Contents
Abstract (i)
摘要 (ii)
Introduction (1)
I. Brief Introduction to Charles Dickens (2)
1.1 Charles Dickens’ Miserable Childhood (2)
1.2 Charles Dickens’ Adult hood (3)
II．General Characteristics of David Copperfield (3)
2.1 Weakness and Immaturity of Child David Copperfield (4)
2.1.1 Weakness of David Copperfield (4)
2.1.2 Immaturity of David Copperfield (5)
2.2 Kindness of David Copperfield (5)
2.3 Stability and Maturity of Adult David Copperfield (6)
III. Several Main Characters’ impact on David Copperfield (7)
3.1 Murdstone and Steerforth (8)
3.2 Miss Betsey Trotwood and Peggotty (9)
3.3 Dora and Agnes (10)
Conclusion (11)
Bibliography...................................................................... 错误！未定义书签。Acknowledgements............................................................. 错误！未定义书签。
Abstract
David Copperfield, an autobiographical novel, is well known as the representative work of Charles Dickens, the greatest novelist in the Victorian period. Written in the first person, the novel depicts a broad picture of the soci ety of Dickens’ times with his uncommon life experience. David Copperfield i s also Dickens’ own favorite work. In writing, Dickens throws into this novel his thought, deep feelings and much of his own experience in his childhood. Meanwhile, Dickens in some way retrospects and draws a conclusion to his life and expresses his life attitude and moral ideal. Furthermore, his novel also discloses the faulty mask of capitalist society and its strong desire and greed for money. It is safe to say that David Copperfield is one of the most excellent characters created by Dickens. The paper first briefly introduces the author Dickens, and then undertakes a detailed study of the characteristics of David Copperfield through the analysis of the influence of the people on him. The paper intends to make a preliminary explanation of it. The paper bases its outline on the development of David Copperfield, i.e. from his childhood to his adulthood. The analysis of the characteristics of David Copperfield will provide us a chance to see the features of the capitalist society and give us some inspiration about life.
Key words:David Copperfield;characteristics; life experience
摘要
《大卫?科波菲尔》是英国维多利亚时期最杰出的批判现实主义作家查尔斯?狄更斯的自传体小说。小说中主人公大卫?科波菲尔以第一人称讲述了他不平凡的生活经历，为读者描绘了一幅当时社会的广阔画卷。这部小说是狄更斯自己最钟爱的一部作品，小说中作者投入了大量的亲身经历、体会以及个人情感，使之成为了作者“最溺爱的孩子”。同时，作者从某些方面回顾了自己的人生道路，表达了自己的生活态度、道德理想, 并且深度揭示了当时社会的真正面貌及人们对于金钱的强烈欲望与贪婪。完全可以说，大卫?科波菲尔是狄更斯创造的最为出色的一个人物形象之一。本文首先简单介绍了作者狄更斯与其所创作人物大卫?科波菲尔之间的微妙关系，同时对大卫?科波菲尔的周围人物对其性格的影响进行了分析，并对大卫?科波菲尔的性格做了初步的阐述，并从童年、青年直到成年时期的大卫?科波菲尔的变化中发现其成长历程中的特点。对大卫?科波菲尔性格的分析，为我们了解资本主义的特征提供了机会，同时也给了我们人生的启迪。
关键词：大卫?科波菲尔；性格；生活经历
Introduction
Charles Dickens（1812—1870）is the most popular and famous English novelist. Being the greatest representative of the English critical realism, he gives us a vivid picture of the everyday life of ordinary people in David Copperfield. David, the leading character of the novel, is a person who, from a poor orphan, grows up to be a famous writer after a series of hardships, disappointment, trial and affliction, and at last becomes a man of property, a man of grace and a man of independence. Coincidently, Charles Dickens was also such a man, a man with a successful life. So we could say that the novel, David Copperfield,is Dickens’ satisf ied reminiscence of his life style and literature reappearance of his personal experience.
This thesis gives a brief introduction to the author Charles Dickens in Chapter one; and Chapter two analyses the general characteristics of David Copperfield, the hero of this novel, and others’ influences ON his life are explored in Chapter three. The conclusion is the last part.
I. Brief Introduction to Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens is one of the most famous English writers in the 19th century, and all his life and works keep pace with the development of his times. On the whole, his novels are mainly written in a realistic way, disclosing the hypocrisy, greed, meanness and cruelty of the upper-class and capitalist society. As well he always tries to awaken the general public to struggle against the oppression with a great sympathy and serious attitude. In addition, he praises in his works the good qualities of human beings, such as truth, kindness and beauty.
1.1 Charles Dickens’ Miserable Childho od
Charles Dickens was born on February 7th, 1812. His father was a clerk, who was “irresponsible and extravagant with the money he earned, and cast the family into debt and financial crisis time and again, until he eventually ended up in Marshalsea Debtor s’ Prison”(Champion, 2005: 11). Because of this he was not sent to the school and had to work to support his family. The work at Warren’s Blacking Factory was a job demeaning and stultifying to his talents. Forster ever said this miserable experience was the secret agony of his soul and the misery to the young heart. The miserable time of young Dickens and the mistreatment to children and child-labor were common subjects recurring frequently in his novels. In David Copperfield, he also expressed this kind of experience in another way. “Murdstone & Co. dealt chiefly in cheap wines, so it warehouse was full of empty bottles. It was to be my job to wash them…How I hated to work in such a dirty and rotten place” (Champion, 2005: 60). This period of David’s life has many similarities to that of Dickens when he works at Warren’s Blacking Factory.
The painful experience of Dickens in his childhood anneals his will. Through this, he is not afraid of hardships in life in the future, and gets more positive and optimistic when facing the setbacks and difficulties. And all the experience in his life and difficulties he comes across influence him a lot in his literature creating.
