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(最新版)封面美国文学史及选读模拟试题1I.Identifythefollowingworks(20%)TitleauthorgenreExampleRipVanWinkleWashingtonIrvingShortstory1.TheRedBadgeofCourage__(StephenCrane)________(novel)________2.TheGreatGatsby_(ScottFitzgerald)________(novel)________3.SisterCarrie_(TheodoreDreiser)______(novel)________4.TheColorPurple__(AliceWalker)_______(novel)_________5.TheWasteLand___(T.S.Eliot)__________(poem)________6.ForWhomtheBellTolls_(ErnestHemingway)_____(novel)_________7.TheSoundandtheFury_(WilliamFaulkner)______(novel)__________8.Winesburg,Ohio_(SherwoodAnderson___(shortstorycollection)_9.MainStreet_(SinclairLewis)_________(novel)__________10.OPioneers_(WillaCather)____________(novel)__________II.Definethefollowingterms(30%)1.Realism(Literaryrealismreferstothetrendandthemovementwhichbeganinthemid-19thcentury.Theriseofrealismisseenasaprotestagainstthehighlysubjectiveapproachofromanticism.Theromanticfictiontendstopresentlifeaccordingtowhatpeopleimaginelifeshouldbe–morepicturesque,fantastic,adventurous,orheroicthanactuality.Realism,ontheotherhand,attemptstopresentlifeasitreallyis.Therefore,realismdownplaysplotinfavorofdetailsofeverydaylife.Realisticwritersaimatasortofwritinginwhichthefamiliar,ordinaryaspectsoflifearedepictedinastraightforwardmannerdesignedtoreflectthetruepictureoflife.Forrealism,simple,clearanddirectproseisthepreferredstyleandobjectivityonthepartofthewritertheproperattitude.Thebasicprincipleofrealismishoweverseriouslychallengedbycontemporaryliterarytheories,whichbelievethat,sincethereisaprocessofsubjectiveselectionandreorganizationofmaterials,nowrittenworkcanactuallybea“faithfulrepresentation”ofrealityanymore.Inspiteofthedispute,sofarrealismremainsoneofthedominantformsofliterature.)2.TheLostGeneration(ThetermappliestotheAmericanwriters,bornaround1900,whoweredisillusionedbytheFirstWorldWarandvoluntarilyexiledtoParis,formingagroupagainstcertaintendenciesofolderwritersinthe1920s.Theterm,asdescriptiveofthelosstothemoftraditionalvaluesasaresultofthewarandotherlarge-scalesocialevils,waswidelyappliedtosuchfiguresasErnestHemingway,ScottFitzgerald,EzraPound,T.S.Eliotandothers.Thesewritershaveatleastthreethingsincommon:theywereallex-soldiersspirituallyshatteredbythewar;theyalllivedinParisforacertainperiodoftimeandassociatedwiththeinformalliterarysaloonofGertrudeStein’sParishome;andtheywerealldisillusionedwiththeAmericantraditionofwritingaswellasthepost-warAmericanSociety.Hemingway’snovelTheSunAlsoRisesisgenerallyregardedasthebestexampleoftheLostGenerationliterature.)III.EssayQuestions(50%)1.SomecriticscomplainthatMarkTwainwrotewellonlywhenhewaswritingaboutyoungpeople.Theysaythathispsychologywasreallyonlychildpsychology;hishumorwasoftenratherchildish.Doyouagreewiththeopinionofonecritic:“Twainwasaboyandanoldman,butneverwasheaman”?TakeoneofTwain’sbooksasanexampletosupportyourviews.(IndeedMarkTwainisbestknownforhisnovelsTheAdventuresofTomSawyerandTheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn,bothofwhichhaveboysastheirprotagonists.Butwecannotthusclaimthattheauthorhadachild’smentalityorwasincapableofwritingsomethingmoresophisticated.TakeTheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinnasanexample.TheauthorusesHuckasa“naivenarrator,”onewhoseperceptionislowerthanthatofthereader,allowinghimtotellthestorywithoutfullyunderstandingit,whileatthesametimeentrustthereadertoseethedeepersideofthetale.Thedramaticironythuscreatedactuallyenrichthemeaningofthenovel.Foranotherexample,therelationshipbetweenHuckandJimisanindirectcommentonhumanrelationshipatthetime,whenslaveryintheAmericanSouthwasstillawayoflife.TheprotagonistHuck,thoughlackinginrefineryandeducation,wasportrayedbyMarkTwainassomeonenoblerthanthosegenteelmembersofthesociety,becausehestillretainshisinnocence,andhasnotyetbeencorruptedbythedominantideologyofthetime.Thechildfigureandthechild’sperspectiveoftheworldprovideacontrasttotheacceptedwayofthinking.Thenoveliscommonlyacclaimedasoneoftheland-markingliteraryachievementpreciselybecauseMarkTwainchoseachild–asocialoutcast–asthecentralfigureofthenovel.)2.Makeabriefcommentonthefollowingpoem:Theapparitionofthosefacesinthecrowd;Petalsonawet,blackbough.