英语文学赏读资料整理

1、FOLKLORE: fable, fairytale, myth1.Folklore is oral literature (intangible cultural heritage.Other types of folklore include traditional customs, superstitions, dances, legends, riddles, proverbs, games, rituals and songs that have been adopted and maintained within a given community by process of re

2、petition and oral transmission. Folklore in particular implies the commonly shared knowledge of pre-literate societies or under-literate social classesAll these genres refer to the collective memory of a people handed down orally to help shape a common identity2.Definition of “mythology”:The sum tot

3、al of myths, traditional stories about gods, kings and heroes. Mythology often relates the creation of the world as well as its destruction. It also depicts the relationships between various gods and between gods and humans, and deals with the significant aspects of human and super-human existence.M

4、yths are usually distinguished from legends in that the former has less of an historical basis. Myths: popular tales that embody a collective knowledge; they were an important part of the oral tradition.Three principle categories: pure myth, heroic saga, and the folk taleFor one thing, myths are mag

5、nificent literature in their written form. For another, they formed the basis of a humanistic education throughout the ancient world and from the late Middle Ages down to the 20th century. For yet more, they show us the marvels that existed long before scientific reasoning shed its progressive light

6、 on our perceptions.3.Fable: What characteristics?a short story, often but not necessarily about animals, illustrating a piece of popular wisdom, or satirizing human behaviors. Fables often conclude with a moral, delivered in the form of an epigram, a proverb or a maxim. As a very old form of story

7、related to folklore and proverbs, the fable in Europe tales is attributed to Aesop (6th century B.C.Allegory 寓意,托喻(手法,文体A device of representation that uses apparent characters, events or meanings to symbolize a deeper moral or spiritual meaning.Parable 寓言,譬喻(文体A short story that uses familiar event

8、s to illustrate a religious or ethical teaching. A parable is an illustration, a comparison, or an analogy, most likely in the form of a story,using every day events to teach a moral or spiritual truth. A parable is a brief, succinct story, in prose or verse, that illustrates a moral or religious le

9、sson.An allegory is a story that contains many metaphors. An allegory is a figurative mode ofrepresentation conveying a meaning other than the literal.So, a parable IS an allegory, but not all allegories are parables.The main difference between fables (拟人寓言and parables(托人寓言:(1 Fables involve non-hum

10、an characters to teach their lessons, while parables are alwaysabout people.(2 Fables are set in a fantasy world, and parables are much more rooted in reality. (3Parables almost always have a religious or spiritual aspect to them, while fables teach moral and ethical lessons (about how to behave, or

11、 how to treat others, for example.4.Fairytales are stories about fairies or other mythical or magical beings, and have oftenbeen seen as simple narratives to amuse (children especially. But their more pervasive significance was noted when writers used the stories for a didactic purpose. Fairytales u

12、sed to stress on the moral role and relevant psychological impact of the tales.More recently the fairy stories have been linked to a process of socialization as well as the imposition on girls of (patriarchal specific value judgments.WHAT IS LITERATURES FUCTION?Literature is often seen as pedagogica

13、l.Most stories justify some kind of truth, moral value, or collective judgment. They alsohold up a mirror to human nature; or they contain themes of primitive human nature disguised allegorically. They are Didactic, Moralistic.Fantastical FictionFantasy stories:definitely involving supernatural elem

14、ents (magic, monsters, semi-humans, spirits, magical objects, etc. Improbability reins. Mysticism > Rational Realism.Gothic stories: may involve supernatural beings (spirits, ghosts, yet mostly relying on the inexplicability of strange/mysterious incidents. Mysticism Realism.Science fictionno sup

15、ernatural elements. All description/speculation of the future world/lives observes scientific probability and rules. Rational Realism and scientific accountability predominates.1.Science fictionset in the future, or in which the contemporary setting is disrupted by an imaginary device such as a new

16、invention, or the introduction of an alien being.dealing with the impact of (imagined or probable or existent science and technology upon society and people.discovery of virgin terrain for human colonization (under the sea-bed, the moon, human migration into space, etc.,extraterritorial beings, alie

17、ns, space travel,scientific advancement, cloning, human-animal transplant,artificial intelligence, robots,ecological catastrophes (the leakage of nuclear radiation, bio-war, etc.What is the difference between science fiction and other stories of fantasySF respects the limits of scientific possibilit

18、y, and their innovations are plausible extrapolations from modern science theory and technology.SF consists of a careful and informed speculation of scientific facts and principles, whereas the fantastical literature may completely defy principles of realism in exchange for imagination. World War I:

19、 since then, British scientific positivism yielded to the idea that wars and human technology could (and probably would obliterate civilization, plunging mankind into a new DarkAge. Speculation in this period was tinted with a determined cynicism and pessimism.The USA rose into power after WW1. Its

20、SF deals largely with new technology and inter-planetary travel.USAs self-confidence and scientific optimism: the eventual victory over some obnoxious forces/species that intend to replace mankind.human creativity + technologies = men capable of solving all possible challenges, home sapiens enabled