1.2 Charles Dickens’ Adulthood
After the miserable childhood, Dickens’ life changed dramatic ally. He started to work in Ellis and Blackmore as a lawyer, so this post appeared in his works time and time again. After that, Dickens engaged himself into literature and then became an outstanding critical realistic writer in English in the 19th century. His works involved every field in the society, which expressed his empathy to the lower-class who were oppressed and exploited. “Dickens captured the spirit of his age in both a profound and entertaining way. He wrote with wit and humor, but he also wrote about the everyday tragedies of life he saw around him. He put these all into the context of Victorian society” (Champion, 2005: 2).
So, the majority of characters in his works are ordinary person in daily life. Charles Dickens usually creates a specific person with unique character by describing his behaviors, gestures and words. And in his works, he often introduces us a good many heroes, vital and lifelike. David Copperfield is an autobiographical novel of Charles Dickens. The author expresses his own attitude towards life and his desire. “David Copperfield, as well as being strongly based on events in Dickens’ own life, is held as a novel that makes a further shift in his writing” (Champion, 2005: 92). Readers are moved by the hero who is kind-hearted, up-right and dauntless.
“Dickens used many of the thousands of experiences and encounters from his real life in his works of fiction, altering the names of people and places, and sometimes exaggerating situations to make them more funny and tragic”(Champi on, 2005: 4). Orphans in Dickens’ works are unforgettable to its readers. In Dickens’ works, he shows several kinds of different orphans’ fates aiming at advocating the empathy, care and concern of the public. He describes their situation and suffering in the purpose of meeting their urgent demanding and requirement. Advocating social attention to those children’s growing is just the realistic signific ance of Dickens’ works. Dickens also reveals the ugly of his society in his works and presents the evil-class by ironic writing style.
II．General Characteristics of David Copperfield
Destiny of an orphan in Dickens’ novel usually connects with his family and the whole society. A family’s disintegration influence s a child’s fate directly. In Dickens’
inner thought, a perfect family consists of a up-right father who supports this whole family, a loving mother doing all of the housework and bringing her child up, and a healthy, honest and lovely child. If there is one part missing, that family will not be a perfect one.
David Copperfield was published in 1849 and 1850. “Of all my books,” wrote Dickens, “I like this the best.” The story is told in the first person through the mouth of its hero, David Copperfield. In David Copperfield, Dickens has made good use of his own life experience to expose the social evils of the day, such as the miseries of child-labor, the tyranny in school, the debtors’ prison, as well as the cruelty, the immorality and the treachery which are prevalent in the English capitalist society. So the novel is not merely a personal record, but a broad picture of the society of the author’s day.
2.1 Weakness and Immaturity of Child David Copperfield
David Copperfield was a posthumous child. His mother and Mr. Murdstone who was both stingy and cruel recomposed their family. From that time on, their family lost its original calm and their share of harmony and happiness. Soon, his mother also died of depression after giving birth to a daughter. Peggotty who had taken good care of David was fired by his stepfather, Mr. Murdstone. David spent most of his days in misery alone. When David was ten years old, he was evicted out from his home and moved towards the future of the vast world, London, working in the warehouse as a coolie. He could not endure in the circumstances, and then escaped to his unique relative, Miss Betsey.
David suffers a lot from a child, but he also gets many loves from his mother and the servant, Peggotty. That he appears a specific person, weak and immature, but very kind and aggressive.
2.1.1 Weakness of David Copperfield
David’s mother was a woman similar to Dora who even did not know how to do housework. But her fate was different from Dora. When she came across Murdstone who treated her badly, her weakness appeared. David got this character from his poor mother being a child. When he first met Steerforth, he was such a little and poor boy and David
never went against him. “It certainly had not occurred to me before, but I said, Yes” (Dickens, 1981: 78) to him. Facing the graceful and intelligent Steerforth, David was so nervous in their small party with Steerforth and his friends. “Being a little embarrassed at first, and feeling much too young to preside, I made Steerforth take the head of the table when dinner was announced” (Di ckens, 1981: 331).
As he is no more than a child, he really does not have that power or capability to change what he suffers from Mr. and Miss Murdstone, two gloomy devils in David’s wor ld. It can be imagined what a difficult situation little David is in. It is natural for him to show weakness and timidity when facing the cruel world.
2.1.2 Immaturity of David Copperfield
David fell in love with Little Emily when they companied each other in the days in Yarmouth. David “loved that baby quite as truly, quit e as tenderly with great purity than can enter into the best love of a later time of life, high and ennobling as it is” (Dickens, 1981: 34). Then becoming a young man, David engaged himself in pursuit of Dora, a beautiful and lovely girl, without thinking of their future life after they got married. Then, problems turned up. Dora could not do the simple housework and she even did not know why David worked for several hours a day and never spared some time with her. This kind of wife was not what David need, and choosing such a “child wife” was due to young David’s immaturity and impulsion. When he talked about Steerforth with Mr. Peggotty, he said that Steerforth “knows a task if he only looks at it. He is the beat cricketer you ever saw” (Dickens, 1981: 131). This unreasonable and blind admiration to Steerforth shows David’s immaturity.
All of these facts give the best explanation to David’s immaturity.
2.2 Kindness of David Copperfield
Although David meets in his life so many bad persons like Mr. and Miss. Murdestone, Mr. Creakle and Uriah Heep, he also has a lot of sincere friends and helpers who make
David still a kind-hearted one. That is to say, though he has known some bad qualities of the people, David remains what he used to be.
Peggotty was the se rvant in David’s family, and she help ed David and his weak mother a lot when they were oppressed and exploited by Mr. Murdstone. When David was sent away from home, Peggotty wrote letters to encourage him. David appreciated her so much, so he permitted the carrier Barkis to marry her, considering Peggotty’s happiness. Agnes wa s David’s good friend, just like an older sister in his deep heart. Everything happened to her would make David anxious. When he kne w Uriah Heep’s evil thought, he even could not sleep well. “I never shall forgot how I turned and tumbled; how I wearied myself with thinking about Agnes and this creature; how I considered what could I do, and what ought I to do” (Dickens, 1981: 352). This kindness of him also show ed in his connection with Steerforth. Agnes reminded David to be away from Steerforth. But, after that, David go t “so much compunction for having ever wronged him even by a shapeless thought” (Dickens, 1981: 401).
