高英unit5-the-sad-young-men复习进程

1、高英unit5-The-Sad-Young-MenAims nTo know the social background of the US in 1920s.nTo know the Lost GenerationnTo learn the central idea of The Sad Young Men nTo learn the writing technique and to appreciate the language features Teaching Contents Pre-reading questions Background Text study Language p

2、oints Comprehension Questions Text Analysis and Appreciation Exercises Tasks After ClassPre-reading questionsWhat do you know about the following? The impact of WWI and the US in 1920s The Lost Generation and their representatives American Prohibition Law Greenwich Village Victorian gentility Bohemi

3、anism BabbitryBackground Rod W. Horton (1910-?) Born in White Plains N.Y. Instructor, New York University,(1937-45) Assistant professor (1945-49) Associate professor (1949-57) Cultural affairs officer (1957-64) Professor, Colorado University (1964-) Visiting professor, University of Brazil, Coimbra

4、(1961-64). Background Publications: (with Herbert W. Edwards) Backgrounds of American Literary Thought (1952), (with Vincent F. Hopper) Backgrounds of European Literature (1954)BackgroundThe impact of World War ISymptoms of crisis Darwin, Nietzsche, Freud, Einstein, Conrad 尼采鼓吹人生的目的就是实现权力意志，扩张自我，成为驾

5、驭一切的超人。超人是人的最高价值，应当藐视一切传统道德价值，为所欲为，通过奴役弱者、群氓来实现自我。Background Values about war Values about religion Values about ethics Impact moral disorientation, literary and art revolutions, rise of Nazis, breakdown of philosophyBackgroundAmerican Culture in the 1920s The decade of the 1920s is often characteri

6、zed as a period of American prosperity and optimism. It was the Roaring Twenties, the decade of bath tub, gin, the model T, the $5 work day, the first transatlantic flight, and the movie. It is often seen as a period of great advance as the nation became urban and commercial (Calvin Coolidge declare

7、d that Americas business was business). Background The decade is also seen as a period of rising intolerance and isolation: chastened by the first world war, historians often point out that Americans retreated into a provincialism 褊狭evidenced by the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, the anti radical hysteri

8、a of the Palmer raids, restrictive immigration laws, and prohibition. Background Overall, the decade is often seen as a period of great contradiction: of rising optimism and deadening cynicism, of increasing and decreasing faith, of great hope and great despair. Put differently, historians usually s

9、ee the 1920s as a decade of serious cultural conflict.BackgroundThe Sad Young Men The Sad Young Men and the Lost Generation refer to the same group of people. The first name was created by F. Scott Fitzgerald in his book All the Sad Young Men and second by Gertrude Stein. Background These names were

10、 applied to the disillusioned intellectuals and aesthetes of the years following the First World War, who rebelled against former ideals and values, but could replace them only by despair or a cynical hedonism享乐主义. Background The remark of Gertrude Stein, you are all a lost generation, addressed to

11、Hemingway, was used as a preface to the latters novel, The Sun Also Rises, which brilliantly describes an expatriate group typical of the lost generation (cf. Beat Generation and Angry Young Men)Background The Beat Generation After World War II appeared the Beat Generation in the United States. This

12、 term was applied to certain American artists and writers who were popular during the 1950s. Essentially anarchic, members of the beat generation rejected traditional social and artistic forms. They sought immediate expression in multiple intense experiences and beatific 极乐的 illumination like that o

13、f some Eastern religions (e. g. Zen Buddhism 禅宗佛教). The essential element of Zen Buddhism is found in its name, for Zen means meditation. Zen teaches that enlightenment is achieved through the profound realization that one is already an enlightened being. This awakening can happen gradually or in a

14、flash of insight (as emphasized by the Soto and Rinzai schools, respectively). But in either case, it is the result of ones own efforts. Deities and scriptures can offer only limited assistance.Background In literature they adopted rhythms of simple American speech and of so-called progressive jazz.

15、 Among those associated with the movement were the novelists Jack Kerouac and Chandler Brossard, numerous poets (e. g. Kenneth Rexroth, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Gregory Corso), and others, many of whom had worked in and around San Francisco. During the 1960s beat ideas and attitude

16、s were absorbed by other cultural movements, and those who practiced the beat life style were called hippies.Background The angry young men At this time there appeared in England a group called the angry young men. This term was applied to a group of English writers of the 1950s whose heroes shared

17、certain rebellious and critical attitudes towards society. This phrase, which was originally taken from the title of Leslie Allen Pauls autobiography, Angry Young Man (1951), became current with the production of John Osbornes play Look Back in Anger (1956). Background The group not only expressed d

18、iscontent with the staid 不动的, hypocritical institutions of English society - the so-called Establishment - but betrayed disillusionment with itself and with its own achievements, included among the angry young men were the playwrights John Osborne and Arnold Wesker and the novelists Kingsley Amis, J

19、ohn Braine, John Wain, and Alan Sillitoe. In the 1960s these writers turned to more individualized themes and were no longer considered a group.Background Gertrude Stein (1874 - 1946) Background Gertrude Stein (1874 - 1946) American author and patron of the arts. A celebrated personality, she encour

