美国文学考试试题2004

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考试科目：美国文学

天津外国语学院

2004年攻读硕士学位研究生入学考试试题（A）

Fillintheblanks(1pointeach,45pointsalltogether)

In1630onboardoftheArbellaandinthemiddleoftheAtlanticOcean,JohnWinthropdeliveredhissermon inwhichhesetoutclearlyandeloquentlytheidealsofaharmoniousChristiancommunity,sayingthattheyshouldestablish"acityuponahill"inNewEngland.

InthesecondbookofPlymouthPlantation,WilliamBradforddescribesthesigningofthe“ ”,acivilcovenantdesignedtoprotecttherightsofcitizensbeyondthereachofestablishedgovernments.

In (1775),JohndeCrevecoeurrevealstheprideofamanbeinganAmerican,the"newman,"wholeftbehindhimtheoldworldwithitsoppressionandservility,workingandgettingrewardsfromhisindustry.

“Weholdthesetruthstobeselfevident:that ;thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithinalienablerights;thatamongthesearelife ,and ."

AmericanRomanticismplacedmuchemphasisonthe“ ”oftheAmericanexperienceandofAmericansasanation.

BromBones,whoscaresIchabodCranein ’s“ ”isafrontierarchetypeinAmericanliterature.

AmericanTranscendentalismplacedemphasisonspirit,ortheOversoul,stressedtheimportanceof ,andofferedafreshperceptionofnatureassymbolicoftheSpirit.

“Iasknotforthegreat,theremote,theromantic;...Iembracethecomrnon,Iexploreandsitatthefeetofthefamiliar,thelow"Thisisquotedfrom 's“ ”

advocatesalifeofsimplicity,sayinginhis :“Amanisrichinproportiontothenumberofthingswhichhecanaffordtoletalone.”

Composedinevenmetricalflow, portraysayoung,mangrievingforhislostLenorein“ ”.

TheScarletLetterachievessymmetryofstructurebymeansofthe ,whichappearthreetimes,eachtimebringingthemajorcharacters,Hester, , ,andPearl,together.

InhisrelentlesspursuitofMobyDick, attainstragicdimensions,butinspiteoftheheroismofhisuncompromisingaspirations,heleadshimselftodeathandbringsabouttotaldestructiontothe symbolizedbyPequod.

LeavesofGrasswascondemnedtobe“noxiousweeds,”and“amassofstupidfilth,”becauseofits and .

BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath—Hekindlystoppedforme—

TheCarriageheldbutjustOurselves—And .

Thethreestaunchadvocatesofrealisminnineteenth-centuryAmericanliterature

are ,and .

TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinniswrittenin style.

Among Stephen Crane's best short stories are “Open Boat”, and“AnExperimentinMisery”.

AttheendofSisterCarrie,theprotagonistsitsina .

ThestructureofO’Henry’sstoriesischaracterizedby

by revealstheinhumanityandfilthyconditionsinChicago'smeatpackingindustry.

Imagismtriedtoexpressthemodernsenseof anddislocation.

T.S.Eliot’spoem“ ”depictsatimidmiddle-agedmangoingtoproposemarriagetoaladybuthesitatingalltheway.Thepoemtakestheformof .

WallaceStevens’spoem“ ”revealsthemodernpoet'sdesiretocreateanaestheticorderuponachaoticworld.

AttheendofTheGreatGatsby,whilethenarratorgoesforalastviewofGatsby'shouse,heassociatesGatsby'sfirstfascinationbythe attheendofDaisy'sdocktothedreamsthat hadwhentheyfirstarrivedinthenewworld.

JoeChristmasandGallHightowerarecharactersinWilliamFaulkner's .

employsruthlessburlesquetoexposetheabsurdityofthemilitarybureaucracyandofthecapitalistsysteminhisnovelsetinwartime.

ToGeorge,thehistoryprofessorin ,Nick,thebiologyprofessor,representsthethreatofmodernscientificcivilization.

ThefirstAfricanAmericantoreceiveaPhD,thepersonwhowroteTheSoulsofBlackFolk,is

.

GoTellItontheMountainby relateshowanoppressedracegroansandstrugglesforsalvation.

InToniMorrison’s ,theslavemotherwouldkillherownchildrenratherthanreturningthemtoslavery.