That i s also David’s kindness. To David Copperfield, kindness is r ooted in his mind even from his birth.
2.3 Stability and Maturity of Adult David Copperfield
Through so much difficulties and troubles, David became steady in his adulthood. In his profession, his love and his friendship, David all found his best answers. He lived with stability and maturity in his mind. Regarding his career, David went on along a right road. He took to the literature and had fun in what he did. David became more and more confident with the success in his career. David knew that his dream came true by his years’ hard work.
And after his “child wife” die d, David decided to give his most sincere love to Agnes, his “good angel”. However, he was hesitant before Agnes. He did not dare to tell her “I love you”. Because he kn ew what the three words meant, he did not want to hurt Agnes. He held the thought that “it was for me to guard this sisterly affection with religious care”
(Dickens, 1981: 457). And for David, Agnes was no doubt his best choice. Agnes was the light shined on his way. She was the source of every worthy aspiration, the center of his life and the right person he founded his love on a rock. For all the efforts David had taken, he deserved the love of Agnes. With Agnes’ love and guide, David would make his life better and became more mature and steady in his life.
David also found the true friendship in his life. His old classmate, Tradle, who was the merriest and most miserable of all the boys at school, appeared at the end of the novel as a helper of David Copperfield. Tradle was still what he used to be, and he held it as a solemn duty to stand by one another. That was what we call true friend David needed.
How to describe David’s happy ending. It will be proper to use David’s own words, “I see myself, with Agnes at my side, journeying along the road of life. I see our children and our friends around us, and I hear the roar of many voices, not indifferent to me as I travel on” (Dickens, 1981: 464).
III. Several Main Characters’ Influences on David Copperfield
David's kind-hearted, coward, aggressive and naive natures are not congenital but related to the actions of people around him.
Dickens uses two writing styles to create two types of different person in this novel. One is the “evil ones”, that is, the negative person in the novel, who hold absolutely selfish attitude towards others, such as Mr. Murdstone and Steerforth. The author reveals their wicked behavior through ironic and sharp words. Similarly, Dickens also creates another kind of people in the society, kind-hearted person, through his English humor. Under the cruel reality of his society, there are also good person with decent and admirable character, such as Miss Betsey, Peggotty, Agnes Wickfield, Dora and so on. Besides the thoroughly praise and award towards them, Dickens describes details of their daily life including good and bad things with another kind of writing style—humor. Dickens expresses his compassion to their sorrowful life, and gives his critic to their ignorant and numbness at the same time. Works of Dickens reflects his life philosophy, which embodies his up-right,
generous and benevolent. Readers will think deeply and realize the serious theme after their laughing by the humorous words.
3.1 Murdstone and Steerforth
Young David does not contact with many people, and Mr. and Miss Murdstone have deeply impressed him in his childhood. “If my mother said anything or gave any opinion Miss Murdstone would begin to open her bag as if to give back the keys; then my mother became frightened and silen t”(Dickens and Wang, 1986: 26). In the ignorant childhood of David, these two individuals make a deep influence to his young heart. This makes the young David afraid of the world that he is facing, and forms him a rather weak character.
In order to expose despicable, greedy, insidious and cunning nature of some of the British middle-class, Dickens has depicted a number of negative roles with a matured artistic writing style. They appear by their own nature, in language and personality, and they are vivid image of irony. Dickens reveals the tragic result of the marriage of David’s mother through describing the eyes of Mr. Murdstone. “Mr. Murdstone looked up, and that frightened me so much that I missed another word. Miss Murdstone looked up; I missed six or s even words” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 28). I n Mr. Murdstone’s mind, David “has run away from his friends and his works. He caused us much trouble”(Dickens and Wang, 1986: 72).
Meanwhile Mr. Murdstone also presented his insidious and vicious. He had so deep greed in pursuing for money, so he went against David and his mother unscrupulously. The only purpose of Murdstone was to drive them off and seized their property. Dickens describes Murdstone’s torture and persecution to David and his mother with grief and indignation.
David also showed his trust and respect to his friend, Steerforth, from the first time they met, “as if he was a judge” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 44). Steerforth g ave him a first impression—pretty good and graceful. “He was head boy; he was ve ry clever, and very good-looking” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 44). But as the story went on, the fate of David changed and a series of incidents occurred. David got more understanding of real Steerforth. But his influence to David was still great.
For Steerforth, Dickens uses a different approach to show his character of hypocrisy, arrogance, selfish and caprice. The author does not directly write the character’s
appearance, but describes him with a veil of dazzling beauty covering his extreme hypocrisy. Steerforth was smart, beautiful and looks like a judge, David was proud of him. He won the admiration of David by his outstanding intelligence, grace and decent appearance. “He did not know me, but I knew him, and my old love for him flowed back into my heart” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 96).
These two characters have something in common. They are all hypercritical, selfish and cold. They serve as foils having direct or indirect influences to the major characters’ experiences and destinies. So it is of necessity to analyze these minor characters.
3.2 Miss Betsey Trotwood and Peggotty
Although being excluded and bullied by Mr. and Miss Murdstone, young David also encountered some kind-hearted and honest people who cared for and love him, Miss Betsey and Peggotty.
After David grew up a little, his stepfather expelled him from home. He became homeless and had to go to Miss Betsey, the unique relative of him. Miss Betsey seemed to be strange and abnormal, but loved David very much in her deep heart. She supported David to go on his study and then found a suitable job.
