英美文学(1)
英美文学名词解释(1)
1puritanism清教主义The dogmas 教条preached by Puritans. They believed that all men were predestined命中注定and the individual ‘s free will played no part in his quest for salvation. This was a rejection of the dogmas preached by the Roman Catholic Church and its rites仪式. The Puritans also advocated a strict moral code which prohibited many earthly pleasures such as dancing and other merry-makings.清教徒提倡严格的道德准则禁止如跳舞和其他许多世俗的快乐的气质。
They stressed the virtues of self-discipline,自律thrift节俭and hard work as evidence that one was among the “elect” to be chosen to go to Heaven after death2RomanticismThe term refers to the literary and artistic movements of the late 18th and early 19th century. Romanticism rejected the earlier philosophy of the Enlightenment, which stressed that logic and reason were the best response humans had in the face of cruelty, 残忍的stupidity, superstition,迷信的and barbarism. Instead, the Romantics asserted that reliance 依赖upon emotion and natural passions provided a valid and powerful means of knowing and a reliable guide to ethics 伦理and living. The Romantic movement typically asserts 声称，代言the unique nature of the individual, the privileged status 特权地位of imagination and fancy想象和幻想, the value of spontaneity over “artifice” and “convention”价值的理解“技巧”和“公约”，the human need for emotional outlets, the spiritual destruction 精神上的摧残of urban life.城市生活。
英美文学1
Requirements for the Course
Try to remember the points learnt in class. 1. literary terms 2. writer’s name 3. writing features
Read more.
5.discussion activities
The Roman Conquest
beginning of 5th century: declining of the Roman Empire In 410 A. D. Romans withdrew. 400 years of occupation
Britons, trodden (trampled) down as slaves or cultivators of the land Buildings of Roman style for Roman conquerors Highways or Roman roads for military purposes Towns built, as London Christianity introduced
Britain
the land of Britons
the tribal society
The Roman Conquest
55 B. C. Julius Caesar, the Roman conqueror Britons fought fiercely
43 A. D. a Roman province Britain was under control completely by the Roman Empire in 78 A. D.
story novel novella poem poetry poesy verse(诗句,诗行) epic (史诗,叙事诗)
paradise lost英美文学名词解释(一)
paradise lost英美文学名词解释(一)Paradise Lost英美文学引言Paradise Lost是伟大的英美文学作品之一，旨在讲述人类起源和墮落的故事。
以下是与Paradise Lost相关的名词：1. 约翰·弥尔顿 (John Milton)•约翰·弥尔顿是17世纪英国著名的诗人和政治家。
•他是Paradise Lost的作者，被誉为英国文学的伟大创作者之一。
2. Paradise Lost•《失乐园》是约翰·弥尔顿的史诗诗歌作品，被认为是英美文学中最伟大的作品之一。
•该作品以叙事形式讲述了圣经中亚当和夏娃的墮落故事，融入了神话、宗教和哲学等元素，思想深邃。
3. 史诗诗歌 (Epic Poetry)•史诗诗歌是一种叙事性的诗歌形式，常常以神话、英雄或重大历史事件为题材。
•Paradise Lost被认为是一部史诗诗歌，以其庞大的叙事范围和深刻的主题使其在英美文学中占据重要地位。
4. 亚当 (Adam) 和夏娃 (Eve)•亚当和夏娃是圣经中的首个人类夫妻，被认为是人类的祖先。
•Paradise Lost中，亚当和夏娃被描绘为至善无罪的人类，但由于被魔鬼所引诱，他们墮入罪恶之中。
5. 天堂 (Paradise) 和地狱 (Hell)•天堂是上帝的居所，被描绘为完美、和谐和纯洁的地方。
•地狱则是邪恶和黑暗的领域，由魔鬼和堕落天使居住。
•Paradise Lost通过对天堂和地狱的描绘，探讨了善恶、正邪和人类的自由意志等哲学议题。
6. 上帝 (God) 和魔鬼 (Devil)•上帝是基督教中的至高无上存在，被描绘为至善、全知全能的创造者。
•魔鬼是一位堕落天使，反叛天堂而被驱逐到地狱。
•Paradise Lost中，上帝和魔鬼之间的斗争和争议成为故事的核心。
结论Paradise Lost是一部浩大的文学作品，通过纵览人类起源和墮落的故事，探讨了善恶、正邪和自由意志等重大主题。
英美文学名词解释1
1.Allegory (寓言)A tale in verse or prose in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities.寓言，讽喻：一种文学、戏剧或绘画的艺术手法，其中人物和事件代表抽象的观点、原则或支配力。
2.Alliteration (头韵)Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound within a line or a group of words.头韵：在一组词的开头或重读音节中对相同辅音或不同元音的重复。
3.Allusion (典故)A reference to a person, a place, an event, or a literary work that a writer expects the reader to recognize and respond to.典故：作者对某些读者熟悉并能够作出反映的特定人物，地点，事件，文学作品的引用。
4.Analogy (类比)A comparison made between two things to show the similarities between them.类比：为了在两个事物之间找出差别而进行的比较。
5. Antagonist (反面主角)The principal character in opposition to the protagonist or hero or heroine of a narrative or drama.反面主角：叙事文学或戏剧中与男女主人公或英雄相对立的主要人物。
6. Antithesis (对仗)The balancing of two contrasting ideas, words, or sentences.对仗：两组相对的思想，言辞，词句的平衡。
英美文学欣赏最新版教学课件英国文学 Unit 1 William Shakespeare
（注解：当这种比蜜还甜的话源源不断地在耳 边倾诉时，相信没有女孩会不动心。）
英美文学欣赏（第四版）
O, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By my other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d, Retain that dear perfection which he owes
世》（Richard III, 1592）、《亨利四世》（Henry IV, 1597）等；喜剧 《仲夏夜之梦》（A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, 1595）、《威尼斯商人 》（The Merchant of Venice, 1596）、《第十二夜》（Twelfth Night, 1600）等；悲剧《罗密欧与朱丽叶》（Romeo and Juliet, 1594）、《汉 姆雷特》（Hamlet, 1601）、《奥赛罗》（Othello, 1604）、《李尔王》 （King Lear, 1605）、《麦克白》（Macbeth, 1605）等；传奇剧《暴风 雨》（The Tempest, 1612）等。
英美文学欣赏（第四版）
An Appreciation of English Literature
Unit 1 William Shakespeare
英美文学欣赏（第四版）
作者简介
威廉· 莎士比亚（William Shakespeare, 1564—1616）是英国文艺复兴 时期最伟大的诗人、剧作家，也被认为是 世界文学史上最伟大的诗人和剧作家。莎 士比亚出生于英国中部艾汶河畔的斯特拉 福镇。幼年在当地文法学校学习，20 多岁 只身到伦敦谋生，在剧团里先做杂工，跑 龙套，后成为剧团的演员、编剧和股东。 他的作品共包括37 部剧本、两首长诗和 154 首十四行诗。晚年，他归居故里，颐 养天年，谢世后葬在家乡。斯特拉福镇现 已成为文学爱好者心目中的圣地。
英美文学选读英国部分第一章文艺复兴时期
英美文学选读中文翻译及重点习题答案英国文学(AMERICAN LITERATURE)第一章文艺复兴时期(The Renaissance Period)二、背景知识(Background knowledge)1、历史文化背景(Historical and cultural background)(1)文艺复兴是从中世纪向近代过渡时期发生在欧洲许多国家的一场思想文化运动。
它是在一些历史因素的合力作用下而引发的，如对希腊罗马古典文化的重新发现，宗教改革运动，地理和自然科学领域的探索，以及资本主义经济的扩张等。
(2)人文主义是文艺复兴的主要特征。
它颂扬人性，强调以“人”为本，宣传个性解放，反对神秘主义和中古神权，反对野蛮和兽性。
(3)16世纪的宗教改革导致了新教的创立。
英格兰同罗马教皇的决裂最初源于国王亨利八世决定与其第一位妻子离婚但遭到教皇否决。
宗教教义的改革则发生在后来的爱德华六世和女王伊丽莎白一世统治期间。
(4)工商业持续发展，中产阶级逐渐壮大，非神职人员获得受教育的机会，王权巩固，宫廷成为文化生活的中心，以及海外扩张和科学探索日益拓展人们的视野，所有这些都为文学提供了新的推动力和发展方向。
威廉·卡克斯顿首次将印刷术介绍到英国，使那里的出版社迅速增加，随之而来的是印刷书籍的繁荣。
2、英国文艺复兴时期文学的特点(Features of English Renaissance literature)(1) 诗歌(Poetry)开创文艺复兴时期一代新的华丽诗风的两个最重要的人物是菲利普·悉尼爵士和埃德蒙·斯宾塞。
在他们的抒情和叙事作品中，展现出一种词藻华丽、精雕细琢的文风。
到16世纪末，出现了两类新的诗歌风格。
第一类以约翰·邓恩和其他玄学派诗人为代表；第二类风格的典范是本·琼森和他所代表的流派。
英国文艺复兴时期的最后一位大诗人是清教作家约翰·密尔顿，他的诗歌具有惊人的震撼力和优雅的韵致，同时传达出深邃的思想。
英美文学欣赏(第二版)课件 American Literature Unit 1 Ralph
英美文学欣赏（第二版）
大学专业英语系列教材
u 作品欣赏
本篇选读选自《论自然》的第1章《自然》。 在这篇优美的散文 中，作者以充满激情的笔墨描绘了大自然的无限魅力，有着非常鲜明 的观点，再加上时空的转换，先是仰望星空，然后直视地平线，接着 马上来到树林中， 使人产生很强的地理方位感，非常形象。
英美文学欣赏（第二版）
英美文学欣赏（第二版）
大学专业英语系列教材Fra bibliotekAn Appreciation of American Literature
Unit 1 Ralph Waldo Emerson • Nature (Chapter I) Unit 2 American Poets (Ⅰ) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow • A Psalm of Life The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls Walt Whitman • Song of Myself (1, 10)
英美文学欣赏（第二版）
大学专业英语系列教材
Unit 4 Mark Twain • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Chapter II) • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Chapter XXXI) Unit 5 Henry James • The Portrait of a Lady (Chapter XLII) Unit 6 O. Henry • The Gift of the Magi • The Cop and the Anthem Unit 7 F. Scott Fitzgerald • The Great Gatsby (From Chapter III) Unit 8 William Faulkner • A Rose for Miss Emily (I, II, III, IV, V) Unit 9 Jerome David Salinger • The Catcher in the Rye (Chapter XXII) Unit 10 Ernest Hemingway • The Old Man and the Sea (Excerpt)
英美文学选读1.The Renaissance Period
1. Generally speaking, the Old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two groups: the religious group and the secular one.2. Beowulf, a typical example of Old English poetry, is regarded as the epic of the Anglo-Saxons.3. Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the greatest poets in English.●The Renaissance Period (14th---mid17th)◆William Shakespeare: (38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long poems)1.作品：Henry IV, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, Sonnet 18, The Tempest2. Greatest tragedies:Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth.3. The Tempest is known as the best of Shakespeare’s final romance. The playwright resorts and to the supernatural atmosphere and to the dreams to solve the conflict. And this play is also a typical example of his pessimistic view towards human life and society in his late years.4. William Shakespeare’s history plays are mainly written under the principal that national unity under a mighty and just sovereign is a necessity.5.Try to analyze Hamlet Hamlet is a man of speculation, umbrage and contemplation.Hamlet is neither a frail and weak minded youth nor a thought sick dreamer. He has none of the single minded blood lust of the earlier revengers. It is not because he is incapable of action, but because the cast of his mind is so speculative, so questioning and so contemplative that action, when it finally comes, seems almost like defeat. Trapped in a nightmare world of spying, testing and plotting, and apparently bearing the intolerable burden of the duty to revenge his father's death, Hamlet is obliged to inhabit a shadow world, to live suspended between fact and fiction, language and action. His life is one of constant role playing, examining the nature of action only to deny its possibility, for he is too sophisticated to degrade his nature to the conventional role of a stage revenger. By characterizing Hamlet, Shakespeare successfully makes a philosophical exploration of life and death. Hamlet is also a humanist, a man who is free from medieval prejudices and superstitions. He has an unbounded love for the world rather than heaven. He cherishes a profound reverence for man and a firm belief in man's power over destiny.6. What did Shakespeare criticize in his play?The conscientious playwright criticized various kinds of human vices and sins, like greed, betrayal, pride, prejudice and deception, including acts of social inequality, sexual and racial discriminations in plays such as The Merchant of Venice and The Tempest. In his tragedies, he condemned the hypocrisy, treachery and general corruption at the royal court. He does not hesitate to describe the cruelty and anti-natural character of the civil wars against religious persecution and the corrupting influence of money and gold. In King Lear, he criticized the bourgeois egoism while he feared anarchy, hated rebellion and despised democracy.7. Soliloquy is a nature medium for Hamletto release his anguish.8.The theme of Sonnet 18 is that a nicesummer’s day is usually transient, but thebeauty in poetry can last for ever.9.Discuss the four periods ofShakespeare’s dramatic career.The first period of Shakespeare’s dramaticcareer was one of apprenticeship. He wrotefive history plays (e.g. Henry VI), fourcomedies (The Comedy of Errors). In thesecond period, Shak espeare’s style andapproach became highly individualized. Hewrote five histories (e.g. Henry IV), sixcomedies (The Merchant of Venice) andtwo tragedies (e.g. Romeo and Juliet). Histhird period includes his greatest' tragedies(e.g. Hamlet) and his so called darkcomedies (Measure for Measure). The lastperiod includes his principal romantictragicomedies (The Tempest).10. Briefly discuss Shakespeare’s artisticachievement in characterization, plotconstruction and languageA. Shakespeare’s major char acters areneither merely individual ones nor typeones; they represent certain types; they areindividuals representing certain types. Byemploying a psycho-analytical approach,Shakespeare succeeds in exploring thecharacters’inner world. Shakespeare alsoportrays his characters in pairs. Contrastsare frequently used to bring vividness to hischaracters.B. Shakespeare seldom invents his own plot;instead, he borrows them form old plays orstorybooks, from ancient Greek or Romansources. In order to make the play morelively and compact, he would shorten thetime and intensity the story. There areusually several clues running through theplay, thus providing the story with suspenseand apprehension.C. Shakespeare can write skillfully indifferent poetic forms, such as the sonnet,the blank verse and the rhymed couplet. Hehas an amazing wealth of vocabulary andidiom. His coinage of new words anddistortion of the meaning of the old wordsalso creates striking effects on the reader.11. About the four tragedies: What arethe characteristic of the four tragedies incommon? Briefly summarize each hero’sweakness of natureEach portrays some noble hero, who facesthe injustice of human life and is caught ina difficult situation and whose fate isclosely connected with the fate of the wholenation.Each hero has his weakness of nature:Hamlet, the melancholic scholar-prince,faces the dilemma between action and mind;Othello’s inner weakness is made use of bythe outside evil force; the old king Lear isunwilling to totally give up his power; andMacbeth's lust for power stirs up hisambition and leads him to incessant crimes.◆John Milton1.