美国文学现实主义阶段著名作家与作品 The Literature of Realism

Chapter Ⅳ The Literature of Realism

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The Background of American Realism The

fifty years between the end of the Civil War to the outbreak of the First World War Changes in every aspect of American life Industrialization and the urbanization, “The Gilded Age” Tired of sentimental feelings of Romanticism Interest in reality of life2013-12-30 2

William Dean Howells:“ I confess I do not care to judge any work of the imagination without first applying this test to it. We must ask ourselves before anything else. Is it true? –true to the motives, the impulses, the principles that shape the life of actual men and women?”2013-12-30 3

The Characteristic of American Realism Interpretation

of the actualities of any aspect of life, free from subjective prejudice, idealism, or romantic color.

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“The Gilded Age”.

1. Historical Background:

In

the period between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of World War I, the country developed rapidly in various fields. By the 1870s the New England Renaissance had waned. A host of new writers appeared. They sought to portray American life as it really was. Local color fiction reached its peak of popularity in the 1880s. Naturalism dominated American literature of the first decade of 20th century.2013-12-30 5

2. Walt Whitman (1819-1892) : the

poet of American democracy

3. Emily Dickinson (1830— 1886):

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4. Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) Family Background: raised in a strongly religious atmosphere Her father Lyman Beecher, was a distinguished clergyman; Two brothers (Henry Ward and Edward): celebrated preachers; Older sister (Catherine): an educator2013-12-30 7

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Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)

Stowe’s House in Cincinnati2013-12-30 9

Cincinnati Suspension Bridge over Ohio River2013-12-30 10

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“The Mother’s Struggle” : A Scene from Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Mrs. Stowe’s Life:Born: June 14, 1811 - Litchfield, Connecticut In 1832: Moved to Cincinnati, Father: president of Lane Theological Seminary In 1836: married Calvin Ellis Stowe, a seminary professor at Lane; In 1830s, and 1840s, wrote stories for magazines; By 1850, she was the mother of seven children; In 1850, moved to Brunswick, Maine Died: July 1, 1896 - Hartford, Connecticut2013-12-30 12

Comments on Stowe’s Life A

sharply alternating mixture of success and notoriety and personal tragedy and pain. Traveled widely, met heads of state such as Abraham Lincoln and Queen Victoria. Her seventieth birthday was something of a national event. Two sons died very young, another was an alcoholic, the scandal of her brother…2013-12-30 13

Facts about Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Based

on several slave narratives, such as those of Frederick Douglass and Josiah Henson. 18 years living across the Ohio River from slaveholding communities; from fugitive slaves a

nd visits to the South, she got a personal knowledge of the institution of slavery. The author’s sense of her own suffering and oppression in the characters of Tom and his fellow slave Eliza, the protagonists of the book’s two main plots.2013-12-30 14

Popularity of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Written in spare moments after doing housework, Serially published in the National Era (from June 5, 1851 to April 1, 1852) An overnight success---- sold 3000 copies the first day; Sold 350,000 copies in the first year; an international bestseller; translated into about 40 languages The nonfiction: A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1853)2013-12-30 15

5. O. Henry (1862—1910)Real name: William Sidney Porter A prolific writer, He wrote most often of New York city, where he spent his later years. His name for the city was “Baghdad on the Subway.” Born in North Carolina, without much schooling and virtually orphaned. He followed several occupations: a bookkeeper, a drugstore clerk and a Texas Ranger. A central figure in the peak period of the American magazine short story. Died in drunkenness. 2013-12-30 16

Characteristics of O. Henry’s Works:His work is full of humor; his stories are amusing; Drawing directly from his experience with many odd jobs, he combined realism with a world of his own, reflecting a fatalistic view of life; T His work is typically American, and he gives us a good idea of various types of people in the United States; The theme of his stories is often based on some self-sacrificing member of a family who is undergoing hardship to help a close relative. He also addresses questions of loneliness, of desolate people, of grotesque underlings.” 2013-12-30 17

O. Henry: Chief Works Cabbages

and Kings (1904); The Four Million (1906); The Trimmed Lamp (1907); Heart of the West (1907); The Voice of the City (1908); Roads of Destiny (1909)18

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6. Henry James (1843-1916)

Life: born in New York; the son of the theological writer Henry James, Sr. and the brother of the pragmatist philosopher William James. A realistic writer; The most expert stylist of his time; The first American to achieve a blend of detailed observation and polished style; An admirer of European manners.

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