Theme-文学原理教程课件(PPT 43页)

1、Theme第1页，共43页。Definition- The central idea or statement about life that unifies and controls the total work.第2页，共43页。A theme may be stated or implied. It is the perception about life or human nature that the writer wants to communicate.第3页，共43页。Misconceptions about Theme1. Each a novel has a theme /

2、 themes.第4页，共43页。Theme only exists in the novel that seriously attempts to reflect life faithfully; intends to reveal truth about life; are based on ideas or theories of life.第5页，共43页。Eg: Novels of ratiocination (推理) / horror have no theme.- They are aimed at entertaining the reader, not at improvin

3、g his understanding of life.第6页，共43页。2. The theme is largely what the novel is.第7页，共43页。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 Vegetables第8页，共43页。3. The theme

4、 is confused with a moral or lesson.第9页，共43页。Moral / Lesson the advice stated 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.第10页，共43页。Theme - More complicated as a novel is to enhance ones awarene

5、ss of life rather than simply to tell him how to behave.第11页，共43页。4. One novel has only one theme.Some have several subthemes to the main theme.Some are appreciated for their thematic ambiguity.第12页，共43页。5. The theme is confused with the subject. 第13页，共43页。 Subject - A matter / an affair Theme - An

6、idea Subject - The topic on which an author has chosen to write. Theme - Some statement about or some opinion on that topic. 第14页，共43页。Eg: Love - Subject Love is invincible. - Theme War - Subject War is useless. - Theme 第15页，共43页。 Theme - Particular to the novel, though some are similar; Subject - U

7、niversal.Eg: The Scarlet Letter The Great Gatsby Women in Love Subject - Love Theme - Different第16页，共43页。Five Requirements for Stating a ThemeA 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”.第17页，共43页。

8、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 maternal love” Maternal love is selfless. 第18页，共43页。2. Names of characters & places should not be mentioned.- The theme is a generalization about life based o

9、n the novel, and the statement of theme should be true also of other people or life situations.第19页，共43页。Eg: Wuthering Heights - Peoples psychology of revenge - Heathcliffs psychology of revenge 第20页，共43页。3. Though a theme is a generalization, overgeneralization should be avoided.第21页，共43页。 Since a

10、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第22页，共43页。 When making a generalization, one should strictly keep to what is actually in the novel and not smuggle into it assumpt

11、ions supplied from his past experience.第23页，共43页。4. The theme must account for all the major details and must not be contradicted by any details in the novel.第24页，共43页。5. One should avoid reducing a theme to a clich or platitude since a theme is different form a moral or a lesson.Eg: “Beauty is only

12、 skin-deep”. 第25页，共43页。Some ThemesJustice 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. 第26页，共43页。Where to Look for the Theme1. How the novel is entitled. - The central theme of the no

13、vel is sometimes present in the title.第27页，共43页。Eg: Pride and Prejudice - About Darcys Pride Elizabeth Bennets Prejudice第28页，共43页。2. How the novelist shows his interest. - If the novelist is interested in sth., he would allow more space to it, describing or narrating in great detail.第29页，共43页。3. How

14、 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.第30页，共43页。 4. Important symbols. - Symbols are loaded with important meanings. So if a symbol appears repeatedly or at i

15、mportant moments, it may point to the theme of the novel.Eg: The Scarlet Letter - the letter “A”第31页，共43页。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? 第32页，共43页。3. What elements of the

16、 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?第33页，共43页。5. What is the value / significance of the works theme? Is it topical or universal in its application?第34页，共43页。主题：是故事的

17、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。第35页，共43页。A Rose for EmilyDeath1. Funeral of Emily;2. Death of Emilys father;3. Death of old lady Wyatt, Emilys great-aunt; 4. Corpse of Homer Barron第36页，共43页。The Decline of the Old South 1. At one time, the Grierson home was in

18、 one of the 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.” 第37页，共43页。2. The reaction to the Yankee, Homer Barron: - The younger generation finds it easier to accept Homer, whil

19、e the older folks find his relationship with a woman born to old Southern gentility unacceptable. 第38页，共43页。Community Vs. Isolation - The odd relationship between the town of Jefferson and Emily. 第39页，共43页。1. At her funeral, the narrator notes that Emily has been “. . .a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon