英美文学赏析.pptx
会计学1英美文学赏析英美文学赏析Contentsn nWhat is the literature?n nFiction n nPoetryn nDrama 第1页/共25页Part OneWhat is Literature第2页/共25页What is LiteratureTwo branches of human writingTwo branches of human writing Arts Arts ScienceScienceScienceScience:Based on seeking facts and truth.:Based on seeking facts and truth.It brings advantages to humankind and these advantages are valuable It brings advantages to humankind and these advantages are valuable in our daily lives.in our daily lives.Man seeks truth because curiosity is in his nature.Man seeks truth because curiosity is in his nature.Art,as one of its major function,seeks value in the beauty of Art,as one of its major function,seeks value in the beauty of creation.creation.Artists primary concern is to compose or produce works that are Artists primary concern is to compose or produce works that are unique,that have quality,and that last forever.unique,that have quality,and that last forever.Art is free because an artist has the freedom to imagine.Art is free because an artist has the freedom to imagine.Literature is considered as Art.Literature is considered as Art.第3页/共25页Definition of literature Literature refers to pieces of work belonging to one of four major branches or genres:Fiction:short stories and novels.Fiction:short stories and novels.Non-Fiction:prose,biographies Non-Fiction:prose,biographies and autobiographies.and autobiographies.Poetry:free verse,blank verse,Poetry:free verse,blank verse,sonnets,ballads,songs,etc.sonnets,ballads,songs,etc.Drama:theatrical plays.Drama:theatrical plays.Function of literature（readers response)To entertainTo entertain To teachTo teach To thinkTo think第4页/共25页Definition of Literaturen nThe definition of 14th century:The definition of 14th century:n npolite learning through reading.polite learning through reading.n na a man of literature or a man of letters=a man of wide man of literature or a man of letters=a man of wide reading,reading,“literacyliteracy.”.”n nThe definition of 18th century:The definition of 18th century:n nP Practice and profession of writingractice and profession of writing.n nThe definition of 19th century:The definition of 19th century:n nthe high skills of writing in the special context of high the high skills of writing in the special context of high imaginationimagination第5页/共25页Definition of literaturen nThe definition of The definition of 2020th century th century n nRobert FrostRobert Frost s definition:s definition:performance in wordsperformance in wordsn nModern definition:Modern definition:n nliterature as language artistically used to achieve literature as language artistically used to achieve identifiable literary qualities and to convey meaningful identifiable literary qualities and to convey meaningful messagesmessages,characterized characterized by beauty of expression and by beauty of expression and formform and and by universalityby universality,intellectual and emotional intellectual and emotional appealappeal.第6页/共25页Summary of Literatures Definition n nLiterature is one form of art with imaginative or creative beauty involving the dynamic relationship between the object and the perceiver,in which the writers tell stories or create contexts by employing their imagination and expose their emotions and opinions in order to entertain and instruct the readers,while those who read their works can acquire knowledge,enlarge the horizon of their viewpoints and purify their feelings.第7页/共25页How to study literature?Historical Historical studystudy I Illustratllustrate e the historical development of literature.the historical development of literature.Formal studyFormal study Be familiar with the elements of a literary work,eg:Be familiar with the elements of a literary work,eg:plot,character,setting,point of view,etc;answer some plot,character,setting,point of view,etc;answer some basic questions about the text itself.basic questions about the text itself.Thematic Thematic analysisanalysis What What does a novel,adoes a novel,a story,story,a a poem,poem,a a play or play or anan essay essay talk talk about?about?Close reading:guessing by detailsClose reading:guessing by details第8页/共25页Major forms of literatureNon-FictionNon-Fiction（纪实文学）（纪实文学）Non-fiction(or nonfiction)is the form of any narrative,account,or other Non-fiction(or nonfiction)is the form of any narrative,account,or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be factual.be factual.Essays,journals,diaries,documentaries,histories,scientific papers,Essays,journals,diaries,documentaries,histories,scientific papers,photographs,biographies,textbooks,travel books,blueprints,technical photographs,biographies,textbooks,travel books,blueprints,technical documentation,user manuals,diagrams,some journalism,letters,magazine documentation,user manuals,diagrams,some journalism,letters,magazine articles,etc.articles,etc.FictionFiction（虚虚构构文文学学/小小说说）:In In an an inclusive inclusive sense,sense,fiction fiction is is any any literary literary narrativenarrative,whether whether in in prose prose or or verse,verse,which which is is invented invented instead instead of of being being an an account account of of events events that that in in fact fact happened.happened.In In a a narrower narrower sense,sense,however,however,fiction fiction denotes denotes only only narratives narratives that that are are written written in in prose prose(the(the novel novel and and short short story),story),and and sometimes sometimes is is used used simply simply as as a a synonym for the novel.synonym for the novel.