20、aged, aided, and influenced - through her patronage as well as through her writing - many literary and artistic figures. In 1902 she went abroad and from 1903 until her death lived chiefly in Paris. In Paris, Stein became interested in modern art movements; she encouraged and purchased the work of m

21、any new painters, including Picasso and Matisse. Background During the 1920s she was the leader of a cultural salon, which included such writers as Hemingway, Sherwood Anderson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, all of whose works she influenced. It was she who first coined the phrase lost generation for those p

22、ost world War I expatriates. During World War II she remained in France, and after the war her Paris home became a meeting place for American soldiers. Background Stein s own innovative writing emphasizes the sounds and rhythms rather than the sense of words. By departing from conventional meaning,

23、grammar, and syntax, she attempted to capture moments of consciousness, independent of time and memory. Some of her best known works are: Three Lives (1909), The Making of Americans (1925), Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas ( 1933) (her own autobiography presented as that of her secretary companion).

24、BackgroundThe main idea of the lesson The two American writers explain a certain period in American literary and social history. It focuses especially on the attitudes and revolt of the young people who returned from World War 1, disappointed and disillusioned. In this revolt the young intellectuals

25、, writers and artists, stood in the van and was the most vocal group. Background Many of these intellectuals lived abroad, especially in Paris, as expatriates, but most of them later returned to the United States voluntarily. These intellectuals were called Sad Young Men, or The lost Generation, bec

26、ause they were critical and rebellious. However, they were never lost because they were also very creative and productive and as this essay says: gave the nation the liveliest, freshest, most stimulating writing in its literary experience. Text Study Language points Comprehension Questions Text Anal

27、ysis and AppreciationLanguage points1. No aspect of life Generation: The Revolt of the Young Generation in the 1920s has been most commented upon and has been treated very romantically and sensationally.sensationally romanticized: (This so-called problem) was treated in a passionate, idealized manne

28、r to shock thrill and rouse the interest of people.Language points After World War 1, during the 1920s, every aspect of life in the United States has been commented upon, but the so-called Revolt of the Younger Generation has been more commented upon than all the other aspects.Language points2. The

29、slightest mention . by the young: At the very mention of this post-war period, middle-aged people begin to think about it longingly and young people become curious and start asking all kinds of questions.Language pointsmiddle-aged: Middle-aged people lived through the Twenties so they can recall wha

30、t life was like then. the young: The young people have only heard about all this and were very curious about the lives of young people of another generation.nostalgic, curious: both are transferred epithets. They really modify the middle-aged and the young respectively. Language points3. memories of

31、 . country road: These are the nostalgic recollections of the middle-aged.deliciously illicit thrill: an improper action but very enjoyable and exciting. A visit to a speakeasy was improper or prohibited because these places sold alcoholic drinks illegally. This explains the illicit thrill.Language

32、points Prohibition Law (1920 - 33). Commonly referred to as national prohibition, the only amendment to the Constitution to be repealed subsequently, the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited “the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exp

33、ortation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes.”Language points National prohibition of alcohol - the noble experiment- was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons

34、and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America. However, it proved to be a miserable failure on all counts. Language points Although consumption of alcohol fell at the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased. Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; crime increased and became

35、 organized; the court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point; and corruption of public officials was rampant. No measurable gains were made in productivity or reduced absenteeism. Language points Prohibition removed a significant source of tax revenue and greatly increased governmen

36、t spending. It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition. Language points Prohibition removed a significant source of tax revenue and greatly increased gover

37、nment spending. It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition. Language points 美国具有很浓厚的清教徒传统，很多人追求一种“清廉”的生活。19世纪中期，美国一些地方的居民开始寻求以法律手段制裁酒徒。这种呼声渐渐得到全国范围的呼应，以维护传

38、统家庭为己任的妇女组织更是其中的主力军。终于，1919年，美国国会通过宪法第八修正案，也就是全国禁酒令，规定自次年起，一切生产、销售、饮用酒类的行为非法。 Language points 事实上，当时偷偷违反禁酒令的行为是如此普遍，使得该法律几乎成为美国历史上最大的笑话。十余年后美国爆发经济大萧条，酒成为慰藉心灵的恩物，于是罗斯福在竞选纲领中，明确提出废除禁酒令。1933年，美国国会通过宪法第二十一修正案，取代第八修正案。全国禁酒令宣告彻底失败。 Language pointsspeakeasy: (Americanism) a place where alcoholic drinks are

39、 sold illegally, esp. such a place in the U.S. during Prohibition (the period 1920 - 33).Puritan morality: extreme or excessive strictness in matters of morals. Strict Puritans even regarded drinking, gambling and participation in theatrical performances as punishable offences. Language pointsfashio

40、nable experimentations in amour: trying out new ways of lovemaking as everyone was doing at that timeparked sedan: in a sedan car parked on lonely country roadssedan: (North America) type of car: a car with a fully enclosed passenger compartment, a permanent roof, two or four doors, front and rear s

