Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter
Abstract: This thesis attempts to expound Hawthorne"s employment of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter through the analysis of the scarlet letter "A", the characters and the settings. It also explores Hawthorne"s conflicting views on the world, and demonstrates that he is both an heir and a critic of Puritanism. Hawthorne also found much in transcendental thoughts to attract him, including its radicalism, its stress on the soul, the individual, self-reliance and independence.The introduction presents Hawthorne"s short biography, his achievements and position in American literature, and gives an account of the background and main content of story. It also introduces the use of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, to be discussed in more detail in the following chapters.The first chapter discusses the symbol of the color red and the multi-layered meanings of the letter "A". The symbolic meanings of the letter change with the development of the story, and are different to various characters.
Through symbols, Hawthorne presents the psychological aspect of the characters. The symbols are also used for the readers to study the psychological reactions of the victims and to probe into the depths of personality.The conclusion studies Hawthorne"s psychological conflicts, which are sources of multi-layered symbolic meanings. In this part, Hawthorne"s techniques, especially his symbolism, is further investigated. Meanwhile, it raises issues that need further exploration. Hawthorne"s influence in literature goes far beyond his time. The Scarlet Letter is an excellent example of romantic literature of the 19th century, a masterpiece of profound and lasting .significance. His portrayals of the struggle of the human soul have made him an outstanding figure in the history of world literature.
Key Words：inner world，soul，sin，punishment，symbolism，puritanism，psychological conflicts
Hawthorne is the first American native writer to take local materials, scenery, people, their lives and thoughts into his conscious creation and thus gain an
undying fame for it. The Scarlet Letter is set against the harsh backdrop of the Puritan colony in 17th century Boston and insinuates with thick religious color in which Calvinism and mysticism are portrayed through the novel, which adds enormous charm and driving power to this classic work. The Scarlet Letter launched Hawthorne's creation and success.
The novel distinguishes itself from the other love stories in the nineteenth century and is called "a psychological romance". This love story enables Hawthorne to reach a tragic vision: to explore the inner world of his created characters, to understand the inner necessity of everything they do, and thus to pity and forgive them in the very act of laying bare their weaknesses, showing how they branded sinners for life.
The Scarlet Letter is without question a novel about sin and guilt, though, as we should expect of Hawthorne, it is not a simple matter to determine who, or what, is the subject of these themes. Are Hester and Dimmesdale the principle sinners, or does their suffering, if not their love, absolve them? If we assume that the novel is an allegory, involving significant episodes and issues from American history, particularly the Salem witch trials, then is it America itself that is guilty of great sin? If this is the case (and many critics feel that it is), then we should reverse the most obvious terms of guilt and sin that the novel presents and read the representatives of authority as the principal figures of guilt.
Following this line of interpretation, we can see Hawthorne attempting to individualize national sin in the actual historical characters of Governor Bellingham and John Wilson. We can even take this reading one step further and see Hawthome attempting to absolve himself and his own family lineage when we recall that one of his own forefathers, John Hathorne, was a particularly cruel prosecutor during the witch hysteria. Closely related to the conflict of the individual and society is the theme of stability, change, and transformation. One of the important places where this theme is introduced is actually outside the proper narrative, in Hawthorne's introduction, "The Custom-House."
Although Puritan society is unforgiving towards the sinful scarlet letter, their strictness improved the bearers of the sin. The scarlet letter was also an example of how Puritan society will always remember the sin. “When
strangers looked curiously at the scarlet letter-and none failed to do so, they branded it afresh into Hester’s soul.”A letter “A”but freshly green, instead of scarlet was created by her, showing how Hawthorne made a jest at the punishment Puritans put upon Hester. And the scarlet letter was also a toy to Pearl, something that she enjoyed. Hawthorne uses the scarlet letter to depict his feelings of the exaggerated emotions of the puritans and their overly dramatic punishments. I also find the symbolism in this novel is used quite skillful. The technique he uses makes his novel more artistic.