Pointoutthenameoftheauthorandthetitleoftheworkfromwhicheachofthefollowingpassagesistaken,(30points)

Irecollectthat,whenastripling,myfirstexploitinsquirrelshootingwasinagroveoftallwalnuttreesthatshadesonesideofthevalley.Ihadwanderedintoitatnoontime,whenallnatureispeculiarlyquiet,andwasstartledbytheroarofmyowngun,asitbroketheSabbathstillnessaround,andwasprolongedandreverberatedbytheangryechoes.IfeverIshouldwishforaretreat,whitherImightstealfromtheworldanditsdistractionsanddreamquietlyawaytheremnantofatroubledlife,Iknowofnonemorepromisingthanthislittlevalley.

Thesumspreaddisclosingrays,and,onebyone,regimentsburstintoviewlikearmedmenjustbornoftheearth.Theyouthperceivedthatthetimehadcome.Hewasabouttobemeasured.Foramomenthefeltinthefaceofhisgreattriallikeababe,andthefleshoverhisheartseemedverythin.Heseizedtimetolookabouthimcalculatingly.

Butheinstantlysawthatitwouldbeimpossibleforhimtoescapefromtheregiment.Itenclosedhim.Andtherewereironlawsoftraditionandlawonfoursides.Hewasinamovingbox.

Andstill,onthesummitofthathillhepaused.Herememberedthepeoplehehadseeninthat

city,whoseeyesheldnoloveforhim.Andhethoughtoftheirfeetsoswiftandbrutal,andthedarkgrayclothestheywore,andhowwhentheypassedtheydidnotseehim,or,iftheysawhim,theysmirked.Andhowtheirlightsunceasingcrashedonandoffabovehimandhowhewasastrangerthere.Thenherememberedhisfatherandhismother,andallthearmsstretchedouttoholdhimback,tosavehimfromthiscitywhere,theysaid,hissoulwouldfindperdition.

Thepeoplecameoutoftheirhousesandsmelledthehotstingingairandcoveredtheirnosesfromit.Andthechildrencameoutofthehouses,buttheydidnotrunorshoutastheywouldhavedoneafterarain.Menstoodbytheirfencesandlookedattheruinedcorn,dryingfastnow,onlyalittlegreenshowingthroughthefilmofdust.Themenweresilentandtheydidnotmoveoften.Andthewomencameoutofthehousestostandbesidetheirmen--tofeelwhetherthistimethemenwouldbreak.Thewomenstudiedthemen'sfacessecretly,forthecorncouldgo,aslongassomethingelseremained.Thechildrenstoodnearby,drawingfiguresinthedustwithbaretoes,andthechildrensentexploringsensesouttoseewhethermenandwomenwouldbreak.Thechildrenpeekedatthefacesofthemenandwomen,andthendrewcarefullinesinthedustwiththeirtoes.Horsescametothewateringtroughsandnuzzledthewatertoclearthesurfacedust.Afterawhilethefacesofthewatchingmenlosttheirbemusedperplexityandbecamehardandangryandresistant.Thenthewomen"knewthattheyweresafeandthattherewasnobreak.Thentheyasked,What’llwedo?Andthemenreplied,Idon'tknow.Butitwasallright.Thewomenknewitwasallright,andthewatchingchildrenknewitwasallright.Womenandchildrenknewdeepinthemselvesthatnomisfortunewastoogreattobeariftheirmenwerewhole.Thewomenwentintothehousestotheirwork,andthechildrenbegantoplay,butcautiouslyatfirst.Asthedaywentforwardthesunbecamelessred.Itflareddownonthedust-blanketedland.Themensatinthedoorwaysoftheirhouses;theirhandswerebusywithsticksandlittlerocks.Themensatstill--thinking--figuring.

Thegrocer,ontheotherhand,hadneveralteredhisfortune,unlessdegreesofpovertymeantalteration,forluckandhewere,ifnotnaturalenemies,notgoodfriends.Helaboredlonghours,wasthesoulofhonesty--hecouldnotescapehishonesty,itwasbedrock;tocheatwouldcauseanexplosioninhim,yethetrustedcheaters--covetednobody'snothingandalwaysgotpoorer.Theharderheworked--histoilwasaformoftimedevouringtime--thelessheseemedtohave.HewasMorrisBoberandcouldbenobodymorefortunate.Withthatnameyouhadnosuresenseofproperty,asifitwereinyourbloodandhistorynottopossess,orifbysomemiracletoownsomething,todosoonthevergeofloss.Attheendyouweresixtyandhadlessthanatthirty.