21、to conquer the universe.2.Gothic story:A type of horror story popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.Gothic : originally implying medieval, or rather a fantasized idea of the past.Later, it came to cover all areas of the fantastic and supernatural.It had come to mean wild, barbarous and c

22、rude.The popularity of this genre signaled the weakening of the 18th century rationalismCharacteristics of the Gothic story: Time: in the past and in foreign countries (particularly Catholic countries; Theme: of happenings dark, mysterious, inscrutable, puzzling Plot: The plots hinge on suspense and

23、 mystery involving the fantastic and the supernatural (ghosts, demons, evil spirits, vampires, werewolves, etc. Setting: ruined castles, remote mansions and crumbling churches, deserted monasteries, haunted dungeons and desolate mountainous landscapes. Effect: The 'Gothic' genre intends to e

24、voke emotional extremes: strong feelings of awe, fear, anxiety, horror. The readers emotional response broken free from rational control.The Detective Genre:1.DefinitionA sub-genre of fiction related to crime fiction and mystery fiction; it presents a mysterious event or crime, usually but not neces

25、sarily murder, which is solved by a “detective/agent”.2.Emphasis of the detective genre:This genre seldom relies on the presentation of deep emotions or on subtle and profound character creation. A mysterious but not necessarily horrible crime is the indispensable element. A detective, who is common

26、ly not a professional policeman, has highly developed powers of scientific deduction with which he thinks through the puzzle.Essential: no supernatural elements; surface details must be convincing; no clues are kept from the reader, who may thus have the satisfaction of competing with the detective

27、at his game. In the detective story proper, as opposed to the crime novel, the criminals identity is not revealed until the end, and provides the focus of attention.The golden rules for the classic detective story writers: detective fiction should be concerned with puzzles rather than crimes, and it

28、 should elaborate its puzzles in strict obedience to the rules of logic and fair play.The Detective novel has always been related to public interest in the problems of modern, urban life, particularly in crime. As a genre, it emerged in the 19th century as aresult of urbanization large number of peo

29、ple moving into cities. an interest in human psychologySoft-boiled detective story (UK:Protagonists: ×physical strength, acute logical reasoning and power of deduction.They are very self-disciplined and above temptation. Often not professional detectives.Settings of events are often limited on

30、the (upper middle class: country houses, Oxbridge colleges, libraries, etc.Plot involves very little violence or other provocatively sensational themes; thus presenting the atmosphere of objectivity and gentility.Hard-boiled detective story (USA:Protagonists are often tough guys who take law into th

31、eir own hands: strong, brave, and susceptible to temptation.Settings: inner city areas, dark alleys and shanty towns; lower-middle class or working class people.Plot involves violence and provocative sexual insinuations. The world of the hardboiled detective is one in which criminal behavior constit

32、utes the norm, not the aberrance.RealismRealism: an artistic creed: the purpose of art is to depict life with complete and objective honesty to show things “as they really are”.Realists thought an artist should concern himself with the here and now, with everyday events, with his own environment and

33、 with the movements (political, social, etc. of his time. Realists tend to show the humble side of life as seen by ordinary people.Realistic fiction is often opposed to romantic and/or fantastical fiction.The realists set out to write a fiction that will give the illusion that it reflects lifetruthf

34、ully.The characters of realistic fiction: the middle class or the working class people who livethrough ordinary experiences.The concern of realism is the problems of life.Photographic technologyPart II: PoetryNarrative poetry is a form of poetry which tells a story, often making use of the voices of

35、a narrator and characters. The poems that make up this genre may be short or long, andthe story it relates to may be complex. Narrative poems include epics, ballads, idylls (田园诗 and lays (故事诗.Epic(史诗: A long narrative poem, on a grand scale, about the deeds of warriors, heroes, or gods. Epics are of

36、ten of national significanceBallad: A poem in the form of folksong that tells a story of adventure, war, love, death, or thesupernatural.Dramatic Monologue(戏剧独白: A poem that has one imaginary speaker addressing an imaginary audience and in such monologue a story is revealed in a dramatic way. During

37、 his discourse, the speaker intentionally or unintentionally reveals information about one or more of the following: his personality, his state of mind, his attitude toward his topic, and his response or reaction to developments relating to his topic. The main focus of a dramatic monologue is this p

38、ersonal information, not the topic which the speaker happens to be discussing.Haiku and Imagistic PoetryImagistic poetry is free to choose any subject and to create its own rhythms, uses common speech, and presents an image or vivid sensory description that is clear, and concentrated. Its aim is to

39、render the poets im pression of a scene/event/place in concrete metaphors, or by juxtaposition.DramaThe thought of a play is its theme.In most plays, the protagonists conflict embody the plays thought.All characters coalesce to create the plays thought.All words of a play count to help highlight its

40、 thought.Plays are good dialogues + good actingThe comedy of manners is a genre of play/television/film which satirizes(讽刺 the manners and affectations of a social class, often represented by stock characters. The plot of the comedy, often concerned with scandal, is generally less important than its witty dialogue.Naturalism (literaturewas a literary movement taking place fro