Ⅰ. About Hawthorne’s writing skills
Firstly, Hawthorne arouses readers" interest by intensifying his simple plot through a technique of psychological characterisation. Hawthorne seems to be influenced a lot by the sin and evil in his sense. He believes evil exists in human heart all the time. For example, in the novel The Scarlet Letter, the minister Dimmesdale tries to pretend how pure and pious he is. He wants to cover up the evil in his mind. Not only Dimmesdale wants to do like this, but also all the people in the world, because we are only human beings. And the evil just likes a mark which exists in our mind when we are born.
Secondly, in Hawthorne’s mind, people who commit a crime must be punished, because people can get experience from this way. And also he supports people to tell the truth and not to offend. This point is very important because Hawthorne is frequently credited with portraying Puritanism in this novel in a remarkable authentic and convincing manner.
Thirdly，Hawthorne's characteristic use of ambiguity is both a central theme and a central technique of the novel. One of the most obvious problems when discussing The Scarlet Letter is determining the identity of the narrator. This difficulty is clearly intentional. In the second paragraph of "The Custom-House," Hawthorne claims that he is merely "explaining how a large portion of the following pages came into his possession," hoping to offer "proofs of the authenticity of a narrative therein contained." Hawthorne proclaims himself only an editor, "or very little more." Yet later he states that "I have allowed myself nearly or altogether as much license as if the facts had been entirely of my own invention," and all he is willing to verify is "the authenticity of the outline." Hawthorne renders this beautiful passage to remind the reader, seemingly at every turn, that meaning, or truth, will be profoundly
difficult to uncover.
Ⅱ.The symbolism of the Scarlet letter “A”
The tragedy of The Scarlet Letter has mainly sprung not from the intolerant Puritan society"s imposition of false social ideals on the characters, but from their own inner world of frustrated desires.
In this novel, the scarlet letter “A”, worn on Hester’s bosom, is a symbol of her adultery against her husband Roger Chinllingworth. Put the letter “A”on her bosom and let her show to the public is the puritan way to treat her as a criminal. Hester is looked down upon as if she is the demon from the hell that commits a terrible crime. This letter is meant to be worn in shame, and to take Hester feel unwanted. Hester is brave enough to face the cruel reality. She is always with a mind of courage. She has been alone with her child for so long , with litter communication. Shame! Hopelessness! Loneliness! Hester has to wear the letter A day after day, seven years as for punishment and ill fame. This is the commonest way to explain the letter. But actually I think the scarlet letter “A”is a symbol of being able and admirable. It is not a praise of a Hester sinning, but a hymn on the moral growth of the woman when sinned against. The reasons are as follow.
When a woman has lived through a difficult experience, her character changes a great deal. If she be all tenderness, she will die. If she survive, the tenderness will leave her. Hester raises her child for 7 years by herself. She does not tell others who is the father of her child. She refuses to confess the man just because he is a clergyman; he stands for clean and honest, stands for noble. Hester just wants to protect the man she loves. And also she realizes her sin. She does not choose to avoid her fault. On the contrary, she tries her best to atone for it. She helps others who are poor or sick as possible as she can. At last, she overcomes the shame of her sin through the purity and goodness of her soul.
Over the seven years of her punishment, Hester's inner struggle changes from a victim of Puritan branding to a decisive woman in tune with human nature. When she meets Dimmesdale in the forest in Chapter 18, Hawthorne says, "The tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread."
All in all, The Scarlet Letter is significant. Hester’s charitable deeds and quiet
humility have earned her a reprieve from the scorn of the community. The letter on her chest represents her work on earth , always helping others, without expecting any thanks. It shows the progressive possession of Hester’s sin, her lonely life, and her ability. In time, even the Puritan community sees the letter as meaning "Able" or "Angel." Her sensitivity with society's victims turns her symbolic meaning from a person whose life was originally twisted and repressed to a strong and sensitive woman with respect for the humanity of others. In her final years, "the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world's scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence, too." Since her character is strongly tied to the scarlet letter, Hester represents the public sinner who changes and learns from her own sorrow to understand the humanity of others. Often human beings who suffer great loss and life-changing experiences become survivors with an increased understanding and sympathy for the human losses of others.
Hester is such a symbol. Hester is a strong admirable woman who goes through more emotional torture that most people go through in a lifetime.
