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1、1. The Renaissance: The Renaissance marks a transition from the medieval to the modern world. Generally, it refers to the period between the 14th the manipulation of the whaling chapters for some philosophical speculation makes the novel more than symbolic; different levels of language use and style
2、s turn the whole book into a symphony with all the musical instruments going on to form a melody; and moreover, Melvilles knowledge of epic and tragedy, the highest literary genres, helps him produce a great tragic epic, with Ahab at the center as a tragic hero, who burns with a baleful fire, becomi
3、ng evil himself in his thirst to destroy evil. What is Realism? In art and literature, Realism refers to an attempt to describe human behavior and surroundings or to represent figures exactly as they act or appear in life. Realism emerged as a literary movement in Europe in the 1850s. In reaction to
4、 Romanticism, realistic writers should set down their observations impartially and objectively. They insisted on accurate documentation, sociological insight, and avoidance of poetic diction and idealization. The subjects were to be taken from everyday life, preferably from lower-class life. Realism
5、 entered American literature after the Civil War. William Dean Howells, Mark Twain, and Henry James were the pioneers of realism in the U.S. 2.The literary characteristics of the Realistic Period in American literatureGuided by the principle of adhering to the truthful treatment of 1ife, the realist
6、s touched upon various contemporary social and political issues. In their works, instead of writing about the polite, we11-dressed, grammatica1ly correct middle-class young people who moved in exotic places and remote times, they introduced industrial workers and farmers, ambitious businessmen and v
7、agrants, prostitutes and unheroic soldiers as major characters in fiction. They approached the harsh realities and pressures in the post-Civil War society either by a comprehensive picture of modern life in its various occupations, c1ass stratifications and manners, or by a psychological exploration
8、 of mans subconsciousness. The three dominant figures of the period are William Dean Howells, Mark Twain, and Henry James. Together they brought to fulfillment native trends in the realistic portrayal of the 1andscape and social surfaces, brought to perfection the vernacular style, and explored and
9、exploited the literary possibilities of the interior life. 3.The three dominant figures of the Realistic period differed in their understanding of the “truth ” (1) While Mark Twain and Howells paid more attention to the “life“ of the Americans, Henry James laid a greater emphasis on the“ inner world
10、“ of man. He came to believe that the literary artist should not simply hold a mirror to the surface of social life in particular times and places. In addition, the writer should use language to probe the deepest reaches of the psychological and moral nature of human beings. He is a realist of the i
11、nner life. (2) Though Twain and Howells both shared the same concern in presenting the truth of the American society, they had each of them different emphasis. Howells focused his discussion on the rising middle class and the way they lived, while Twain preferred to have his own region and people at
12、 the forefront of his stories, which is known as “ local colorism”, a unique variation of American literary realism. 2.The distinction between Realism and Naturalism Naturalism is evolved from realism when the authors tone in writing becomes less serious and less sympathetic but more detached, ironi
13、c and more pessimistic. It is no more than a different philosophical approach to reality, or to human existence. The distinction lies, first of all, in the fact that Realism is concerned directly with what is absorbed by the senses; Naturalism, a term more properly applied to literature, attempts to
14、 apply scientific theories to art. Second, Naturalism differs from Realism in adding an amoral attitude to the objective presentation of life. Naturalistic writers, adopting Darwins biological determinism and Marxs economic determinism, regard human behavior as controlled by instinct, emotion, or social and economic conditions, and reject free will. Third, Naturalism had an outlook often bleaker than that of Realism, and it added a dimension of predetermined fate that rendered human will ultimately powerless.
