Introduction of English Short Stories

SelectedreadingofclassicEnglishshortstoriesByHuaEmail:[e-mail]•Thiscourseaimstofosterstudents’abilitiesofthinkingcriticallyandindependently.•Studentsareencouragedtooffertheiroriginalunderstandingofshortstoriesandtohavedebatesanddiscussions.•Thisenableseverystudenttobeactiveinthelearningprocess.CourseObjectivesOncompletionofthiscoursestudentsshouldbeableto:•learntoreadEnglishshortstories;•learntoanalyzesomerepresentativefictions;•Learntodescribedifferentnarrativetechniquesusedbythoseselectedwriters.AssessmentofusualperformanceAttendance:20%Groupwork:30%Classseminar:20%Homework:30%Teachingschedule•Week1:Introductiontoshortstories•Week2:VirginiaWoolfand“KewGardens”•Week3:EdgarAllanPoeand“TheCaskofAmontillado”•Week4:O.Henryand“AServiceoflove”•Week5:WilliamFaulknerand“DrySeptember”•Week6:ErnestHemingwayand“TheSnowsofKilimanjaro”Warm–up•Howmuchdoyouknowaboutliterature!1.CouldyouidentifythefigureswithfourmasterpiecesofChina?《西游记》《三国演义》《水浒》《红楼梦》2whoarethey?ShakespeareChaucerHemingwayGorgeBernardShaw金庸鲁迅郭敬明张爱玲3Couldyoupointoutwhosaidit?•希望本是无所谓有，无所谓无的。这正如地上的路；其实地上本没有路，走的人多了，也便成了路。•------鲁迅《故乡》•娶了红玫瑰，久而久之，红玫瑰就变成了墙上的一抹蚊子血，白玫瑰还是“床前明月光”；娶了白玫瑰，白玫瑰就是衣服上的一粒饭渣子，红的还是心口上的一颗朱砂痣。——张爱玲《红玫瑰与白玫瑰》•Itisatruthuniversallyacknowledged,thatasinglemaninpossessionofagoodfortunemustbeinwantofawife.•－－JaneAusten:PrideandPrejudice•Ileavenotraceofwingsintheair,butIamgladIhavehadmyflight.•----TagoreQuestion•Couldyourecitemoresentencesfromsomeliteratureworkswhichhavegreatimpactonyou?•Whydotheyimpressyousomuch?Whydowereadliterature?•a.readforpleasure•HowellsobservedthatthestudyofLiteratureshouldbeginandendinpleasure.•b.readforrelaxation•Modernlifeisfullofpressure.Itispeople’scommondesiretoseektemporallyrelaxationfromthestressinlife.•c.readtoacquireknowledge.•Literaturegivesreadersaninsightintothetradition,custom,beliefs,attitudes,folklore,valuesoftheageinwhichitiswritten.•“欲新一国之民，不可不先新一国之小说。”梁启超OFSTUDIESbyFrancisBacon•Studiesservefordelight,forornament,andforability.•Readingmakethafullman;conferenceareadyman;andwritinganexactman.•Historiesmakemenwise;poetswitty;themathematicssubtle;naturalphilosophydeep;moralgrave;logicandrhetoricabletocontend.TheFormsofLiteratureLiteraturefictionnon-fictionnovelshortstoryplaypoemdescriptionnarrationexpositionargumentationWhatisshortstory?•Knock（《敲门声》）•Thelastmanonearthsataloneinaroom.Therewasaknockonthedoor....•byFredricBrown•publishedinTHRILLINGWONDERSTORIESinDecember,1948世界上最短的微型小说Whatisshortstory?•Shortstoryisafictionalworkwhichdepictsonecharacter'sinnerconflictorconflictwithothers.Itusuallyhasonethematicfocusandconcentratesonasingleeventwithonlyoneortwocharacters.Ashortnovelreferstoanarrativemidwayinlengthbetweenashortstoryandanovel.Generally,likeashortstory,ashortnovelcentersonjustoneortwocharacters.ShortNovelVSShortStoryUnlikeashortstory,ashortnovelhasroomtorevealthecharactersingreaterfullnessanddepth.BriefHistoryofShortStory•Read“introduction”ofthetextbookin5minutesandanswerthefollowingquestions:•1whendidshortstorydevelopintogoldenage?andwhoweretherepresentativewriters?•2whichworksistheantecedentofearlyshortstory?•3Whoaretwogreatwritersofthelate19thcenturywhocanbetakenasrepresentativesofthetwokindsofliteraturerespectively?•4.whoistheforerunnerofAmericanshortstory?•5WhoseworkshavegreatinfluenceonWesterndetectivenovel?•6.Couldyounamesomegreatshortstorywritersin20thcentury?•1whendidshortstorydevelopintogoldenage?andwhoweretherepresentativewriters?•P.1•Note:Itwasnotuntilthe19thcenturythattheshortstoryasadistinctliterarygenrecameintobeing.•WalterScott(1771-1832)•NathanielHawthorne(1804-1864)Answers•2whichworksistheantecedentofearlyshortstory?•P.2•Note:ChaucerwroteTheCanterburyTales,anamazingvarietyofnarrativepoemsrangingfrombawdystoriestolegendsofsaints.•3Whoaretwogreatwritersofthelate19thcenturywhocanbetakenasrepresentativesofthetwokindsofliteraturerespectively?•P.2•Note:MaupassantandChekhovrepresenttwokindsofliteraturerespectively—oneofresolution,theotherrevelation.Thequalityofrevelation,orwhatJamesJoycecalled“epiphany（顿悟）”,isasuddeninsightoftheessentialnatureofreality.•4.whoistheforerunnerofAmericanshortstory?•P.6•WashingtonIrving(1783-1859)•5whoseworkshavegreatinfluenceonWesterndetectivenovel?•P.7•Note:Poerationalizedhisownartisticpracticesintoatheoryoftheshortstory.Hebelieveagoodshortstorycouldbereadatasinglesettingandinthattimewritershadtheopportunitytomakeonevivid,uninterruptedimpressionuponthereader.•6.couldyounamesomegreatshortstorywritersin20thcentury?•SomersetMaughamandKatherineMansfieldinEnglandandSherwoodAndersonandErnestHemingwayinAmerica…•GreatlyinfluencedbyFreudianism,agoodcontemporaryshortstoryusuallyhasdepthandpsychologicalinterest.MuchofthebestshortfictionfromChekhovonwardislessconcernedwithwhathappensthanwithhowacharacterfeelsaboutthehappenings.Theemphasisisnotonexternalactionbutoninneraction,feeling.•The20thcenturyshortstoryischaracterizedbyitsde-emphasisonnarrative.Thosecontemporaryauthorsseekmainlytoaddtoourunderstandingoflife,ortosharpenourawarenessoflife.Therepre