Theme-文学原理教程课件

1、ThemeDefinition- The central idea or statement about life that unifies and controls the total work. A theme may be stated or implied. It is the perception about life or human nature that the writer wants to communicate.Misconceptions about Theme1. Each a novel has a theme / themes.Theme only exists

2、in the novel that seriously attempts to reflect life faithfully; intends to reveal truth about life; are based on ideas or theories of life.Eg: Novels of ratiocination (推理) / horror have no theme.- They are aimed at entertaining the reader, not at improving his understanding of life.2. The theme is

3、largely what the novel is. The difference between Theme & Novel: Theme - An abstract idea appealing solely to the intellectual level of reading Vitamins Novel - A work of art appealing to the emotional level Vegetables3. The theme is confused with a moral or lesson. Moral / Lesson the advice sta

4、ted or implied in a parable / fable; sth. of a rule by which one can regulate his behavior.Eg: - Be kind to your neighbours. - Honesty is the best policy. Theme - More complicated as a novel is to enhance ones awareness of life rather than simply to tell him how to behave.4. One novel has only one t

5、heme. Some have several subthemes to the main theme. Some are appreciated for their thematic ambiguity.5. The theme is confused with the subject. Subject - A matter / an affair Theme - An idea Subject - The topic on which an author has chosen to write. Theme - Some statement about or some opinion on

6、 that topic. Eg: Love - Subject Love is invincible. - Theme War - Subject War is useless. - Theme Theme - Particular to the novel, though some are similar; Subject - Universal.Eg: The Scarlet Letter The Great Gatsby Women in Love Subject - Love Theme - DifferentFive Requirements for Stating a Theme1

7、. A theme must be expressed in the form of a statement with a subject and a predicate.Eg: “Love of ones country often inspires heroic self-sacrifice”. Pay attention to its convertibility to sentence form if a theme is stated in the phrase form.Eg: “Futility of envy” Envy is futile. “Selfless materna

8、l love” Maternal love is selfless. 2. Names of characters & places should not be mentioned.- The theme is a generalization about life based on the novel, and the statement of theme should be true also of other people or life situations.Eg: Wuthering Heights - Peoples psychology of revenge - Heat

9、hcliffs psychology of revenge 3. Though a theme is a generalization, overgeneralization should be avoided. Since a theme is extracted from a particular novel / event, it may not be applicable to all situations. Always / never / all / every - be avoided Some / sometimes / may - be used When making a

10、generalization, one should strictly keep to what is actually in the novel and not smuggle into it assumptions supplied from his past experience.4. The theme must account for all the major details and must not be contradicted by any details in the novel.5. One should avoid reducing a theme to a clich

11、 or platitude since a theme is different form a moral or a lesson.Eg: “Beauty is only skin-deep”. Some ThemeSome Themes s Justice prevails. Love conquers all. Society will always overwhelm the individual. Children often see more clearly than adults. Theres no place for the artist in the jungle. Wher

12、e to Look for the Theme1. How the novel is entitled. - The central theme of the novel is sometimes present in the title.Eg: Pride and Prejudice - About Darcys Pride Elizabeth Bennets Prejudice2. How the novelist shows his interest. - If the novelist is interested in sth., he would allow more space t

13、o it, describing or narrating in great detail.3. How the novelist deals with a common subject. - If the novelist treats the common subjects in an uncommon way, it shows that he is trying to convey sth. new or important in the novel. 4. Important symbols. - Symbols are loaded with important meanings.

14、 So if a symbol appears repeatedly or at important moments, it may point to the theme of the novel.Eg: The Scarlet Letter - the letter “A”Analyzing Theme1. Does the work have a theme? Is it stated or implied?2. What generalization(s) / statement(s) about life / human experience does the work make? 3

15、. What elements of the work contribute most heavily to the formulation of the theme?4. Does the theme emerge organically and naturally, or does the author seem to force the theme upon the work?5. What is the value / significance of the works theme? Is it topical or universal in its application? 主题：

16、是故事的意义； 是作者对题材的某种评论，不论明示或暗示； 是作者在写作过程中，与读者在阅读过程中所发现的总意义； 也是人类欲使经验意义化的一种小说形式的反映。A Rose for Emily Death1. Funeral of Emily;2. Death of Emilys father;3. Death of old lady Wyatt, Emilys great-aunt; 4. Corpse of Homer Barron The Decline of the Old South 1. At one time, the Grierson home was in one of the

17、 finest neighborhoods in Jefferson; by the time of Emilys death, “. . . garages and cotton gins had encroached and obliterated even the august names of that neighborhood.” 2. The reaction to the Yankee, Homer Barron: - The younger generation finds it easier to accept Homer, while the older folks fin

18、d his relationship with a woman born to old Southern gentility unacceptable. Community Vs. Isolation - The odd relationship between the town of Jefferson and Emily. 1. At her funeral, the narrator notes that Emily has been “. . .a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town.” However, Emily has very little to do with the townspeople during her life. 2. Her father prevents her from dating anyone; after his death, Emily continues to isolate herself from the rest of the community for the better part of her life. 3. Although Emily is indifferent to the town, the