Miss Betsey was a strange character but very kind-hearted old woman. “My aunt was very kind to me. She shortened my name from Trotwood to Trot”. (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 74). She was strange because of her contradictive character, not merely in her clothing, dress and demeanor. “She had seemed angry only so as to hide her feelings”. (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 78). She was amiable and had a good nature. “Be worthy of yourself; do honor to me and to Mr. Dick, and God be with you. Never be dishonest in anything; never be cruel” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 78), Miss Betsey said to David. Because of coercion of the situation, she had to act severe, rude and steeliness but not completely. All of these result in her eccentric character and behavior.
This is Dickens’ unique method to describe characters. Under the vigorous appearance, there is an upright, caring and helpful nature. At the same time, Dickens also uses slightly humorous tone to depict Miss Betsey highlighting her ridiculous and conservative personality. In the novel, David discovers her inner kindness and up-right inside after a long-term contact.
“The earliest memories that I have are my mother with her pretty hair and youthful shape, and Peggotty...” (Di ckens and Wang, 1986: 7). Apparently, Peggotty played a very important role in David’s childhood. “Peggotty came to see me every week”. “Peggotty saw my mother and Mr. Murdstone walking up and down in the road. She looked very angry” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 10). Under Mr. Murdstone’s cruel treatment, David’s mother could not protect herself and little David. It was their servant Peggotty who protected them from being bullied. Little David came across true affections in his childhood mainly because of Peggo tty’s kindness.
David's good nature is given from his birth, but also affected by people around him. These various people shape a rich, varied and vivid David to us.
3.3 Dora and Agnes
David did not have a complete family. He had no father, and even lost his mother when he was a child. But in his childhood and adulthood, David had many friends and playmates, enriching his life with happiness and surprise. As people often say, a person's character is formed from childhood, and it is not easy to change after he grows up. But these partners and good friends played an important role in David's life.
David’s first wife, Dora, grew up in a rich family, without any frustration or difficulty, being the only child in her family. She was absolutely spoiled by her father. At the beginning, David wa s attracted by Dora’s beauty, and Dora was also conquered by David’s handsome appearance at the same time. “I looked up and saw her and loved her madly” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 112). After they got married, they could hardly adjust to each other, so the gap between them became wider and wider. Dora wa s a “child wife” and “seemed by all to be treated as a pretty plaything” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 150). She could not manage their house, nor could she settle any problem with her husband. While David need a wife who could support him and approve of him. “Dickens, in the end, arranged for Dora to die from disease, so that David could make a second choice” (Yan, 2006: 3).
Agnes, David’s second wife, was not only beautiful and gentle, but also intelligent and kind hearted. In David’s mind, “there is goodness and peace and truth wherever Agnes is” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 80). Agnes was his good angel. Her father did not want her to go to school although she was eager to do so. She stayed at home and managed the
house since she was a teenager. Agnes behaved in a mature way, which was quite a contrast to Dora. She helped David to solve problems, and always brought hope to him. “There was a peacefulness, a calmness about her which I hav e never forgotten, which I shall never forget” (Dickens and Wang, 1986: 76). A fter these two marriages, David became more stable and mature.
Conclusion
Through the analysis of the characteristics of David Copperfield, a conclusion can be drawn here.
Born in a singled-parent family, David was affected heavily by his weak mother. His step-father treated him badly and David’s childhood was really a nightmare. It was lucky for David to have Peggotty who helped him. Child David was innocent and kind-hearted. Th e runaway from Murdstone marks the end of David’s childhood. The love with Dora showed his immaturity and all of his youthful period can be defined as an immature one. David’s aunt, Betsey Trotwood, played a really important role in the change of David’s characteristics. The bankruptcy of his aunt was a significant incident to David Copperfield. He had to say goodbye to yesterday, no more comfortable life and no more financial support from his wealthy aunt. Thereafter he began to work hard and did his own duty. At last Dickens made a mature boy hero, David Copperfield.
