英美文学选读美国2.The-Realistic-Period

●TheRealisticPeriod1.WhatislocalcolorisminAmericanliterature?A.MarkTwain,SarahOrneJewettandJosephKirklandaretherepresentativeoflocalcoloristswhosewritingsareconcernedwiththelifeofasmall,welldefinedregionorprovince.Thecharacteristicsettingistheisolatedsmalltown.B.Theselocalcolorists,especiallyMarkTwain,preferredtopresentsociallifethroughportraitsofthelocalcharactersofhisregions,includingpeoplelivinginthatarea,thelandscape,andotherpeculiaritieslikethecustoms,dialects,costumesandsoon.C.Thisparticularconcernaboutthelocalcharacterofaregioncameaboutaslocalcolorism,auniquevariationofAmericanliteraryrealism.2.Theliteraryschoolofnaturalismwasquitepopularinthelate19thcentury.Whatarethemajorcharacteristicsofnaturalism?A.StronglyinfluencedbysocialDarwinism,naturalismemphasizest和determiningpowerofthecrushingforcesofenvironmentandheredity.B.Beingdevoidofthefreedomofchoiceandincapableofshapingtheirowndestinies,menandwomenarehelplessandinsignificantinacoldandindifferentworld.C.Thenaturalisticwritersreportedtruthfullyandobjectively,withapassionforscientificaccuracyandoverwhelmingaccumulationoffactualdetail.3.Whatarethesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenthethreeliterarygiants,Howells,MarkTwain,HenryJames,intermsoftheirliteraryorientation?A.TheyarethethreedominantfiguresoftheRealisticPeriod.Togethertheybroughttofulfillmentnativetrendsintherealisticportrayalofthelandscapeandsocialsurfaces,broughttoperfectionthevernacularstyle,andexploredandexploitedliterarypossibilitiesoftheinteriorlife.B.Togetherinshort,theysettheexampleandchartedthefuturecourseforthesubject,themes,techniquesandstylesoffictionwestillcallmodern.C.Howellsfocusedhisdiscussionontherisingmiddleclass.andthewaytheylived.MarkTwainpreferredtohavehisownregionandpeopleattheforefrontofhisstories.WhileHenryJameshadapparentlylaidagreateremphasisontheinnerworldofman.4.Whyarenaturalistsinevitablypessimisticintheirview?A.NaturalismwasgreatlyinfluencedbyDarwin'sevolutionarytheoryandFrenchliterature.B.NaturalistsacceptedthemorenegativeimplicationsofDarwin’stheoryanduseittocountforthebehaviorofthosecharactersinliteraryworkswhowereconceivedasmoreorlesscomplexcombinationsofinheritedattributes,theirhabitsconditionedbysocialandeconomicforces.C.Naturalismisevolvedfromrealismwhentheauthor'stoneinwritingbecomeslessseriousandlesssympatheticbutmoreironicandmorepessimistic.◆MarkTwain(TheCelebratedJumpingFrogofCalaverasCounty//InnocentsAbroad//TheGildedAge)1.MarkTwainandHenryJamesaretworepresentativesoftherealisticwritersinAmericanliterature.HowisTwain'srealismdifferentfromJames’srealism?A.MarkTwain'srealismistaintedwithlocalcolor,preferring,tohavehisownregionandpeopleattheforefrontofhisstories.B.James'srealismisconcernedwiththeinnerworldofman.C.James'srealismisalsoconcernedwiththeinternationaltheme.D.Twain'slanguageissimpleandcolloquial.E.TwainemployshumorinhiswritingF.James'slanguageiselaborateandrefinedwithlengthypsychologicalanalyses.2.WhatisthelanguagestyleofMarkTwain?A.Useofvernacularmadecolloquialspeechanaccepted,respectedliterarymediuminliteraryhistory.B.Words:colloquial,concreteanddirectineffect;C.Sentencestructures:simple,evenungrammaticalD.Localcolorism:hischaractersareconfinedtoaparticularregionandtoaparticularhistoricalmoment;speakwithastrongaccent;differentcharactersfromdifferentbackgroundtalkdifferently.3.InAmericanliteraturewhatisthesignificanceofAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnbyMarkTwain?TheAdventuresofTomSawyerand,especially,itssequenceAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnprovedthemselvestobethemilestoneinAmericanliterature,andthusfirmlyestablishedTwain'spositionintheliteraryworld.ThechildhoodofTomSawyerandHuckFinnintheMississippiisarecordofavanishedwayoflifeinthepre-CivilWarMississippivalleyandithasmovedmillionsofpeopleofdifferentagesandconditionsallovertheworld.HuckleberryFinnmarkstheclimaxofTwain'sliterarycreativity.Hemingwayoncedescribedthenoveltheonebookformswhich“amodernAmericanliteraturecomes.4.BrieflydiscussMarkTwain'sartoffictionintermsofthesetting,thelanguageandthecharacters,etc.,basedonhisnovelAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn.A.MarkTwainusestheMississippivalleyashisfictionalkingdom,writingaboutthelandscapeandpeople,thecustomsandthedialectsofoneparticularregion,andisthereforeknownasalocalcolorist.B.Hecreateslife-likecharacters,especiallytheconventionalHuckleberryFinn,whorunsawayfromcivilizationandstandsoppositetoconventionalmorality.C.Heusesasimple,directvernacularlanguage,totallydifferentfromanypreviousliterarylanguage.Itisthekindofcolloquiallanguagebelongingtothelowerclass,thelivinglocalAmericanEnglish.D.Hehascreatedaspecialhumortosatirizesocialinjusticesandthedecayedconvention.5.SummarizethestoryofMarkTwain'sAdventuresofHuckleberryFinninabout100wordsandcommentonthethemeofthenovel.Huckescapesfromalonelycabinwherehehasbeenpunishedbyhisfather.HemeetsJim,arun-awayslave,andtheystartdowntheriveronaraft.Afterseveraladventures,theraftishitandtheyareseparated.HuckissavedandlaterhediscoverJim.Theysetoutagain,givingrefugetoagangoffrauds.ThenhefindsthatJimhasbeensoldbythe“King”.HeandTomtryto