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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
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多次游弋于地中海跟随登陆大军将敌战败十五次比武他大显身手为捍卫信仰而浴血奋斗在战场上三次杀死敌将高贵的武士美名传四方他还侍奉过柏拉西亚国君讨伐另一支土耳其异教军没有一次不赢得最高荣誉他骁勇善战聪慧而不痴愚他温柔顺从像个大姑娘一生无论是在什么地方对谁也没有讲过半个脏字堪称一个完美的真骑士他有一批俊美的千里马但是他的衣着朴实无华开价的底下是结识的布衣上上下下到处是斑斑污迹他风尘仆仆刚从战场归来片刻未休息就急忙去朝拜 Unit 2 William Shakespeare 1564-1616 生存或毁灭这是个必答之问题是否应默默的忍受坎苛命运之无情打击还是应与深如大海之无涯苦难奋然为敌并将其克服此二抉择就竟是哪个较崇高死即睡眠它不过如此倘若一眠能了结心灵之苦楚与肉体之百患那么此结局是可盼的死去睡去但在睡眠中可能有梦啊这就是个阻碍当我们摆脱了此垂死之皮囊在死之长眠中会有何梦来临它令我们踌躇使我们心甘情愿的承受长年之灾否则谁肯容忍人间之百般折磨如暴君之政骄者之傲失恋之痛法章之慢贪官之侮或庸民之辱假如他能简单的一刃了之还有谁会肯去做牛做马终生疲於操劳默默的忍受其苦其难而不远走高飞飘於渺茫之境倘若他不是因恐惧身后之事而使他犹豫不前此境乃无人知晓之邦自古无返者所以「理智」能使我们成为懦夫而「顾虑」能使我们本来辉煌之心志变得黯然无光像个病夫再之这些更能坏大事乱大谋使它们失去魄力第二场同前凯普莱特家的花园罗密欧上罗密欧没有受过伤的才会讥笑别人身上的创痕朱丽叶自上方
考试课程：英国文学史及选读考核类型：A 卷 考试方式：闭卷出卷教师: XXX 考试专业：英语考试班级：英语xx班 I.Multiple choice (30 points, 1 point for each) select from the four choices of each item the one that best answers the question or completes the statement. 1._____，a typical example of old English poetry ,is regarded today as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. A.The Canterbury Tales B.The Ballad of Robin Hood C.The Song of Beowulf D.Sir Gawain and the Green Kinght 2._____is the most common foot in English poetry. A.The anapest B.The trochee C.The iamb D.The dactyl 3.The Renaissance is actually a movement stimulated by a series of historical events, which one of the following is NOT such an event? A.The rediscovery of ancient Roman and Greek culture. B.England’s domestic rest C.New discovery in geography and astrology D.The religious reformation and the economic expansion 4._____is the most successful religious allegory in the English language. A.The Pilgrims Progress B.Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners C.The Life and Death of Mr.Badman D.The Holy War 5.Generally, the Renaissance refers to the period between the 14th and mid-17th centuries, its essence is _____. A.science B.philosophy C.arts D.humanism 6.“So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,/So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”(Shakespeare, Sonnets18)What does“this”refer to ? A.Lover. B.Time. C.Summer. D.Poetry. 7.“O prince, O chief of my throned powers, /That led th’ embattled seraphim to war/Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds/Fearless, endangered Heaven’s perpetual king”In the third line of the above passage quoted from Milton’s Paradise Los t, the phrase“thy conduct”refers to _____conduct. A.God’s B.Satan’s C.Adam’s D.Eve’s