WearethehollowmenWearethestuffedmenLeaningtogether

Headpiecefilledwithstraw.Alas!Ourdriedvoices,when

Wewhispertogether

ArequietandmeaninglessAswindindrygrass

Orrats'feetoverbrokenglassInourdrycellar

Shapewithoutform,shadewithoutcolour,Paralyzedforce,gesturewithoutmotion:

Thosewhohavecrossed

Withdirecteyes,todeath'sotherKingdomRememberus--ifatall--notaslost

Violentsouls,butonlyAsthehollowmenThestuffedmen.

ChooseTWOoftheabovepassagesandbrieflycommentoneachofthetwopassages.(20points)

Brieflyexplainthefollowingterms.(25points)

blackhumor

climax

Transcendentalism

symbol

LostGeneration

Brieflyanswerthefollowingquestions.(30points)

SilaLaphaminTheRiseofSilasLapham,GatsbyinTheGreatGatsbyandThomasSutpeninAbsalom,Absalomallspendafortunebuildingahouse.Commentonthesymbolicsignificancewithreferencetooneofthethreenovels,

MakeacomparisonbetweenTomSawyerandHuckFirm.

AnalyzeindetailonepoembyRobertFrost.

参考答案

天津外国语学院2004年攻读硕士学位研究生入学考试试题美国文学参考答案

I

“AModelofChristianCharity”

MayflowerCompact

LettersfromanAmericanFarmer

allmenarecreatedequal;Liberty;thepursuitofHappiness

WashingtonIrving;TheLegendofSleepyHollow

intuition

RalphWaldoEmerson;TheAmericanScholar

HenryDavidThoreau;Walden

EdgarAllanPoe;Lenore

scaffold;Dimmesdale

Ahab;crew

​

Immortality

WilliamDeanHowells;MarkTwain;HenryJames

vernacular

TheBrideComestoYellowSky

rocking-chair

​

TheJungle;Sinclair

alienation

TheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrock; ?

AnecdoteoftheJar24.

LightinAugust

Catch-22

​

W.E.B.DuBois

JamesBaldwin

TheBluestEye

II

WashingtonIrving,“TheLegendofSleepyHollow”

StephenCrane,TheRedBadgeofCourage

JamesBaldwin,GoTellItontheMountain

JohnSteinbeck,TheGrapesofWrath

BernardMalamud,TheAssistant

T.S.Eliot,“TheHollowMen”

III.

Theselectedpassageisinthebeginningofthestory.Throughthepassagethewriterpicksupthetopicofthevalley,thesleepinghollowandthentheprotagonistIchabodCrane.

ThisisfromthethirdchapterofRedBadgeofCourage.Aftermoremarchingandchatting,Henryandtheregimentfindthemselvesonahilloverlookingabattle.Theirviewisfromafar.Theydonotgettoexperienceitasdirectparticipantsandarethereforedetachedfromtheactualexperienceofbattle.Henry'sfeelingstowardsthewarremainambivalentandshifting.Healmostalwayshassomeopinionorthoughtaboutbattle,buttheychangeoften.Inthispassage,heisafraidofthebattle.Hewantstoescape,butonlytofindhimselftrappedinamovingbox.Laterinthechapterhisfeelingsshifttoanticipationofanactualfight,andtofrustrationwhenthemenarebeingwithdrawn.

GoTellItontheMountainisayoungman'snovel,astightlycoiledasanewspring,yettemperedbyamaturingman'sconfidenceandempathy.Itsactionspansbutasingleday--yettheauthorpacksinenoughemotion,detail,andintimaterevelationtomakehisstoryfeellikeamid-20th-centuryepic.Usingasaframethespiritualandmoralawakeningof14-year-oldJohnGrimesduringaSaturdaynightserviceinaHarlemstorefrontchurch,Baldwinlaysbarethesecretsofatormentedblackfamilyduringthedepression.Inpeelingbackthelayersofthesedamagedlives,BaldwindramatizesthestoryofthegreatblackmigrationfromruralSouthtourbanNorth.JamesBaldwin'sportrayalofblackpeopleinHarlemcaughtupinadramaticstruggle,andofasocietyconfrontinginevitablechange."Behindthemwasthedarkness,"Baldwinwrites,"nothingbutthedarkness,andallaroundthemdestruction,andbeforethem

nothingbutthefire--abastardpeople,farfromGod,singingandcryinginthewilderness!"Intheselectedpassage,theyoungJohnGrimesisreflectinghowheislookeddownuponandalienatedbythecitypeople.

