美国文学选读习题.docx
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美国文学选读习题.docx
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美国文学选读习题
1.BenjaminFranklin
Writingstyle:
1)Franklin’swritingwassmooth,clear,andshort.TheAutobiographyisthepatternofPuritansimplicity,directness,andconcision.
2)Anotherimportantstylisticcharacteristicishisobjectivetone.
3)Significance:
ItpresentsaprototypeofAmericansuccesswhichinspiredgenerationsofAmericans;itisanembodimentofPuritanism(self-examination,self-improvement)andEnlighteningspirits(man’snaturegood,rightsofliberty,virtuesincludes“order”);Itispopular,stillwell-readtoday,andhisvaluesandstyleinfluencedlotsofAmericans.Franklinsettheformforautobiographyasagenre.
Question:
●ThesignificanceofBenjaminFranklin’sTheAutobiography.
TheAutobiographywasBenjaminFranklin’smasterpiece,whichhadgreatimpactonAmericanliteraturehistory.1)Firstlyfromhiscontent,itisprobablythefirstkindofautobiographyinAmericanliteraturehistory.Itdescribesapoormanstrivingtobeawell-cultivatedandrespectfulmaninhislife.Fromthenonpeoplecouldthinkthattheycouldwriteabookabouthisownlifeandmakeitusefultoothers.2)AndthenTheAutobiographyisfilledwiththestyleofPuritanism.Inthisbook,readerscouldobviouslyfeelthewriter’ssenseofself-retrospectionandself-analysis.AndallthesearethecharacteristicsofPuritans.Ittaughtpeoplehowtobeself-cultivated,howtobeself-reliantandhowtoservetheGodwell.3)Duetotheinfluenceofthetime,TheAutobiographyalsowasshadowedbythemovementofEnlightenment.Amonghisvirtueslistedinhisbook,theorderwasoneofthem.AndorderisthemostimportantnotionintheperiodofEnlightenment.
2.EdgarAllanPoe
Writingstyle:
1)CriticalIdeas:
①Singleeffect:
AccordingtoPoe,everypieceofliteraryworkmustproducethesingleeffect.Theveryfirstsentenceoughttohelpbringoutthesimpleeffect.
②Beauty:
Onpoem,thechiefaimistoproduceafeelingofbeautyinthereader.Hestressesrhythm,definestruepoetryas“therhythmicalcreationofbeauty”,anddeclaresthat“musicistheperfectionofthesoul,oridea,ofpoetry.”
③Brevity:
Asforshortstory,Poethinksthattheshortstorymustbeofsuchlengthastobereadableatonesitting,otherwise,thesingleeffectmightbedamaged.
④Originalitybothinformandcontent:
Poetriestobepeculiaranduniqueinformandheexperimentedwithdifferenttypesofshortstory.Heisalsooriginalincontent,forexample,hisdescriptionofdisintegrationoftheself.PoeisthefirstwriterinAmericatomaketheneuroticprotagonistinwriting.
2)Writing:
HisbestknownworksareGothicfictions,inwhichmostrecurringthemesdealwiththequestionsofdeathandlostlove.HisGothicnovelsareconsideredpartofthedarkromanticismgenre.Inhisshortstories,hewritesaboutmurder,insanity,obsessionandguilt.Inhispoem.Heusesmanydifferentelementsassymbols.
Question:
1)DescribeandmakeacommentonMontresorinabout60words.
2)Whatfigurativedevicedoesthename“Fortunato”referto?
1)Montresor:
Montresoristheprotagonistin“TheCaskofAmontillado”,ashortstorybyAllanPoe.MontresortellsthestoryofthenightthathetookhirevengeonFortunato,afellownobleman.Angryoversomeunspecifiedinsult,MontresormurdershisfriendduringCarnivalwhenthemanisdrunk,andhangshisbodybychains.Montresorisvicious,discreet,crafty,sophisticated,hypocritical,cruel,well-educatedbutmorbidpsychologically.
2)In“TheCaskofAmontillado,”PoeusesFortunato’snamesymbolically,asanironicdevice.Thoughhisnamemeans“thefortunateone”inItalian,FortunatomeetsanunfortunatefateasthevictimofMontresor’srevenge.Fortunatoaddstotheironyofhisnamebywearingthecostumeofacourtjester.WhileFortunatoplaysinjest,Montresorsetsouttofoolhim,withmurderousresults.
3.RalphWaldoEmerson
CharacteristicsofEmerson’swritingstyle
1)Throughdevelopmentofhisthesisthroughexamples,repetitionandreinforcement;
2)Coinageofmemorablestatementsofprincipleoraphorisms;
3)Frequentreferences(allusions)tohistoricalandliteraryfigures;
4)Frequentuseoffigurativelanguagetomakeapoint
Emerson’sverseistypicallyuntraditionalandunprecedentedandthethemesarethatofnatureandmeditation.Hebelievedinindividualism,independenceofmind,andself-reliance.
Question:
●HowtounderstandRalphW.Emersion’sstatement“WhatImustdoisallthatconcernsme,notwhatpeoplethink.Thisrule,equallyarduousinactualandinintellectuallife,mayserveforthewholedistinctionbetweengreatnessandmeanness,”intermsofAmericancharacteristics?
