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1、 Howells, Henry James, Mark Twain, DreiserPart Ten The Age of Realism Chapter One IntroductionI. Teaching Contents1. The background of American Realism2. Definition of American Realism3. Principles of American Realism II. The Important Points:1. Realism2. American RealismIII. Difficulties:1. Definit
2、ion of American Realism 2. Principles of American RealismIV. Teaching Methods1. Questioning2. Discussing3. CAI1. Background1) The three conflicts that reached breaking point in this period(1) industrialism vs. agrarian(2) culturely-measured east vs. newly-developed west(3) plantation gentility vs. c
3、ommercial gentilityIn the Civil War, the industrialized North defeated the agrarian South, and the United States headed toward capitalism. The war led many to question the assumptions shared by the Transcendentalists. It taught men that life was not so good, man was not, and God was not. The war mar
4、ked a change in the quality of American life, a deterioration of American moral values.2) The 1880s urbanization: from free competition to monopoly capitalismAfter the Civil War, commerce took the lead in the national economy. Increasing industrialization and mechanization of the country soon produc
5、ed extremes of wealth and poverty. Wealth and power were more and more concentrated in the hands of the few captains of industry or robber barons. The spirit of self-reliance that Emerson had preached became perverted into admiration for driving ambition, a lust for money and power. In the meantime,
6、 life for the millions was fast becoming a veritable struggle for survival.3) The closing of American frontierThe frontier had been a factor of great importance in American life. Now that the frontier was about to close and the safety valve was ceasing to operate. The worth of the American dream beg
7、an to lose its hold on the imagination of the people. Beneath the glittering surface of prosperity there lay suffering and unhappiness. Disillusionment and frustration were widely felt. What had been expected to be a Golden Age turned out to be a Gilded one.4) What is American Realism?The period ran
8、ging from 1865 to 1914 has been referred to as the Age of Realism in the literary history of the United States, which is actually a movement or tendency that dominated the spirit of American literature, especially American fiction, from the 1850s onwards. The American realistic writers paid a great
9、interest in the realities of life and described the integrity (honesty, truthfulness) of human character reacting under various circumstances and pictured the pioneers of the Far West, the new immigrants and the struggles of the working classes. So American Realism was a reaction against Romanticism
10、 or a move away from the bias towards romance and self-creating fictions, and paved the way to Modernism. The leading figures were Mark Twain, Henry James, Jack London, Theodore Dreiser, etc.2. Principles of Realism 1) Insistence upon and defense of the experienced commonplace. 2) Character more imp
11、ortant than plot. 3) Attack upon romanticism and romantic writers4) Emphasis upon morality often self-realized and upon an examination of idealism. 5) Concept of realism as a realization of democracy. 3. Identifying Characteristics Of Realistic Writing1) The philosophy of Realism is known as descend
12、ental or non-transcendental. The purpose of writing is to instruct and to entertain. Realists were pragmatic, relativistic, democratic, and experimental. 2) The subject matter of Realism is drawn from our experience, - it treated the common, the average, the non-extreme, the representative, the prob
13、able. 3) The morality of Realism is intrinsic, integral, relativistic - relations between people and society are explored. 4) The style of Realism is the vehicle which carries realistic philosophy, subject matter, and morality. Emphasis is placed upon scenic presentation, de-emphasizing authorial co
14、mment and evaluation. There is an objection towards the omniscient point of view. 5) Realistic Complexity and MultiplicityComplexity refers to the interwoven, entangled density of experience; multiplicity indicates the simultaneous existence of different levels of reality or of many truths, equally
15、true from some point of view.6) Realistic CharacterizationThere is the belief among the Realists that humans control their destinies; characters act on their environment rather than simply reacting to it. Character is superior to circumstance.7) The Use Of Symbolism And ImageryThe Realists generally
16、 reject the kind of symbolism suggested by Emerson when he said Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact. Their use of symbolism is controlled and limited; they depend more on the use of images.4. Realistic Techniques1) Settings thoroughly familiar to the writer 2) Plots emphasizing the norm of daily experien
