美国文学之现代主义文学.pptx

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1、会计学1美国文学之现代主义文学美国文学之现代主义文学The historical and socio-cultural background of the American The historical and socio-cultural background of the American literature after the World War literature after the World War:n nthe dropping of an atomic bomb over Hiroshima in Japan n n the Cold War n nthe Korean W

2、ar n nthe Vietnam War n nThe assassination of John F.Kennedy,and of Martin Luther King n n the Water-Gate scandal 第1页/共13页American literature between the two world warsAmerican literature between the two world wars第2页/共13页The Imagist Movement n nLed by the American poet Ezra Pound,Imagist Movement i

3、s a poetic Led by the American poet Ezra Pound,Imagist Movement is a poetic movement that flourished in the U.S.and England between 1909-1917.movement that flourished in the U.S.and England between 1909-1917.It advances modernism in arts which concentrates on reforming the It advances modernism in a

4、rts which concentrates on reforming the medium of poetry as opposed to Romanticism,especially Tennysons medium of poetry as opposed to Romanticism,especially Tennysons worldliness and high-flown language in poetry.Pound endorsed three worldliness and high-flown language in poetry.Pound endorsed thre

5、e main principles as guidelines for Imagism,including direct treatment of main principles as guidelines for Imagism,including direct treatment of poetic subjects,elimination of merely ornamental or superfluous words,poetic subjects,elimination of merely ornamental or superfluous words,and rhythmical

6、 composition should be composed with the phrasing of and rhythmical composition should be composed with the phrasing of music,not a metronome.The primary Imagist objective is to avoid music,not a metronome.The primary Imagist objective is to avoid rhetoric and moralizing,to stick closely to the obje

7、ct or experience rhetoric and moralizing,to stick closely to the object or experience being described,and to move from explicit generalization.The leading being described,and to move from explicit generalization.The leading poets are Ezra Pound,Wallace Stevens,D.H.Lawrence,etc.poets are Ezra Pound,W

8、allace Stevens,D.H.Lawrence,etc.第3页/共13页the artistic characteristics of imagist poems n nThe characteristic products of the movement are more easily recognized The characteristic products of the movement are more easily recognized than its theories defined;they tend to be short,composed of short lin

9、es of than its theories defined;they tend to be short,composed of short lines of musical cadence rather than metrical regularity,to avoid abstraction,and to musical cadence rather than metrical regularity,to avoid abstraction,and to treat the image with a hard,clear precision rather than with overt

10、symbolic treat the image with a hard,clear precision rather than with overt symbolic intent.The influence of Japanese forms,tanka and haiku,is obvious in intent.The influence of Japanese forms,tanka and haiku,is obvious in many.Most of the imagist poets wrote in free verse and they like to emply man

11、y.Most of the imagist poets wrote in free verse and they like to emply common speech.They stressed the freedom in the choice of subject common speech.They stressed the freedom in the choice of subject matter and form.matter and form.第4页/共13页The Lost Generationn nIt refers to,in general,the post-Worl

12、d WarIt refers to,in general,the post-World Wargeneration,but specifically generation,but specifically a group of expatriate disillusioned intellectuals and artists,who a group of expatriate disillusioned intellectuals and artists,who experimented on new modes of thought and expression by rebelling

13、experimented on new modes of thought and expression by rebelling against former ideals and values and replacing them only by despair or against former ideals and values and replacing them only by despair or a cynical hedonism.The remark of Gertrude Stein,You are all a lost a cynical hedonism.The rem

14、ark of Gertrude Stein,You are all a lost generation,addressed to Hemingway,was used as an epigraph to the generation,addressed to Hemingway,was used as an epigraph to the latters novel latters novel The Sun Also RisesThe Sun Also Rises,which brilliantly describes those,which brilliantly describes th

15、ose expatriates who had cut themselves off from their past in America in expatriates who had cut themselves off from their past in America in order to create new types of writing.The generation was lost in the order to create new types of writing.The generation was lost in the sense that its inherit

16、ed values were no longer relevant in the postwar sense that its inherited values were no longer relevant in the postwar world and because of its spiritual alienation from a U.S.that seemed to world and because of its spiritual alienation from a U.S.that seemed to its members to be hopelessly provinc

17、ial,materialistic,and emotional its members to be hopelessly provincial,materialistic,and emotional barren.The term embraces Hemingway,F.Scott Fitzgerald,Ezra barren.The term embraces Hemingway,F.Scott Fitzgerald,Ezra Pound,E.E.Cummings,and many other writers who made Paris the Pound,E.E.Cummings,an

18、d many other writers who made Paris the center of their literary activities in the 1920s.center of their literary activities in the 1920s.第5页/共13页Expressionism n nExpressionism is used to describe the works of art and literature in Expressionism is used to describe the works of art and literature in

19、 which the representation of reality is distorted to communicate an inner which the representation of reality is distorted to communicate an inner vision,transforming nature rather than imitating it.In literature it is vision,transforming nature rather than imitating it.In literature it is often con

20、sidered a revolt against realism and naturalism,a seeking to often considered a revolt against realism and naturalism,a seeking to achieve a psychological or spiritual reality rather than to record external achieve a psychological or spiritual reality rather than to record external events.events.In

21、drama,the expressionist work was characterized by a bizarre In drama,the expressionist work was characterized by a bizarre distortion of reality.Expressionist writerss concern was with general distortion of reality.Expressionist writerss concern was with general truths rather than with particular si