美式论文、报告写作技巧 编者按：美式教育地特点即是课程内容强调学生参与及创新运用,因此,报告便成了常见地考核学生学习成果地方式,比如实验报告、学期报告、专题报告、研究报告及论文<含毕业论文）等.研究生presentation 及seminar 地机会更是占很大地比重,有些甚至占学期成绩很大比例.如何完成报告、论文同时得到良好地成绩,是本文提供给有志留学地有心人参考地目地. 美国大学生由於自小已养成自动寻找答案习惯,在启发式地教育环境下,写报告、论文对他们来说比较不陌生,虽然专业知识上美国学生不见得比外籍学生强,但是表达能力由於自小培养,加上英语能力地优势,常比外籍学生在报告、论文方面有较隹地利基.反之中国学生比较缺乏报告写作地训练,因此如果在留学过程中无法适应美式教育会比较辛苦,其实论文、报告地写作要领其实不难,只要把握技巧就可水到渠成. 通常论文由篇首(Preliminaries>,本文(Texts>以及参考资料(References>三部分构成；而这三大部分各自内容如下： (一> 篇首： 封面(Title> 序言(Preface> 谢词(Acknowledge> 提要(Summary> 目录(Tables and Appendixes> (二> 本文： 引言(Introduction> 主体,含篇(Part>、章(Chapter>、节(Section> 、以及注释 (Footnotes> (三>参考资料： 参考书目(References or Bibliography> 附录资料(Appendix>. 进行论文或报告写作之前,先要确定想要表达地主题,主题确定后,将其具体表达,即为题目.题目可以提供研究者： 一.研究地方向 二.研究地范围 三.资料搜集地范围 四.预期研究成果 通常在确定题目之後就开始找资料从事研究,建议在找资料之前最好去问教授有哪些参考资料来源可供参考引用.构思为确定写作大纲或Proposal 地先前步骤, 大纲是论文、报告地骨干, Proposal 是研究地架构、流程及范围地说明书.如何构思大纲或Proposal为论文、报告写作前地必要准备工作.好地论文或研究报告,要基于在完整、详实地资料上,而参考资料除了和教授商借之外,最主要地来源就是图书馆了,一般参考资料来源可分成教科书或手册、政府机构地报告、科技或商业方面地杂志,及会议性质地资料.此外现代地电脑资料库也可帮助收集资料,在国外可利用学校地电脑连线资料库寻找自己需要地资料.当一切准备就绪,即可开始着手写报告,一般报告还分大报告如期末、专题等报告,及小报告如 Seminar 式地报告. 就算是小报告,也至少应含 (一>TITLE PAGES ：包含主题名称、作者、日期 (二>Summary：即主要地结论 (三>Introduction：包括理论背景及内容 (四>Technical Sections：是论文地主体,为最重要地部份应再细分为几个片断. (五>Conclusions：即扼要地结论
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.
英国文学选读》课程教学大纲 课程编号： 01120280 学分：2 学时： 34（其中实践学时： 0） 授课学期：第 5 学期 一、课程的性质、地位、作用及与其他课程的联系 该课程的目的在于培养学生阅读、欣赏、理解英语文学原著的能力，掌握文学批评的 基本知识和方法。通过阅读和分析英国文学作品，使学生了解英国的历史、地理、社会、政 治等方面的情况及文化传统， 促进学生对西方文学及文化的了解， 提高学生对文化差异的敏 感性、宽容性和处理文化差异的灵活性， 培养学生的跨文化交际能力。 授课的内容包括： （ 1） 文学导论；英语文学常识；（ 2）英国文学史；（ 3）英国文学经典作品导读；（ 4）英国文 学批评。选用《新编英国文学选读》（上、下册），罗经国 编著；北京大学出版社； 2005。 期望达到如下教学要求： 1． 对英国文学的发展概况有清晰的了解； 2． 对重要的文学术语有相当的了解并能在文学批评中加以运用； 3． 能读懂英语国家出版的有一定难度的历史传记和文学作品； 4． 熟悉英国主要作家代表作、其写作风格和所属流派； 5． 要求在理解的基础上分析文章的思想观点、篇章结构、语言特点、修辞手法、文体 风格； 6． 要求学生有较强的跨文化交际的能力。 二、课程的教学内容与要求 Chapter One The Anglo-Saxon Period (450-1066) 教学目标】帮助学生了解古英语诗歌的源泉及其韵律特点 教学内容】 1. Historical background 2. Northumbrian School and Wessex Literature 3. Anglo-Saxon Poetry : Beowulf 教学重点与难点】古英语文学的代表人物 King Alfred; Beowulf Chapter Two The Norman Period (1066-1350) 教学目标】帮助学生了解诺曼时期英国骑士文学和法国文学对英国文学的影响。 4． Romance and the influence of French literature 教学重点与难点】骑士文学和宗教文学的特点。 教学内容】 1． Historical background 2． Middle English 3． Religious literature 4．
《英国文学史及作品选读》教学大纲 一、课程说明 1. 课程中文名称：英国文学史及作品选读 2 课程英文名称：History and Selected Readings of English Literature 3. 课程总学时数：32 4. 课程学分数： 2 5. 授课对象：英语专业本科学生 6. 本课程的性质、地位和作用 本课程为面向英语专业高年级（三年级）学生开设的一门专业选修课，在学科体系中居重要地位。要求学生以先修英语阅读、综合英语、英美文化和英美概况等课程为基础。通过教学，使学生对英国文学有一个概观了解，同时初步培养学生对英国文学作品的鉴赏能力，增强学生对西方文学及文化的了解。该课程有助于增强学生的语言基本功，丰富学生的人文知识、充实学生的文化修养，提高学生的精神素质。 二、教学基本要求 1. 本课程的目的、任务 英国文学史及文学作品包含着历史的记忆和哲学的睿智，是英语语言艺术的结晶。本课程旨在介绍英国文学各个时期的主要文化思潮，文学流派，主要作家及其代表作，使学生对英国文学的发展脉络有一个大概的了解和认识，提高他们对文学作品的阅读鉴赏能力，并能掌握文学批评的基本知识和方法。要求学生在阅读和分析英国文学作品的基础上了解英国的历史、社会、政治等方面的情况及传统，促进学生对西方文学及文化的了解，提高学生对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性，培养学生对作品的洞察批判能力，从而丰富提升学生人文素养。 2. 本课程的教学要求 了解英国文学的发展概况，熟悉发展过程中出现的历史事件，文学思潮，文学流派；熟悉具体作家的文学生涯，创作思想，艺术特色和所属流派；能读懂代表作家的经典作品，并能分析评介作品的主题思想，人物形象，篇章结构、语言