作品：Paradise Lost，Paradise Regained，Samson Agonistes，Lycidas2.John Milton’s greatest poetical workParadise Lost is the only generallyacknowledged epic in English literaturesince Beowulf3.His literary achievement can be dividedinto 3 groups: the early poetic works, themiddle prose pamphlets and the last greatpoems.4. Milton wrote his three major poeticalworks after the Restoration.5. Paradise Lost is taken from Genesis ofthe Bible; the theme is “the fall of man”6. According to the setting of the poemParadise Lost, discuss the theme, theauthor’s intention to create it and theimplication that the poem expresses.A. The theme of the poem Paradise Lost isthe "Fall of Man”, i. e. man's disobedienceand the loss of Paradise, with its primecause-Satan.B. The author's intention to write this poemis to expose the ways of Satan and to"justify the ways of God to men".C. In this poem, the author implicitlyexpresses his fundamental concern withfreedom and choice and his belief that theunquestionable truth of Biblical revelationmeans that an all knowing God was just inallowing Adam and Eve to be tempted andof their free will to choose sin and itsinevitable punishment.7. What is M ilton’s fundamental concernin Paradise Lost?At the center of the conflict between humanlove and spiritual duty lies M ilton’sfundamental concern with freedom andchoice. The theme is the” Fall of Man,” i. e.man’s disobedience and the loss of Paradise.In the fall of man Adam discovered his fullhumanity. The freedom of the will is thekeystone of Milton's creed.1.Shall I compare thee to a summerday?thou art more lovely an d moretemperate:rough winds do shake thedarling buds of May.adn summers leasehath all too short a date:答：sonnet 18,ShakespeareSpeech Figure PersonificationThem of the poem:A nice summer’s day isusually transient but the beauty in poetrycan last forever.2.So long as men can breathe or eyes cansee,/So long lives this,and this gives life tothee.答：Implication of the work: the beauty inpoety can last forever,Idea of the two line express:Shakespeare’sfaith in the permanence of poetry.3.For herein Fortune shows herself morekind/than is he custom.It is still her use/Tolet the wretched man outlive his wealth/toview with hollow eye and wrinkledbrow/An age of poverty:from which lingring penance/Of such misery doth she cutme off.答：Shakespeare, She refer to Fortune.Mean:Antonio thinks Fortune is more kindtoward him because Fortune is taking awayboth his wealth and life,which meansAntomio will not feel the pain of losingeverything.4.To be or not to be-that is the question:答：William Shakespeare, Hamlet.Mean:To live on in this world or to die:tosuffer or to take action.Characteristic of the protagonist:He is aman of speculation,umbrage andcontemplationWhat does the third line imply:Theprotagonist lived in a world that was full oftrouble, and he was often determined totake up arms against troubles that sweepupon him like a sea,But he did not succeed.5. If thou beest he -but O how fallen! Howchanged/From him who in the happyrealms of light/Clothed with transcendentbrightness didst outshine/Myriads,thoughbright! If he whom mutual league /Unitedthoughts and counsels,equal hope/Andhazard in the glorious enterprise,/Joinedwith me once,now misery hath joined/Inequal ruin:into what pit thou seest...答：Paradise lost John MiltonThe story is taken from Genesis of theBible,The theme is the Fall of Man.What does the poet intend to do in writingit? Intended to expose the ways of Satanand to “justify the ways of God to men.The word he refers to God.。
英美文学1
英美文学史复习标准版1（盎格鲁萨克逊时期到盎格鲁罗曼）时期划分c---century---Early&Medieval literature: The Anglo-Saxon period(5c-11c)和The Anglo-Norman period(11c-15c)---Renaissance(16c) 文艺复兴---Revolution&Restoration (17c)资产阶级革命与王权复辟---Enlightenment (18c)启蒙运动---Romantic Period(1798-1832 19c) 浪漫主义时期一．The Anglo-Saxon period(496-1066)1.pagan异教徒Christian基督徒2.代表作：The song of Beowulf《贝奥武甫》异教徒诗歌（national epic 民族史诗，英国史上第一部史诗）采用了暗喻（metaphor）和押头韵（alliterate）的手法。
内容：讲述了挪威一个勇士贝奥武甫与怪物格伦德尔搏斗，使其断臂而死。
怪物之母为子复仇，又被他追踪杀死。
后来他做了国王。
一次火龙来犯，他挺身斩龙，伤中而死。
人民为他举行了隆重的丧礼。
三次战斗 a.与格伦德尔Grendelb.与格伦德尔的母亲Grendel’s motherc.与火龙firedrake二．The Anglo-Norman period（1066-1350）1.Romance传奇描写的是骑士的冒险精神和典雅爱情，表现骑士为获得荣誉、保护宗教或赢得贵妇人的爱情而到处冒险的骑士精神的文学。
2.代表作：Sir Gawain and the Green Knight《高文爵士和绿衣骑士》押头韵（alliterate）描写的是古代亚瑟王属下一个“圆桌骑士”Knights of the Round 的奇遇。
基本情节是：某年圣诞节，亚瑟王在自己的宫廷里举行宴会。
英美文学第一部分练习
英美文学第一部分练习文艺复兴时期练习及答案Exercises of the First Part of the British LiteratureSection One: Multiple-choice questions1. “Upon a great adventure he was bond, / That greatest Gloriana to him gave.” These two lines are taken f rom[A] Milton's Samson Agonistes [B] Spenser's The Faerie Queene[C] Beowulf [D] Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard2. "O prince, O chief of many throned powers,That led th' embattled Seraphim to warUnder thy conduct, and in dreadf ul deedsFearless, endangered Heaven's perpetual King. "In the f irst line of the above passage quoted f rom Milton's Paradise Lost, the phrase "O prince, O chief of many throned powers”refers to________.[A] Satan [B] God [C] Adam [D] Eve3. Shakespeare claims through the mouth of Hamlet that the "end" of the dramatic creation is to give________ of the social realities of the time.[A] f aithf ul ref l ection [B] instructive represent ation[C] imaginative narration [D] allegorical description4. Humanists of the Renaissance turned to the spirit of ________ culture for inspiration.[A] Anglo-Saxon [B] Italian and French[C] Greeek and Roman [D] medieval5. Paradise Lost is composed in blank verse, which permits the ________ Milton needed f or his subject.[A] epic grandeur [B] narrative sweep[C] descriptive subtlety [D] intellectual grasp6. Donne’s f amous analogy of parting lovers to a drawing compass aff ords a prime example of________[A] dramatic style [B] exaggeration[C] paradox [D] conceit7. ________ is a study of the lust f or wealth, which centers on Barabas, the Jew, a terrible old money lender.[A] The Jew of Malta [B] The Merchant of V enice[C] Tamburlaine the Great[D] The Tempest8. In his conception of tragedy, Marlowe perceived that tragic action must issue f rom, and be ref lected in, ________.[A] the Renaissance hero [B] endless aspiration f or knowledge[C] the individual [D] human dignity and capacity9. In The Faerie Queene, the Red Cross Knight, who stands f or true religion of ________ , sets out on the orders of Queen of Faeri e, who represents ________.[A] the Anglican Church, Queen Elizabeth [B] the Roman Catholic Church, Pope[C] Christianity, Christ [D] humanism, divine truth10. What f igure of speech is used in the lines: "Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, / And summer's lease too short a date"?[A] Simile [B] Metonymy[C] Personif ication [D] Hyperbol e11. The underlined part in "My deeds upon my head! I crave the law, / The penalty and f orfeit of my bond. " (from TF, chant of V enice) means ________.[A] What is done can't be undone [B] Let me responsible f or what I do[C] I would give anything f or f ul f illing my bond [D] I deserve what I demand12. The line "When we have shuff led off this mortal coil" be, or not to be" soliloquy means________.[A] when we have got rid of this coil that is doomed to die[B] when we have unloaded this heavy burden like a coil[C] when we have taken off this coat made of coils[D] when we are relived f rom the trouble of mortal life wound around us like coils13. What does the word "humour" mean in the f ollowing quotation f rom "Of Studies": "to make judgment wholly by their rules is the humor of“a scholar”?[A] f unniness [B] Wit[C]charact er [D] A sudden whim14. The Spenserian stanza is a group of eight lines of iambic pentameter f ollowed by a six-stress line, with a rhyme scheme ababbcbcc.[A] trochai c [B] iambic[C] anapestic [D] dactylic15. In Satan’s speech: …if he, whom mutual league, / United : thoughts and .counsels, equal hope / And hazard in the glorious enterprise, /.joined with me once . . . " What does "the glorious enterprise ref er to?[A] The f ormer scheme to overthrow God.[B] stealing the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil[C] Finding means of evil out of good.[D] corrupting Adam and Eve.16. What is the tone in the f ollowing lines: " Saucy pedantic .go wretch, go chide / Late school-boys, and sour prentices"?[A] Ironic [B] Sarcastic [C]Humorous [D] Underst ated17. In the best metaphysical poetry, f eeling and ________ f use in an image that is always ingenious and appropriate, though it may be disconcert ed at f irst in the shock of bringing incongruities together.[A] imagery [B] conceit[C] thought [D] colloquialism18. The sonnet "Death Be Not Proud" is written in the strict______ pattern. It reveals the poet's belief that _________.[A] Shakespearean, death is only a sleep, af ter which we live eternally[B] Petrarchan, death is but momentary while hal v death is eternal[C] Elizabethan, death is not as strong as people think he is[D] Portuguese, death is like a long sleep that off er, f or the soul19. In the line "And every f air from fair sometime decline Shakespeare's Sonnet 18), what does the f irst and second “f air” mean?[A] Light complexion; beauty. [B] Loveliness; beautif ul women.[C] The beautif ul person or thing; beauty. [D] Sound reason; justice.20. In the court scene of The Merchant of Venice, when says to Shylock: "We all expect a gentle answer, Jew. punning on the word "gentle". He means a merci f ul but also means ______.[A] an amiable and tender answer [B] a noble answer[C] a Gentile's as opposed to a Jew's answer [D] a generous answer21. In his "T o be, or not to be" soliloquy, Hamlet gives the why he wants to commit suicide. Apart from his personal revenge,that he________ is another reason.[A] is unable to restore his earlier idealized image of his mother[B] thinks the next world is f ar better than this one[C] is mentally tormented by his f ather's words[D] cannot bear the social injustice and grievances22. By advancing the theory of＿＿＿＿＿, Bacon shows the empirical attitudes toward truth about nature and bravely challenges the medieval scholasticists.[A] inductive reasoning [B] deductive reasoning[C] education [D] scienti f ic experimentation23. The central f igure of Tamburlaine, the Great represents f or inf inite _________.[A] knowledge and happiness [B] power and authority[C] ambition and conquest [D] success and adventure24. The shepherd's Calender set the ________ f ashion in English literature, and inaugurated the great 16th century.[A] rustic [B] ornate [C] rustic [D] pastoral25. In King Leur, Shakespeare has shown to us the two-f old exerted by the f eudalisi corruption and __________ gradually corroded the ordered society.[A] Anarchy and rebellion [B] supernatural f orces[C] super natural f orces[D] tyranny[B] power and authority success and adventure f ashion in English lyrical poetry of the lastSection Two(Reading comprehension)1.So pure and innocent, as that same lambe,She was in lif e and every vertuous lore,And by descent f rom royall lynage cameOf ancient Kings and Queenes, that had of yoreTheir scepters stretcht from east to westerne shore,And all the world in their subjection held;Till that inf ernall f eend with f oule uproreForwasted all their land, and them expeld;Whom to avenge, she had this knight f rom far compeld. " Questions:A. Identif y the poet and the poem.B. What does "this knight" ref er to?C. What idea does the quotation express?2. "Within this circle is Jehovah's nameForward and backward anagrammatized,The breviated names of holy saints,Figures of every adjunct to the heavensAnd characters of signs and erring stars,By which the spirits are enf orced to rise. " Questions:A. Identif y the author and the work.B. Who does "Jehovah" refer to?C. What idea does the quotation express?2"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;And thus the native hue of resolutionIs sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought;And enterprises of great pith and moment,With this regard, their currents turn awryAnd lose the name of action. "Questions:A. Identif y the author and the work.B. Who is the speaker of the quoted passage?C. What idea does the quotation express?4."Some men there are love not a gaping pig,Some that are mad if they behold a cat,And others, when bagpipe sings i' th' nose,Cannot contain their urine f or affection,Mistress of passion, sways it to the moodOf what it likes or loathes. "Questions:A. the author and the work.B. Who is the speaker of the quoted passage?C. What idea does the quotation express?5. “If her eyes have not blinded thine,Look, and tomorrow late, tell me,Whether both the Indias of spice and mineBe where thou lef t'st them, or lie here with me.Ask f or those kings whom thou saw'st yesterday,And thou shalt hear, all here in one bed lay. "Questions:A. Identif y the poet and the poem.B. What does the word "thou" in the last line of the quotation ref er to?C. What idea does the quotation express?Section Two Questions and answers1. Make a brief analysis of the "quality of mercy" speech by Portia,.Merchant of V enice, and try to explain why it is regarded most famous speech in the play.2. Make a brief comment on the theme of Paradise Lost.3. Make a brief summary of the historical and cultural background to English Renaissance.4. Make a brief analysis of "Death, Be Not Proud".5. What is Francis Bacon's contribution to English literature?Section Four (Topic discussion)1. Comment on Hamlet's inaction.2. What are the main characteristics of metaphysical poetry?第一章练习答案Key to the exercisesKey to Exercises for Chapter I(文艺复兴时期)A. Multiple-choice questions1-25 BAACB DACAC BDCBA BCBCC DABDC11. Reading comprehension:1. A. Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Queene.B. The Red Cross Knight.C. It is a description of V irgin Una, who stands f or the divine truth and accompanies the Red Cross Knight on his adventures. She is as pure and innocent in lif e and all moral knowledge as the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ ). She descended of a royal line, which in old days governed the landfrom east to west and made the whole world subject to the rule (which suggests she derives her lineage f rom the Church Universal, not from the Papacy), until the dragon ( which represents the powers of Spain and Rome) with wicked tumult devastated all their land and drove them out. So she has summoned the Knight f rom a remote place to avenge her imprisoned parents.2. A. Christopher Marlowe : The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus.B. God.C. This is a description of Dr. Faustus practicing black magic inorder to seek knowledge and power over the kingdom of this world. He has drawn a magic circle on the ground, within which the spirits are compelled to rise by using the name of God with the letters mixed up, the abbreviated names of holy saints, figures o f every heavenly body and signs of the zodiac and wandering stars. Faustus' conjuring techniques illustrate his denial and rejection of religi on, which is a sin of pride and presumption and thus allows the devil to take possession of his soul. On the other hand, by portraying Faustus trying through the exercise of f orbidden knowledge to transcend the bounds of his nature, Marlowe celebrates the Renaissance hero's endless aspiration f or knowledge, power and happiness.3: A. William Shakespeare: Hamlet. ,B. Hamlet .C These lines mean: thus meditation does turn all of us into cowards; and thus over the natural color of resolution (which is believed of red color) , is thrown the pale and sickly color of melancholy thought; and actions of great importance, on this account, deviate f rom their original purpose and no longer can put into action. Here Hamlet is not only talking about actual suicide--he's also talking about "li f elong suicide" by doing nothing, choosing the easy passive approach to lif e.4. A. William Shakespeare: The Merchant of V enice.B. Shylock says that just as there is no rational explanation of why one man hat es a pig, why another cannot tolerat e a harmless cat, and why a third cannot cont ain his urine when listening to a bagpipe, he cannot and will not give a reason f or his action other than the deep-seated hatred and loathing that he bears Antonio. Here, Shylock makes himself ridiculous by comparing the unreasoning hatred he feels f or Antonio with the irrational and inexplicable impulses f ound in all men. The examples he gives of human nature mastered by strange and powerful passions are such as to excite disgust and contempt in his hearers.5. A. John Donne, "The Sun Rising".B. The Sun.C. The speaker says that his lover's eyes are more blinding than the sun's mighty rays. If the sun would look closely he would see that even the wealth of all the earth lies in their bed. And should he not be convinced by what his eyes tell him, could look again to India and the West Indies to see if the spices and gold even exist there any more or whether they indeed "lie here with me". The king-image is a happy one. The lovers are as happy as the queen and the king on one throne. The poet brings "spice", "gold" and "kings" into one bed in order to show that their love is as f ragrant spice, as pure as gold and as happy as kings.C. Q uestions and answers1. In the court scene Shylock has emphasized the justice and legality to his claim to Antonio's f lesh. Now, Portia insists that mercy is a higher good than justice, f or it enables the giver and receiver. She puts f orward a familiar Elizabethan argum ent on justice versus mercy, i.e. if God himself insisted on justice, no one would be f orgiven f or their sins and thus be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But as God shows mercy to mankind, man can theref ore be redeemed. What is most admirable in a king is not his power but the humanity wit h which he exercises this power. This speech of Portia is undoubtedly the most f amous in the play and justly so, f or in lyrical verse that is beautif ul in itself it clearly states the moral and implies the doctrinal themes of the play: that courtesy teaches the heart to be gen tle, that the gentle heart secures salvation, that the stern justice of the Old Law (the Old Testament) must give way to the mercy of the new (the New Testament).2. Paradise Lost is regarded as Milton's masterpiece and thegreatest epic poem in the English language. The theme of the poem is the tragedy of the "Fall of Man" (f rom whi ch Christ redeems him) against the backdrop of Satan's rebellion against God and expulsion f rom heaven. The poet's announced aim was to "assert eternal Providence (that is, God) and justif y the ways of God to men". Despite its biblical story content and its declared purpose, the epic at places ref lects Milton's revolutionary spirit, chief ly through his sympathetic treatment of the revolt of Satan and his f ollowers against God in the f irst two books. Here we see the dual role as a Puritan and as a republican, f or in accordance with his religious convictions the poet was naturally on the side of God, but with his revolutionary sentiments he could not refrain f rom uttering f iery words of hatred and rebellion against the restored monarch at the time, even in the outcries of Satan and his adherents against God. Y et we must not believe that Milton as a Puritan could actually share Satan's accusationsof God f or holding "the tyranny of heaven", nor should we obliterate the thoroughly religious temper of the epic as a whole, in which the characters of Satan and his f ollowers are condemned.3.(a) Renaissance refers to the period of transition f rom the medieval to the modern world. It was sparked off by a combination of historical factors.(b) Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance. "The new humanistic learning that resulted from the rediscovery of classical literature is frequently taken as the beginning of the Renaissance on its conscious, intellectual side.(c) The great 16th-century religious revolution in Europe resulted in the establishment of the Protestant churches.(d) The continuing development of trade, the growth of the middle class, the education f or lay people, the centralization of power and of much intellectual lif e in the court, and the widening horizons of exploration gave a new impetus and direction to literature.4. This poem is an almost startling put-down of poor death Staunchly Christian in its pure expectation of the resurrection. Donne's poem personi f ies death as an adversary swollen with f alse pride and unworthy of being called "mighty and dreadf ul. Donne gives various reasons in accusing death of being little m than a slave bossed about by fate, chance, kings and desperate men--a craven thing that keeps bad company, such as poison war and sickness. Death is not something we should f ear, f or is part of a natural cycle. It is the pref ace to our f inal sleep, which offers “f r eedom” (and f inal delivery) f or the soul. Finally, Donne taunts death with a paradox: "death, thou shalt die. " The sonnet is written in the strict Petrarchan pattern. It reveals the poet’s beliefreveals the poet's belief in lif e af ter death: death is but momentary while happiness af t er death is eternal.5. Bacon's contribution to English literature lies chief ly in the Essays, the f irst collection of essays as such in the English language and considered an important landmark in the development of English prose. Bacon wrote these f or the young men of his class and tradition, who were intent upon the completest self-realization in public lif e. The subjects cover a wide range: philosophy, religion, politics and conduct of lif e. Down's practicality is shown in most of his essays. He employs what may be called the dialectical method by balancing opposing arguments bef ore drawing his conclusions. Dif f erent from theelaborate language of euphuism, his essays are known f or their language of euphuism, his essays are known f or their consciousness and brevity, simplicity and f orcefulness. Epigrams frequently employed, yet they are always ordered judiciously appropri ately. In addition, the essays are enriched by Biblical allusions, metaphors and cadence.D. Topic discussion1. (a)Hamlet has none of the single-minded blood lust of the earlier revengers. It is not because he is incapable of action, but because the cast of his mind is so speculative, so questioning, and so contemplative that action, when it f inally comes, almost like def eat, diminishing rather than adding to the stature of the hero.(b)Trapped in a nightmare world of spying, testing and plot and apparently bearing the intolerable burden of the to revenge his f ather's death, Hamlet is obliged to inhabit a shadow world, to live suspended between f act and f iction, language and action. His lif e is one of constant role playing, examining the nature of action only to deny its possibility; f or he is too sophisticated to degrade his nature to the conventional role of a stage revenger.(c) For such a f igure, soliloquy is a natural medium, a necessary release of his anguish; and some of his questioning monologues posses surpassing power and insight, which have survived centuries of being torn f rom their context.2. (a) The term metaphysical poetry is used to describe a school of highly intellectual poetry marked by bold and ingenious conceits, incongruous imagery, complexity of thought, f requent use of paradox, and of ten by deliberate harshness or rigidity of expression. (b) In metaphysical poetry emotions are shaped and expressed by logical reasoning. These logicalelements are typical characteristics of the best metaphysical poetry. But, sometimes the logic argument and conceits become. pervasive, going to preposterous dimensions. (c) The main themes of the metaphysical poets are love, death and religion. According to them, all things in the universe no matter how dissimilar they are to each other, are closely unif ied in God.(d) The diction is simple as compared with that of the Elizabethan or the Neocl assical Period, and echoes the words and cadences of common speech.(e) The imagery is drawn f rom the commonplace or the remote actual lif e or erudite sources, the f igure itsel f: elaborated with self-conscious ingenuity.(f) The f orm is f requently that of an argument with the poet’s beloved with God or with himself.(g) Metaphysical poem is of ten intentionally rough.(h) Metaphysical poetry is marked by a crisp pointed wit that may f ind its f ocus in conceits of a special type, which are used to connect the abstract with the concrete, the remote with the near, and the sublime with the commonplace.(i) Chief representative of this school was John Donne.。
英美文学名词解释1
英国Renaissance：The term originally indicated a revival of classical(Greek and Roman) artsand sciences after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism(蒙昧主义）. Humanism is the essence of Renaissance. The real mainstream of English Renaissance is the Elizabethan drama with William Shakespeare being the leading dramatist.Humanism:Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance. It emphasizes the dignity ofhuman beings and the importance of the present life. Humanists voiced their beliefs that man was the center of the universe and man did not only have the right to enjoy the beauty of the present life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders.Romance:Any imagination literature that is set in an idealized world and deals with heroicadventures and battles between good characters and villains or monsters. Originally, the term referred to a medieval tale dealing with the loves and adventures of kings, knights and ladies, and including unlikely or supernatural happenings. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the best of medieval romances.University Wits: University Wits refers to a group of scholars during the Elizabethan Agewho graduated from either Oxford or Cambridge. They came to London with the ambition to become professional writers. Some of them later became famous poets and playwrights. They were called “University Wits”. Christopher Marlowe is the most gifted of the University Wits.Metaphysical Poetry:Metaphysical poetry is a derogatory(贬义的）term invented byJohn Dryden and later adopted by Samuel Johnson describing a school of highly intellectual poetry marked by bold(大胆的) and ingenious (有独创性的）conceits, imagery, complexity of thought, frequent use of paradox. The main themes are love, death, and religion. The chief representative of this school was John Donne.Cavalier Poets:The cavaliers are royalists, whose poetry was marked by courtliness,urbanity(雅致，礼貌）, and polish（优雅）. They were lyrical poets, and dealt chiefly with the theme of love and the theme of “carpe diem”(及时行乐）. The chief representative of this school was Ben Jonson.Neoclassicism: A revival in the 17th and 18th centuries of classical standards of order ,balance, and harmony in literature, John Dryden and Alexander Pope were major exponents of the neoclassical school.British Romanticism:A movement that flourished in literature, philosophy, music, andart in Western culture during most of the 19th century, beginning as a revolt against classicism. Romanticism gave primary concern to passion, emotion, and natural beauty. The English Romantic period is an age of poetry. Characteristics: subjectivism; spontaneity; singularity; worship of nature; simplicity.Modernism:It is an international movement in literature and arts, especially in literarycriticism, which began in the late 19th century. Modernism takes the irrational philosophy(非理性哲学) and the theory of psycho-analysis(精神分析) as its theoretical base. The modernist writers concentrate more on the private and subjunctive than on the public and objective, mainly concerned with the inner of an individual. The characteristics of modernists writings are as below: complexity and obscurity(晦涩); the use of symbols; allusion; irony.Stream of consciousness:“Stream-of-Consciousness”or “interior monologue”, isone of the modern literary techniques. It is the style of writing that attempts to imitate the natural flow of a character’s thoughts, feelings, reflections, memories, and mental images as the character experiences them. It was first used by the Irish novelist James Joyce.Those novels broke through the bounds of time and space, and depicted vividly and skillfully the unconscious activity of the mind fast changing and flowing incessantly, particularly the hesitant, misted(模糊的）, distracted（心烦意乱的）and illusory（错觉的）psychology people had when they faced reality. The modern American writer William Faulkner successfully advanced this technique. In his stories, action and plots were less important than the reactions and inner musings（沉思）of the narrators. Time sequences were often dislocated. The reader feels himself to be a participant in the stories, rather than an observer. A high degree of emotion can be achieved by this technique.Black Humor: It is mostly employed to describe baleful(恶意的), naive, or inept(笨拙的)characters in a fantastic or horrible modern world playing out their roles in a“tragic farce(闹剧)”，in which the events are often simultaneous comic, horrifying, and absurd. Joseph Heller’ s Catch-22 can be taken as an example of the employment of this technique.The Theater of the Absurd: It refers to a kind of drama that explains an existentialideology and presents a view of the absurdity of the human condition by abandoning of usual or rational devices and the use of nonrealistic form.The Angry Young Man: The Angry Young Men is a journalistic catchphrase(标语)applied to a number of British playwrights and novelists from the mid-1950s. Their works mainly express the bitterness of the lower classes towards the established sociopolitical system and hypocrisy of the middle and upper classes. The playwright John Osborne was the example of these angry young men with his play Look Back in Anger.美国American Romanticism: The Romantic Period covers the first half of the 19th century.A rising America with its ideals of democracy and equality, the booming economy, the flourishing publications and a variety of foreign influences made its literary expansion possible and inevitable. Romantics shared some characteristics: moral enthusiasm, individuality and intuitive perception. Romantic values were prominent in American politics, art, and philosophy until the Civil War.American Transcendentalism: American Transcendentalism is more than an attitudeof Transcendentalists. To transcend something is to rise above(克服) it , to pass beyond its limits. The transcendentalists speak for cultural rejuvenation and against the materialism of American society. The major features of the American Transcendentalism can be summarized as follows : First, transcendentalists placed emphasis on spirit, or the Oversoul, as the most important thing in Universe; Second, they stressed the importance of individuals; Third, they offered a fresh perception of nature as symbolic of the Spirit or God.American Naturalism: The American Naturalism accepted the more negativeinterpretation of Darwin’s evolutionary theory and used it to account for the behavior of those characters in literary works who were regarded as more or less complex combinations of inherited attributes, their habits were conditioned by social and economic forces. American Naturalism was evolved from realism when the author’s tone in writing became less serious and less sympathetic but more ironic and more pessimistic. It was no more than a gloomy philosophical approach to reality, or to human existence. Dreiser is a leading figure of this school.American Realism: In American literature, the Civil War brought the Romantic Period toan end. The Age of Realism came into existence. It came as a reaction against the lie of romanticism and sentimentalism. Realism turned from an emphasis on the strange toward a faithful rendering(表现) of the ordinary, a slice of life as it is really lived. It expresses the concern for commonplace and the low, and it offers an objective rather than an idealistic view of human nature and human experience.American Puritanism: Puritanism is the practices and beliefs of Puritans . TheAmerican puritans, like their English Brothers, are idealists. They accept the doctrine and practice of predestination, original sin, total depravity, and limited atonement through a special infusion of grace from God. But due to the grim struggle for living in the new continent, they become more and more practical. American Puritanism is so much a part of the national atmosphere rather than a set of tenets.Local Colorism: Local Colorism or regionalism as a trend to first made its presence feltin the late 1860s and early 1870s in America. The ultimate aim of the local colorists is to write or to present local characters of their regions in truthful depiction distinguished from others, usually a very small part of the world.Determinism: Determinism is the philosophical belief that events are shaped by forcesbeyond the control of human beings. Determinism, important to the literature at the end of the 19th century, assigns control especially to heredity and environment, without seeking their origins further than science can trace. Determinism usually leads to the tragic fate of the characters in novel.Psychological realism: It is the realistic writing that probes deeply into(探究） the complexities of characters’ thoughts and motivations. Henry James’s novel The Ambassadors is considered to be a masterpiece of psychological realism. And He nry James is considered the founder of psychological realism. He believed that reality lies in the impressions made by life on the spectator, and not in any facts of which the spectator is unaware.Imagism:Imagism was a poetic vogue(流行) that flourished in England, and even morevigorously in America. It was planned and exemplified by a group of English and American writers in London as a revolt against the sentimental and discursive(散漫的) poetry at the turn of the century. The typical imagist poetry likes to express the writers’momentary impression of a visual object or scene and often the impression is rendered(提出) by means of metaphor without indicating a relation. The most imagist poem, In a station of the Metro is written by Ezra Pound.Southern Renaissance: The Southern Renaissance is the revival of American Southernliterature that began in the 1920s and 1930s until the 1950s. Much of the writings in this unit featured the struggle between those who embraced social changes and those who were more skeptical or challenged social change outright. The writers and intellectuals of the South after the late 1920s were engaged in an attempt to come to terms not only with the inherited values of the Southern tradition, but also with a certain way of perceiving and dealing with the past. The Lost Generation:This term has been used to describe the people of the postwaryears. It describes the Americans who remained in Paris as a colony of “expatriates”or exiles. Writers like Hemingway were caught in the war and cut off from the old values and yet unable to come to terms with the new era when civilization had gone mad. They wandered pointlessly and restlessly, enjoying things like fishing, swimming, and beauties of nature, but they were aware all the while that the world is crazy and meaningless and futile. The Beat Generation: The Beat Generation refers to a loosely-knit group of poets andnovelists, writing in the second half of the 1950s and early 1960s. They shared a set of social attitudes——anti-establishment, anti-political, anti-intellectual, opposed to the prevailing cultural, literal, and moral values, and were in favor of unfettered(无拘无束的）self-realization and self-expression.Hemingway Code Hero: As a concept from Hemingway’s works, code hero is definedby Hemingway as a man who lives correctly, following the ideals of honour, courage and endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic(混乱的）,often stressful, and always painful.A code hero is an average man of decidedly masculine tastes, a man who is sensitive and intelligent, a man of actions and of few words. This kind of people are usually spiritually strong,with certain skills, and most of them encounter death many times.Jazz Age: The Jazz Age describes the period from 1918 to 1929, the years after the end ofWorld War I, continuing through the Roaring Twenties and ending with the rise of the Great Depression in America. Among the prominent concerns and trends of the period are the public embrace of technological developments as well as new modernists trends in social behavior, arts and culture. The representative writer is F·Scott Fitzgerald with his novel The great Gatsby.Waste Land Painters: Waste Land Painters refer to such writers as F·Scott Fitzgerald,T·S Eliot, Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. With their writings, all of them paintsthe post-war western world as a waste land, lifeless and hopeless.。
英美文学
总体上讲,伊丽莎白时期的戏剧是英国文艺复兴的文学主流。英国戏剧的渊源还要追溯到中世纪。幕间短剧与道德剧在中世纪兴盛起来,此后一直流传到莎士比亚时代。而戏剧发展成一种精美复杂的艺术形式还离不开希腊罗马古典戏剧的营养,生动活泼的英国本土的故事题材穿上了古罗马喜剧家普劳图斯与泰伦斯的拉丁语喜剧形式的外衣,而悲剧则追随古罗马悲剧大师塞内加的艺术形式。古典艺术形式与英国的故事内容的融汇结合为戏剧艺术走向精美、成熟铺垫了道路。文艺复兴时期英国最著名的戏剧家有克里斯朵夫马洛、威廉莎士比亚与本约翰逊。他们的作品为全人类颂扬至今。他们效仿意大利和西班牙的骑士抒情诗,吸收了德国骑士传奇的神秘色彩,并且将诗歌联想中的虚构成份与生活中的真实事件结合起来,从而创作出许许多多反映过渡时期封建主义与新兴资产阶级尖锐冲突的伟大作品。与此同时,以莎士比亚为代表的戏剧又融入了幽默、哲学理论精华及生机勃勃的活力,成为文艺复兴的纪念碑,单就创作力而言,当时就没有其它任何一种艺术形式能够匹敌。
英美文学选读(1)
英美文学选读（1）Selected Readings of British and American Literature (1)一、基本信息课程代码：2020123课程学分： 2面向专业：英语课程性质：专业必修课课程类型：理论教学课开课院系：外国语学院英语系使用教材：主教材：1.《英国文学史及选读》（第1册）（第1版）；吴伟仁编，外语教学与研究出版社，2008.2.《英国文学史及选读》（第2册）（第1版）；吴伟仁编，外语教学与研究出版社，2008.参考教材：1.《新编英国文学》，罗经国编，外语教学与研究出版社，2010.2.《英国文学简史》，刘炳善，河南人民出版社，2001.先修课程：《基础英语》（1-4）并修课程：《高级英语》（1）后续课程：《英美文学选读》（2）二、课程简介英美文学选读课程主要从英美两国历史、语言、文化发展的角度，介绍英美两国文学各历史阶段的主要背景，文学文化思潮，文学流派，社会政治、经济、文化等对文学发展的影响，主要作家的文学生涯、创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构、人物刻画、语言风格和思想意义等。
本课程旨在培养英语专业学生理解、掌握英美文学的基本理论知识和鉴赏英美文学原著的能力。
英美文学课程的开设有利于提高学生的语言运用能力、提升学生对文学原著鉴赏的水平，培养学生的文学审美意识，使学生在宏观把握文学课程的知识点的同时，增强语言功底，增强对英美文学原著的理解，特别是对作品中表现的社会生活和人物思想感情的理解，增强他们分析作品的艺术特色的能力、掌握正确评价文学作品的标准和方法，对英美两国文学形成与发展的全貌有一个概括的了解，为以后的研究打下坚实基础。
三、选课建议英美文学选读课程是英语专业高年级学生的必修课程，属于提升拔高课程，其前提是学生应具有扎实的语言基本功、一定的文学知识和初步的科学研究方法。
四、课程与培养学生能力的关联性五、课程学习目标通过本课程的学习，学生应知道英美两国文学的形成与发展过程，熟悉部分西方文化，了解西方主要文学流派和主要文学作家，理解文学的本质与基本特征，掌握文学批评的基本知识和方法。
英美文学名词解释整理版 (1)
❖American Transcendentalism A literary and philosophical movement, associated with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller, asserting the existence of an ideal spiritual reality that transcends the empirical and scientific and is knowable through intuition. 超验主义：一种文学和哲学运动，与拉尔夫·沃尔多·爱默生和玛格丽特·富勒有关，宣称存在一种理想的精神实体，超越于经验和科学之处，通过直觉得以把握❖English Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe.❖ode in ancient literature, is an elaborate lyrical poem composed for a chorus to chant and to dance to; in modern use, it is a rhymed lyric expressing noble feelings, often addressed to a person or celebrating an event.❖conceit 奇喻A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning 。
A kind of metaphor that makes a comparison between two startlingly different things. A conceit may be a brief metaphor, but it usually provides the framework for an entire poem. An especially unusual and intellectual kind of conceit is the metaphysical conceit.新奇的比喻：将两种截然不同的食物进行对比的一种隐喻。
英美文学选读 习题1
答案：survival|fittest|fate|mysterious |supernatural|force|impotent|Fate
【题型：阅读】【分数：4分】得分：0分
[3]1.“When the stars threw down their spears,
And water’d heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee ?”
Questions:
A. Who’s the poet of the quoted stanza?
B. Whom does the“he”refer to?
C. What does the“Lamb”symbolize?
Bromanticism
Ctranscendentalism
Dcubism
答：
答案：A
【题型：论述】【分数：10分】得分：0分
[2]Why is Hardy regarded as a naturalistic writer in English literature? Discuss in relation to his novels you know.
DD. A Farewell to Arms
答：
答案：C
【题型：阅读】【分数：4分】得分：0分
[7]
“‘Do you think I can stay to become nothing to you? So you think I am an automoton?—a machine without feelings? And can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless?—You think wrong!—I have as much as you and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty, and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, or even of mortal flesh:—it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God’s feet, equal—as we are!’”