22、tuations,hence they explored in truths rather than with particular situations,hence they explored in their plays the predicaments of representative symbolic types rather their plays the predicaments of representative symbolic types rather than of fully developed individualized characters.Emphasis wa

23、s laid than of fully developed individualized characters.Emphasis was laid not on the outer world,which is merely sketched in and barely defined not on the outer world,which is merely sketched in and barely defined in place or time,but on the internal,on an individuals mental state;in place or time,

24、but on the internal,on an individuals mental state;hence the imitation of life is replaced in Expressionist drama by the hence the imitation of life is replaced in Expressionist drama by the ecstatic evocation of states of mind.In America,Eugene ONeillesecstatic evocation of states of mind.In Americ

25、a,Eugene ONeilles Emperor JonesEmperor Jones,The Hairy ApeThe Hairy Ape,etc.are typical plays that employ,etc.are typical plays that employ Expressionism.Expressionism.第6页/共13页The concept of wasteland in relation to the works of those writers in the The concept of wasteland in relation to the works

26、of those writers in the twentieth-century American literaturetwentieth-century American literature n nThe Waste LandThe Waste Land is a poem written by T.S.Eliot on the theme of the is a poem written by T.S.Eliot on the theme of the sterility and chaos of the contemporary world.This most widely know

27、n sterility and chaos of the contemporary world.This most widely known expression of the despair of the post-War era has appeared over and expression of the despair of the post-War era has appeared over and again in the works of those writers in the twentieth-century American again in the works of t

28、hose writers in the twentieth-century American literature.Fitzgerald sought to portray a spiritual wasteland of the Jazz literature.Fitzgerald sought to portray a spiritual wasteland of the Jazz Age.Beneath the masks of relaxation and joviality,there was only Age.Beneath the masks of relaxation and

29、joviality,there was only sterility,meaninglessness and futility amid the grandeur and sterility,meaninglessness and futility amid the grandeur and extravagance,there was a hint of decadence and moral decay.extravagance,there was a hint of decadence and moral decay.Hemingway,the leading spokesman of

30、the Lost Generation,dramatized Hemingway,the leading spokesman of the Lost Generation,dramatized in his novels the sense of loss and despair among the post-war in his novels the sense of loss and despair among the post-war generation who are physically and psychologically scarred.Though generation w

31、ho are physically and psychologically scarred.Though disillusioned in the post-war period,he strove to bring about mans disillusioned in the post-war period,he strove to bring about mans grace under pressure and tried to bring out the idea that man can be grace under pressure and tried to bring out

32、the idea that man can be physically destroyed but never defeated spiritually.William Faulkner physically destroyed but never defeated spiritually.William Faulkner exemplified T.S.Eliots concept of modern society as a wasteland in a exemplified T.S.Eliots concept of modern society as a wasteland in a

33、 dramatic way.dramatic way.第7页/共13页The concept of wasteland in relation to the works of those writers in the The concept of wasteland in relation to the works of those writers in the twentieth-century American literaturetwentieth-century American literaturen nHe created his own mythical kingdom that

34、 mirrored not only the decline He created his own mythical kingdom that mirrored not only the decline of the Southern society but also the spiritual wasteland of the whole of the Southern society but also the spiritual wasteland of the whole American society.He condemned the mechanized,industrialize

35、d society American society.He condemned the mechanized,industrialized society that has dehumanized man by forcing him to cultivate false values and that has dehumanized man by forcing him to cultivate false values and decrease those essential human values such as courage,fortitude,honesty decrease t

36、hose essential human values such as courage,fortitude,honesty and goodness.and goodness.第8页/共13页Postwar American literature 第9页/共13页The Beat Generation n nAlso called Beat Movement,it is an American social and literary Also called Beat Movement,it is an American social and literary movement originat

37、ing in the 1950s.Beat Generation writings expressed movement originating in the 1950s.Beat Generation writings expressed profound dissatisfaction with contemporary American society and profound dissatisfaction with contemporary American society and endorsed an alternative set of values.They rejected

38、 traditional forms endorsed an alternative set of values.They rejected traditional forms and advocated personal release,purification,and illumination through and advocated personal release,purification,and illumination through the heightened sensory awareness.the heightened sensory awareness.Beat po

39、ets sought to liberate poetry from academic preciosity and Beat poets sought to liberate poetry from academic preciosity and bring it back to the streets.Allen Ginsberg and other major figures of bring it back to the streets.Allen Ginsberg and other major figures of the movement,such as the novelist

40、 Jack Kerouac and Gary Snyder,the movement,such as the novelist Jack Kerouac and Gary Snyder,advocated a kind of free,unstructured composition in which the writer advocated a kind of free,unstructured composition in which the writer put down his thoughts and feelings without plan or revision-to conv

41、ey put down his thoughts and feelings without plan or revision-to convey the immediacy of experience-an approach that led to the production of the immediacy of experience-an approach that led to the production of much undisciplined and incoherent verbiage on the part of their much undisciplined and

42、incoherent verbiage on the part of their imitators.imitators.第10页/共13页The pluralism of postwar American fictionThe pluralism of postwar American fiction n na.War fiction n nb.Southern literature n nc.Jewish literature n nd.Black fiction n ne.Other important writers n nf.new fiction or Novels of absurdity n ng.Literature of ethnic groups第11页/共13页The literary characteristics of American modern literature n n(1)Theme n n(2)Technical experimentation 第12页/共13页