TheselectedpieceisthefirstchapterofTheGrapesofWrath,inwhichSteinbeckdescribesthedustbowlclimateofOklahoma.Thedustwassothickthatmenandwomenhadtoremainintheirhouses,andwhentheyhadtoleavetheytiedhandkerchiefsovertheirfacesandworegogglestoprotecttheireyes.Afterthewindhadstopped,anevenblanketofdustcoveredtheearth.Thecorncropwasruined.Everybodywonderedwhattheywoulddo.Thewomenandchildrenknewthatnomisfortunewastoogreattobeariftheirmenwerewhole,butthemenhadnotyetfiguredoutwhattodo.Steinbeckbeginsthenovelwithominousportentsofthehardshiptocome.Hedescribesthecomingofthedustintermsbefittingabiblicalplague.TheduststormoverwhelmsOklahoma,cloudingtheairandevenblockingoutthesun.However,whenthestormends,itisonlythebeginningofthehardshipfortheOklahomafarmers.Asenseofhopelessnesssetsinalmostimmediately.Thereseemstobenosolutionforthefarmers,whoareresignedtotheirfateandfindthemselvesbaffledatwhattheymayhavetoface.

MorrisBoberrepresentsthemoralcenterofthenovel.Morrisisakindandgenerousfigurewhobelievesthatpeopleshouldtreateachothercompassionatelyandnotcheatoneanother.Morrisisanironicherobecausewhileheisthechampionofthenovel,hedoesnotachieveanythingsignificantorwinanygreatbattles.Hesuffers,however,henevercomplains.ForMorris,sufferingisanunfortunatebutnecessarypartoflife.Throughit,oneisabletospirituallytranscendthepainandseethemeaningfulbeautyoflife.Morrislivesthesevalueseveryday,althoughheisnothappybeingtrappedinanunsuccessfulgrocery.Morris'sbehaviorisalsocharacterizedbyhiskindnesstootherpeople.Whileothermerchantsmakemoneybycheatingtheircustomers,Morrisremainspoorbuttriumphsspirituallybecauseheremainsgood.

Thetitle"TheHollowMen"meansmenwithoutthoughtorchoice,inotherwords,mindlessdrones.In"TheHollowMen"alltherichnessandcomplexityofculturewhichgives"TheWasteLand"suchthicknessoftexturedisappears.Thepoemtakesplaceinatwilightrealmofdisembodiedmenandforces.ThecomplexityofrelationsmakingupthesubjectiverealminEliot'sidealdescriptionsofitisreplacedbythevaguenessandimpalpabilityof"Shapewithoutform,shadewithoutcolour,/Paralysedforce,gesturewithoutmotion".Thehollowmenarewalkingcorpses,andtheiremptinessisthevacuityofpureminddetachedfromanyreality.Theyarecutofffromoneanother.ItportraysapoeticconsciousnessinwhichintensenostalgiaforastateofEdenicpurityconflictswiththeparadoxicalsearchforamoreenduringformoforderthroughactsofdenialandalienation.Tothecommonobservationthat“TheHollowMen”expressesthedepthsofEliot'sdespair,onemustaddthatthepoetinasensechoosesdespairastheonlyacceptablealternativetotheinauthenticexistenceoftheunthinkinginhabitantsofthewasteland.

IV.

blackhumor

BlackisalsoknownasBlackComedy.Itisakindofwritingthatplacesgrotesqueelementsside

bysidewithhumorousonesinanattempttoshockthereader,forcinghimorhertolaughatthehorrifyingrealityofadisorderedworld.JosephHeller'snovelCatch-22isconsideredasuperbexampleoftheuseofblackhumor.Otherwell-knownauthorswhouseblackhumorincludeKurtVonnegut,EdwardAlbee,EugeneIonesco,andHaroldPinter.

climax

Climaxistheturningpointinanarrative,themomentwhentheconflictisatitsmostintense.Typically,thestructureofstories,novels,andplaysisoneofrisingaction,inwhichtensionbuildstotheclimax,followedbyfallingaction,inwhichtensionlessensasthestorymovestoitsconclusion.InShakespeare's"JuliusCaesar"theclimaxoccursattheendofMarcAntony'sspeechtotheRomanpublic.

