英国文学期末考试简答、论述题含答案.doc

V. Give a brief answer to the following questions. (20%)1. Discuss the theme of Wuthering Heights。2. Say something about John Bunyans The Pilgrim Progress. The Pilgrim Progress, written by John Bunyan, was written in the old-fashioned, medieval form of allegory and dream. It became an immediate success upon its publication. The allegory depicts the Puritan struggle for freedom of worship, the eternal struggle of man to find unity with God. The purpose is to urge people to seek salvation through constant struggle with their weaknesses and social evils. The book is ranked as one of the greatest allegories in English language. It sets a standard in story-telling with vivid characterization and natural dialogue. It becomes a landmark for later works such as Thackerays Vanity Fair, and Nathaniel Hawthornes Celestial Railroad.3. Say something about Hamlet.Hamlet is generally regarded as the most representation of Shakespeares artistic creations and the summit of the Renaissance drama.It is not a simple revenge play but a tragedy of humanist ideals crushed by cruel reality. It addresses the fundamental question of the meaning of human existence, with Hamlets meditation on life and death at the centre.It portrays the social realities in England at the end of the 16th century and the start of the 17th century.4. Say something about Robinson Crusoe.The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, which is often shortened as Robinson Crusoe, was based on the true experience.It is an interesting picaresque novel about an 18th century English adventurer. Crusoe is practical, religious and mindful of his profit. He resembles the rising bourgeoisie at the earliest stage of its development.In depicting Crusoes efforts and growth on the island, the novel glorifies both physical and mental labor. The novel also shows the authors attitude towards colonialism and Negro slavery.1. Discuss the theme of Wuthering Heights5. Say something about Paradise Lost and its theme.7. Say something about The Canterbury Tales. The Canterbury Tales is written in middle English created by Chaucer. The pronunciation and spelling are quite different from those in modern English, but the reading of the Tales is not as difficult as it first appears for the modern reader.It is sometimes argued that the greatest contribution that The Canterbury Tales made to English literature was in popularizing the literary use of the vernacular English. Chaucers poetry, along with the poetry of his other peer writers, helped standardize the London Dialect and establish English as the literary language of the country.Chaucer was one of the first English poets to use the five-stress line, a decasyllabic cousin to the iambic pentameter, in much of his work. This arrangement became one of the standard poetic forms in English. He is father of English poetry.9. Say something about Bacons Of Studies. Bacon was one of the greatest minds in an age of giants. His compact style with wise ideas has won him popularities. His famous essays in students bibliography include ”Of Study”,” Of Beauty” and “Of Truth”.Of Study discusses the function and method of reading. It is one of Bacons most frequently quoted essays.The essay is known for its clearness, brevity and force of expression. The discussions are clearly presented. The first sentence points out the three functions. Then it discusses some wrong opinions about study, the importance of experiment in study, the various methods to read, the role of discussion and notetaking. The essay also argues that study is different fields can bring all sorts of benefits and improve spiritual defeats.Bacon has employed various rhetorical devices in the essay: metaphor makes the essay rich; parallelism makes it sinewy; and contrast makes it persuasive.10. Say something about Paradise Lost and its theme.（同上第题）14. Say something about Gullivers Travels.Gullivers Travels, as Swifts highest achievement, is considered to be a satirical examination of the human nature, mans potential for depravity and the dangers of misuse of reason.The novel gives an unparalleled sarcastic depiction of all the social vices of the early 18th century. In spite of his contempt for the rulers and social evils, Swift cherished a great love for the common people.Gullivers Travels is a fantasy, and at the same time, a realistic work of fiction, including four voyages.18. Say something about the poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, also known as “The daffodils”, was written by British romanticist William Wordsworth.The poet described his heartfelt happiness as he saw the beautiful daffodils and sang high praises of nature.Its rhyme scheme is ababcc.The poem can be divided into two parts: the first part describes the scenery and the second part expresses the poets emotion. We can see daffodils everywhere, and the poet compares them to the stars in the sky. He is immensely influenced by the beauty and the memory of the daffodils is imprinted in his mind, which brings back happiness when he feels lonely, dull or depressed.22. Say something about the poem Ode to a Nightingale.Ode to a Nightingale, written by John Keats under a plum tree in the yard of his friend out of “a tranquil and continual joy” in the nightingales song, contains his poetic feeling on the song of the nightingale. The poem is not about the bird only, it is about human experience in general. The principal stress of the poem is a struggle between ideal and actual: nature and the human, art and life, freedom and bondage, waking and dream.23. Say something about Pride and Prejudice.Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, ha long been a favorite of both readers and critics and is often regarded as Jane Austens consummate achievement of her own social class: the ladies and gentlemen of the landed gentry.27. Say something about Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre, written by critic realism novelist Charlotte Bronte, is a frank and passionate story of the love between a governess and her master, a married man, Mr. Rochester.The novel is written in the first person and contains authentic autobiographical experiences.Jane Eyre has many merits. It is the first governess novel in English literature. It is one of the most popular works of the working middle class women. It announces the birth of an entirely new woman.30. Say something about Tess of the DUrbervilles.Tess of the DUrbervilles is the twelfth novel by Thomas Hardy. It tells the misery and tragedy of Tess. It deals with such themes as injustice of human existence, social classes and social status of women in Victorian England.It questions society sexual mores by portraying a heroine who is seduced by the son of her employer and is not considered a pure and chaste women by the rest of society.Thus it is an attack on the hypocritical morality of the society an d the political status quo in English.38. Say something about Charles Dickens.Charles Dickens is a British critical realist in Victorian Age. Charles Dickens was the son of a navy clerk. When he was fifteen, he left school and entered a lawyers office. In 1834, his lifework of writing began. The novel Pickwick Papers brought him into the first rank of the most popular novelist of his day. The rest of his life was work without rest.The first period of his literary career: This period is referred to the years from 1836-1841, which is marked for youthful optimism. The main novels in this period are: Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist and The Old Curiosity Shop.The second period of his literary career: the second period, which began from 1842, was a period of excitement and irritation. In this period, he visited America and was shocked by the corruptive influence of wealth and power there. The main novels are: Dombey and Son, David Copperfield.The third period of his literary career: Dickens works in this period show intensifying pessimism. His main novels in this period are: Great Exceptions, A Tale of Two Cities.39. Say something about John Milton.Milton is the greatest writer of the seventeenth century. In his life and literary career the two dominant historical movements of Renaissance and Reformation combined and received their most intense and intelligent expression. He towers over his age just as Shakespeare towers over the Elizabethan Age and Chaucer over the Medieval Age. His works mainly include Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes.41. Say something about Geoffrey Chaucer.The 14th century is called “Age of Chaucer”. Chaucer is acclaimed not only as “the father of English poetry”, but also the father of English fiction”. His masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, is one of the most famous works in all literatures.43. Say something about Jane Austen.Jane Austen was the first English Woman novelist.Austen was born in Hampshire, a small town in southwest England. She was educated at home and led a quiet life. Austen wrote altogether 6 novels, among which the most important ones are Pride and Prejudice, Sense and sensibility and Emma.Jane Austen was popular all through the 19th century. She died in 1817 at the age of 42.45. Say something about Thomas Hardy.Hardy was born in Dorset, which he called Wessex in his novels. His principle novels are the Wessex novels. Among his famous novels, the best-known are Tess of the DUrbervilles and Jude the Obscure.Other works by Hardy include The Return of the Native, Far From the Madding Crowd and The Mayor of Casterbridge.48. Say something about George Bernard Shaw.Bernard Shaw was the greatest dramatist in English literature in the 20th century. He used stage to criticize the evils of capitalism.His major plays include Man and Superman, Major Barbara and Pygmalion.Shaw is a critical realist writer and a humorist. His plays deal with contemporary social problems.53. What is the theme of The Waste Land? The theme of the poem is modern spiritual barrenness, the despair and depression that followed the First World War, the sterility and turbulence(动荡)of the modern world, and the decline and breakdown of Western culture.1. Discuss the theme of Wuthering Heights5. Say something about Paradise Lost and its theme.VI. Write no less than 120 words on each of the following topics in English.3. Thomas Hardy, living at the turn of the century, is often regarded as a transitional writer. In him we see the influence from both the past and the modern. Tess of the DUrbervilles is one of his greatest works. Try to discuss the fate of Tess in this work. The discussion about the fate of Tess in Tess of the DUrbervilles.Tess of the DUrbervilles is Thomas hardys representative work, as a transitional writer, his work reflect the profound changes about the social economic, politic, moral, customs and the tragic fate about the people(especially the fate of women)which caused by the capitalism intrudes England rural towns, it reveals the hypocrisy of bourgeoisie moral, legal and religion.Tess of the DUrbervilles concentrate on the character and environment. The heroine Tess while clever beauty, diligent and kind, but as a victim of she finally was on the gallows. So what are the reasons? Here we analyze her tragic fate from the following 3 aspects:Firstly, the tragic fate of Tess first comes from the capitalist society. In the furious conflict between individual and environment, Tesss fate is inevitably miserable. Tess lived in the Victorian period as British capitalism intrudes England rural countries. Though she is diligent and kind, clever beautiful girl, but as a laborer, a powerless of agricultural workers without money and social status, naturally will be affected by the capitalist society of oppression and reproach. With the capitalist invasion, those who own a small piece of land and production material of peasants