David is one of the orphans in Dickens’ works, but he is different from other children which are also created by Dickens. He is closely related to his creator. So David Copperfield becomes Dic kens’ own favorite. This has given the book a combination of verisimilitude, sense of familiarity and artistic maturity which seldom met with in his other novels. That is why David Copperfield has been loved by so many readers. It is one of the few greatest English novels.
一．中古英语时期 ?Beowulf is the oldest poem in the English language, and the most important specimen (范例、典范)of Anglo-Saxon literature, and also the oldest surviving epic in the English language. ?The romance is a popular literary form in the medieval period（中世纪）. It uses verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds. ?Geoffrey?Chaucer, one?of the greatest English poets, whose masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales（《坎特伯雷故事集》）,was one of the most important influences on the development of English literature. ?Chaucer is considered as the father of English poetry and the founder of English realism. 二．文艺复兴Renaissance ?Renaissance refers to the period between the 14th and mid-17th centuries. It marks a transition(过渡) from the medieval to the modern world. ?It started in Italy with the flowering of painting, sculpture（雕塑）and literature, and then spread to the rest of Europe. ?Humanism is the essence of Renaissance -----Man is the measure of all things. ?This was England’s Golden Age in literature. Queen Elizabeth reigned over the country in this period. The real mainstream of the English Renaissance is the Elizabethan drama. The most famous dramatists in the Renaissance England ? ?“Of Studies” is the most popular of Bacon’s 58 essays. ?Thomas More ——Utopia ?Edmund Spenser——The Faerie Queene 相关练习 ? 1. Which is the oldest poem in the English language? ? A. Utopia B. Faerie Queene ? C. Beowulf D. Hamlet ? 2. _____ is the father of English poetry. ? A. Edmund Spenser B. William Shakespeare ? C. Francis Bacon D. Geoffrey Chaucer ? 3. ____ is not a playwright during the Renaissance period on England. ? A. William Shakespeare B. Geoffrey Chaucer ? C. Christopher Marlowe D. Ben Johnson 三．莎士比亚William Shakespeare ?“All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”——William Shakespeare ?William Shakespeare is considered the greatest playwright in the world and the finest poet who has written in the English language. Shakespeare understood people more than any other writers. He could create characters that have
An Analysis of the Design of the First Assembly in Pride and Prejudice [Abstract] In Pride and Prejudice, the first assembly is the stage of the debut of hero, Darcy and the heroine, Elizabeth. Therefore, the design of this assembly, including which part of the assembly should be narrated directly in the description of the assembly, how to do with other things happened during the party, how to shape the characteristics and personality of the two main characters as well as other important role on the assembly, is essentially significant to the character portrait for the whole novel. Mainly employing description of language and technique of comparative description, the plot about this assembly is well-designed as three parts, before, during and after the assembly, which is efficient to the character figuring of the novel. [Keywords] character figuring, design, description of language, comparative description The novel introduces the first assembly in Chapter 3, using only half of a chapter to directly describe things happened on the party while two other whole chapter to show people’s discussion on it. By the delicate design, vivid language description and useful comparative description, the description of this party is highly efficient to the chapter portrait of this novel. Before the party, Mrs. Bennet’s worry about Mr. Bingley’s going into the town is showed, which totally reveals the purpose of Mrs. Bennet’s participating in the dinner, again echoing the description of Mrs. Bennet’s saying "If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield, and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for." (Austen, 2001: 2) at former plot. In the case, the assembly is platform to looking for sweetheart, love and even possible marriage (Yang, 91). At the end of this paragraph, Mr. Bingley’s invitating his sisters and Darcy leads to the appearance of these important characters. For the description of things happened during the party, instead of using scene description to the setting of the ball or psychological description to the participators, language description organized by comparative technique is mainly employed to mould different personality of different participant. First of all, It can be directly seen that the description of Mr. Hurst’s and Mr. Darcy’s first appearance is put in the same paragraph and connected by the conjunction “but”,
