The-Realistic-Period

TheRealisticPeriod:1865-1914Realisticperiod–“theGildedAge”(镀金时代),atermcoinedbyMarkTwain,reflectingthissocialfact—thepoorpoorerandtherichricher,people’sattentionwasnowdirectedtotheinterestingfeaturesofeverydayexistence.IntheUnitedStatesthreefundamentalissuesreachedthebreakingpointintheperiodof1865-1900:theconflictbetweentheagrarian([əˈgreəriən])idealofJeffersonandtheindustrialidealofHamilton;theconflictbetweentheplantationgentility([dʒenˈtiləti])oftheSouthandthecommercialgentilityoftheNorth;andtheconflictbetweenaculturallymatureEastandexpandingWest.IntheRealisticperiod,AmericanliteratureevolvedfromLocalcolorism,finallytonaturalism.Realisticliteratureexpressestheconcernforcommonplaceandthelow,anditoffersanobjectiveratherthananidealisticviewofhumannatureandhumanexperience.TherearethreedominantfiguresoftheperiodareWilliamDeanHowells(豪威尔斯),MarkTwain(马克·吐温)andHenryJames(亨利·詹姆士).HenryJames–“innerworld”ofmanHowells–focusedonrisingmiddleclassMarkTwain–hisownregionandpeople,particular“localcolorism”LocalcolorismLocalcolorismorRegionalismasatrendfirstmadeitspresencefeltinthelate1860sandearly1870sinAmerica.Localcoloriststriedtoimmortalizethedistinctivenatural,social,andlinguisticfeatures.Itischaracteristicofvernacularlanguageandsatiricalhumor.LocalcoloristsincludeBretHarte(1836-1902)TheLuckofRoaringCamp(《咆哮营的幸运儿》)in1868HamlinGarland(1860-1940)HarrietBeecherStowe(UncleTom’sCabin《汤姆叔叔的小屋》)WilliamDeanHowells(1837-1920)TheRiseofSilasLapham(《塞拉斯·拉帕姆的发迹》1885)MarkTwain(1835-1910)-WilliamFaulknercalledTwain“thefatherofAmericanLiterature”.Localcolorist,heusedvernacularlanguage,dialectandcolloquial,simplesentence,wide-ranginghumor,bothrealisticallyandsymbolically.TheGildedAge《镀金时代》LifeontheMississippi《在密西西比河上》AConnecticutYankeeinKingArthur’sCourt《亚瑟王朝廷上的康涅狄格州美国人》TheAdventuresofTomSawyer《汤姆·索亚历险记》AdventuresofHuckleberryFinn《哈克贝里·费恩历险记》AdventuresofHuckleberryFinn(1884)ishismasterpiece.Hemingwaywrote,“AllmodernAmericanliteraturecomesfromonebookbyMarkTwaincalled,AdventuresofHuckleberryFinn…”“Huck”,atypicalAmericanBoywith“asoundheartandadeformed(畸形的)conscience”,andremarkablefortheraft’sjourneydowntheMississippiriver,throughtheeyesofHuck,weseethepre-CivilWarAmericansociety.Initiationfiction/bildungsroman([bilduηzrəuma:n]教育小说/成长小说)Thebildungsromanisanoveldepictinganindividual’smaturation([maetuˈrein])anddevelopment.ItisabouthowHuckFinn,whenfloatingalongwithJimandhelpinghimasbestashecould,changedhismind,hisprejudice,aboutBlackpeople,andcametoacceptJimasamanandasaclosefriendaswell.Racism,slaveryandthehypocrisyof“civilized”societyWildernessagainstmachinecivilizationHenryJames(1843-1916)–thefirstAmericanwritertoconceivehiscareerininternationalthemeHeistheforerunnerofthe20th-century“streamofconsciousness”novel(意识流小说)andthefounderofpsychologicalrealism(心理现实主义),interiormonologue(内心独白),freeassociation(自由联想),hislanguageisnotsoeasytounderstand.PsychologicalrealismItistherealisticwritingthatprobesdeeplyintothecomplexitiesofcharacters’thoughtsandmotivations.HenryJames’snovelTheAmbassadorsisconsideredtobeamasterpieceofpsychologicalrealism.AndHenryJamesisconsideredthefounderofpsychologicalrealism.Thefirststage:Hedevelopedtheinternationalnovel.TheAmerican《一个美国人》DaisyMiller《黛西·米勒》bringhiminternationalfameforthefirsttimeThePortraitofALady《贵妇人的画像》hismasterpieceThesecondstage:shortfiction:TheTurnoftheScrew《螺丝在拧紧》TheBeastintheJungle《丛林猛兽》TheThirdstagehereturnedtohisinternationalthemes.TheWingsoftheDove《鸽巢》TheAmbassadors《专使》TheGoldenBowl《金碗》JamesianthemeoftheAmericaninconflictwithEuropeancultureHewasconcernedabouthowAmericansbehaveinaninternationalsetting.Europeansweremorecultured,moreconcernedwithart,andmoreawareofthesubtletiesofsocialsituations.Americanswereinnocent,andmoreconcernedaboutmoralissues.Naturalism自然主义AmericanNaturalismwasanewandharsherrealism,andlikerealism,ithadcomefromEurope.Theysawman’slifeasgovernedbythetwoforcesofheredityandenvironment,forcesabsolutelybeyondman’scontrol.Theyattemptedtoachieveextremeobjectivityandfrankness,presentingcharactersoflowsocialandeconomicclasseswhoweredeterminedbytheirenvironmentandheredity.Thenaturalistsinclude:StephenCrane(1871-1900)andMaggie:AGirloftheStreetsMaggie:AGirloftheStreets(《街头女郎麦琪》)(1893),isthefirstnaturalisticnovelwrittenbyanAmerican.Itisastudyofthepowerofhumanheredityandlimitsoffreechoice.TheodoreDreiser(1871-1945),SisterCarrie(《嘉莉妹妹》),AnAmericanTragedy(《美国的悲剧》)Carrie,accordingtoDreiser,becomessomeoneunderanother’scareandprotection,orthevictimofavoracious([vɔ:ˈreiʃəs]greedy)city.Thereisnomiddleground.FrankNorrisandMcTeague(《麦克提格》)isthemanifestoofAmericannaturalism.JackLondon(1876-1916)TheCalloftheWild(《旷野的呼唤》或《野性的呼唤》),SeaWolf(《海狼》）andMartinEden(《马丁·伊登》)