12. Local Colorism解析

LocalColorismMarkTwainLocalColorismThevogueoflocalcolorfictionwasthelogicalculminationofalong,progressivedevelopment.Itwastheoutgrowthofhistoricalandaestheticforcesthathadbeengatheringenergysinceearlynineteenthcentury.LocalColorismInhisCrumblingIdolsHamlinGarlanddefinedlocalcolorismashaving“suchqualityoftextureandbackgroundthatitcouldnothavebeenwritteninanyotherplaceorbyanyoneelsethananative.”LocalColorismGarland’s“texture”referstotheelementswhichcharacterizealocalculture,elementssuchasspeech,customsandmorespeculiartooneparticularplace.Andhis“background”coversphysicalsettingandthosedistinctivequalitiesoflandscapewhichconditionhumanthoughtandbehavior.LocalColorismTheultimateaimofthelocalcoloristsis,asGarlandindicates,tocreatetheillusionofanindigenouslittleworldwithqualitiesthattellitapartfromtheworldoutside.LocalColorismThesocialandintellectualclimateofthecountryprovidedastimulatingmilieuforthegrowthoflocalcolorfiction.TheUnitedStates,stillexpandingwestward,hadnothadtimetosolidifyitselfintoacohesiveculturalwhole.LocalColorismMarkeddifferencesexistedbetweendifferentpartsofthecountry,withtheeastassumingthesuperior“aristocratic”posture.Therestofthecountrykeenlyfeltthepsychologicalneedtoasserttheirculturalidentity,seekingunderstandingandrecognitionbyshowingtheirlocalcharacter.LocalColorismIntellectually,thefrontierhumorists,whohadflourishedseveraldecadesbeforetheCivilWar,hadpreparedtheliterarygroundforlocalcolorism.LocalColorismInthehumorous“talltales”ofthesewriters,therewasanobviousemphasisonlocalpeculiaritiesofspeech,dressandhabitsofthoughtandthepresentationofnativecharactertypes,whichcontinuedintolocalfiction.LocalColorismTheearlyhumoristsinfluencedlocalcolorwriterssomuchthatoneofthelattergroup,BretHarte,evendeclaredthatlocalcolorderiveddirectlyfromthem.AftertheCivilWaragoodnumberofperiodicalsappearedunusuallywillingtoacceptandpaywellforlocalcolorshortstories.LocalColorismLocalcolorismasatrendfirstmadeitspresencefeltinthelate1860sandearly70s.TheappearanceofBretHarte’s“TheLuckofRoaringCamp”《咆哮营的幸运儿》in1868markedasignificantdevelopmentinthebriefhistoryoflocalcolorfiction.LocalColorismBretHarte’sstoriesmanagedtodrawtheattentionofthenationtothenewgenreofwritingandmakeeditorsandreadersmoreresponsivetothemushroomgrowthsofsimilar,regionalliteratureindifferentsectionsofthecountry.LocalColorismThevoiceofBretHartewasechoedandmademoreresonantbythoseofsuchlocalcoloristsasHarrietBeecherStowewithherOldtownFolksandSamLawson’sFiresideStoriesandEdwardEggleston’sTheHoosierSchoolmaster.LocalColorismBytheearly70sWilliamsDeanHowellsnoticedthatthewholevariedfieldofAmericanlifewascomingintoviewinAmericanfiction.Magazineswerefilledwithlocalsketchesandstories.Notuntiltheturnofthecenturydidlocalcolorismceasetobeadominantfashion.EdwardEgglestonLocalColorismLocalcolorismconcernedthemselveswithpresentingandinterpretingthelocalcharacteroftheirregions.Theytendedtoidealizeandglorify,buttheyneverforgottokeepaneyeonthetruthfulcoloroflocallife.HarrietBeecherStoweLocalColorismHamlinGarlandcoinedtheword“veritism”forhisparticularbrandofrealism.HisMain-TraveledRoads,atruthfulrecordofthecommonplacefarmlifeoftheWest,HowellssawasacreationoutoftheburningdustofthetruthabouthumanexperienceontheAmericansoil.LocalColorismThelocalcoloristsformedanimportantpartoftherealisticmovement.TheirtruthfuldepictionofthecommonpeopleintheircommonlivesaddedstrengthtothefightforrealismwhichHowellschampionedwithJamesandMarkTwain.Althoughitlostitsmomentumtowardtheendofthe19thcentury,thelocalspiritcontinuedtoinspireandfertilizetheimaginationofauthorssuchasCather,JohnSteinbeckandWilliamFaulkner.MarkTwain(1835-1910)MarkTwainwasbroughtupinthesmalltownofHannibal,Missouri,ontheMississippiRiver.Hewastwelvewhenhisfatherdiedandhehadtoleaveschoolandtriedoddjobswhichgavehimawideknowledgeofhumanity.MarkTwain(1835-1910)Withthepublicationofhisfrontiertale,“TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty,”Twainbecamenationallyfamous.MarkTwain(1835-1910)Hisfirstnovel,TheGildedAge(1873),writtenincollaborationwithCharlesDudleyWarner,wasanartisticfailure,butitgaveitsnametotheAmericaofthepost-bellumperiodwhichitattemptstosatirize.MarkTwain(1835-1910)《镀金时代》描述了美国19世纪中期以后，随着资本主义的发展，两极分化日趋严重，早期的移民在美洲重建“伊甸园”的梦想逐渐在人们心目中寂灭，人们期望的“黄金时代”化为泡影，出现的却是令人失望的“镀金时代”。这部小说是一个时代的写照；它标志着浪漫主义时期的终结，是美国现实主义文学的发端。MarkTwain(1835-1910)Hishappyboyhoodexperiencefurnishedhimwithamplematerialforfiction.TheAdventuresofTomSawyer(1876)wasanimmediatesuccess;itssequal,TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn(1884)becamehismasterwork.MarkTwain(1835-1910)MarkTwain’sthreeyears’lifeontheMississippileftsuchafondmemorywithhimthathereturnedtothethememorethanonceinhiswritingcareer.LifeontheMississippi(1883)relatesitinavivid,movingway.MarkTwain(1835-1910)AlthoughHowells,JamesandTwainallworkedforrealism,therewereobviousdifferencesbetweenthem.Inthematicterms,JameswrotemostlyoftheupperreachesofAmericansociety,andHowellsconcernedhimselfchieflywithmiddleclasslife,whereasMarkTwaindealtlargelywiththelowerstrataofsociety.IllustrationfromTo