History and Anthology of American Literature Part I The Literature of Colonial America 1.Historical Introduction ·The first permanent English settlement in North America was established at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. ·Among the members of the small band of Jamestown settlers was Captain John Smith. His reports of exploration have been described as the first distinctly American literature written in English. 2.Early New England Literature ·The American poets who emerged in the 17 century adapted the style of established European poets to the subject matter confronted in a strange, new environment. Anne Bradstreet was one such poet. John Smith 1.The first American writer. 2.Works: (1)A true Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony (2)A Map of Virginia with a Description of the Country (3)The General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles William Bradford & John Winthrop 1.William Bradford: 曾任普利茅斯总督 ·Work: Of Plymouth Plantation《普利茅斯垦殖记》 2.John Winthrop: 曾任马萨诸塞湾总督，波士顿总督 ·Work: The History of New England from 1630 to 1649《新英格兰历史：1630-1649》 John Cotton & Roger Williams 1.John Cotton: 清教徒牧师和作家 ·The first major intellectual spokesman of Massachusetts Bay Colony was John Cotton, sometimes called “the Patriarch of New England”. 2.Roger Williams: 出生于伦敦的进步宗教思想家，曾长期受到英国殖民当局的迫害 ·He was interested in the Indian language ·Work：A Key into the Language of America 《阿美利加语言的钥匙》 Anne Bradstreet & Edward Taylor 1.Anne Bradstreet：美国第一位作品得以发表的女诗人 ·Work：The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America《第十位缪斯》 2.Edward Taylor：美国清教派牧师和诗人，被公认为美国19世纪前最重要的诗人 ·The best of the Puritan poets Part II The Literature of Reason and Revolution 1.Background: In the seventies of the eighteenth century the English colonies in North America rose in arms against their mother country. The War of Independence lasted for eight years(1775-1783) and ended in the formation of a federative bourgeois democratic republic—the United States of America. 2.American Enlightenment（美国启蒙运动）dealt a decisive blow to the Puritan traditions and brought to life secular
河西学院2013—2014学年第一学期 期末考查课材料 课程：英国文学II 班级： 姓名： 学号： 得分：
《大卫?科波菲尔》的人物形象的研究综述 引言 《大卫?科波菲尔》是查尔斯?狄更斯最受大众喜爱的小说之一，是一部带有半自传体性质的小说。在小说前言中他也写道：“在我所有的著作中，我最喜爱的是这一部”[1]小说中作者以逼真动人的文笔刻画了大卫?科波菲尔等十多个性格鲜明的主要人物形象。近年来，众多学者分析和研究了《大卫?科波菲尔》的人物形象，其论著从人物的外貌、语言、行为、身世、性格和命运结局等方面进行了探讨和争鸣。本文通过对原著的细读，对进五年国内文学界对其研究论著的整理，对该作品中的大卫?科波菲尔形象、男性形象中的米考伯、斯蒂福兹、西普以及女性形象中的贝西小姐、朵拉、艾妮斯进行了整理研究。 主题 一﹑大卫?科波菲尔形象研究 大卫?科波菲尔作为小说的主人公，狄更斯如他所喜欢的那样创造了一个善良、勇敢、坚强的大卫。作为主人公的大卫一直都受到学者们的青睐。宋纯花认为狄更斯的“大卫生性是善良的，作者一开始就把他安置在了‘善’的模型中，于是，在他以后的人生道路上，他始终保持着他善良的本性。”[2]而朱晓莉在《大卫?科波菲尔的性格分析》中也对其性格进行了较为系统而全面的分析，得到了“出生于单亲家庭，大卫的性格极大地收到了懦弱的母亲的影响，童年的大卫天真而又善良。青年时代的大卫的性格既有正面的也有反面的，如真诚、圆滑、不成熟和不自信。最终，狄更斯给我们塑造了一个成熟的大卫。”[3]的结论。 二﹑男性形象研究 学者们对在小说中男性形象的研究也不在少数，而其中尤以米考伯、斯蒂福兹、西普受到学者们的研究和争鸣。米考伯，大卫的朋友，是正面人物的典型代表。刘静在其论文中总结了其行为后认为米考伯个性鲜明，为人善良正直，明辨是非，他最明显的性格特点却是他的不负责任和快乐主义。[4]何辉英也以“乐天知命”概括了其“债多不愁”、无远虑而老想走运的乐天派性格。[5]斯蒂福兹，大卫的另一个朋友，是一个凝聚了正面与反面因素的中间人物。在研究他时，刘静指出“他没有基本的道德标准，他自认为有钱，蛮横自大，瞧不起穷人，玩弄妇女，成为狄更斯笔下的恶棍形象。但同时，狄更斯又赋予了斯蒂福兹豪爽、能干、资质聪慧，高贵优雅的些许好人品质。”[6]幸香兰似乎也认同这一分析，她在论著中写道“他以其聪明、风采、殷勤和才能博得大家的好感，但以损害他人的利益来满足自己的斯蒂福兹，漂亮的外表下掩盖的是绝对的自私自利。”[7]西普是小说中最具代表性的反面人物，无论其丑陋的外表，卑劣的言语还是狡诈的行为无一不体现了其坏的品性。刘静论述道：“西普名字本身就暗含了其像蛇蝎一样向上爬的秉性。他阳奉阴违、假装卑微，狡猾阴险。”[8] 三﹑女性形象研究 相较于男性形象的多面化，小说中女性形象多以正面形象呈现在读者眼前，而她们对大卫的一生产生过积极地或消极的影响。近年来，贝西小姐、朵拉、艾妮斯越来越受学术界的垂青。贝西小姐是大卫的姨婆，是一个颇受敬爱的女性。杨富刚在《浅议大卫?科波菲尔人生中三位善良的女性》论道：“贝西姨婆脾气古怪，特立独行，敢说敢做，不顾世俗的眼光，略带男性气质，偏重理性，然而贝西姨婆性格乖戾的背后却有一颗善良的心。”[9]刘渭锋和王薇认为贝西姨婆在是非上绝不含糊、威严可敬，她把宽厚仁爱蕴藏在严肃之中，同时又表现了一种积极向上的乐观态度。[10] 朵拉是大卫的第一位妻子，朵拉天生有着快活的性子，她不为任何事情而烦恼，也不会去思考生命和世界。[11]在大卫眼中，她是典型的维
Interpretation of “Bartleby” 2012 English Class, 1204402019, Crush Abstract Herman Melville?s tale “Bartleby”is one of those highly acclaimed symbolic short stories in the 19th century. Bartleby is an exploited worker in the capitalistic prison—Wall Street. To some critics, he is “a Thoreau-like practitioner of passive resistance”or “an autobiographical projection of Melville as alienated author.”1In this article, I am going to concentrate on the dark, ruthless commercial society and its defective capitalist values the narrator wants to reveal in “Bartleby”; specifically, I will illustrate how the narrator?s failure to understand the existence of Bartleby and to help him indicates the limitations of rationalism. Further more, I will also try to explain what does Bartleby