyshookpeople’sreligiousbeliefandproducedwidespreaddoubtsandanxietiesamongthepeople.Utilitarianism(功利主义),baseduponthephilosophicaltheoriesexpoundedbyJohmStuartMill,andHerbertSpencer’spositivism(实证主义),begantoprevailthroughouttheentiresocialsystem.Underthepretextof“thesurvivalofthefittest”(适者生存)and“thegreatesthappinessofthegreatestnumber”,utilitarianismbecamethecapitalists’excuseoftheirbrutalityandinhumanityintheeconomicexploitationoftheworkingmass.Dickens,Hardy,GeorgeEliotandmanyothersocialconsciouswritersseverelycriticizedtheutilitariancreed,especiallyitsdepreciationofculturevaluesanditscoldindifferencetowardshumanfeelingsandimagination.1.3Victorianliterature:Novelbecamethemostwidelyreadandthemostvitalandchallengingexpressionofprogressivethought.WriterslikeCharlesDickens,WilliamThackeray,GeorgeEliot,ThomasHardyshowedtheirprimaryconcernisaboutthepeopleinthesocietywithsympathyforthepoorandtheunfortunateandbecamethemajorvoiceoftheliteraryworldbypresentingafaithfulpictureofthehorriblecapitalistEngland.ThebigoutputbytheVictorianpoets,especiallyAlfredTennyson,themostrepresentativepoetofthetime,andRobertBrowning,themostoriginalandexperimentalpoet,pavedthewayforthe20th-centurymodernpoetry,bothinsubjectmattersandtechnique.2CharlesDickensPointsofview:Hehatesthesocialevilsandintendssocialreformbyexposingandcriticizinginhisworksallthepoverty,injustice,hypocrisyandcorruptioninthe19th–centuryEngland.Hethinksthatthestateshouldintervenetocontroltherapacityoflandlordsandcapitalists.Hewantsimprovementinthelifeofthepoor,butisafraidofarealrevolution.Dickensisahumanitarianwhopoursallhisloveandsympathyforthosepoor,weak,innocent,injuredandneglectedgoodpeople.3ThackerayVanityFair---ANovelWithoutaHeroItisThackeray’smasterpiece.Thesub-titleofthebookemphasizesthefactthatthewriter’sintentionwasnottoportrayindividuals,butthebourgeoisandaristocraticsocietyasawhole.BuildinghisplotaroundthefatesofAmeliaSedleyandRebecca(Becky)Sharp,ThackeraymanagedtoshowapictureofthelifeoftherulingclassesofEngland.Thenovelremainsaclassicalexampleofsocialsatireuptothepresentday.ThetitlewastakenformBunyan’spilgrim’sprogress.4SisterBrontesHowtheBrontesistersbecamewritersisamysterytowesternscholars.ExceptforshortvisitstoBrussel（布鲁塞尔）byCharlotteandEmilyandtheirbriefstayataboardingschool(寄宿学校)forclergymen’sdaughters(thelikenessofwhichwasdescribedbyCharlotteinJaneEyre)wheretwooftheireldersisterscontractedtuberculosisanddiedlikeHelenBurnsinthenovel,thesisterswerepracticallylivinginisolation,inadistantvillageofHaworth,alonelyvillagesetinthewildmoorsofYorkshire(约克郡布丁).Amoor(荒漠)isawildopen,oftenraisedarea,coveredwithheather(石兰花),roughgrass,orhowbushesandisnotfarmedbecauseofitsbadsoil.SomecriticssaidthattheBrontesinheritedtheirstrongemotionfromtheirparents.FortheirfatherwasanIrishmanwhowasbornintoapeasantfamilyandbyworkinghardmanagedtoenterCambridgeandbecameaclergyman.TheirmotherwasborninCornwall(康威尔),aplacewheremostofthepopulationareofCelticorigin(凯尔特人).TheCelticbloodexplainstheirstrongemotionsandtheiraudacityinthesearchforspiritualintegrity.　Anotherfactorwasthemoorland,whichwasnotyetcorruptedbytheevilsofsociety.Surroundedbymoorlandandinnumerablesteephills,theplacewascutoffinthethirtiesfromin-roadingindustrialism.Theonlycommunicationwiththeoutsideworldwasbywalkingorbycart.Lackingamusements,thechildrencouldplayonlyinwildnature,roamingonthemoors;themoorsnurturedtheirimagination,forfromtheirchildhoodtheywouldimaginefairykingdomsandinventedstoriesaboutthem.ThethirdfactorthatexplainstheirwritingcareerwasthefactthattheyweregreatlyinfluencedbytheRomanticpoets.TheyreadworksbyWordsworth,Coleridge,Byron,andShelley.CharlotteandherbrotherPatrickBranwellBronte(1817—1848)intheirearlytwentiesevenwrotetoWordsworthandSouthey,beggingopinionsontheirwritings.4.1JaneEyreInJaneEyre,CharlotteBrontedrewagreatdealfromherownlife-experience.Oneofthecentralthemesofthebookisthecriticismofthebourgeoissystemofeducation.Bronte’sdescriptionofthehorrorofLowoodcharityschoolisnotinferiortoDicken’sstrongestpassagesportrayingbourgeoiseducationalinstitutions.InLowoodCharlotteBrontedepictedthecharityschoolwhereshespentsomeyearsofherunhappychildhoodandwherehertwoeldersistersdiedofill-treatmentandheryounger