Chapter 2 The Realistic Period
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I. Background knowledge
1. Historical background
(1) The American Civil War (1861 - 1865)
(2) Darwin's evolutionary theory and Emile Zola's theory of experimental novels
(3) William Dean Howells as the champion of the American realistic writings
2. Characteristics of literary writings
而是造句(1) Realism
(2) Naturalism
(3) Local color
嘴里发咸II. Major writers and their works
A. Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)
1. Points of view
(1) Optimist & misanthrope
Mark Twain was living in a period when the American West was still wide open. Therefore, a nationwide westward movement was in bloom. Young Mark Twain was among the flow; he was delighted with the fresh land and invigorated by the pioneering spirit. Life was bright for him, filled with its mysteries, alarmed by its terrors, and amud by its contrasts. Thus, he was able to laugh with lightness as the greatest humorist in the Pacific Slope. However, laughter and humor didn't last long. They were slowly being replaced by bitter sneer and satire. Conquently, Twain changed from an optimist to a misanthrope. He was now doubtful of mankind and humanity. Some critics link this change with the tragic events of his later life, but the basic reason is that the older Twain no longer takes things at their face value; after many years of traveling he encounters more often than not the dark side of social life and the wicked corners of human nature.
(2) Moral outlook
全头烫发型图片
爱国爱党的诗词 Though basically a great humorist, Twain was by no means shallow or frivolous. He once said that he was a rious writer, and was actively concerned with moral ideas in one way or another. Love, humanity, fidelity, loyalty, duty, courage, and hard work are high virtues in his moral code. Not only does he write about them, he even choos the crucial moment of moral conflicts to test his characters. Huck Finn is a typical example. Twain puts Huck in a moral dilemma: to inform Miss Watson about her runaway slave, thus returning Jim to slavery or to stay with him and help him to freedom. Actually Huck's choice is also Twain's; by portraying a white boy with a sound heart but a deformed conscience who does things from his nature, Twain is favoring the morality of nature over that of man. This is easy to be understood becau in this sophisticated and complex world, only tho who never betray their nature can achieve moral greatness.
(3) Political attitude
遵义医学院怎么样 Twain’s time saw a great change in economic development. The Civil War that broke o
ut in 1861 with the final victory of the North solidified once again its importance in the nation's political and economic lives. The glory of the South bad on slavery was gone with the wind. Lots of Southern poor whites and newly freed slaves rushed to the advanced Northern cities to ek jobs and make fortunes. Young Twain had the similar experience; he went to the West to realize his dream. He once believed the idea of development and industrialization since it could modernize the young country and encourage the enterprising spirit of the Americans who had long been famous for it. However, instead of improving man’s morality, material wealth brought out corruption and injustices. Thus, Twain became doubtful about the idea of development and skeptical of the goodness of human nature.
(4) Racial concern
In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,自由精神月季 Twain ud the word “nigger” more than 200 times; hence, the argument over the book’s and the author's racism becomes the concern of the critics. Actually as a realistic writer, Twain never imagined he would be labeled as a racist.
He just prents true pictures of the social life at his time; and anyone who is familiar with the slave history knows that the word “nigger” was being frequently ud in the daily life. Twain only mirrors the social reality. Moreover, in the novel Twain evaluates man not as whites or blacks but as equals on earth. In this n, Twain is not a racist at all, but a humanist.
(5) Artistic view
Generally speaking, Twain's literary views have been tied to realism becau they em to be bad on hostility toward romantic literature, toward art or writing derived from outworn tradition and cliché rather than obrvation and experience. For example, in one of his articles he was calling for believable, interesting action and character, for dialogue rembling speech and consistently appropriate to the character that speaks it.
Twain also detests psychological analysis; he wants comic effects and fun. However, Twain dislikes analysis not becau it is unrealistic but becau it is boring and lacks economy. In all of his novels, Twain is always clo to the life he pictured and us the la
nguage folks really spoke. It is he who makes the colloquial speech an accepted literary medium and his conci style an example to later writers.
2. Major works
(1) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)
Being generally regarded as a boy's story, the book is all about Tom and his gang. While spending a summer with Aunt Polly in a drowsy Mississippi River town, Tom and his buddies Huck and Joe take a ries of adventures there. They witness a horrible murder done by Injun Joe. Finally, Tom returns to school and becomes a hero at the trial of Muff Potter when he reveals Injun Joe's guilt. When Injun dies, his treasure is divided between Tom and Huck, who is now adopted by Widow Douglas. Twain had made Tom the hero of American Boyhood, and the book had become the classic read in schools as is the Declaration of Independence. To a larger extent, by telling this story, Twain fulfills his and other adults' dream of ideal boyhood. All the cruelties and fears, wonders and joys of childhood are brought into vividness.