really need, and how can people really save him from terrible forlornness. Key words Bartleby society limitation rationalism capitalist values Melville?s “Bartleby”is narrated by the first-person narrator, as he describes himself, is “a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best…one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, or in any way draws down public applause; but in the cool tranquility of a snug retreat, do a snug business among rich men?s bonds and mortgages and title-deeds.” He is quite satisfied with his profitable life. He is proud of himself in his successful business and proudly attached that he was once employed and praised by John Jacob Astor: “All who know me consider me an eminently safe man. The late John Jacob Astor, a personage little given to poetic enthusiasm, had no hesitation in pronouncing my first grand point to be prudence; my next method.”The narrator is a typical business man of Wall Street—the epitome of the increasing urbanized, capital-driven society. The author does not set Wall Street as the backdrop randomly, but uses it 1(journal articles) Y on-jae Jung, “The Poe-esque Elements in Melville?s…Bartleby the Scrivener?”, Foreign Literature Studies 4 (2009), p. 63.
XX英语文学论文开题报告范文题目 an analysis of the character portia in the merchant of venice 一、本课题的研究目的及意义 (一)研究目的 莎士比亚作为英国文艺复兴时期最杰出的艺术大师，被马克思称之为“最伟大的戏剧天才”。透过似真似幻的舞台和匠心独具的故事，莎翁塑造了一系列不朽的人物典型。尤其是塑造了众多而鲜明的人物形象。在莎士比亚的剧作中出场的女性人物有一百多人，在众多的女性人物中上至贵族，下至平民百姓，几乎是各不相同。而《威尼斯商人》中的鲍西亚更是被公认为莎士比亚笔下别具风采的女性形象。众多评论家认为莎士比亚戏剧中刻画的女性形象大都非常贴近生活，具有巨大的认识价值。。在这一讽刺喜剧《威尼斯商人》中鲍西亚美丽、善良、机智、自信、富有才华和胆识，正体现了莎士比亚从男性的视觉自发塑造的理想中的新女性。作为新女性的鲍西亚，具有一定的判逆性格，不甘于被命运摆弄做逆来顺受的“家庭天使”，在一定程度上体现了莎士比亚对人文主义精神的追求。然而，从女性主义的视角来分析，在男性为中心的社会里，鲍西亚绝非真正具有女性的自我意识，而是甘于向父权社会妥协的不完美的新女性。本课题通过对《威尼斯商人》中鲍西亚形象的分析，让读者
了解鲍西亚思想上、性格上的先进性与局限性，对现代女性起到一定的启示作用。 (二)研究意义 莎士比亚通过对生活细致入微的观察，对人性深刻的剖析，创作出《威尼斯商人》这部极具讽刺性的喜剧。在莎士比亚的笔下，女性的感情与理智平分秋色，女性是以与男性平等的形象出现的。这在鲍西亚这一角色身上表现最为突出。鲍西亚美丽温柔、忠贞不渝、善良可爱、机智勇敢、足智多谋。她掌握着自己的命运，不仅在自主选择丈夫方面，而且在与夏洛克的斗争中起到了关键性的作用。在当今的现实生活中，鲍西亚光彩照人的女性形象也可以带给人们启迪和借鉴。鲍西亚在金钱和爱情的杠杆上，选择了爱情。在她的内心深处爱情价更高，是金钱、物质所无法取代的。她对于爱情忠贞不渝和执着，值得现代生活中个别只追求物质享受的女人去学习。在现实生活中，个别人不应该由于自己的优越条件而歧视别人，更要学会不用有色眼光去看待别人。在法庭上，讲义气、才智非凡的鲍西亚女扮男装以法律博士的身份出场，使剧情有了戏剧性的转折，使夏洛克一步步在不知不觉中陷入她的计策。她成功的妙计足以显示出其学问深厚，机智敏锐，有胆有识的特点，这种女性形象也是我们所认同和赞赏的。《威尼斯商人》中的鲍西亚人物形象具有生动鲜明，栩栩如生，有血有肉等特点。本文通过对《威尼斯商人》
Growth Theme in Great Expectations Great Expectations, which belongs to bidungroman is wrote by Charles Dickens. Pip was the hero of this novel who was adopted by Magwitch who was helped by little Pip. Pip fell in love with a girl Estella adopted by a rich woman Miss Havisham. When Pip grew up, he received plenty of money that earned by Magwitch during his exiled years'.But Pip mistook that the sponsor was Miss Havisham. Pip was managed go to London to be a gentleman. In his new life, Estella married a playboy. One day, Magwitch came back and told all of the truth. Pip decided to escape but it was failed. Magwitch died and his property was confiscated then Pip became a poor again. Pip gains maturity from love:When Pip was a child, he was taken to Miss Havisham's castle to play for her. During this period, he loved Estella, but later Miss Havisham didn't agree Pip to come again and send Estella French. However, Pip didn't forget Estella. When they met again, Estella wasn't the original girl anymore. She chased after fame, money and status. Estella refused Pip's love resolutely and wanted to marry another gentleman. At the beginning, Pip couldn't accept it, but he put down the love and put it in his heart in the end. In a certain extent, Pip got growth from his love. Pip rescues Miss Havisham :Pip knew it was Miss Havisham that separated him with Estellla, and taught her take revenge to man. Pip couldn't stand what Miss Havisham had done to him. However Miss Havisham was sick seriously, and she hope Pip can forgive her. Unlucky, Miss Havisham got burned by accident. Pip grasped the curtain as soon as possible and threw himself at Miss Havisham completely disregarding his own safety. But Miss Havisham was died. Pip forgave Miss Havisham. At that time, he did realize the importance of forgiveness. Pip helps Magwitch to escape :When Pip came back to his place, he found a old man in the room. ”yes, Pip, dear boy, I have made a gentleman on you. I swore that time, sure as ever I earned a guinea, that guinea should go to you. I swore afterwards, sure as ever I speculated and got rich. You should get rich…look'ee here, Pip, I'm your second father. you are my son─ more to me nor any son…”(英国文学选
美国文学史梗概 一、殖民地时代和美国建国初期 最早来自这片新大陆的欧洲移民主要是定居在新英格兰的清教徒和马萨诸塞的罗马天主教徒，二者虽然在教义上有很多不同之处，但他们都信奉加尔文主义：人生在世只是为了受苦受难，而他们唯一的希望是争做上帝的“选民”，死后进天国，相信“原罪”。这时的文学作品也主要反映了这些思想，和欧洲文学一脉相承。 代表作家：考顿·马瑟，乔纳森·爱德华兹，安妮·布拉兹特里特，爱德华·泰勒。 二、18世纪独立战争胜利后，美国经济社会进入稳步发展时期 这一时期是启蒙运动时期（the Enlightenment）,从字面上讲，启蒙运