transcendentalism

TranscendentalismisaNewEnglandmovementwhichflourishedfromabout1835to1860.Ithaditsrootsinromanticismandinpost-KantianidealismbywhichColeridgewasinfluenced.IthadaconsiderableinfluenceonAmericanartandliterature.Basicallyreligious,itemphasizedtheroleandimportanceoftheindividualconscience,andthevalueofintuitioninmattersofmoralguidanceandinspiration.Theactualtermwascoinedbyopponentsofthemovement,butacceptedbyitsmembers(e.g.RalphWaldoEmerson,1803-82,oneoftheleaders,publishedTheTranscendentalistin1841).Thegroupofpeoplewasalsosocialreformers.Someofthemembers,besidesEmerson,werefamous,includingBronsonAlcott,HenryDavidThoreauandNathanielHawthorne.

symbol

Asymbolisaperson,object,image,word,oreventthatevokesarangeofadditionalmeaningbeyondandusuallymoreabstractthanitsliteralsignificance.Symbolsareeducationaldevicesforevokingcomplexideaswithouthavingtoresorttopainstakingexplanationsthatwouldmakeastorymorelikeanessaythananexperience.Conventionalsymbolshavemeaningsthatarewidelyrecognizedbyasocietyorculture.SomeconventionalsymbolsaretheChristiancross,theStarofDavid,aswastika,oranation’sflag.Writersuseconventionalsymbolstoreinforcemeanings.KateChopin,forexample,emphasizesthespringsettingin"TheStoryofanHour"asawayofsuggestingtherenewedsenseoflifethatMrs.Mallardfeelswhenshethinksherselffreefromherhusband.Aliteraryorcontextualsymbolcanbeasetting,character,action,object,name,oranythingelseinaworkthatmaintainsitsliteralsignificancewhilesuggestingothermeanings.Suchsymbolsgobeyondconventionalsymbols;theygaintheirsymbolicmeaningwithinthecontextofaspecificstory.Forexample,thewhitewhaleinMelville’sMoby-Dicktakesonmultiplesymbolicmeaningsinthework,butthesemeaningsdonotautomaticallycarryoverintootherstoriesaboutwhales.ThemeaningssuggestedbyMelville’swhalearespecifictothattext;therefore,itbecomesacontextualsymbol.

LostGeneration

AtermfirstusedbyGertrudeSteintodescribethepost-WorldWarIgenerationofAmericanwriters:menandwomenhauntedbyasenseofbetrayalandemptinessbroughtaboutbythedestructivenessofthewar.Fullofyouthfulidealism,theseindividualssoughtthemeaningoflife,drankexcessively,hadloveaffairsandcreatedsomeofthefinestAmericanliteraturetodate.Thethreebest-knownrepresentativesofLostGenerationareF.ScottFitzgerald,ErnestHemingwayandJohnDosPassos.OthersusuallyincludedamongthelistareSherwoodAnderson,KayBoyle,HartCrane,FordMaddoxFordandZeldaFitzgerald.

V.

TheoriginaltitleforthisbookwasDarkHouse,symbolizingboththework'sGothicrootsanditsdepictionofthe"darkhouse"oftheSouth.Sutpen'shauntedhouseonSutpen'sHundredisametaphorfortheSouthandallofthesinsthatitisresponsiblefor,includingslaveryandtherepudiationoftheblack"sons"oftheSouth.JustasSutpen'shauntedhousefellbecauseitfailedtoreconciletheblacksonswiththewhite,theSouth,too,fellforthesamereason.

HuckleberryFinnandTomSawyerarethebestoffriendswithremarkablydifferentpersonalities.Eachbringstheiruniquecharacteristicsintothiscomicalfriendshipgivingthenovelnumerousamusingpassages.Throughoutthetale,TomisoftentheleaderwhileHuckisthereluctantfollower.Itdoesn’tmatterthatTom’sideasareridiculousandextravagant,andHuck’saresimpleandpractical,togethertheyalwaysproceedwithTom’simaginativeplans.IncontrasttoTom’sgreatimaginationandcreativity,Huckishumorlessandliteralminded.Tom’simaginativenesscomesonlyfromknowledgehehasgainedthroughbooks.Huck,onthe