英美文学选读(自考)Chapter1
自学考试英美文学选读Selected Readings In English And American LiteraturesPart one: English literatureAn Introduction to Old and Medieval English Literature 1. The Old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two group:the religious group and the secular one. The poetry of the religious group is mainly on biblical themes………In addition to these religious compositions, Old English poets produced the national epic poem, Beowulf, a typical example of Old English poetry, is regarded today as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons.2. Romance which uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightlyadventures or other heroic deeds is a popular literary form in the medieval period. R omantic love is an important part of the plot in romance.3. I t is Chaucer alone who, for the first time in English literature,presented to us a comprehensive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life in his masterpiece The Canterbury Tales.Geoffrey Chaucer is the greatest writer of this period. I n short, Chaucer develops his characterization to a higher artistic level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions. Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry to replace the Old English alliterative verse. Chaucer dominated the works of his15th-centtruy English followers and the so-called Scottish Chaucerians. For the Renaissance, he was the English Homer.Chapter 1 The Renaissance Period1. The Renaissance arks a transition from the medieval to the modernworld. Generally, it refers to the period between the14th and mid-17th centuries.T he Renaissance is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers and scholars made attempts to get rid of those old feudalist ideas in medieval Europe, to introduce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie, and to recover thepurity of the early church form the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church. B ut it was not until the reign of Henry VIII that the Renaissance really began to show its effect in England.The English Renaissance had no sharp break with the past. Attitudes and feelings which had been characteristic of the 14th and 15th centuries persisted well down into the era of Humanism and Reformation.2. Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance. T hus, by emphasizingthe dignity of human beings and the importance of the present life, they voiced their beliefs that man did not only have the right to enjoy the beauty of this life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders.3. S trong national feeling in the time of the Tudors gave a greatincentive to the cultural development in England. W ith classical culture and the Italian humanistic ideas coming into England, the English Renaissance began flourishing.T he first period of the English Renaissance was one of imitation and assimilation. T he Elizabethan drama, in its totality, is the real mainstream of the English Renaissance.4. F rom Wyatt and Surrey onwards the goals of humanistic poetry are:skillful handling of conventions, force of language, and, above all, the development of a rhetorical plan in which meter, rhyme, scheme, imagery and argument should all be combined to frame the emotional theme and throw it into high relief. P oetry was to be a concentrated exercise of the mind, of craftsmanship, and of learning.I. Edmund Spenser (埃德蒙·斯宾塞)1. Spenser’s masterpiece is The Faerie Queene, a great poem of its age.A ccording to Spenser’s own explanation, his principal intention is topresent through a “historical poem” the example of a perfect gentleman: “to fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline.”2. The five main qualities of Spenser’s poetry are 1) a perfect melody;2) a rare sense of beauty; 3) a splendid imagination; 4) a lofty moralpurity and seriousness; and 5) a dedicated idealism.II. Christopher Marlowe（克里斯托夫·马洛）1. M asterpieces: Tamburlaine, Parts I ⅈ Dr. Faustus; The Jew ofMalta; Edward II2. Tamburlaine is a play about an ambitious and pitiless Tartarconqueror in the fourteenth century who rose from a shepherd to an overpowering king. I n fact, Tamburlaine is a product of Marlowe’s characteristically Renaissance imagination, fascinated by the earthlymagnificence available to men of imaginative power who have the energy of their convictions.3. D r. Faustus is a play based on the German legend of a magicianaspiring for knowledge and finally meeting his tragic end as a result of selling his soul to the Devil. I t celebrates the human passion for knowledge, power and happiness; it also reveals man’s frustration in realizing the high aspirations in a hostile moral order. A nd the confinement to time is the cruelest fact of man’s condition. Marlowe praises his soaring aspiration for knowledge while warning against the sin of pride since Faustus’s downfall was caused by his despair I god and trust in Devil.4. M arlowe’s greatest achievement lies in that he perfected the blankverse and made it the principal medium of English drama. Marlowe employed hyperbole as his major figure of speech, which, instead of referring to the exaggeration of the language, indicates the poetic energy and intensity conveyed through the verseMarlowe’s second achievement is his creation of the Renaissance hero for English drama. D ifferent from the tragic hero I medieval plays, who seeks the way to heaven through salvation and God’s will, he is against convention al morality and contrives to obtain heaven on earth through his own efforts.III. William Shakespeare （威廉·莎士比亚）1. T he first period of Shakespeare’s dramatic career was one ofapprenticeship.(Henry VI; Richard III; The Comedy of Errors.In the second period, Shakespeare’s style and approach became highly individualized. B y constructing a complex pattern between different characters and between appearance and reality, Shakespeare made subtle comments on a variety of human foibles. (The M idsummer Night’s Dream;The Merchant of Venice; Romeo and Juliet.S hakespeare’s third period includes his greatest tragedies and his so-called dark comedies. (Hamlet; Othello; King Lear)T he last period of Shakespeare’s work includes his principal romantic tragicomedies.2. S hakespeare’s history plays are mainly written under the principlethat national unity under a mighty and just sovereign is a necessity.3. I n his romantic comedies, Shakespeare takes an optimistic attitudetoward love and youth, and the romantic elements are brought into full play. T he most important play among the comedies is The Merchant of Venice. T he sophistication derives in part from the play between high, outgoing romance and dark forces of negativity and hate. T he traditional theme of this play is to praise the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, to idealize Portia as a heroine of great beauty,wit and loyalty, and to expose the insatiable greed and brutality of the Jew.C ompared with the idealism of other plays, The Merchant of Venicetakes a step forward in its realistic presentation of human nature and human conflict. T hough there is a ridiculous touch on the part of the characters restrained by their limitations, Shakespeare’s youthful Renaissance spirit of jollity can be fully seen in contrast to the medieval emphasis on future life in the next world.4. T he successful romantic tragedy is Romeo and Juliet, which eulogizesthe faithfulness of love and the spirit of pursuing happiness. T he play, though a tragedy, is permeated with optimistic spirit.5. S hakespeare’s greatest tragedies are: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear,and Macbeth. T hey have some characteristics in common. Each portrays some noble hero, who faces the injustice of human life and is caught in a difficult situation and whose fate is closely connected with the fate of the whole action. E ach hero has his weakness of nature. W ith the concentration on the tragic hero, we see the sharp conflicts between the individual and the evil force in the society, which shows that Shakespeare is a great realist in the true sense.6. T he hero Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is noted for hishesitation to take his revenge, his melancholy nature of action only to deny possibilities to do anything. H e came to know that his father was murdered by his uncle who became king. He hated him so deeply that he wanted to kill him. B ut he loved his widowed mother who later married his uncle, and he was afraid to hurt his mother. A nd also, when everything was ready for him to kill his uncle, he forgave him for his uncle was praying to God for his crime. T hus he lost the good chance.H amlet represented humanism of his time.7. S hakespeare takes the bare outlines of Revenge Tragedy, but whathe adds is infinitely more interesting than what he adopts. A nd the timeless appeal of this mighty drama lies in its combination of intrigue, emotional conflict and searching philosophic melancholy. T his play is also Shakespeare’s most detailed expose of a corrupted court—“an unweeded garden” in which there is nothing but“a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.”B y revealing the power-seeking ,the jostling for place the hidden motives, the courteous superficialities that veil lust and guilt, Shakespeare condemns the hypocrisy and treachery and general corruption at the royal court.8. Shakespeare, as a humanist of the time, is against religiouspersecution and racial discrimination, against social inequality and the corrupting influence of gold and money. I n his plays, he does not hesitate to describe the cruelty and anti-natural character of the civil wars, but he did not go all the way against the feudal rule.9. S hakespeare’s views on literature:Shakespeare has accepted the Renaissance views on literature. H e holds that literature should be a combination of beauty, kindness and truth, and should reflect nature and reality. Shakespeare also states that literary works which have truly reflected nature and reality can reach immortality.10. T he characteristics of Shakespeare’s characters:S hakespeare’s major characters are neither merely individual ones nor type ones; they are individuals representing certain types. E ach character has his or her own personalities; meanwhile, they may share features with others.11. T he characteristics of Shakespeare’s plot:S hakespeare’s plays are well-known for their adroit plot construction.S hakespeare seldom invents his own plots; instead, he borrows them from some old plays or storybooks, or from ancient Greek and Roman sources.12. T he characteristics of Shakespeare’s language:I t is necessary to study the subtlest of his instruments—thelanguage. Shakespeare can write skillfully in different poetic form, like the sonnet, the blank verse, and the rhymed couplet. H e has an amazing wealth of vocabulary and idiom. H is coinage of new words and distortion of the meaning of the old ones also create striking effects on the reader.IV. Francis Bacon （弗兰西斯·培根）1. Francis Bacon, a representative of the Renaissance in England, isa well-known philosopher, scientist and essayist.2. T he most important works of his first group include The Advancementof Learning; Novum Organum. H is philosophical works also belong to the first group. H is literary works are in the second group, among which the most famous is Essays. Maxis of Law and The Learned Reading upon the Statute of Uses are the two famous works from the third group.3. N ovum Organum is a successful treatise written in Latin on methodology.I t is the most impressive display of bacon’s intellect. T he argumentis for the use of inductive method of reasoning in scientific study.B ut Bacon first expounds the four great false conceiving that beset men’smind and prevent them from seeking the truth. B acon suggests the inductive reasoning, i.e. proceeding from the particular to the general, the deductive reasoning, putting forward this theory. B acon shows the new empirical attitudes toward truth about nature and bravely challenges the medieval scholasticists.4. T he Advancement of Learning is a great tract on education. B aconhighly praises knowledge, refuting the objections to learning and outlining the problems with which his plan is to deal. A ccording to Bacon, man’s understanding consists of three parts: history to man’smemory, poetry to man’s imagination and creation, and philosophy to man’s reason.5. B acon cares more about axioms under the guidance of which man thinkand acts than human nature or morality.B acon’s essays are famous for their brevity, compactness andpowerfulness. T he essays are well-arranged and enriched by Biblical allusions, metaphors and cadence.6. O f Studies is the most popular of Bacon’s 58 essays. I t analyzes whatstudies chiefly serve for, the different ways adopted by different people to pursue studies, and how studies exert influence over human character. F orceful and persuasive, compact and precise. O f Studies reveals to us Bacon’s mature attitude towards learning.V. J ohn Donne （约翰·邓恩）1. T he term “metaphysical poetry”is commonly used to name the work ofthe 17th-century writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne.W ith a rebellious spirit the metaphysical poets tried to break away from the conventional fashion of the Elizabethan love poetry. T he diction is simple as compared with that of the Elizabethan or the Neoclassic periods, and echoes the words and cadences of common speech. T he imagery is drawn from the actual life. T he form is frequently that of an argument with the poet’s beloved, with God, or with himself.2. T he Elegies and Satires; The Songs and Sonnets.VI. J ohn Milton （约翰·弥尔顿）1. Paradise Lost ; Paradise Regained; Samson Agonistes.2. P aradise Lost is about Eve, seduced by Satan’s rhetoric and her ownconfused ambition—as well as the mere prompting of hunger—falls into sin through innocent credulity. A dam falls by consciously choosing human love rather than obeying God. T his is the error wherein his greatness lies.I n the fall of man Adam discovered his full humanity. B ut man’s fallis the sequel to another and more stupendous tragedy.3. W orking through the tradition of a Christian humanism, Milton wroteParadise Lost, intending to expose the ways of Satan and to “justify the ways of God to men.”A t the center of the conflict between human love and spiritual duty lies Milton’s fundamental concern with freedom and choice; the freedom to submit to God’s prohibition on eating the apple and the choice of disobedience made for love.4. T he freedom of the will is the keystone of Milton’s creed. H is poemattempts to convince us that the unquestionable truth of Biblical revelation means that an all-knowing God was just in allowing Adam and Eve to be tempted and, of their free will, to choose sin and its inevitable punishment. A nd, thereby, it opens the way for the voluntarysacrifice of Christ which showed the mercy of God in bringing good out of evil.5. I n his life, Milton shows himself a real revolutionary, a master poetand a great prose writer. H e fought for freedom in all aspects as a Christian humanist, while his achievements in literature make him tower over all the other English writers of his time and exert a great influence over later ones.莎士比亚1. 莎士比亚戏剧生涯的第一阶段是作为一名学徒。
英美文学 第一部分 上古及中世纪英国文学
II. Medieval Literature
• 1. background: Norman Conquest • In the 11 th century, Norman Conquered England, and feudal system was established in English society. With the coming of Normans, the Anglo-Saxons sank to a position of abjectness. The relationship between Normans and AngloSaxons is that of master and servant. Meanwhile, Anglo-Saxon English was despised by the nobility, while French and Latin were considered noble.
Part One
Early and Medieval English Literature 上古及中世纪英国文学
Teaching Arrangement:
• • • • • • • • • • （一） 盎格鲁-萨克逊文学 1、社会文化背景 2、盎格鲁-萨克逊诗歌+Beowulf 片段欣赏 （二） 中世纪文学 1、社会文化背景 2、中世纪传奇故事 (Romance) A. Romance cycles B. King Arthur and his Round Table Knights C. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight D. Morte D’ Arthur
� the monster ’ s mother the she-monster comes to avenge the death, Beowulf following the bloody trail to a lake � Beowulf plunges into water, finds her, follows her into a hall under the waves � by chance finding a big sword left by giants of old time � Beowulf cuts off her head and the monster ’s too. After a celebration, Beowulf sails home to Geats land and becomes king and reigns over his people for 50 years.
英美文学1 .Jane Austen
Characteristics of her Works
• 3. Jane Austen’s work has a very narrow literary field. • 4. Jane Austen is a writer who regards novel writing as a sophisticated art.
Characteristics of her Works
• Stories of love and marriage provide the framework for all her novels and in them women are always taken as the major characters.
Assessment
• Austen’s work has a very narrow literary field .She is particularly preoccupied with the relationship between men and women in love. • Austen tries to say that it is wrong to marry just for money or for beauty, but it is also wrong to marry without it. • Her novels show a wealth of humor, wit and delicate satire.