动就是启迪蒙昧，反对愚昧主义，提倡普及文化教育的运动。但就其精神实质上看，它是宣扬资产阶级政治思想体系的运动，并非单纯是文学运动。它是文艺复兴时期资产阶级反封建、反禁欲、反教会斗争的继续和发展，直接为一七八九年的法国大革命奠定了思想基础。启蒙思想家们从人文主义者手里进一步从理论上证明封建制度的不合理，从而提出一整套哲学理论，政治纲领和社会改革方案，要求建立一个以“理性”为基础的社会。他们用政治自由对抗专制暴政，用信仰自由对抗宗教压迫，用自然神论和无神论来摧毁天主教权威和宗教偶像，用“天赋人权”的口号来反对“君权神授”的观点，用“人人在法律面前平等”来反对贵族的等级特权，进而建立资产阶级的政权。是欧洲第二次思想解放运动。） 主要文学指导思想是“自然神论”（Deism），这个思想认为虽然上帝创造了宇宙和它存在的规则，但是在此之
后上帝并不再对这个世界的发展产生影响。自然神论反对蒙昧主义和神秘主义，否定迷信和各种违反自然规律的“奇迹”；认为上帝不过是“世界理性”或“有智慧的意志”；上帝作为世界的“始因”或“造物主”，它在创世之后就不再干预世界事务，而让世界按照它本身的规律存在和发展下去；主张用“理性宗教”代替“天启宗教”。人生在世，不再是受苦受难以换取来世的新生，而是要消灭种族、性别和信仰的不平等，建立自己的“人间乐园”。 启蒙运动中出现大量优秀的散文作品，并多出自开国元勋之手，如本杰明·富兰克林，托马斯·潘恩，以及托马斯·杰斐逊。 三、19世纪南北战争时期 这一时期的文学先后发展了浪漫主义，现实主义和自然主义。
最新英语专业全英原创毕业论文，都是近期写作 1 论《西风颂》背后的精神力量 2 论林纾翻译小说中的翻译策略 3 An Analysis of Gothic Features in Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado 4 论英语教学中的非智力因素 5 《傲慢与偏见》和《简爱》中的性别歧视现象和女权主义 6 A Reflection upon American Heroism Based on Reviews of Hollywood Movies 7 对《灿烂千阳》中姐妹情谊的分析 8 从浪漫主义角度剖析《海上钢琴师》在中国流行的原因 9 析《傲慢与偏见》中达西的性格及人物形象 10 从关联理论的角度看英语广告中隐喻的翻译 11 论《在另一个国度里》中的象征主义 12 从弗洛姆的社会过滤理论看中国诗词翻译中的文化传递 13 试论《了不起的盖茨比》中的象征手法 14 Jude the Obscure and Hardy’s World View 15 情感在中学英语教学中的应用 16 语境与英语词汇教学 17 On the Ways to Develop Junior Middle Sc hool Students’Autonomous Ability 18 从中英文动物隐喻看中国与英语国家的文化差异 19 小说《珍珠》中象征主义的运用 20 《麦田守望者》成长主题解析 21 Application of Politeness Principle in Top Talk 22 Maintaining and Revitalizing the Native American Languages 23 培根《论读书》多种译本的比较 24 《愤怒的葡萄》中圣经的象征和隐喻 25 试从关联理论的角度分析《老友记》中的言语幽默 26 Translating News Concerning China in Global Times: Approaches and Strategies 27 浅谈英汉人体部位的隐喻 28 《老人与海》中的孤独 29 分析西方末世论在美国电影中的体现 30 试论《出狱》中“房子”的意象 31 英汉习语的文化内涵对比分析 32 《飘》中斯佳丽的性格特征解读 33 《善良的乡下人》的喜剧性分析 34 浅析《德伯家的苔丝》中的苔丝悲剧的成因 35 作为失败者的淑：双性同体视角 36 礼仪在商务谈判中的应用 37 对中国英语语言教学中进行跨文化意识培养的研究 38 汉语公示语的英译 39 《请买票》的生态女性主义解读 40 从跨文化交际中的语用失误看中西文化差异 41 42 浅析初中生英语写作问题及对策
英国文学史课程论文 Lake Poets in the history of English literature 英国文学史上的湖畔诗人 院（系）名称外国语学院 专业名称英语 学生姓名程路佳 学生学号1201200127 课程教师刘鹏飞 2015年12月23日
Lake Poets in the history of English literature Auther:Cheng Lujia Tutor:Liu Pengfei Abstract The Lake Poets or Lake School was a group of English poets: Samuel Taylor Coleridge, RobertSouthey, and William Wordsworth. They lived in the “lake district” in northwestern England. This group was part of the romantic movement of the late 1700?s and early 1800?s. They were inspired by the French revolution and theEnglish Industrial Revolution. They made bold experiments on poetry writing, no matter no poetry language seeking or subjects. Wordsworth was regarded as “worshipper of nature”. Coleridge was not only a poet but also a critic. While Southey pay more his attention to his democratic community in America known as “Pant isocracy”. Key words: The Romantic Period, Nature, Super nature, Imagination, Innovation, Simple language, Inner world, Spirit, Common life, Democratic, Pant isocracy
英语英国文学论文开题报告 篇一：英语专业英美文学开题报告 (修改版) 安徽科技学院本科生毕业论文（设计）开题报告书 篇二：XX年外语系论文开题报告开题报告,英美文学韩山师范学院 毕业论文（设计）开题报告 学生姓名：彭雪金学号： XX141622 院（系）：专业英语（师范） __ 题目：（中文）爱默生超验主义对19世纪美国人生观的影响-- 以《论自助》为例 th指导教师：吴湘毅讲师 XX年 2月 10 日 开题报告填写要求 1．开题报告是开展课题研究的依据和撰写论文的基础，也是毕业论文（设计）答辩委员会对学生答辩资格审查的依据材料之一。此报告应在指导教师指导下，由学生在毕业论文（设计）工作前期完成，经指导教师签署意见及系审查合格后方可进行毕业论文（设计）的撰写； 2．开题报告必须按教务处统一设计的电子文档标准格式（可从教务处主页“相关下载”页面上下载）打印，不得打印在其它纸上后剪贴。完成后应及时交给指导教师签署意见；
3．有关年月日等日期的填写，一律用阿拉伯数字书写，如“XX年4月26日”或“XX-04-26”； 4．毕业论文参考文献的格式标准应参照《韩山师范学院本科生毕业论文撰写标准》（针对韩教字[XX]71号文件作部分修正）。 篇三：英语论文开题报告 本科毕业设计（论文）开题报告 题目"Pride and Prejudice" Darcy's character analysis 学院名称外国语学院 专业班级英语XX 学生姓名 学号 指导教师 填表时间： XX年 3 月 4 日 填表说明 1.开题报告作为毕业设计（论文）答辩委员会对学生答(原文来自：https://www.doczj.com/doc/b09171817.html, 小草范文网:英语英国文学论文开题报告)辩资格审查的依据材料之一。 2.此报告应在指导教师指导下，由学生在毕业设计（论文）工作前期完成，经指导教师签署意见、相关系主任审查后生效。
关于大卫科波菲尔中的人物形象英语论文 An Analysis of Image in David Copperfield Chapter 1 Introduction “David Copperfield“ was the masterpiece of Dickens; it was his unremittingly efforts up to the longest of a semi-autobiographical work, in May 1849 to November 1850 installment was published. In the preface, Dickens said: “In all my works, my favorite in this department. ... It is my favorite child. “ This paper began with a brief introduction of the author and the social background, and then it tried to analyze the novel. Thus the author paved the way for the following analysis, then it came to the essential part of the paper—the analysis of image in David, Dora, David’s great-aunt, Mr.Micawber, and Steerforth, The Mr. Murdstones, Heep. Next, the essay came to the author’s impact on the two figures in order to make readers know more about the novel and the author. Finally, the author attempted to analyze different people’s image and show people’s different destinies. The paper wanted to tell people that maybe fate is unfair to you, so that you are suffering from human sufferings, but you cannot