英国文学 Oscar Wilde

1、Oscar Wilde (1854-1900): Irish dramatist and poetThe British author Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was part of the movement in English literature at the end of the 19th century. He is best known for his brilliant, witty comedies.Literature of 90s In the late Victorian Age , there was an over-all change of

2、attitude in literature. The writers of the 1890s are sometimes styled Late Victorians and sometimes the first of the moderns. The most important literary movement in this final decade, is the Aestheticism, represented by Oscar WildeOscar Wilde : Life / writingnBorn and grew up in DublinnEducated in

3、Dublins Trinity College and Oxford.nAfter his graduation in 1878, he settled in London where he established himself both as a writer and as a spokesman for the school of “ ”.n1895 he was arrested and sentenced to jail for .nAfter 2 years of imprisonment, he emigrated to France and .nDied in 1900 and

4、 buried in Paris.The Aesthetic Movement:nIt is a loosely defined movement in art and in literature in later 19th century Britain. the Aestheticism had its forerunners in John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley. nAesthetic writers used the slogan, “art for arts sake” and asserted that there was no connec

5、tion between art and morality. They believed that Art does not have any didactic purpose, it need only be beautiful. Arts should provide refined sensuous pleasure, rather than convey moral or sentimental message. nOnly when art is for arts sake, can it be immortal.The Aesthetic Movement: Aestheticis

6、mnAestheticism places art above life, and holds that life should imitate art, not art imitate life. nThis was a reaction against the Victorian convention of art for moralitys sake, or art for moneys sake.nThe main of the movement were: suggestion rather than statement, sensuality, massive use of sym

7、bols, synaesthetic effects, that is correspondence between words, colours and music.(17 years of success in Britain and in America ) A Critic of literature and of society:n n n Oscar Wilde : Life / writingOscar Wilde : Life / writing As one of the greatest Playwrights of the Victorian Era:n1. He dar

8、ed to challenge the English social ideals. In his deeply humane and subversive essay, The Soul of Man Under Socialism, Wilde, in fact, heaped scorn on piecemeal approaches to the social ills produced by capitalism. Of the reforms he said, “their remedies do not cure the disease: they merely prolong

9、it. The proper aim is to try and reconstruct society on such a basis that poverty will be impossible.”Oscar Wilde : point of viewn2. His social outloook emerged from an interplay of influences: his Irish family background, his mothers views and, above all, his epoch. In an ugly age, Wilde believed t

10、hat art should not imitate life but art. He wrote, “To project ones soul into some gracious form” is “perhaps the most satisfying joy left to us in an age so limited and vulgar as our own, an age grossly carnal in its pleasures, and grossly common in its aims.”Oscar Wilde : point of viewn3. He belie

11、ved that art had nothing to do with morality, but should exist for its own sake. Artists, Wilde believed, should be left to pursue their art, without the involvement of the state. Private property should be abolished, since ownership hindered the development and spirit of art. Wildes took him toward

12、s propagandizing for “art for arts sake”.Oscar Wilde : point of viewn4. “Art for arts sake” is the best-known aspect of Wildes life and writings. He argued that human beings should cultivate their aesthetic sensibilities, their appreciation of beautiful artistry. Life, he was saying, should consist

13、of more than adherence to dull and restrictive notions of what was useful or moral. It should aspire to the freedom of art and the variety of experience it contains.Oscar Wilde : point of viewnHe demonstrated a breaking away from the conventional well-made plays of the 1870s and 1880s. he expressed

14、a satirical and bitter attitude towards the upper-class people by revealing their corruption, their snobbery, and their hypocrisy in his plays. In brilliance of verbal wit, wilde is close akin to George Bernard Shaw.His writing features:The Importance ofThe Importance of Being Earnest Being Earnest

15、RelationshipJack/ErnestAlgernon/ErnestLady Bracknell sister Gwendolen CecilyLady BracknellGuardiancousinmothermotherLOVEbrotherSummarynIn this act, Jack comes to Algernons house. Their humorous talking explains the background of this story. By the cigarette case, Jack has to tell Algernon his true n

16、ame and even his family background, also explain why his name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country. In the meantime, Algernon pulls out his secret about Bunburyist too.nWhats more, Jack has fallen in love with Algernons first cousin Gwendolen and even wants to propose to her. n1 Marriage: n3 Fr

17、eedomn4. The importance of being earmestThe Importance of The Importance of Being EarnestBeing Earnest A satire of society1 Marriage:nWilde pokes fun at the institution of marriage, which he saw as a practice surrounded by hypocrisy and absurdity. nAlthough the play ends happily, it nevertheless lea

18、ves the audience under the impression that:q marriage and social values are often tied together in destructive ways. Ultimately, the aristocracy does not see marriage as an organ of love, but rather as a tool for achieveing or sustaining social stature. Snobbery, hypocrisy, corruption and shallownes