(EzraPound)(Thetwolinesareactuallythewholepoemof“InaStationoftheMetro”byEzraPound,regardedasaclassicspecimenofImagistpoetry.PoundwasonceinaParissubwaystationandwasstruckbythesightofthefacesofafewprettywomenandchildreninacrowdhurryingoutofthedim,dampandsomberstation.Theimpressionwasrecordedbythepoetthroughtheconcentrationonafew“images”thatwereconveyedtothereaderwithoutcomments.Theresultisthepoem,soshortastohaveonlytwolineswith“theobject”tobebroughtsharplytoreader’snotice:thefacesinthatdimanddampcontext.Theimpressionwasbroughtoutmostvividlybythesingle,dominantimageofflowerpetalsonawet,blackbough,whichservesasthemostconcise,directanddefinitemetaphorforthe“facesinthecrowd.”Thus,thisshortpiecebecomesafineexampleoftheImagisminpoetry,whichstressestheprimacyoftheimage,theconcreteandtheparticular.Images,notgeneralstatements,bytheunderstandingofthisgroupofnewpoets,arethefundamentalbuildingblocksofpoetry.“ThepointofImagismis,”asEzraPoundoncesaid,“thatitdoesnotuseimagesasornaments.Theimageitselfisthespeech.”PoetslikePoundlearnedfromOrientalpoetryincludingtheancientChinesepoemswhichhadlongbeenfollowingtheprinciplewhichgavetheWesternimagiststheirinspiration.Thepoemcitedaboveenablesthereadertoseethephysicalthingratherthanputhimthroughanabstractprocess.Theargumentisloudandstrong:lucidlogicalexpositionisnotgoodpoetry,andthebestpoeticeffectisvisualandconcrete.)SurveyofAmericanLiteratureName__________ExaminationPaper(Sample)Class_________Score_________I.Identifythefollowingworks(20%)TitleauthorgenreExampleRipVanWinkleWashingtonIrvinShortstory1.TheRoadNotTakenRobertFrostpoem2.InAnotherCountryJamesBaldwinNovel3.InaStationoftheMetroEzraPoundpoem4.ARoseforEmilyWilliamFaulknershortstory5.AnnabelLeeAllenPoepoem6.TheGrapesofWrathJohnSteinbecknovel7.TheIcemanComethEugeneO’Neillplay8.HillsLifeWhiteElephantsErnestHemingwayshortstory9.A&PJohnUpdikeshortstory10.TheCatcherintheRyeJ.D.SalingernovelII.Definethefollowingterms(30%)1.epiphany(EpiphanyisawayofwritingthattheIrishwriterJamesJoycefirstemployedinhisshortstories,andlaterhasbeenpreferredbyalotofshortstorywriters.Sometimesinastory,thewriterbuildsuptheevents,leadingtotheprotagonist’sfinallyawakeningtosometruththathewasunawareofpreviously.Thusheexperiencesanepiphany,asuddenrealizationoramomentofinsight.Epiphanyisoriginallyareligiousterm,meaningaperson’ssoulsuddenlybeingenlightenedbyGod’swisdom.Asaliteraryterm,itmeanstherevelationofsomedeeptruth.Forexample,inSherwoodAnderson’s“TheEgg,”theFatherfinallykneltdownand“criedlikeababy”becausehebecameawareofthefactthathehadwastedtwentyyearsofhisbestlifeandthattheAmericanDreamforhimwasunrealizable.Thewriterwouldnottellthereaderwhattheinsightis,butexpectsthereaderto“fillinthegap”andtoseetheplightwiththecooperationofhisownimagination.AnothershortstoryofAnderson’s“I’maFool”isalsoagoodexampleofEpiphanytechnique.)2.the“SouthernRenaissance”(TheSouthernRenaissancereferstotheperiodofliteraryflourishingintheAmericanSouth,especiallywiththeappearanceofWilliamFaulkner.BeforeFaulkner,theSouthwasalmostaliterarydesertland,withfewwritersgivingvoicetothesubcultureandthepeopleoftheregion.Downtopresentday,therestoftheUnitedStatescontinuetoregardtheSouthassomewhatdifferent,markedbythehistoryofslavery,thedefeatinCivilWar,theisolationism,economicbackwardnessandculturalconservatism.Thegeneralsituationcalledforaliteraryspokesmanoftheregion.Startingfromearly1920s,WilliamFaulknerbegantopublishaseriesofnovelsandshortstories,focusingonthehistoryofsomefamiliesinasmallmythicalplaceinthedeepSouthcalledYoknapatawphaCountymodeledafterhisownhometown.HetracestheriseandthefallofafewgenerationsofsometypicalSouthernfamilies,andvividlyrecapturedthedisintegrationoftheSouthtogetherwiththeintensedramaofthepeopleunderdistress.TheAmericanSouthjumpedbeforetheeyesoftheworldandatypeofnewliterature,typicaloftheSouthcametobeanimportantpartofAmericanliterature.FaulknerwasfollowedbyagroupofbrilliantSouthernwriters,mostlywomen,suchasCarolineGordon,KatherineAnnePorter,EudoraWelty,CarsonMcCullersandFlanneryO’Connor.)III.EssayQuestions(50%)1.Whatarethechieffeaturesofmodernistliterature?Whatdidthemodernistwritersachieve?