英美文学重点名词解释

localcolorismisanuniquevariationofAmericanliteraryrealism.Generally,theworksbylocalcolorismareconcernedwiththelifeofasmallregionorprovince.Thiskindoffictiondepictsthecharactersfromaspecificsettingorofanera,whicharemarkedbyitscustoms,dialects,landscape,orotherpeculiaritiesthathaveescapedstandardizingculturalinfluence.Tasksoflocalcolorismistowirteorpresentlocalcharactersoftheirregionsintruthfuldepictondistinguishedfromothers,usuallyaverysmallpartoftheworld.localcolorismconcernedthemselveswithpresentingandinterpretingthelocalcharacteroftheirregions.theytendedtoidealizeandglorify,buttheyneverforgettokeepaneyeonthetruthfulcoloroflocallife.Theirtruthfuldepictionofthecommonpeopleintheircommonplacelivesaddedstrengthtothefightforrealism.MarkTwain'stheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnisthemostrepresentiveoneuncertainty:1.distortedtime2.thecharacters'uncertaintyaboutGodot'scoming3.changeableabouteverything4.uncertaintyofGodot5.uncertaintyofothercharacters6.uncertaintyabouttheplay'sthemetheonlycertainthing-----waiting1.theLostGeneraionThetermoflostgenerationwasfirstusedbyGertrudeStern(1874--1946),oneoftheleadersofthisgroup.ItincludetheyoungEnglishandAmericanexpatriatesaswellasmenandwomencaughtintheFirstWorldWarandcutofffromtheoldvaluesandyetunabletocometotermswiththenewerawhencivilizationhadgonemad.Itmeansthisgenerationhadlostthebeautifulsenseofthecalmidylicpast.Stein'scommentsuggeststheambiguousandpointlesslivesofexpatriatesastheyaimlesslywanderedaboutthecontinent,drinking,makinglove,andtravelingfromplacetoplaceandfrompartytoparty.Theseactivitiesseemtojustifytheirsearchfornewmeaingstoreplacetheoldones.Yetinfact,beingcutofffromtheirpast,disillusionedinreality,andwithoutameaningfulfuturetofallon,theywerelostindisillusionmentandexistentialvoids.Theyindulgedinhedonisminordertomaketheirliveslessunberable.2.theBeatGenerationThebeatgenertionisaliteraryschoolwhichemergedaftertheSecondWorldWar.Inthe1950s,therewasawidespreaddiscontentamongthepostwargeneration,whosevoicewasoneofprotestagainstallthemainstreamculturethatAmericarepresented,includingsex,religionandAmericanvaluesystem.ItrevealsspiritualpainanddespairresultedfromAmericanindustrilizationandmoderncivilization.3.ConfessionalPoetry/SchoolConfessionalpoetryisthepoetryofthepersonalorI.Thisstyleofwritingemergedinthelate1950sandearly1960sandisassociatedwithpoetssuchasRobertLowell,SylviaPlathandAnneSexton.Lowell'sbookLifeStudieswasahighlypersonalaccountofhislifeandfamilialties,andhadasignificantimpactonAmericanpoety.PlathandSextonwerebothstudentsofLowellandnotedthathisworkinfluencedtheirownwriting.Theconfessionalpoetryofthemid-twentiethcentruydealtwithsubjectmatterthatpreviouslyhadnotbeenopendiscussedinAmercianpoetry.Privateexperienceswithandfeelingsaboutdeath,trauma,depressionandrelationshipswereadressedinthistypeofpoetry,ofteninanautobiographicalmanner.4.BlackHumorAsagenre,blackhumorisvaluedinAmericainthe1960s.Everyonewouldhaveagoodlaughiftheycaretoreadthebookthrough.Thelaughteris,however,inevitablyfollowedbytheacuteawarenessthatitisbasedonthesufferingandmisfortunesoftheirfellowcreature.Thisiswhatmeantbyblackhumor.Thefeaturesofblackhumorareasfollows:1)tragiccontentisreflectedintheformofcomedy.2)itaimsatexposingpeople'soppressionbytheabsurdsoceity.(itrevealsabsurdityanddarknessofsociety.)3)itscharactersareanti-heroic4)itsnarrativetechniqueisnon-logical