41、eats, and a separate trunk Language points4. questions . drugstore cowboy: Some of the questions asked by curious young peoplenaughty: mildly indecentjazzy: (a party) playing jazz musicsheik: (Americanism) a masterful man to whom women are supposed to be irresistibly attractedLanguage pointsmoral an

42、d stylistic vagaries: odd and eccentric dress and conductflapper: (Americanism) in the 1920s, a young woman considered bold and unconventional in action and dress drugstore cowboy: (Americanism) A western movie extra who loafs in front of drugstores between pictures. Flapper Style Flapper Style Lang

43、uage points5. The answers . and no: The answer to such questions must because of necessity be both yes and no - People cannot give a simple yes or no answer to such questions.must of necessity: must because of necessityLanguage pointsyes Problem: In the process of growing up, during the period when

44、children grow up to become adults, there always exists a Younger Generation Problem. In this sense the answer must be yes Language points no jazzmad youth: When we look back now to those days and view things in their true relations to one another, we see that the social behavior of the young p e o p

45、 l e w a s n o t v e r y w i l d , irresponsible, and immoral. Their behavior was far from being as sensational as the degeneration of jazzmad youth. Therefore, in this sense, the answer must be no. Language pointsseen in perspective: to view or judge things or events in a way that show their true r

46、elations to one anotherdegeneration:moral corruption, depravityjazzmad:blindly and foolishly fond of jazz music Language points Questions on Para.1:Why were the younger generation of the 1920s thought to be wild?Was there really a younger generation problem?1. Was there a revolt of the younger gener

47、ation? How did it manifest itself?Language points6. the rebellion was not confined .: The revolt of the young did not take place only in the United States, but affected all the countries in the Western world. Their revolt was the result or consequence of World War I - the biggest and most serious wa

48、r in a hundred years.Language pointsthe first serious war in a century: The writer, perhaps, is referring to the Napoleonic wars (1815) that ended in Napoleons defeat at Waterloo as the last serious war that took place almost a hundred years ago. Language points7. it was reluctantly . or tradition:

49、Some people in the United States fully understood, though unwillingly, that the United States could no longer remain isolated politically or in matters of social customs and practices. If these people did not state their views openly, at least, they understood it subconsciously.Language points 8. We

50、 had reached . bordering oceans: metaphor, comparing provincial morality to artificial walls. We have become a world power so we can no longer in our action just follow the principle of right and wrong as accepted in our own country, nor can we remain isolated geographically protected by the Atlanti

51、c and Pacific oceans. In other words, the United States can no longer pursue a policy of isolationism.Language pointsto reach international stature: to develop and grow into a nation respected and esteemed by all other nations in the world provincial: narrow, limited like that of rural provinces. He

52、re the word means narrow like that of a single country - the United States.Language points 其次，在美国，有一些人已经很不情愿地认识到-如果不是明明白白地认识到，至少是下意识地认识到-无论在政治方面还是在传统方面，我们的国家已不再是与世隔绝的了；我们所取得的国际地位使我们永远也不能再退缩到狭隘道德规范的人造围墙之后，或是躲在相邻的两大洋的地理保护之中了。 Language points9. The rejection . inevitable: In any case, America could not

53、 avoid casting aside its middle-class respectability and affected refinement.Victorian: showing the middle-class respectability, prudery装正经, bigotry, etc. generally attributed to Victorian England Gentility: the quality of being genteel; now, specifically excessive or affected refinement and eleganc

54、e.Language points10. The booming . . . competitive age: After World War I, America became a highly industrialized country. There were big successful factories operating everywhere. Business became huge corporations devoid of any human feelings and the ruthless desire to dominate was exercised on a l

55、arge scale. In this new atmosphere, the principles of polite, courteous and considerate behavior and conduct that were formed in a quieter and less competitive age (before World War I) could no longer exist.Language pointsroaring: (colloquial) very active or successful; brisk: a roaring businessimpe

56、rsonality: the lack or absence of a personal or human character; the quality or state of not involving personal feelings or the emotionsaggressive: Implies a bold and energetic pursuit of ones ends, connoting, in derogatory usage, a ruthless desire to dominate and, in a favorable sense, enterprise,

57、initiative, etc.code: any set of principles or rules of conduct: a moral codeLanguage points11. War or no war . for success: With or without a war, as one generation followed another, the young people found it increasingly difficult to accept standards of behavior that seemed in no way to be related

58、 to the noisy, busy world of business, and it was in this bustling business world that they were expected to become successful.Language pointsmedium: environment.to battle for success: metaphor. They had to fight as in a battle in order to become successful12. The war acted . social structure: Metap

59、hor, the war being compared to a catalytic agent. The war only helped to speed up the breakdown of the Victorian social structure.Language points13. by precipitating . violent energies: By throwing our young people suddenly and unexpectedly into a World War, which was a form of mass murder, we relea

60、sed the violent energies which the young people had so far held in check 制止 or repressed.Language points14. Thus . to date: Thus in a world where everything was changing, our young people had to take up the demanding task of reforming our traditional social custom in order to keep up with this chang