(LiteraryModernismdefinesitselfbyitscleardifferencesfrombothRomanticism,withitsoptimism,andfromRealism,withitscleardirectionofsocialcriticismanditsbeliefinfaithfulrepresentationof“reality.”InfluencedbySigmundFreud’snewunderstandingofhumanpsychologyandCarlJung’sideaofthe"collectiveunconscious,"Modernistsattemptedtofindnewwaysofperceivingreality.Writersturnedawayfrompresentinglifefromtheoutsidethroughdetailsofhumanbehavior,andturntotheinsightsofthenewpsychology,empahsizingintheirworkspersonalperceptions,dreams,mentalstatesandotheraspectsoftheinternalexistence.Modernismisseen,inlargepart,asareactiontothedominanceofcitylifeasacentralforceinsociety.ManyModernistworksaremarkedbytheabsenceofacentral,heroicfigure,burrather,theyoftenexpresstheplightoftheindividualinaworldofmachineryandcommercialism.Infact,acommonprotagonistinModernistfictionisthatofanalienatedindividualtryinginvaintomakesenseofapredominantlyurbanworld.Lifeisviewedasincoherent,empty,fragmentedandmeaningless.DirectedbyFreudianpsychology,Modernistwritersfoundahugeworldyetunexploredinliterature,theworldofhumansubconsciousandunconscious.Modernfictionbegantoconcernitselfmoreandmorewithdifferentlevelsofpsychologicalandsubjectivereality.Inordertorepresenttheinternalreality,Modernistshadtosearchfornewwaysofexpressionandlaunchedatechnicalrevolutioninexpressivemethods.Artistically,thenewfictionischaracterizedbybeinginnovativeandrichlyexperimental.Oneofthemosteffectiveandfrequentlyemployednewmethodsisamodecalled“streanifconsciousness”writing,withwritersendeavoringtoexploretheinteriorlivesoftheircharactersbywayofrevealingthe“flow”inthemindsofindividuals,andbymeansofassociatingideaswithimpressionsinanaturalbutnon-logicalway.)2.ThefollowingisquotedfromJackLondon’s“TheLawofLife.”Explaintheauthor’sphilosophybehindthetheparagraph.“Hedidnotcomplain.Itwasthewayoflife,anditwasjust.Hehadbeenbornclosetotheearth,closetotheearthhadhelived,andthelawthereofwasnotnewtohim.Itwasthelawofallflesh.Naturewasnotkindlytotheflesh.Shehadnoconcernforthatconcretethingcalledtheindividual.Herinterestlayinthespecies,therace.ThiswasthedeepestabstractionoldKoskoosh’sbarbaricmindwascapableof,buthegraspeditfirmly.”(ThisparagraphrevealsthetypicalconceptofanaturalistwriterthatJackLondonwas.His“NorthlandTales,”“TheLawofLife”included,areexamplesofhisreadyacceptanceoftheconceptsofliterarynaturalismwhichattemptstoapplyscientificprinciplesofobjectivitytoitsstudyofhumanbeings.TheshortstoryremindsusofwhattheFrenchwriterEmileZolasaidaboutthistypeofwriting:thattheidealofaNaturalistwastheselectionoftruthfulinstancestobeplacedinthe“laboratoryconditions”offiction,wherethehypothesesofthetheoriesaboutthenatureandoperationoftheforcesthatworkedonhumanbeingscouldbeputtothetest.Theastonishingachievementsintheareasofnaturalandsocialsciences,especiallyinthesecondhalfofthe19thcentury,hadgreatlyinfluencedJackLondonandotherwritersofthetime.Theabovequotedwordsreflectthewriter’responsetotherevolutioninthoughtthatmodernscienceproduced,especiallyCharlesDarwin’stheoryofevolutionandsurvivalofthefittestthroughnaturalselection.ThistheorytoldtheNaturalisticwritersthatman’sexistencewasshapedbyheredityandenvironment,overwhichhehadlittlecontrol.Therefore,thecitedparagraphrevealstheauthor’spessimisticunderstandingofman’scapabilityandhisviewofdeterminism.FromwhatgoesoninthemindofOldKoskoosh,wecanhaveaglimpseofthewriter’ssadmessageregardinghumanbeingsaspassivevictimsofnaturalandsocialenvironment.)