第9页/共25页Major forms of literaturen nBy Concrete Genren nProse is an inclusive term for all Prose is an inclusive term for all discourse,spoken or written,discourse,spoken or written,which is not patterned into the which is not patterned into the lines either of metric verse or of lines either of metric verse or of free verse.free verse.n nFiction Fiction n nPoetry Poetry n nDrama Drama 第10页/共25页Part twofiction第11页/共25页Definition of fictionn nIn an inclusive sense,fiction is any literary narrative,whether in prose or verse,which is invented instead of being an account of events that in fact happened.n nIn a narrower sense,however,fiction denotes only narratives that are written in prose(the novel and short story),and sometimes is used simply as a synonym for the novel.第12页/共25页Types of fictionn nBy relation to realityBy relation to realityn nRealistic fictionRealistic fictionn nNon-realistic fictionNon-realistic fictionn nSemi-FictionSemi-Fictionn nBy genreBy genren nNovels,short stories,fables,fairy tales,plays,poetry,comic books,and Novels,short stories,fables,fairy tales,plays,poetry,comic books,and video games.video games.n nBy lengthBy lengthn n Novel:50,000 or more.is now applied to a great variety of writings Novel:50,000 or more.is now applied to a great variety of writings that have in common only the attribute of being extended works of that have in common only the attribute of being extended works of fiction written in prose.fiction written in prose.n nFlash fiction:less than 2,000 words.Flash fiction:less than 2,000 words.n n Short story:2,000 to 7,500 words.Short story:2,000 to 7,500 words.n n Novelette:7,500 to 17,500 words.Novelette:7,500 to 17,500 words.n nNovella:17,500 to 50,000 words.Novella:17,500 to 50,000 words.第13页/共25页Elements of fictionn nPlot:story line(s)of a fiction including all events and actions taking place in the fictionn nExpositionExpositionn nForeshadowingForeshadowingn nRising actionRising actionn nConflict:Person vs.self;Person vs.Conflict:Person vs.self;Person vs.person;Person vs.society;Person vs.person;Person vs.society;Person vs.nature;Person vs.supernatural;nature;Person vs.supernatural;Person vs.machine/technologyPerson vs.machine/technologyn nClimaxClimaxn n Falling action Falling actionn n Resolution Resolution n nTypes of plots n nChronological order/FlashbackChronological order/Flashbackn nMain plot/subplotMain plot/subplot第14页/共25页Elements of fiction Character:the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative workCharacter:the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work,who,who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with particular moralparticular moral,intellectual,and emotional intellectual,and emotional qualities.qualities.Point-of-view character;Point-of-view character;Protagonist Protagonist Antagonist;Antagonist;Static character Static character Dynamic character;Dynamic character;Foil Foil Supporting character;Supporting character;Minor characterMinor characterCharacterizationCharacterization Showing/telling Showing/telling Appearance/setting Appearance/setting ActionAction Others comment/DialogueOthers comment/Dialogue第15页/共25页Elements of fiction n nSetting:the general locale,historical time,and social circumstances in which its action occurs;the setting of a single episode or scene within such a work is the particular physical location in which it takes place.n n Spatial setting Spatial settingn nTemporal setting Temporal setting n nCultural settingCultural settingn nCompare“The Story of an Compare“The Story of an Hour”and“The Black Cat”Hour”and“The Black Cat”第16页/共25页Elements of fictionn nThemen nCentral or dominating ideaCentral or dominating idean nWhat the reader should knowWhat the reader should know第17页/共25页Elements of fictionPoint of view The vantage point from which the The vantage point from which the author presents the action of the author presents the action of the story,or who tall the story or how it story,or who tall the story or how it is told.is told.Third-person point of view(non-Third-person point of view(non-participant narrator):the narrator is participant narrator):the narrator is someone outside the story proper who someone outside the story proper who refers to all the characters in the story refers to all the characters in the story by name,or as