ThequotationisfromEmerson’sessaySelf-Reliance,whichistheclearest,mostmemorableexampleofEmerson’sphilosophyofindividualism,anideathatisdeeplyembeddedinAmericanculture.Hisvarietyofindividualismgrowsoftheself’sintuitiveconnectionwiththeOver-soul,andisnotsimplyamatterofself-centeredassertionorimmaturenarcissism.Emersonexpressestheromanticideaofindividualism,withanemphasisonbeingself-sufficient.Hepromotesrelyingononeselfratherthanonestablishedsociety,andisknownforhisrepeateduseofthephrase“trustthyself”.Everyindividualpossessesauniquegenius,Emersonargues,thatcanonlyberevealedwhentheindividualhasthecouragetotrusthisorherthoughts,attitudes,andinclinationsagainstallpublicdisapproval.
4.NathanielHawthorne
Writingstyle:
1)TheScarletLettershowsHawthorne,theliteraryartist,athisbest.Itisstructurallycompactinantinyframeandimpregnatedwithmeaning.
2)OnesalientfeatureofHawthorne’sartishisambiguity,ofwhichthetechniqueofmultipleviewemployedinthelastpartofthebook
3)TheuseofthesupernaturalcanbeseenasahallmarkofHawthorne’sart.
4)Hawthorne’ssymbolismmeritsparticularmention.ThesymbolicsignificanceofthescarletletterearlierinourdiscussionofTheScarletLetter.Thenamesofitscharacters,DimmesdaleandChillingworth,aresymbolic,too,asaretheflowerattheprisondoor,littlePearl,thewildernessonthevergeofwhichstandsthePuritancommunity,andsoforth.
Question:
●Discusstheimplicationoftheletter“A”intheScarletLetterbyNathanielHawthorne.
Themeaningofthescarletletter“A”isonthechangethroughoutthenovel.Thischangeissignificant.Itshowsgrowthinthecharactersandthecommunityinwhichtheylive.Theletter“A”beginsasasymbolofsin,thephysicalreminderofHester’sadulterywithDimmesdale.Itthenbecomesasymbolofaloneandalienation,standingforHester’slonelylifeinNewEngland,aruling-outofhersociallifeduetohershamefulhistory.Andfinally,thescarletletter“A”becomesasymbolofable,angelandadmirable,when“theletterwasthesymbolofhercalling”.Atthattime,thecommunityreceivesher.Thetownspeoplewhocondemnedhernowreceivesherandbelievethescarletlettertostandforherabilitytoherbeautifulneedleworkandherunselfishassistancetothepoorandsick.
Thescarletletter“A”alsocanbetracedintheBible—thesymbolofAdam,whichimpliesHester’ssinisoriginalsinofhumanbeing,itisforgivable.
5.HermanMelville
1)Realistic:
Melvillewrotestoriesthatwereveryrealistic.Hisstoriesfrequentlydealtwithnaturaldepictionsoflifeonthesea.Themajorityofhiswritingwasbasedonhispersonalexperienceswhileaboardwhalingships.Melvillewrotewithastylethatwashisown,interminglingfact,fiction,andsubtlesymbolism.Heallowedhisstoriesto“ebbandflow”ratherthansimplyfollowoneplot.
2)Philosophicalintellectualandsymbolic:
Unlikemostrealists,however,helacedhisstorieswithphilosophicalandintellectualissuesandexploredthemthroughrealisticdescriptionswhichalsofunctionedassymbols.Melvillewasn’tmuchconcernedwithdescribingthepsychologyofhischaracters,butinsteadwithtellingarealisticstorywithintellectualundertones.
Question:
●MobyDickbyHermanMelvilleisoneofthefewbooksinAmericanliteraturethathasproducedanexcitingeffectuponreaders.Trytodiscussthesymbolisminthebook.
ItisamixtureoffantasyandrealismbasedonupontheSouthPacificwhalingindustry.ItmightbereadasaninitiationstoryaboutIshmael,theoutcast,findinghimselfinarealworldofhardworkanddangerandanunrealworldofspeculationandmystery.②ItisafabulousdramatizationofAhab’sobsesseddeterminationtorevengehimselfinthepursuitofoneparticularwhalewhohaspreviouslydestroyedhisboatandrippedoffhislegs.Thebookhassoofteninterpretedinsomanyways,allegoricallyandsymbolically.③Melvilleisamasterofallegoryandsymbolism.InsteadofputtingthebattlebetweenAhabandthebigwhaleintosimplestatements,heusedsymbols,thatis,objectsorpersonswhorepresentsomethingelse.Differentpeopleonboardtheshiparerepresentationsofdifferentideasanddifferentsocialandethnicgroups.Factsbecomesymbolsandincidentsacquireuniversalmeanings,thePequodisthemicrocosmofhumansocietyandthevoyagebecomesasearchfortruth.Thewhitewhale,MobyDick,symbolizesnatureforMelville,foritiscomplex,unfathomable,malignantandbeautifulaswell.④ForthecharacterAhab,however,thewhaleonlyrepresentsevil.MobyDickislikeawall,hidingsomeunknown,mysteriousthingsbehind.MobyDickisamystery,anultimatemysteryoftheuniverse,andthevoyageofthemindwillforeverremainasearch,notadiscovery,ofthetruth.Thewholestoryturnsouttobeasymbolicvoyageofthemindinquestofthetruthandknowledgeoftheuniverse,aspiritualexplorationintorealityandpsycholog
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