Assessment
Generally speaking, Jane Austen was a writer of the 18th century, though she lived mainly in the nineteenth century. She holds the ideal of the d class in politics, religion and her works show clearly her firm in the predominance of reason over passion, the sense of responsibility, good manners and clear-sighted judgment over the romantic tendencies of emotion and individuality.
英美文学作家及作品汇总1
1、 Benjamin Franklin 本杰明·富兰 克林 1706-1790 2 、 Thomas Paine 托 马 斯· 潘恩 1737-1809 3、Philip Freneau 菲利普·弗伦诺 1752-1832 4、 Washington Irving 华盛顿·欧文 1783-1859 5、James Fenimore Cooper 詹姆 斯·费尼莫尔·库珀 1789-1851 6、William Cullen Bryant 威廉·柯 伦·布莱恩特 1794-1878 7、Edgar Allan Poe 埃德加·爱 伦·坡 1809-1849（以诗为诗；永 为世人共赏的伟大抒情诗人----叶芝） A Modest Inquiry into the Nature and Necessity of a Paper Money;Poor Richard’s Almanack 穷查理历 书；The Way to Wealth 致富之道；The Autobiography 自传 The Case of the Officers of Excise 税务员问题；Common Sense 常识；American Crisis 美国危机； Rights of Man 人的权利：Downfall of Despotism 专制体制的崩溃；The Age of Reason 理性时代 The Rising Glory of America 蒸蒸日上的美洲； The British Prison Ship 英国囚船； the Memory of To the Brave Americans 纪念美国勇士-----同类诗中最佳；The Wild Honeysuckle 野生的金银花；The Indian Burying Ground 印第安人殡葬地 A History of New Yo
英美文学史及选读1(12级及以前年级)School for Scandal
THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDALby Richard Brinsley SheridanTHE AUTHORRichard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816) was born in Dublin to a mother who was a playwright and a father who was an actor. He thus came by his talents honestly, though he far exceeded the modest accomplishments of his parents. Already one of the most brilliant and witty dramatists of the English stage before the age of thirty, he gave up his writing and went on to become the owner and producer of the Drury Lane theater, a well-regarded Whig member of the English Parliament, and a popular man-about-town.Despite his family’s poverty, he attended Harrow, a famous prep school, though he appears to have been unhappy there, largely because the rich boys at the school looked down on him because of his humble origins. The bitter taste of his school years drove his later ambitions, both for literary and political success and for acceptance in the highest strata of society. He used his profits from his writing to buy the theater and his profits from the theater to finance his political career and socially-active lifestyle.Sheridan was a tireless lover and a man who, no matter how much he earned, always managed to spend more. In 1772, he married a lovely young singer named Elizabeth Ann Linley; she had already, before her twentieth birthday, attracted the attention of several wealthy suitors twice her age, but she and Sheridan eloped to France without the knowledge or permission of either set of parents. Though she loved him deeply, he was not a one-woman sort of man, and his constant infidelities led to a temporary separation in 1790. She died of tuberculosis shortly thereafter, and Sheridan married Hester Jane Ogle, a girl half his age, three years later, though again he was frequently unfaithful to his long-suffering wife.As a writer, Sheridan leaped to the attention of the theater-going public in 1775, when The Rivals and The Duenna, a light opera, reached the stage. In 1777 he produced his most famous comedy, The School for Scandal. After the debut of The Critic in 1779, he gave up writing and turned to producing, politics, and high living. As a result of a complete inability to handle money or follow a budget, a lifestyle that far exceeded his income, and lifelong bouts of drunkenness and debauchery, when Sheridan lost his seat in Parliament, he was left as a sick old man, carted off to the poorhouse by the local constabulary. His second wife stayed by his side to the end, and he died in poverty in July of 1816, but was buried with honors in Westminster Abbey.The School for Scandal is considered by many to be the finest comedy of manners ever written in the English language. The witty dialogue, exaggerated characterizations, and confusions associated with mistaken identity place the play on the same level as the best of Moliere’s works. On a more serious level, the play deals very effectively with themes such as the corrosive nature of gossip, the fragility of reputation, and the differences between appearance and reality. Like all of Sheridan’s work, The School for Scandal assumes a certain nimbleness of mind on the part of the audience, along with an ability to follow a sometimes-confusing plot and fast-paced twists of language.MAJOR CHARACTERS•Sir Peter Teazle - A benevolent and wealthy gentleman who has a young wife and a ward, Maria. He took Joseph and Charles Surface under his care after the death of their father, but they are now independent because of the inheritance received from their uncle. Sir Peter favors Joseph as a future husband for Maria and disapproves of Charles.•Lady Teazle - Sir Peter’s wife, she is much younger than he is; they have only been married for six months. She is a simple country girl who has been spoiled by her husband’s wealth, so that she squanders his fortune and the two quarrel constantly.•Maria - Sir Peter’s ward, she is beloved by both Joseph and Charles Surface, but loves only Charles.•Joseph Surface - An upright young man in appearance but in reality a hypocrite, he is in love with Maria, but, being rebuffed by her, seeks the help of Lady Sneerwell to obtain her affection.•Charles Surface - A dissipated rake with a good heart, he is beloved by both Maria and Lady Sneerwell.•Sir Oliver Surface - Uncle to Joseph and Charles, he has given them an inheritance that has allowed them to become independent since they have come of age. He returns incognito after sixteen years in India and decides to test the characters of his nephews.•Lady Sneerwell - A widow who loves to create and spread gossip, she is a neighbor of Sir Peter and is secretly in love with Charles Surface, thus desires to help Joseph obtain Maria’s affection.•Snake - Part of Lady Sneerwell’s circle who helps her in her schemes, but is out for his own interests.•Sir Benjamin Backbite - Also in love with Maria, he fancies himself a poet and is a dreadful gossip.•Crabtree - Sir Benjamin’s uncle; also a gossip.•Mrs. Candour - A professedly kindhearted woman who speaks well of everyone in sucha way as to ruin their reputations in the process.•Rowley - The steward of Joseph and Charles’ deceased father, he plots with Sir Oliver to unveil the true characters of Joseph and Charles.•Moses - A Jewish man to whom Charles owes a great deal of money.•Trip - Charles’ servant.•Careless and Sir Toby Bumper - Friends of Charles.NOTABLE QUOTATIONS“To my knowledge, she has been the cause of six matches being broken off, and three sons being disinherited; of four forced elopements, and as many close confinements; nine separate maintenances, and two divorces.” (Snake, Ii, p.235)“There is no advantage in not knowing him, for he’ll abuse a stranger just as soon as his best friend.” (Joseph, Ii, p.238)“Wit loses its respect for me when I see it in company with malice.” (Maria, Ii, p.238)“Tale bearers are as bad as the tale makers.” (Mrs. Candour, Ii, p.240)“When an old bachelor marries a young wife, he deserves - no - the crime carries its punishment along with it.” (Sir Peter, Iii, p.246)“What though I was educated in the country, I know very well that women of fashion in London are accountable to nobody after they are married.” (Lady Teazle, IIi, p.247)“But I bear no malice against the people I abuse: when I say an ill natured thing, ‘tis out of pure good humor; and I take it for granted they deal exactly in the same manner with me.” (Lady Teazle, IIi, p.249)“True wit is more nearly allied to good nature than your ladyship is aware of.” (Sir Peter, IIii, p.253)“If he suspects me without cause, it follows, that the best way of curing his jealousy is to give him reason for’t?” (Lady Teazle, IViii, p.279)NOTESAct I, scene 1 - After a prologue spoken by Sir Peter Teazle, the play begins in the dressing room of Lady Sneerwell. She is speaking to Snake, her servant, about his success in spreading the latest gossip among her acquaintances. She apparently was injured by scandal in her younger days and has spent her life taking revenge on whomever is unlucky enough to come within the reach of her venom. She is presently targeting her neighbor, Sir Peter Teazle, and the two young men under his care, both of whom are in love with his ward Maria. Lady Sneerwell loves Charles, a rake who loves Maria and is beloved by her; Joseph, on the other hand, has a reputation for uprightness, but is secretly a scoundrel, and seeks Lady Sneerwell’s help to obtain Maria’s affections. Joseph arrives and informs Lady Sneerwell that Charles is as dissipated as ever and is unable to spend time with Maria. He warns her against trusting Snake, who has been spending time with Rowley, his father’s former steward. Maria arrives, trying to avoid the attentions of another suitor, Sir Benjamin Backbite; she hates him because he is a terrible gossip, abusing friends and strangers alike, as is his uncle, Crabtree. Mrs. Candour then comes in; she speaks well of everyone, but her defenses of their characters are worse than the gossip of the slanderers. She immediately begins reporting all the latest gossip while trusting that it is not true. Sir Benjamin and Crabtree then arrive, and begin talking about the scandals of their acquaintances. When the conversation turns to Charles and his impending bankruptcy, Maria gets fed up with the whole thing and leaves, followed by Mrs. Candour. Lady Sneerwell and Joseph agree to continue their plotting against Charles and Maria.Act I, scene 2 - In Sir Peter Teazle’s house, he speaks to the audience of his recent marriage to a much younger country girl. He thought she enjoyed simple pleasures, but she has been spoiled by sudden wealth, and the two quarrel constantly. When Rowley, old Surface’s former steward, comes in, Sir Peter pours out his woes - a quarrelsome wife who is always wrong about everything and a ward who refuses his choice of a husband for her (Joseph) in favor of his profligate brother Charles. Rowley differs from his assessment, arguing that Charles, though undoubtedly having his problems, will soon overcome them, even as his father had done before him. Rowley tells Sir Peter that Sir Oliver Surface has returned from the East Indies, not having been in England for sixteen years, but wishes his return to be kept secret from his nephews because he wants to learn something of their characters. Because Sir Peter and Sir Oliver are old friends and have sworn for years that they would never marry, Sir Peter insists that he and his wife must put on the appearance of a happy marriage before him.Act II, scene 1 - Sir Peter and Lady Teazle are quarreling, both about her extravagance and about her expenses, though he can’t help but love her dearly. They prepare to visit Lady Sneerwell. Act II, scene 2 - Meanwhile, at Lady Sneerwell’s house, Maria has regained her composure and comes in with Lady Teazle, who immediately joins the never-ending gossip of the gathering. When Sir Peter arrives, he is disgusted by the conversation, in which the group tears apart their closest friends and relations. After the others leave, Joseph tries again to press his suit with Maria, who shows no inclination to favor him. When Lady Teazle comes in, Joseph speaks in such a way as to lead her to believe that Maria is spreading gossip about Lady Teazle and Joseph. No such relationship exists, but the conversation gives them both ideas. When Joseph is leftalone, he wonders how long he can keep up the pretense of honor before his true nature is found out.Act II, scene 3 - Rowley is talking with Sir Oliver, telling him about Sir Peter’s recent marriage. He notes that one reason why Sir Peter dislikes Charles is that he suspects a certain tenderness between him and Lady Teazle - a rumor that has been fanned by the local scandalmongers. Sir Oliver is determined to support the otherwise-friendless Charles if he finds him deserving. Sir Peter comes in and the two old friends are reunited. Sir Peter tells Sir Oliver about his nephews, insisting that Charles is a scoundrel and Joseph a paragon, but Sir Oliver wonders if Joseph can be as good as advertised and still manage to avoid the rough tongues of the gossips. Sir Oliver tells Sir Peter that he intends to remain incognito while determining the characters of his nephews. Act III, scene 1 - Back at Sir Peter’s house, Rowley unfolds his scheme to him. An unfortunate man named Stanley, an old friend of the family, has come upon hard times and has been writing to Joseph and Charles asking for help. Joseph has put him off, while Charles has promised to do what he can given his straitened circumstances. Rowley proposes that Sir Oliver introduce himself as Stanley, and thus test the qualities of the two boys. Soon Moses comes in - he is a Jewish man to whom Charles owes a great deal of money. Moses tells them that he has offered to help Charles by introducing him to a moneylender in the city named Premium. Sir Peter then suggests that Sir Oliver pretend to be Premium and talk with Charles, and later present himself as Stanley to Joseph. Moses and the others coach Sir Oliver about how a moneylender acts and speaks [Sheridan uses this opportunity to satirize the English financial world]. After they leave, Sir Peter decides to talk to Joseph to get the truth about the rumors concerning Lady Teazle and Charles. Maria arrives first, and Sir Peter again badgers her about marrying Joseph, which she resolutely refuses to consider. Lady Teazle then comes in, and Sir Peter tries to cajole her into a good mood, reminiscing about the days of their courtship. She simply asks for more money and the two soon start quarreling about who is responsible for their quarrels. He finally loses his temper and accuses her of dallying with Charles, then threatens separation or divorce. She says that separation is just fine with her, for then they will for once be happy in their marriage.Act III, scene 2 - Moses and Sir Oliver, pretending to be Premium, arrive at Charles’ house, where Charles’ servant, Trip, attempts to wheedle more money out of Moses. This gives Sir Oliver an immediate bad impression about the household and the way it is run.Act III, scene 3 - Charles is hosting a dinner party for some of his friends, and they bemoan the lack of wine and wit in a society that cares nothing for money; all are somewhat inebriated. His friends tease him to reveal the name of his true love, and he tells them he loves Maria. Sir Toby Bumper leads the group in a song in praise of women of all sorts. Moses and “Premium” come in, and the men try to get them drunk. Premium refuses their drink, and the two get down to business. Charles admits he needs money badly, but the only security he can offer is the expectation of wealth from his rich uncle in the Indies (who is, of course, the man with whom he is speaking). Charles suggests a life insurance policy on Sir Oliver, to be paid out after he dies. Premium objects that he might not see his money for years, but Charles assures him that his uncle is in remarkably bad health and can’t last much longer. Premium says that he has heard that Sir Oliver is doing very well, and in fact might arrive in England soon, but Charles insists that he isstill in Calcutta. In the course of the conversation, Sir Oliver finds that Charles has already sold the family heirlooms and his father’s