英国文学史及作品选读教案(09级)-Lecture-10

Lecture10TheVictorianPeriod(I)ⅠTeachingContentBriefintroductionoftheVictorianAge;CharlesDickensⅡTimeAllotment2periodsⅢTeachingObjectivesandRequirements1HelpthestudentshaveagoodunderstandingoftheVictorianAgehistoryanditsgreatachievementsinnovels.2HelpthestudentsknowclearlyaboutCharlesDickens.ⅣKeyPointsandDifficultPointsinTeaching1CharlesDickens2OliverTwistⅤTeachingMethodsandMeansLecture;Discussion;Multi-mediaⅥTeachingProcess1TheVictorianAge(SeeChangYaoxin,216-222)●ChronologicallytheVictorianperiodroughlycoincideswiththereignofQueenVictoriawhoruledoverEnglandfrom1837to1901,butitreallybeganwiththepassageofReformBillin1832andclosedattheendoftheBoerWarin1902.Allinall,theVictorianAgewasaperiodofrapidgrowth,development,andreform.ThisperiodhasbeengenerallyconsideredasoneofthemostgloriousintheEnglishhistory(thesun-never-setsempire).●TheVictorianAgeisusuallysubdividedintothefollowingphases:theearlyVictorianPeriod(1832-1848),theMid-VictorianPeriod(1848-1870),andlateVictorianPeriod(1870-1902)(Insocial-politicalterms,itcanberoughlysubdividedintotwophases:thefirst,beginningfrom1832throughmid-century,thesecond,from1870to1902.).●TheVictorianAgewasaperiodofrapidgrowth,development,andreform.IthasbeengenerallyconsideredasoneofthemostgloriousintheEnglishhistory(thesun-never-setsempire).Itwasonthewholeoneoftransitionfromthepasttothemoderntimes,andoneofradicalchangeinvalues,institutions,anddoctrines.Itwasanageofconfusionandintellectualanarchy.Hopeexistedalongsidedismay,andoptimismwascoloredbyanxiety.1.1HistoricalbackgroundoftheVictorianAge●In1832theReformBillwaspassed,whichplacedthepowerofthenationintothehandsofthewealthyindustrialistswhowouldsoonreconcilewiththearistocracyandredoubletheirexploitationoftheworkingpeople.Thus,after1832,theconflictbetweenlabourandcapitalbecamesharperintheEnglishpoliticalscene.ThisconflictresultedintheChartistMovement(1836-1848),inwhichtheydemandedbasicrightsandbetterlivingandworkingconditions.●Duringthenexttwentyyears,Englandsettleddowntoatimeofprosperityandrelativestability.Themiddle-classlifeofthetimewascharacterizedbyprosperity,respectability,modestyanddomesticity.Commonsenseandmoralpropriety,whichwereignoredbytheromanticists,againbecamepredominantpreoccupationintheliteraryworks.●ButthelastthreedecadesofthecenturywitnessedthedeclineoftheBritishEmpireandthegloryoftheVictorianvalues.Beginningfromthe70’s,asharpdeclineoccurredwitheconomicdepressions,agriculturalfailures,andthefloodingofAustralianwoolandAmericanwheat.Domesticbalanceofpower,whichusedtobetheWhigsandTories,wasalsothreatenedwiththegrowthoflabourasapoliticalandeconomicforce.Classstrugglewasintensifiedinthelasttwodecadesofthe19thcentury.1.2IdeologyoftheVictorianAge●Ideologically,theVictoriansexperiencedfundamentalchanges.Therapiddevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,newinventionsanddiscoveriesingeology,astronomy,biologyandanthropologydrasticallyshookpeople’sreligiousconvictions.Darwin’sTheOriginofSpecies(1859)andTheDescentofMan(1871)shookthetheoreticalbasisofthetraditionalfaith.Newscientificdiscoveriesincreasedpeople’sreligiousdoubtsandanxieties.●Ontheotherhand,Utilitarianism(ahedonistickindofphilosophy,embracingUtility,or“thegreatesthappinessforthegreatnumber”asthesanctionofmorality,andspreadingthebeliefthateveryonewasthebestjudgeofhisowninterest)waswidelyacceptedandpracticed.Almosteverythingwasputtothetestbythecriterionofutility,thatis,theextenttowhichitwouldpromotethematerialhappiness.TheBibleandtheEvangelicalOrthodoxywereregardedeitherasanoutmodedsuperstitionortestedbytheprincipleofutility.Churchservicebecameaformofinsteadofrealdevotion.Thistheoryheldaspecialappealtothemiddle-classindustrialists,whosegreeddrovethemtoexploitingworkerstotheutmostandbroughtgreatersufferingandpovertytotheworkingmass.(SeeChangYaoxin,219)1.3LiteratureoftheVictorianAge●Victorianliterature,asaproductofitsage,naturallytookonitsqualityofmagnitudeanddiversity.Itwasmany-sidedandcomplex,andreflectedbothromanticallyandrealisticallythegreatchangesthatweregoingoninpeople’slifeandthought.Greatwritersandgreatworksabounded.◆Inthisperiod,thenovelbecamethemostwidelyreadandthemostvitalandchallengingexpressionofprogressivethought.AmongthefamousnovelistsofthetimewerethecriticalrealistslikeCharlesDickens,WilliamMakepeaceThackeray,CharlotteBronte,EmilyBronte,Mrs.Gaskell(1810-1815)andAnthonyTrollope(1815-1882),etc.AninthelastfewdecadestherewerealsoGeorgeEliot,thepioneeringwomanwho,accordingtoD.H.Lawrence,wasthefirstnovelistthattargeted“puttingalltheactionsinside,”andThomasHardy.Althoughwritingfromdifferentpointsofviewandwithdifferenttechniques,theysharedonethingincommon,thatis,theywereallconcernedaboutthefateofthecommonpeople.Theywereangrywiththeinhumanesocialinstitutions,thedecayingsocialmoralityasrepresentedbymoney-worshipandUtilitarianism,andthewidespreadmisery,povertyandinjustice.◆Proseandpoetryarealsoproducedinthisperiod.AlfredTennyson,RobertBrowning,thetypicalfeatureofwhosepoetryisdramaticmonologueandMatthewArnold—”the“BigThree”createdmemorablepoetry.◆Inadditiontothetrendofcri