are forced to, and then go bankrupt. Visible, Tesss tragic fate and her economic poverty are closely linked. This is one the social reason.Secondly, unjust laws system is also a factor in Tess tragedy. In capitalist society, the legal system are protect the exploiting class profits while oppress powerless workers. From the story, we knew that Alec is a domineering, do evil young guy, he was protected by the injustice law while the beautiful and diligent Tess was killed, it shows the underclass counteractions people in society is impossible to get treated fairly. Thirdly, Tesss destruction is closed linked with the hypocrisy of religion .Alecs characters, revealed the hypocrisy of religion. He is on the business, is a bourgeois upstarts and carnal person. He set a trap to seduce a Tess, but using the biblical allusions to blame them. Later he was turned into a good cleric. Who advised Visible, in capitalist society, religion is the reactionary ruling class anesthesia, cheating, and a fool of working people. Marx once said: with artificial Christian. Religion is bourgeois reproach and defiled women provided theoretical basis.Fourthly, Tess is also a victim of the bourgeoisie hypocritical moral. From the story, Angel is the representative of bourgeoisie hypocritical moral, though he is a liberal thought of intellectuals, but he has a deep psychological ingrained in traditional ethics and morality. his own dissolute behavior was forgived by Tess, but he did not forgive Tess on the situation the fault is not Tess, but Alec. He has not a little sympathy on Tess, which force Tess came back to Alec. Fifthly, Tesss tragic is also related by her own personality.Tess is a brand-new woman created by hardy, she has dual personality. On the one hand, she dares to against the hypocrisy of traditional moral and religious, On the other hand, cannot completely get rid of the traditional ethics of their own. Because Tess was born in a peasant family, remaining some of the old farmer on moral and destiny view that she appeared when traditional moral against the weak side. when she treated with the secular public opinion, she also think herself is guilty. Tess, as a certain historical period of the individual, must be particular historical period of social consciousness and moral concepts, she thought and action are bound by age and social consciousness.From above all, the tragedy of Tess have social reason also have her own personality reason, but all these reasons are directly linked with the bourgeoisie society, its the kinds of reflects of the society. Her destroy is inevitably in the bourgeoisie society.6. Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe is a very influential novel in the enlightenment period of the English literature. It depicts Crusoe as a figure of middle class who makes success through his hard work. Discuss the social reason why the novel becomes so successful.Robinson Crusoe is supposedly based on the real adventure of an Alexander Selkirk who once stayed alone on the uninhabited island Huan Fernandez for five years. Factually, the story is an imagination. In the story the author describes inviting plots of Robinson Crusoe who survives and lives quite well on an island after the shipwreck. In Robinson Crusoe, Defoe traces the growth of Robinson Crusoe from a nave and artless youth into a shrewd and hardened man, tempered by numerous trials in his eventful life. The realistic account of the successful struggle of Robinson here is a real hero: a typical eighteenth century English middle-class man, with a great capacity for work, inexhaustible energy, courage, patience and persistence in overcoming obstacles, in struggling against the hostile natural environment. He is the very prototype of the empire builder, the pioneer colonist. Robinson Crusoe is an adventure story in the spirit of the time. So when it was published, people all liked that story, and it became an immediate success.7. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen explored three kinds of motivations of marriage the middle-class people had in the second half of the 18th century. Say something about this novel and try to make a discussion about the three kinds of motivations with specific examples from the novel. Make comments on Austens attitude towards these motivations.First, there is marriage merely for fortune, money and social rank. This is to be found in Miss Bingleys pursuit of Darcy, Lady de Bourghs intention to marriage between her daughter and Darcy, and in Charlotte Lucasmarriage to Mr.Collins. The snobbery and vanity of the rich and the practicality of the poor gentry women are fully accounted for.The second is the tendency to marry for beauty, attraction and passion regardless of economic conditions or personal merits. This is generally known as Mr.Bennet and Mrs. Bennet who has a beautiful face but an empty head and of their youngest daughter Lydia to the handsome, charming but morally weak and penniless Wickham. The terrible aftermath of such marriage is only too obvious in the marriage of the two generations of the Bennet.Lastly comes the idea marriage, which is a love match with considerations of the lovers personal merits and economic conditions. Such perfect happiness is to be found in the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth and that of Mr.Bingley and Jane, although the satisfaction of both the personal and economic conditions like this is really a bit too idealistic.What Jane Austen tries to say is that it is wrong to marry just for money or for beauty, but it is also wrong to marry without consideration of economic conditions. Of the three types, she prefers the the last one. And in the last type, she seems to give her particular preference to the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth.28. What is the social significance of The Canterbury Tales?The Canterbury Tales has its social significance in severa