he,she,“they.by name,or as he,she,“they.Omniscient point of view:the narrator Omniscient point of view:the narrator knows everything that needs to be known knows everything that needs to be known about about the agentsthe agents,actions,and events,and has,actions,and events,and has privileged access to the privileged access to the characters thoughtscharacters thoughts,feelings,and motives;also that the narrator is feelings,and motives;also that the narrator is free free to move to move at will in time and place,to shift at will in time and place,to shift from character to characterfrom character to character,and,and to report(or to report(or conceal)their speech,doings,and states of conceal)their speech,doings,and states of consciousnessconsciousness.第18页/共25页Elements of fictionLimited omniscient point of Limited omniscient point of view:The narrator tells the story view:The narrator tells the story in the in the third personthird person,but stays,but stays inside the confines of what is inside the confines of what is perceived,thought,perceived,thought,remembered remembered and and felt by a single character(or at felt by a single character(or at most by very few charactersmost by very few characters)within within the story.the story.Objective or dramatic point of Objective or dramatic point of viewview:The author tells the story,:The author tells the story,using the third person,but is using the third person,but is limited to reporting what the limited to reporting what the characters say or do;the author characters say or do;the author does not interpret their does not interpret their behavior behavior or tell us their private thoughts or or tell us their private thoughts or feelingsfeelings第19页/共25页Elements of fictionFirst-person point of view(participant narrator):the narrator speaks as I,and is to a greater or lesser degree a participant in the story.Narrator as major characterNarrator as major characterNarrator as minor characterNarrator as minor characterSecond-person point of view:the story gets told solely,or at least primarily,as an address by the narrator to someone he calls by the second-person pronoun you.This form of narration occurred in This form of narration occurred in occasional passages of traditional occasional passages of traditional fiction,but has been exploited in a fiction,but has been exploited in a sustained way only during the latter sustained way only during the latter part of the twentieth century and part of the twentieth century and then only rarely;the effect is of a then only rarely;the effect is of a virtuoso performance.E.gvirtuoso performance.E.g.Jay.Jay Mclnerney Mclnerney in Bright Lights,Bigin Bright Lights,BigCityCity(1984)1984)第20页/共25页Elements of fictionn nStyle:the distinctive manner in which a writer arranges words to achieve particular effects,composed of diction and syntax(used to identify the distinctive quality of writers craft;to understand the artistic effects achieved by those stylistic devices used by a writer;to judge how effectively an author ha dealt with the style he/she has chosen).n nanalyzed in such terms as the analyzed in such terms as the rhetorical situation and aim;rhetorical situation and aim;characteristic diction,or choice of characteristic diction,or choice of words;type of sentence structure and words;type of sentence structure and syntax;and the density and kinds of syntax;and the density and kinds of figurative language.figurative language.n nDiction:denotative/connotative Diction:denotative/connotative meaning;part of speech;word length meaning;part of speech;word length and construction;level of usage and construction;level of usage(standard/non-standard);imagery;the(standard/non-standard);imagery;the figurative devices.figurative devices.n nSyntax:short/long;spare/involved;Syntax:short/long;spare/involved;simple/compound/complex;simple/compound/complex;loose/periodic/balancedloose/periodic/balancedn nhigh/middle/low style-classical high/middle/low style-classical rhetoricrhetoric第21页/共25页Elements of fictionn nTone:the authors implicit attitude toward the people,place,and events in fiction.n nIrony:A device used by the author Irony:A device used by the author to reveal a reality different from to reveal a reality different from what appears to be true.what appears to be true.n nVerbal irony:saying one thing,Verbal irony:saying one thing,meaning the oppositemeaning the oppositen nSituational irony:an incongruity Situational irony:an incongruity between what is expected to between what is expected to happen and what actually happens.happen and what actually happens.n nDramatic irony:the contrast Dramatic irony:the contrast between what a character believes between what a character believes or says and what the reader or says and what the reader understands to be true.understands to be true.第22页/共25页Elements of fictionn nSymbol is a term applied to a word or phrase that signifies an object or event