19、s of the upper class.2 Love and PassionnOne of Wildes satiric targets is romantic and sentimental love, which he ridicules by having the women fall in love with a man because of his name rather than more personal attributes. qWilde carries parody of romantic love to an extreme in the relationship be

20、tween Algernon and Cecily, for she has fallen in love with him and in fact charted their entire relationship before ever meeting him. She writes of their love in her diary, noting the ups and downs of their affair, including authoring love letters to and from herself.Shallowness of the women3 Freedo

21、mnBoth Jack and Algernon struggle to remain free of the restrictions of Victorian convention. Jack does so by maintaining a double identity, being Jack in the country and Ernest in the city. Algernon achieves similar results by inventing an invalid named Bunbury who constantly requires his attention

22、s. A satire on Victorian conventions.dandies4. The importance of being earmestnWilde once said that the plays theme was “That we should treat all trivial things in life very seriously, and all serious things of life with a sincere and studied triviality.”A satire of societynThe play repeatedly mocks

23、 Victorian mores and social customs, marriage and the pursuit of love in particular. The plays very title, with its mocking paradox introduces this theme. Eg. 1、in married life three is company and two is none.“婚后的生活是三人成伴，两人不欢”-Extramarital Affairs 2、Algernon :Yes, but you must be serious about it.

24、I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them - allusions are quick and from multiple angles.Pun in the title:nThe pun in this play is widely considered to be the lowest form of verbal wit. The earnest/Ernest joke strikes at the very heart of Victorian notions of respectabi

25、lity and duty. wants to marry a man called Ernest, and she doesnt care whether the man actually possesses the qualities that comprise earnestness. She is quick to forgive Jacks deception.nSo does .- Pun in the title:nIn embodying a man who is initially neither “earnest” nor “Ernest,” and who, throug

26、h forces beyond his control, subsequently becomes both “earnest” and “Ernest,” is a walking, breathing paradox and a complex of .Pun in the title:SymbolsnSymbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.n The Double Life: The double life is the central

27、 metaphor in the play, epitomized in the notion of “Bunbury” or “Bunburying.” is a walking, breathing paradox and a complex of .The Importance of Being EarnestnPlot Overview: Act InJack Worthing, the plays protagonist, is a pillar (One who occupies a central or responsible position) of the community

28、 in Hertfordshire, where he is guardian to Cecily Cardew, the pretty, eighteen-year-old granddaughter of the late Thomas Cardew, who found and adopted Jack when he was a baby. For years, he has also pretended to have an irresponsible black-sheep brother named Ernest who leads a scandalous life in pu

29、rsuit of pleasure and is always getting into trouble of a sort that requires Jack to rush grimly off to his assistance. Plot Overview: Act InIn fact, Ernest is merely Jacks alibi (excuse), a phantom that allows him to disappear for days at a time and do as he likes. No one but Jack knows that he him

30、self is Ernest. Ernest is the name Jack goes by in London, which is where he really goes on these occasionsprobably to pursue the very sort of behavior he pretends to disapprove of in his imaginary brother. Plot Overview: Act InJack is in love with Gwendolen Fairfax, the cousin of his best friend, A

31、lgernon Moncrieff. When the play opens, Algernon, who knows Jack as Ernest, has begun to suspect something, having found an inscription inside Jacks cigarette case addressed to “Uncle Jack” from someone who refers to herself as “little Cecily.” Algernon suspects that Jack may be leading a double lif

32、e, a practice he seems to regard as commonplace and indispensable (unavoidable) to modern life. Plot Overview: Act InHe calls a person who leads a double life a “Bunburyist,” after a nonexistent friend he pretends to have, a chronic invalid (One who is incapacitated by a chronic illness or disabilit

33、y) named Bunbury, to whose deathbed he is forever being summoned whenever he wants to get out of some tiresome social obligation. Jack also tells Algernon about his fictional brother. Jack says hes been thinking of killing off this fake brother, since Cecily has been showing too active an interest i

34、n him. Without meaning to, Jack describes Cecily in terms that catch Algernons attention and make him even more interested in her than he is already. Plot Overview: Act InAt the beginning of Act I, Jack drops in unexpectedly on Algernon and announces that he intends to propose to Gwendolen. Algernon

35、 confronts him with the cigarette case and forces him to come clean, demanding to know who “Jack” and “Cecily” are. Jack confesses that his name isnt really Ernest and that Cecily is his ward (A person under the protection or care of another), a responsibility imposed on him by his adoptive fathers

36、will.Plot Overview: Act InGwendolen and her mother, Lady Bracknell, arrive, which gives Jack an opportunity to propose to Gwendolen. Jack is delighted to discover that Gwendolen returns his affections, but he is alarmed to learn that Gwendolen is fixated on the name Ernest, which she says “inspires

