维多利亚时期文学

Englishliterature——TheVictorianAgetheVictorianPeriod

TheVictorianperiodroughlycoincideswiththereignofQueenVictoriawhoruledoverEnglandfrom1836to1901.TheperiodhasbeengenerallyregardedasoneofthemostgloriousintheEnglishhistory.TheChartistMovement（1836-1848）

宪章运动

TheEnglishworkersgotthemselvesorganizedinbigcities&broughtforththePeople'scharter,inwhichtheydemandedbasicrights&betterliving&workingconditions.They,forthreetimes,madeappealstothegovernment,withhundredsofthousandsofpeople'ssignatures.Themovementsweptovermostofthecitiesinthecountry.Althoughthemovementdeclinedtoanendin

1848,itdidbringsomeimprovementtothewelfareoftheworkingclass.ThiswasthefirstmassmovementoftheEnglishworkingclass&theearlysignoftheawakeningofthepoor,oppressedpeople.Utilitarianism

功利主义

Almosteverythingwasputtothetestbythecriterion(原则)ofutility,

thatis,theextenttowhichitcouldpromotethematerialhappiness.Thistheoryheldaspecialappealtothemiddle-classindustrialists,

whosegreeddrovethemtoexploitingworkerstotheutmost&broughtgreatersuffering&povertytotheworkingmass.CriticalRealism

批判现实主义

TheVictorianAgeisanageofrealismratherthanofromanticism,arealismwhichstrivestotellthewholetruthshowingmoral&physicaldiseasesastheyare.Tobetruetolifebecomesthefirstrequirementforliterarywriting.Asthemirroroftruth,

literaturehascomeveryclosetodailylife,reflectingitspracticalproblems&interests&isusedasapowerfulinstrumentofhumanprogress(进步,发展).DramaticMonologue

戏剧独白

Bydramaticmonologue,itismeantthatapoetchoosesadramaticmomentoracrisis,

inwhichhischaractersaremadetotalkabouttheirlives,

&abouttheirminds&hearts.In"listening"tothoseone-sidedtalks,

readerscanformtheirownopinions&judgmentsaboutthespeaker'spersonality&aboutwhathasreallyhappened.RobertBrowningbroughtthispoeticformtoitsmaturity&perfection&his"MyLastDuchess"isoneofthebest-knowndramaticmonologues.

TheReformBillof1832gavethemiddleclassthepoliticalpower.Whiletheaffluenceofthemiddleclassincreased,thelowerclasses,thrownofftheirlandandintothecitiestoformthegreaturbanworkingclass.

In1837whenQueenVictoriacametothethrone(王位),marriedwomenhadnopropertyrights,notevenintheproceedsoftheirownearnings.Theyhadnorightstocustody（监护

）oftheirownchildrenandwereexcludedfromuniversitiesandprofessions.ThesocialchangesDarwin’sOriginofSpecies(1859)andTheDescentofMan(1871)shookthetheoreticalbasisoftheconventionalreligiousfaith.

BackgroundoftheperiodTheenlightenmentmovement.（启蒙运动）Theenlightenerscelebratedreason,equalityandscience,claimingthatthereasonshouldbetheonlyandthefinalcauseofthehumans.Theybelieveintheeternaljusticeandnaturalequalityandtheeternaltruth.Towardsthemiddleofthe18century,ithasbecomethefirstpowerfulcapitalistcountry.Itisaperiodofeconomicexpansionandpopulationgrowth.Culturally,itisbelievedthatself-relianceandhardworkisthepreferredsocialmoralandvalue.FeaturesoftheVictorianLiterature

Victorianliterature,asaproductofitsage,naturallytookonitsqualityofmagnitude(大小

)&diversity.Itwasmany-sided&complex,&reflectedbothromantically&realisticallythegreatchangesthatweregoingoninpeople'slife&thought.Greatwriters&greatworksabounded.Novel

TheVictorianagewasthegreatageoftheEnglishnovel—realistic,thicklyplotted(紧凑旳情节),crowdedwithcharacters,andlong.Itwastheidealformtodescribecontemporarylifeandtoentertainthemiddleclass.

MajorwritersintheperiodJohnBunyanThePilgrim’sProgress《天路历程》GraceAboundingtothechiefofSinners(上帝赐于最大罪人旳无限恩惠)TheHolyWar《圣战》VanityFair《名利场》DanielDefoe(丹尼尔.笛福1600－1731)Representativeworks:RobinsonCrusoe(鲁滨逊漂流记)AJournalofthePlague(大瘟疫日志)SamuelRichardson(塞缪尔.里查森)Pamela(帕米拉)TheHistoryofSirCharlesGrandison(查尔斯先生旳历史)JonathanSwift(1667-1705)

乔纳森.斯威特Representativeworks:Gulliver’sTravels(格利佛游记)ATaleofaTub(一种木桶旳故事)Nonfiction写实文学

Famoushistorians,critics,scientistsandessayistsabounded.

ThomasMacaulayrepresentsinthefullestdegreetheVictorianvigoranddelightinmaterialprogress.

ThomasCarlyle,thehistorian,socialcritic,andprophet（预言者，先知）,wroteamajorhistoryoftheFrenchRevolution.

JohnHenryNewman,oneoftheprimemoversoftheOxfordMovement,wroteaseriesofessaysonreligion,philosophy,andeducation.

JohnRuskin,theforemostEnglishartcritic,revolutionizedartcriticismandwrotesomeofthemostsuperbproseintheEnglishlanguage.

JohnStuartMill,betterknownastheauthorofPrinciplesofPoliticalEconomy（政治经济学原理）,wasthemostinfluentialEnglish-speakingphilosopherofthenineteenthcentury.Poetry

Victorianpoetryisobsessedbythegreatideasofafictionalized（小说化旳）

past,itfunctionsasapopularencyclopedia（百科全书）orcommentarytomythorfolklore（民间传说）anditisafashionablecommentarytoavarietyofideas.Itsmostrepresenta