library, and offers to sell the family portraits in the sitting room. Sir Oliver, inwardly fuming and swearing never to forgive him for his carelessness, agrees to buy the pictures.Act IV, scene 1 - Charles takes Sir Oliver and Moses up to see the pictures and makes unpleasant comments about their quality. He then auctions them off to “Premium” for relatively low prices. Finally they come to a portrait of Sir Oliver himself. After further unpleasant comments, Charles refuses to sell the picture since his uncle has been so good to him, even when he is offered more for that than for all the others combined. Sir Oliver is now in a fine mood, and decides to forgive Charles all his extravagance. He leaves without Charles knowing his identity. Charles tells Rowley that he will use some of the money to help his friend Stanley, but refuses to pay his debts to tradesmen, arguing that such a thing will only encourage them to expect payment in the future. Act IV, scene 2 - Rowley tells Sir Oliver about what Charles intends to do with the money, but Sir Oliver is so pleased that he refused to sell his picture that he decides to pay his debts and send money to Stanley, too. Trip tries again to borrow money from Moses.Act IV, scene 3 - This scene takes place in Joseph’s library. Lady Teazle comes in and Joseph tries to convince her that he is in love with her and not Maria, and that she should get revenge on her husband by establishing a relationship with him. A servant announces Sir Peter, and Lady Teazle hides behind a screen in panic. Sir Peter sits down and unburdens his heart to Joseph about his concern for his wife. He is afraid she is fooling around with Charles. Joseph, of course, denies knowledge of any such thing. Sir Peter tells Joseph that he intends to give his wife a large allowance and leave most of his estate to her when he dies. Joseph is sorry that Lady Teazle, from behind the screen, hears all this; things get even worse when Sir Peter brings up the subject of Joseph’s affection for Maria. A servant announces Charles’ arrival, and Joseph tells him to bring him up, hoping to cut short Sir Peter’s conversation. Sir Peter, however, suggests that he hide himself so that Joseph can question Charles about his relationship with Lady Teazle. He goes to duck behind the screen, but finds it already occupied. Joseph pulls him away before he can see who is behind the screen, and tells him it is a little milliner who has been plaguing him with her attentions. Sir Peter hides in a closet instead. The two poke their heads out several times, each always missing seeing the other, before Charles enters. Joseph asks him if he has any interest in Lady Teazle, and he denies it, insisting he loves Maria, but he then says that he knows of Joseph’s interest in Sir Peter’s wife. He keeps trying to give examples of their tender feelings, but Joseph stops him, finally telling him that Sir Peter is hiding in the closet. Charles pulls him out of hiding, and Sir Peter expresses his new good opinion of Charles, having heard him deny any interest in Lady Teazle. A servant tells Joseph that Lady Sneerwell has arrived, and he goes to send her away. Meanwhile, Sir Peter tells Charles that Joseph is not such a saint as he had imagined, since he had a girl in the room when he arrived, and that she was at this moment hiding behind the screen. Charles insists on looking behind the screen, but Sir Peter says that he should not, since Joseph is on his way upstairs again. Just as Joseph reenters the room, Charles takes down the screen, revealing Lady Teazle. Joseph stammers out an explanation, which Lady Teazle immediately contradicts. She tells Sir Peter about Joseph’s attempt to seduce her, and swears that Sir Peter’s expressions of love for her had changed her attitude completely. Sir Peter denounces Joseph and stomps out of the house in anger.Act V, scene 1 - Still in Joseph’s library, the servant announces the arrival of Mr. Stanley. Joseph has no desire to see him, knowing that he intends to ask for money, but tells the servant to show him up. Sir Oliver enters in the character of Stanley, and Rowley along with him. After Rowley leaves, Joseph greets “Stanley” warmly, but says he has nothing to offer him, since he has little money. Stanley says that surely he might share some of the bounty he has received from his uncle, but Joseph claims that Sir Oliver has given him nothing but a few paltry gifts. In fact, Joseph insists that he is poverty-stricken because he has lent so much his money to his wastrel brother Charles. Sir Oliver swears to himself that Charles, rather than Joseph, will be his heir. After “Stanley” leaves, Rowley reenters and tells Joseph that his uncle Sir Oliver has arrived. Joseph prepares himself for another piece of bad timing.Act V, scene 2 - Meanwhile, at Sir Peter’s house, Mrs. Candour, Lady Sneerwell, Sir Benjamin, and Crabtree have gathered. All have different stories about what happened in Joseph’s library: some say the lover was Joseph, some Charles; some insist that Sir Peter fought a duel with swords with the culprit, and some say the fight was with pistols and that Sir Peter is seriously wounded. When Sir Oliver enters, they think he is the doctor and begin plying him with questions about Sir Peter’s condition. At that moment Sir Peter himself walks in, clearly in perfect health. All begin to jabber at him at once, and he throws all the gossips out of his house. Sir Peter asks if Rowley and Sir Oliver know of his scandalous discovery, and they admit that they do, and have a great deal of trouble restraining their laughter while discussing it. Sir Oliver begs Sir Peter to forgive his wife, and as the scene ends, he prepares to go to her and restore the relationship. Meanwhile, Sir Oliver heads back to Joseph’s house to reveal himself in his true character to both his nephews. Act V, scene 3 - Back in Joseph’s library, he and Lady Sneerwell are quarreling. She regrets the fact that now Charles will surely obtain Sir Peter’s permission to marry Maria (when she wanted him for herself), and accuses Joseph of being a great blunderer; he, of course, wanted Maria for himself, and now sees no way of obtaining her. He sees one glimmer of hope in the possibility of putting Snake up to producing forged letters affirming Charles’ prior relationship with Lady Teazle. When Sir Oliver is announced, Joseph insists that Lady Sneerwell hide. Sir Oliver enters, but Joseph thinks he is Stanley. “Stanley” insists on meeting Sir Oliver and asking him for charity, but Joseph, refuses, trying to push him out of the room. Before he can do so, Charles enters and demands to know why Joseph is manhandling his broker Premium. The two brothers argue over the man’s identity, but both agree he must leave before Sir Oliver arrives; they then both try to push him out the door. Before they can do so, Sir Peter enters with Lady Teazle, Maria, and Rowley, and all identify Sir Oliver. He, Sir Peter, and Lady Teazle all denounce Joseph. Charles expects the same treatment, but is amazed to find Sir Oliver benevolent toward him because of his true gratitude for his uncle’s generosity. Sir Peter is now prepared to give Maria to Charles. Joseph makes one last attempt to blacken Charles’ name with Lady Sneerwell’s introduction of Snake’s forged letters, but Snake, having been paid twice as much by Rowley, admits they are forgeries. Lady Sneerwell leaves the room in a huff, followed by Joseph. Sir Peter and Sir Oliver announce that Charles and Maria will be married the following morning, and Charles determines to reform his dissolute ways. The play ends with an epilogue spoken by Lady Teazle.。
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CONTENTSThe Same Faults, the Different Fates — The causes of the different fates of Tess and Hester (1)Ⅰ. Introduction (1)Ⅱ. Causes of their different fates (1)A. The exterior causes of their different fates (1)1. Moral values (2)a. The moral values of Tess (2)b. The moral values of Hester (3)2. The ways of communication (3)a. Tess’s ways of communication (4)b. Hester’s ways of communication (5)3. The spirits of resistance (5)a. Tess’s spirit of resistance (6)b. Hester’s spirit of resistance (6)B. The interior causes of their different fates (7)1. Different social backgrounds (7)a. A men-dominated society for Tess (8)b. A feminism-arising society for Hester (8)2. Different influences of social utilitarian ideas (9)a. The influence of utility on Tess (9)b. The influence of utility on Hester (10)III. Conclusion (11)Bibliography (12)Acknowledgements (12)The Same Faults, the Different Fates— The causes of the different fates of Tess and HesterⅠ. IntroductionTess and Hester are the main female roles in Tess of the D‘Urbervilles and The Scarlet Letter. Tess of the D‘Urbervilles, written by Thomas Hardy, is a famous novel; so is The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. These two works are both famous for their vivid description of characters and the deep exposure of society, and the two heroines, Tess and Hester, become household words.Tess and Hester, have many similarities. First, they are intelligent, strikingly attractive, and kind-hearted. Second, they have sex with the men who are not their husbands. Third, they both have babies out of wedlock. Tess and Hester make the same mistakes. Tess is reluctant, while Hester is voluntary. When Tess realizes that all her happiness is absolutely exterminated by Alec, she feels indignant and kills him, and then she is arrested and sentenced to death. Different from Tess, Hester is guilty, but she gains people‘s sympathy and understanding gradually, and becomes dignified in people‘s heart. The letter ―A‖ becomes a symbol of respect by her spirit of devoting herself and taking care of others. It seems that Hester has a more serious fault than Tess, but Hester has a better result than Tess. Why do they have different fates?Ⅱ. Causes of their different fatesThrough comparison and analysis, there are two basic causes. One is the exterior causes —the personal reasons; the other is the interior causes — the social reasons.A. The exterior causes of their different fatesThe exterior causes mentioned here are the differences of their personalities, and it can be expressed by their different moral values, different ways of communication, and the different spirits of resistance.1. Moral valuesMoral values are things held to be right or wrong, desirable or undesirable. Moral values (beliefs or attitudes about what is good, right, desirable, worthwhile, etc.) and the value system (the ways you organize, rank, prioritize and make decisions based on your values) provide the foundation from which you make your personal and professional judgments and choices. They refer to how one should act (for example, to be honest, self-disciplined, kind) and what one wants to accomplish or obtain in life (for example, to want a lot of money, security, fame, health, salvation, wisdom). (Danney Ursery, 1996)In this aspect, the differences of Tess and Hester mainly refer to their attitudes towards the same mistake — having sex with the man out of wedlock.a. The moral values of TessTess is a beautiful, honest and kind girl. She lives in a vain family and there are many vain people around her, but she never hopes to gain the happiness without hard work. As a beautiful country girl, she has the virtues of the laborers, and she is reluctant to betray herself for benefits.After she is seduced by Alec, she chooses to leave him, not to be his mistress. ―…I have said so, often. It is true. I have never really and truly loved you, and I think I never can.‖ ―…Perhaps, of all things, a lie on this thing would do the most good to me now; but I have honor enough left, little as 'tis, not to tell that lie. If I did love you I may have the best o' causes for letting you know it. But I don't.‖ (Hardy Thomas, 2002: 102)Tess does this not only because she does not love Alec, but also because she thinks it immoral to have sex with a man without marriage.When Tess falls in love with Angel, she still can not get rid of her sense of guilt. ―…Her love for him acts to blot out the memories of the past in her, but she is always aware that her forgetfulness is only temporary, that the doubts, fears, and shame were only waiting likes wolves just outside the light‖ (Hardy Thomas, 2002: 324)Tess is tortured by guilt. She can not get rid of the moral standard of the days, which lets her believe that she has to pay for what she has sinned. She yields to the arrangement of the fate.b. The moral values of HesterHester is also kind-hearted which can be shown by her behavior of helping people. However, on the attitude towards the sex act without marriage, Hester is different from Tess. She refuses to reveal the identity of Pearl's father even though she is questioned by Rev. Wilson (the Church), the Governor (the State), and Chillingworth (her husband). When she pledges not to divulge Chillingworth's true identity, she obediently keeps the vow and seeks his permission. Moreover, Hester believes that all the mistakes are made by her husband, and she has no guilt.Hester thinks that she has no guilt to have sex with the man she loves, all things she has done are reasonable, and all the mistakes are made by Chillingworth. ―…She marvelled how she could ever have been wrought upon to marry him! She deemed it her crime most to be repented of, that she had ever endured, and reciprocated, the lukewarm grasp of his hand, and had suffered the smile of her lips and eyes to mingle and melt into his own. And it seemed a fouler offence committed by Roger Chillingworth, than any which had since been done him, that, in the time when her heart knew no better, he had persuaded her to fancy herself happy by his side.‖ ―…Yes, I hate him!‖ (Hawthorne Nathaniel, 2000: 157)Her belief that she is not guilty makes her sturdy, and this attitude enables her to withstand people‘s cool detachment and scolding, and it is a premise for her to communicate with others and obtain others‘ sympathy later.2. The ways of communicationFor a common people, it is very important to communicate with others. People can exchange their emotions and obtain others‘ acknowledgement t hrough communication, and they can feel satisfied from this acknowledgement. Then they would believe life is meaningful and happy. On the contrary, being lack of communication will lead to serious consequences. (Zhang Zhiguang, 1996: 249) Some people are active communicators while others passive.The active communicator can communicate with others easily and maintain the extensive human relationships while the passive one is the opposite. Tess and Hester are the typical cases; Tess is a passive communicator while Hester an active one. The differences of their communication ways lead to the great differences of their human relationships, and influence the tracks of their lives.a. Tess’s ways of communicationTess is a passive communicator. On the one hand, Tess believes that she is guilty and debased, thus she eludes herself from others consciously. On the other hand, she has the great pressure by people‘s comments and views. She has no choice but to isolate herself from the outside world.Tess likes to listen to songs at the church, but she dares not go to church after being seduced. Even if she goes there, she avoids others‘ attentions and never talks with others. ―…To be as much out of observation as possible for reasons of her own, and to escape the gallantries of the young men, she set out before the chiming began, and took a back seat under the gallery, close to the lumber, where only old men and women came, and where the bier stood on end among the churchyard tools.‖ (Hardy Thomas, 2002: 141)She dares not go out, and ―…The only exercise that Tess took at this time was after dark; and it was then, when out in the woods, that she seemed least solitary. …She had no fear of the shadows; her sole idea seemed to be to shun mankind - or rather that cold accretion called the world, which, so terrible in the mass, is so unformidable, even pitiable, in its units.‖ (Hardy Thomas, 2002: 144)The self-condemning and people‘s indifference let Tess feel fearful to talk with others. She knows that she will not feel happy forever, because people know her past—her attempt to seek refuge with the d‘Urbervilles. What Tess thinks about is not to communicate with other, not to reestablish the human relationships, but to escape. She believes she must leave if she wants to escape from the past. Because of her passive communication, she escapes from the public and loses the chance for people to understand her. Without people‘s understanding,she lives a hard life.b. Hester’s ways of communicationDifferent from Tess, Hester is an active communicator. Hester not only stays in the town, but also faces to others bravely. She does not leave, and this is a chance for her to change the public opinions.When the pestilence is spreading, Hester continues to work hard and helps every people, with all her heart. ―…None so ready as she to give of her little substance to every demand of poverty; even though the bitter-hearted pauper threw back a gibe in requital of the food brought regularly to his door, or the garments wrought for him by the fingers that could have embroidered a monarch's robe. None so self-devoted as Hester, when pestilence stalked through the town.‖ (Hawthorne Nathaniel, 2000: 142)Therefore, people begin to change their attitudes towards her. They get so many help from her, and people begin to say that the letter ―A‖ means ―Ability‖, not ―Adultery‖. ―…Such helpfulness was found in her- so much power to do, and power to sympathize- that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength.‖ (Hawthorne Nathaniel, 2000: 143) She gains people‘s respect through communicating actively and helping others.Hester gains people‘s sympathy and understanding more easily because of her active communication, and finally she becomes people‘s worship. Her active communication gives her more courage to live on. She talks with others and gets people‘s understanding gradually. Thus her life is better than Tess, and she has the courage to fight with the dominant men.3. The spirits of resistanceTess and Hester both have the spirits of resistance, but the extents of their resistance are different. Tess‘s resistance is not thorough, while Hester‘s is strong.a. Tess’s spirit of resistanceTess displayed her resistance mostly in the relations between Tess and Alec. Tess dislikes Alec, and she leaves him angrily after she is seduced by him. Later, when they meet again, Tess finds Alec suddenly changes his identity to be a priest, and she feels it is a great irony to the religion. So she uncovers his filthy inbeing with the acid-tongued words. ―Have you saved yourself?‖ ―…You, and those like you, take your fill of pleasure on earth by making the life of such as me bitter and black with sorrow; and then it is a fine thing, when you have had enough of that, to think of securing your pleasure in heaven by becoming converted! Out upon such–I don‘t believe in you-I hate it!‖ (Hardy Thomas, 2002: 322)And at the end of the story, Tess feels that she has been ruined completely by Alec, and she kills him in desperation. ―…now I have killed him? I thought as I ran along that you would be sure to forgive me now I have done that. …now I have killed him!‖ (Hardy Thomas, 2002: 523)Undoubtedly, Tess‘s gracious q ualities and rebel spirit should be appreciated. But as a descendant of downfallen nobility, Tess is affected by some old conceptions of fatalism. As everyone knows, Tess is seduced by Alec. It is not her will, and she is a victim. Therefore, she obeys Angel like a slaver, and is willing to accept any punishment Angel has given to her. In order to get Angel‘s forgiveness, she could lose her life. She thinks it is her fate, she has no power to change it, and there is no use to revolt. Consequently, Tess ―flu ng herself upon an oblong slab that lay close at hand,‖ waits for the arrest and her eventual death quietly.b. Hester’s spirit of resistanceAs far as Hester is concerned, her resistance means to revolt against the Puritanism, to fight with Chillingworth, and to live with her true love — Dimmesdale. She does not feel that she is guilty, and she believes that having sex with her true love is sinless.As is described in Chapter Two of the novel, ―…she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbors. On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth,surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter ―A‖. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore…‖ (Hawthorne Nathaniel, 2000: 23) When Hester Prynne is brought from ja il to the town‘s public square，all the people，men and women，old and young are talking about her symbol of shame and cursing her sin．Then she is punished to stand on the platform of the scaffold for three hours and wear the letter ―A‖ forever, and she accepts this judgment calmly. However, it does not mean she will bend her knee to the Puritanism.Actually, she is full of strong spirit of resistance, and she does not think she is guilty. That is why she goes to the town‘s public square with a haughty smile. After the sentence, she lives with her daughter sturdily and never takes notice of others‘ scolding. Hester begins to think more independently, questioning the puritan social structure. From her sin, Hester becomes aware of the inequalities within Puritan society, and hopes that women would one day see the equality she was never been able to experience. Through her efforts, she changes the meaning of the letter ―A‖ to ―Ability‖, ―Admirable‖, and ―Advancement‖ eventually.The above-mentioned part is about the exterior reasons of their different fates. As we know, human being is one part of the society. Without the society, people can not live, and the society is very important to human beings. In the following part, I‘ll explore the interior ones — the social reasons.B. The interior causes of their different fatesThe interior causes are the main reasons of their differences — the social reasons, including the different social backgrounds and the utilitarian ideas.1. Different social backgroundsTess lives in a men-dominated society. This society suppresses her and she feels that she can not revolt against it which is overpowering, While Hester lives in a society where the feminism appears, and she has the courage to resist the Puritanism.a. A men-dominated society for TessThe background of Tess of the D‘Urbervilles is the late 19th century, in which the cruel capitalism exploitation has ruined the English countryside severely, and the capitalism brings a great harm to the old, rural and agricultural life of the place. In such a kind of society, men dominate women, and women have no rights to revolt.When Alec acknowledges how he has seduced Tess for his own momentary pleasure. Alec‘s behavior, the most life-altering event that Tess experiences in the novel, is clearly the most serious instance of male domination over females.Angel‘s love for Tess, which is pure and gentle, dominates her in an unhealthy way. Angel imagines an ideal picture of Tess‘s purity. When Angel calls Tess like ―Daughter of Nature‖ and ―Artemis‖, we feel that he may deny her true self in favor of a mental image that he prefers. Thus, her identity and experiences are suppressed unknowingly.This pattern of male domination is finally reversed with Tess‘s murder of Alec, in which, for the first time in the novel, a woman takes active steps against a man. Of course, this act only leads to even greater suppression of a woman by men. When the crowds of male police officers arrest Tess at the Stonehenge, she resigns herself to fate. ―She stood up, shook herself, and went forward, neither of the men having moved. ‗I am ready,' she said quietly.‖ (Hardy Thomas, 2002: 527)Tess is a victim, who is ruined by the bourgeois society. Tess lives in such a kind of society, and has no courage to fight against this society. Though she has the spirit of resistance, she can not stick it out, and her resistance is unsuccessful.b. A feminism-arising society for HesterThe Scarlet Letter expresses the aspects of relationships, religion, community, discipline and punishment in the puritan community of 17th century Boston. Relationships between men and women were very constrained and that is what made adultery such a bad sin in the eyes of everyone in the community. At that time, the Puritanism develops to such an extreme thatwomen who smile on the street will be punished. Owing to this extreme development, the women begin to revolt, and the feminism appears.For example, when Hester knows that the puritan mission wants to snatch the rights of bringing up her daughter, ―…Hester caught hold o f Pearl, and drew her forcibly into her arms, confronting the old Puritan magistrate with almost a fierce expression. Alone in the world, cast off by it, and with this sole treasure to keep her heart alive, she felt that she possessed indefeasible rights a gainst the world, and was ready to defend them to the death.‖ ―…God gave me the child!‖ (Hawthorne Nathaniel, 2000: 82-83)Hester is an independent woman, and she is a rebel to the Puritanism. Her behaviors are contrary to the standard of the Puritanism. In order to pursuit the happiness, she casts away the matrimony, and she uses her power to destroy the religious disciplines of the Puritanism. She is not afraid of the dominant men, and fights against them.2. Different influences of social utilitarian ideasUtilitarianism is a form of the Hedonistic ethical theory which means that the end of human conduct is happiness, and that consequently the discriminating norm which distinguishes conduct into right and wrong is pleasure and pain. Under the condition of non-utility, people will comply with the moral regulation. Otherwise, people will ignore the regulation, and they will incline to the profit unconsciously. (Leviathan, 1651)In this aspect, the utilitarian idea of Tess refers to her family‘s desire that they can get benefits from Tess. And Hester‘s utility refers to two parts: one is from people around who get help from her, and the other is her own desire of her lover.a. The influence of utility on TessTess encounters two tragedies, one is being seduced by Alec, and the other is falling into Alec‘s snare again and killing him finally. One reason of the two tragedies is the social utilitarian ideas, especially her family members‘ desires. If she does not seek membership of the same clan d‘Urbervilles, Te ss will live a simple life as other girls do, but it is impossiblenot to do so.Her mother, who thinks that Alec likes Tess and he will marry her and the family will become noble, forces her to claim the same clan. And she tells Tess‘s father: ―…But do le t her go, Jacky, coaxed his poor witless wife. `He's struck wi' - her you can see that. He called her Coz! He'll marry her, most likely, and make a lady of her; and then she'll be what her forefathers were.‖ (Hardy Thomas, 2002: 70)Her father is vain too, and he just wants money. ―…Tell him - I'll take a thousand pound. Well, I'll take less, when I come to think it. He'll adorn it better than a poor lammicken feller like myself can. Tell him he shall have it for a hundred. But I won't stand upon trifles – tell him he shall have it for fifty-for twenty pound! Yes, twenty pound - that's the lowest. Dammy, family honor is family honor, and I won't take a penny less!'‖ (Hardy Thomas, 2002: 77)What‘s worse, her sisters and brothers think that if Tess does not go to claim the d‘Urbervilles, they will have no money to buy things, no beautiful horse to ride, no good clothes to wear.Under the whole family‘s pressure, Tess loses her morality of honesty and purity. She has to meet Alec and it is the only way that makes their life comfortable. She has no choice, and she is driven to the last ditch by the family‘s desire.b. The influence of utility on HesterThe influences on Hester can be divided into two parts. One is from the people around her, the other is from herself — her desire to her lover.The utilitarian ideas lead Tess to be tragic; on the contrary, it helps Hester to throw off people‘s derision and scolding. Hester's selflessness is also reflected in the services that she renders to the poor, needy and sick. Her philanthropic way of living reflects her devotion to those more underprivileged than herself. People around her are helped by Hester frequently, so they feel they get benefits from Hester. As time passes, people begin to forgive her. ―…As is apt to be the case when a person stands out in any prominence before the community, and, at the same time, interferes neither with public nor individual interests and convenience, aspecies of general regard had ultimately grown up in reference to Hester Prynne.‖ (Hawthorne Nathaniel,2000: 142)And as discussed before, the kindness of Hester does not change her guilt and her desire to Dimmesdale. She believes that all the mistakes are caused by her husband. And the priest Dimmesdale also says: ―…We are not, Hes ter, the worst sinners in the world. There is one worse than even the polluted priest! That old man's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so!‖ (Hawthorne Nathaniel,2000: 176) Hester wants to take advantage of her husband‘s revenge to conceal her guilt. Hester‘s desire is not for money, but for her desire to Dimmesdale. She wants to take it on the lam with her lover and live with him.She lives in the town bravely by her desire, because she believes that she will be together with her lover one day. She supports her life by herself.III. ConclusionTess is a victim of her own characters and the society. She fights the hardest fight and is destroyed by her ravaging self-destructive sense of guilt, life denial and the cruelty of the society at that time.Hester is described as a youthful, beautiful, spirited and proud woman. Her strength of character in public and courage to rebel against the society enable her to heal up her inner wound inflicted by the letter ―A‖. Her silent tolerance eventually wins the sympathy of others.Through comparison and analysis, we can find the answer to their different fates. What‘s more important is that we can learn a lot from their fates. We can have a better understanding of the respective society in which Tess and Hester live in. Women have no status at that time and they are treated unfairly by men. However, we are luckier than them in that we enjoy the same rights as man and our status has been greatly improved. As women of the modern society, we should cherish our life and fight for the rights we are entitled to. Meanwhile, as a member of the society, we should make as much contributions to our country and society as possible.Bibliography[1]Annette Fogline. Analysis of The Characters in The Scarlet Letter. http:∥/thescarlet.html. 2002[2]Bradford Smith. Analysis of Tess of the D‘Urbervilles.http:∥/users/tragedy_and_tess.html. 2001[3]Charles Bazerman. 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