美国文学--Henry-James及其作品赏析

HenryJames(1843-1916)ContentsLifestoryLiteraryCareerandmajorworksInternationalthemeFeaturesofhisworksEvaluationComparisonwithHowellsandTwainLifestoryHewasbornintoawealthyculturedfamilyofNewEngland.HenryJameswasoneofthefewauthorsinAmericanliteraryhistorywhodidnothavetoworryaboutmoney.HewasexposedtotheculturalinfluenceofEuropeataveryearlyage.Laterhemetanddevelopedalife-longfriendshipwithWilliamDeanHowells.ForawhileheattendedtheHarvardLawSchoolbutreadliteraryworksthere.HetouredEngland,FranceandItaly,andmetFlaubertandTrugenevwhowasthenstayinginParis.HewantedtobeacriticinNewYorkbutcouldnotenduretheprevailingmaterialism.HesettleddowninLondonin1876andspenttherestofhislifethere.In1915,hebecameanaturalizedBritishcitizen.Jameswasnotmarried.Heoncelovedhisattractivecousin—MinnyTemplewhodiedyoung.LiterarycareerandmajorworksHenryJameswasaprolificwriter,psychologicalrealisticwriter,short-storywriter,playwright,critic,essayist.Hecomposednovels,travelpapers,criticalessays,plays,autobiographiesandaseriesofcriticalprefacesontheartoffiction.Hisliterarycareercanbedividedintothreeperiods;Thefirstperiod(1865-1882)Majortheme:theinternationaltheme,thatis,themeetingofAmericaandEurope,AmericaninnocenceincontactandcontrastwithEuropeandecadence,theclashesbetweentwodifferentculturesandthemoralandpsychologicalproblems.Majorworks:DaisyMiller1879wonhiminternationalfame.TheAmerican1877TheEuropeans1878ThePortraitofaLady1881Thesecondperiod(1882-1895):Majorthemes:experimentedwithdifferentthemesandforms.Hewrotehistalesofinter-personalrelationships,moreEnglish,focusingonrealisticsociallifeMajorworks:TheBostonians1886(asatireaccountoffemaleemancipationinBoston),ThePrincessCasamassima1886(richlyobservednovelofanarchistsandaristocratsinLondon)Shortstories:TheDeathofaLion,TheMiddleYearThethirdperiod(1895-1916)Majorthemes:returnedto“theinternationaltheme”;developedmatureandformidablestyle,anddweltonpeople’spsychologywhenconfrontedwithethicalproblems.Hewroteafewnovellasandtalesdealingwithchildhoodandadolescence.青少年意识小说、国际题材小说Majorworks:TheWingsoftheDove1902TheAmbassadors1903TheGoldenBowl1904Thelast3onesrepresentthesummitofhisart《鸽翼》写一位英国记者为钱财追求一个患有不治之症的美国姑娘的故事。《使节》描绘一位高雅的法国女人对一个美国阔少所产生的难以抗拒的魅力《金碗》通过一段继母与女婿私通的故事引发出了许多涉及道德问题的思索这些小说大多颂扬美国资产阶级高尚的品德。它们基本以人物微妙的内心活动为主，有时冗长烦琐，并显得晦涩难解。InternationalThemeItreferstothemeetingofAmericaandEurope,AmericaninnocenceincontactandcontrastwithEuropeandecadence,anditsmoralandpsychologicalcomplications,conflictsbetweenNewandOldworld;traditional,innocent,honestAmericanv.scomplex,sophisticated,snobbish,arrogant,vainEuropeans;Americanfreshnessofimpulse,moralintegrity,candorofheartvscomplexitydeviousnessoftheEuropeanmentality.MarriageandloveareusedbyJamesasthefocalpointoftheconfrontationbetweenthetwovaluesystems,andtheprotagonistusuallygoesthroughapainfulprocessofthespiritualgrowth,gainingknowledgeofgoodandevilfromtheconflicts,asinThePortraitofaLadywiththedevelopmentofhisartisticvisionandaccumulationofhisexperience,theculturalcontrastbetweennationstendstowearthinandJamessoontranscendsitbyrealizingthatunderneaththesurfaceofnationaldifferencesliestheuniversalofhumannaturethatclaimsmoreattention.consequently,hedevelopshisfictionaluniversefromtherestrictedAmerican-Europeanthemetoanexplorationofprofoundanduniversalquestionsinhislaterliteraryendeavors.DaisyMillerPlotThemesCharacterizationDaisyMillerPlot:itisanovelaboutAmericaninnocencedefeatedbythestiff,traditionalvaluesofEurope.Daisybringsher“free”AmericanspirittoEurope.Shelooksatpeopleasindividuals,ratherthanasmembersofasocialclass.Despitehergoodness,sheiscompletelymisunderstoodbytheEuropeancharacters.ShemeetsayoungAmerican,whohadlivedinEuropealongtimeandhadtakenonthesamekindofcoldness.ThecoldnessofthesepeoplefinallyleadsDaisytoherdeath.Themes:thisstoryservesasbothapsychologicaldescriptionofthemindofayoungwoman,andananalysisofthetraditionalviewsofasocietywheresheisaclearoutsider.HenryJamesusesDaisy'sstorytodiscusswhathethinksEuropeansandAmericansbelieveabouteachother,andmoregenerallytheprejudicescommoninanyculture.Characterization:Thenamesofthecharactersaresymbolic.Daisyisaflowerinfullbloom,withoutinhibitionsandinthespringtimeofherlife.DaisycontrastssharplywithWinterbourne,whoismoreambivalentandunwillingtocommittoanyrelationship.FlowersdieinwinterandthisispreciselywhathappenstoDaisy,aftercatchingtheRomanFeveror,toputitmorebluntly,theattentionofforeignmen.Asanobjectiveanaloguetothispsychologicalreality,DaisycatchestheveryrealRomanfever,themalariathatwasendemictomanyRomanneighborhoodsinthe19thcentury.APortraitofLadyPlotMajorthemesLiterarysignificance&criticismPlot:itisanironicalstoryofthefree-spiritedIsabellosingherfreedomdespite(orbecauseof)suddenlycomingintoagreatdealofmoney.Again,ayoung,brightAmericangirlgoestoEuropeto“explorelife”.Aftermanygoodoffersofmarriage,shechoosesthewrongman.Themostimportantpartofthebookiswheresherealizeshermistake.Shesitsallalone,lateatnight,inher“houseofdarkness”.Jamesshowsherinnerconsciousness