37、absolute confidence.” Gwendolen makes clear that she would not consider marrying a man who was not named Ernest. Plot Overview: Act InLady Bracknell interviews Jack to determine his eligibility as a possible son-in-law, and during this interview she asks about his family background. When Jack explai

38、ns that he has no idea who his parents were and that he was found, by the man who adopted him, in a handbag in the cloakroom at Victoria Station, Lady Bracknell is scandalized. She forbids the match between Jack and Gwendolen and sweeps out of the house.Plot Overview: Act IInIn Act II, Algernon show

39、s up at Jacks country estate posing as Jacks brother Ernest. Meanwhile, Jack, having decided that Ernest has outlived his usefulness, arrives home in deep mourning, full of a story about Ernest having died suddenly in Paris. He is enraged to find Algernon there masquerading as Ernest but has to go a

40、long with the charade. If he doesnt, his own lies and deceptions will be revealed.Plot Overview: Act IInWhile Jack changes out of his mourning clothes, Algernon, who has fallen hopelessly in love with Cecily, asks her to marry him. He is surprised to discover that Cecily already considers that they

41、are engaged, and he is charmed when she reveals that her fascination with “Uncle Jacks brother” led her to invent an elaborate romance between herself and him several months ago. Algernon is less enchanted to learn that part of Cecilys interest in him derives from the name Ernest, which, unconscious

42、ly echoing Gwendolen, she says “inspires absolute confidence.”Plot Overview: Act IInAlgernon goes off in search of Dr. Chasuble, the local rector, to see about getting himself christened Ernest. Meanwhile, Gwendolen arrives, having decided to pay Jack an unexpected visit. Gwendolen is shown into the

43、 garden, where Cecily orders tea and attempts to play hostess. Cecily has no idea how Gwendolen figures into Jacks life, and Gwendolen, for her part, has no idea who Cecily is. Gwendolen initially thinks Cecily is a visitor to the Manor House and is disconcerted to learn that Cecily is “Mr. Worthing

44、s ward.” Plot Overview: Act IInShe notes that Ernest has never mentioned having a ward, and Cecily explains that it is not Ernest Worthing who is her guardian but his brother Jack and, in fact, that she is engaged to be married to Ernest Worthing. Gwendolen points out that this is impossible as she

45、herself is engaged to Ernest Worthing. The tea party degenerates into a war of manners.Plot Overview: Act IInJack and Algernon arrive toward the climax of this confrontation, each having separately made arrangements with Dr. Chasuble to be christened Ernest later that day. Each of the young ladies p

46、oints out that the other has been deceived: Cecily informs Gwendolen that her fianc is really named Jack and Gwendolen informs Cecily that hers is really called Algernon. The two women demand to know where Jacks brother Ernest is, since both of them are engaged to be married to him. Jack is forced t

47、o admit that he has no brother and that Ernest is a complete fiction. Both women are shocked and furious, and they retire to the house arm in arm.Plot Overview: Act IIInAct III takes place in the drawing room where Cecily and Gwendolen have retired. When Jack and Algernon enter from the garden, the

48、two women confront them. Cecily asks Algernon why he pretended to be her guardians brother. Algernon tells her he did it in order to meet her. Gwendolen asks Jack whether he pretended to have a brother in order to come into London to see her as often as possible, and she interprets his reply as an a

49、ffirmation. The women are somewhat pleased but still concerned over the issue of the name. Plot Overview: Act IIInHowever, when Jack and Algernon tell Gwendolen and Cecily that they have both made arrangements to be christened Ernest that afternoon, all is forgiven and the two pairs of lovers embrac

50、e. At this moment, Lady Bracknells arrival is announced.nLady Bracknell has followed Gwendolen from London. She demands to know what is going on. Gwendolen again informs Lady Bracknell of her engagement to Jack, and Lady Bracknell reiterates that a union between them is out of the question. Plot Ove

51、rview: Act IIInAlgernon tells Lady Bracknell of his engagement to Cecily, prompting her to inspect Cecily and inquire into her social connections, which she does in a routine and patronizing manner that infuriates Jack. He replies to all her questions with a mixture of civility and sarcasm, withhold

52、ing until the last possible moment the information that Cecily is actually worth a great deal of money and stands to inherit still more when she comes of age. At this, Lady Bracknell becomes genuinely interested. Plot Overview: Act IIInJack informs Lady Bracknell that, as Cecilys legal guardian, he

53、refuses to give his consent to her union with Algernon. Lady Bracknell suggests that the two young people simply wait until Cecily comes of age, and Jack points out that under the terms of her grandfathers will, Cecily does not legally come of age until she is thirty-five. Lady Bracknell asks Jack to reconsider, and he points out that the matter is entirely in her own hands. Plot Overview: Act IIInAs soon as she con