HenryJames
The Real Thing
by Henry James
201321100070
柴红光
Life
Henry James,(15April1843–28 February1916)was an American-born British writer,regarded as one of the key figures
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of19th-century literary realism.?James alternated between America and Europe for the first20years of his life, after which he ttled in England, becoming a British subject in1915,one year before his death.生态文明教育
Literary works
he wrote two full-length biographies, two volumes of memoirs of his childhood and a long fragment of autobiography; 22 novels, including two left unfinished at his death, 112 tales of varying lengths, fifteen plays, and dozens of travel and topical essays.
Achievements
Master of psychological realism ⼼理现实主义的⼤师
Novelist of psychological analysis ⼼理分析⼩说家
Pioneer of American Stream of Consciousness 意识流⽂学先驱
Three Stages of His Career ?1865~1882: international theme
In his apprentice years, culminating with the masterwork The Portrait of a Lady, his style was simple
and direct (by the standards of Victorian magazine writing) and he experimented widely with forms and methods, generally narrating from a conventionally omniscient point of view.
1882~1895 inter-personal relationships and some plays
In this period, he dropped the "international theme" and wrote his tales of subtle studies of inter-personal relationships. As this novels were poorly received, James turned to play-writing in 1890. His plays being also failures, he returned to the novel in 1895 with renewed vigor and a better knowledge of literary techniques.
1895~1916: novels and tales dealing with childhood and adolescence, then back to international theme东西英语
In its inten focus on the consciousness of his major characters, James's later work foreshadows extensive developments in 20th century fiction. Indeed, he might have influenced stream-of-consciousness writers such as Virginia Woolf.
Works of This Period
What Maisie Knew 《梅西所知道的》?The Ambassadors 《⼤使》、《使节》?The Wings of the Do
ve 《鸽翼》?The Golden Bowl 《⾦碗》
The Turn of the Screw 《螺丝在拧紧》
Henry James O.M Citizen of two countries Interpreter of his generation on both sides of the a
The Art of Fiction
The only reason for the existence of a novel is that it does attempt to reprent life.When it relinquishes this attempt,the
same attempt that we e on the canvas of the painter,it will have arrived at a very strange pass.
A novel is in its broadest definition a personal impression of life;that,to begin with,constitutes its value,which is greater or less according to the intensity of the impression.
It is equally excellent and inconclusive to s a y t h a t o n e m u s t w r i t e f r o m experience…The power to guess the unen from the en,to trace the implication of things,to judge the whole piece by patern…this cluster of gifts may almost be said to constitute experience.
Origin of The Real Thing ?The Real Thing was written in1892,a time when James's works were poorly received by the public.
The story is a real one dictated to him by his friend George du Maurier.In his notebook,he sugguested the origin and his purpo of this short story.
"…I began yesterday the little story that was suggested to me some time ago by an incident related to me by Geroge du Maurier---the lady and gentleman who called upon him with a word from Firth,an oldish,faded,ruined pair---he an officer in the army---who unable to turn a penny in any other way were trying to find emplyment as models.I was struck with the pathos,the oddity and typicalness of the situation---the little tragedy of good-looking gentlefolk,who had been all their life stupid and well-dresd,living,on a
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fixed income,at country-hou,watering places and clubs,like so many others of their class in England,and were now utterly unable to do anything,had no cleverness,no art nor craft to make u of as a gagnepain(livelihood）---could only show themlves,clumsily,for the fine, clean,well-groomed animals that they were,only hope to make a little money by ---in this manner---just simply being…I tried a beginning yesterday,but I instantly became conscious that I must strighten out the little idea.It must be an idea---it关于水的诗歌
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can't be a"story"in the vulgar n of the word.It must be a pircture;it must illustrate something."
"What I wish to reprent is the baffled, ineffectual,incompetent character of their attempt,and how it illustrates once again the everlasting English amateurishness---t h e w a y s u p e r f i c i a l,u n t r a i n e d, unprofessional effort goes to the wall when confonted with trained,competitive, intelligent,quliafied art---in whatever line it may be a question of."
Characters
Illustrator (the narrator)The Monarchs
Miss Churm
鹅过河Oronte
Plot
The Monarchs,a couple of high social status came the illustrator to be employed as models.The illustrator knew clearly from the start that the couple would not do, but out of sympathy,he decided to give them a try.But the paintings he draw with the Monarchs were poorly received and his future care
er was in danger.In order to go on his work,he had to dismiss the couple. Interpretation of the real thing ?What is the real thing?