2018年自学《英国文学选读》试题及答案 1. What are Shakespeare ’s achievements? a. Shakespeare represented the trend of history in giving voice to de desires and aspirations of the people. b. Shakespeare’s humanism: more important than his historical sense of his time, Shakespeare in his plays reflects the spirit of his age. c. Shakespeare’s characterization: Shakespeare was most successful in his characterization. In his plays he described a great number of characters. d. Shakespeare’s originality: Shakespeare drew most of his materials from sources that were known to his audienc e. But his plays are original because he instilled into the old materials a new spirit that gives new life to his plays. e. Shakespeare as a great poet: Shakespeare was not only a great dramatist, but also a great poet. Apart from his sonnets and long poems, his dramas are poetry. f. Shakespeare as master of the English language. 2. What are the basic characteristics of ballads? a. The beginning is often abrupt. b. There are strong dramatic elements. c. The story is often told through dialogue and action. d. The theme is often tragic, though there are a number of comic
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
The Tiger P50 1.Why does the poet mention the Lamb? Do you think both the Lamb and the Ti ger can illuminate each other? The Tyger is corresponding to The Lamb. Both the poems show the poet ’s exploration, understanding and plaint of the mysterious creation. In this poem, the author implies that the Tiger is created by God as well as the Lamb. S o either the Tiger or the Lamb is essential to God. I think both the Lamb and the Tiger can illuminate each other. Although the Lamb can represent the kind “innocent society”, it will be lack of enough motivation to make progress. While the Tiger will caus e social misery, unrest or even disruption, but it can make people release their creativity. So the poet believes that the Tiger is the symbol of strength and courage. And he also praises its passion, desire and all the lofty beauty. 2.What is the symbolic meaning of the tiger? What idea does the poet want to express? The symbol of the Tyger is one of the two central mysteries of the poem (the other being the Tyger ’s creator). It is unclear what it exactly symbolizes, but scholars have hypothesized that the Tyger could be inspiration, the divine, artistic creation, history, the sublime (the big, mysterious, powerful and sometimes scary. Read more on this in the "Themes and Quotes" section), or vision itself. Really, the list is almost infinite. The point is, the Tyger is important, and Blake’s poem barely limits the possibilities The tiger is the embodiment of God's power in creation: the animal is terrifying in its beauty, strength, complexity and vitality. The poem is divided into six parts. In the first part, the author imagined that he met a terrible tiger on a dark night and was frightened by its awful eyesight. There are creations and creators. How great the creator is that he could create such an awful creation like tiger! In the second part, the author continues to ask, where comes the eyesight like fire, sea or sky? The following two parts, the author describes the creator as a smith. He creates the tiger. What behind the questions is the frightening and respect of the author to the creator. In the fif th part, the author changes his tone and asks when the stars throw down their spears, why they are not happy? The last part is as same as the first part, the creator is too mysterious to understand. The tiger shows its outstanding energy. It’s the vitality which the author thinks highly of. The key sentence of the poem is "Did he who made the Lamb make thee?" It challenges the one-track religious views of the 18 ’s century. The view only concluded that god create the lame, he is so kind a father. But it didn ’t know god also create the tough tiger. He can also be very serious. The god is someone who can’t be truly understood by human beings. Ode to the West Wind P83西风颂 第一节 哦，狂暴的西风，秋之生命的呼吸！你无形，但枯死的落叶被你横扫， 有如鬼魅碰到了巫师，纷纷逃避：黄的，黑的，灰的，红得像患肺痨， 呵，重染疫疠的一群：西风呵，是你以车驾把有翼的种子催送到 黑暗的冬床上，它们就躺在那里，像是墓中的死穴，冰冷，深藏，低贱， 直等到春天，你碧空的姊妹吹起她的喇叭，在沉睡的大地上响遍，
Selected Readings of English Literature “英国文学选读”课程研究论文写作规范和要求 一、论文写作规范 1、逻辑思维训练： 整理引入眼帘的简单物件，按一定思路规则分类，注意物品的外延与内涵关系；大家在整理思路时，就要用我们做的逻辑思维训练方法： （1）把你所有的想法、本文要素、理论概论等等（大-小，简单-复杂，前-后）都写下来：就像写下屋子里所有物件； （2）仔细审视这些想法、要素、概念，试着按你一定的规律排列起来。注意这些想法或要素之间的关系，外延与内涵关系、因果关系、前后关系等等；（3）保留你最感兴趣，组织最合理的部分，细化成为你的论文主题。 2、写作基本原则 - 基本原则：读书要宽，下笔要窄 - 细读文学文本； - 读作家自己的文论、日记、信件，搜寻作家创作动机和理念作为直接证据- 读文学评论家的评论，搜集旁证 3、论文基本要素 1）标题 2）开篇章 3）文献综述（这次省略） 4）主题 5）问题切入点与理论视角 6）论证（相关文本论据、作者的非文本论据、其他论据） 7）结论 8）引用文献 二、论文题目（从以下所列的论文标题中选一个进行写作）
The Canterbury Tales: A Song of Spring Sonnet 18: A Song of Eternity On the Rhetoric Skills in Sonnet 18 On the Rhetoric Skills in The Canterbury Tales On the Themes of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 The View of Love in A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning The Use of Metaphor and Conceits in A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning On the Themes of Robinson Crusoe Satires and Symbols in Gulliver’s Travels 三、论文写作内容 1、开篇章Introduction / Opening Paragraph / Topic Sentence 交代时代背景、作家简介 2、论证与论据 论据：相关文本论据（被评论作品）、作者的非文本论据（作家本人的文论、日记、书信等）、其他论据（文学评论家的论著） 3、结语 总结你自己的论文中所假设的研究论题是否已经得到解决，得到什么样的结论。一般用完成时。 注意：不是总结该部作品；切忌不要又开始论证。 四、长度、参考文献 1、页数：5页（正文：小四号或者12号；1.5倍行距） 2、参考文献：4-5条英文论著来源（包括被评论作品）。各条文献按字母顺序排 列，小四号字。 3、采用MLA格式标注：包括文内参考文献标注和文尾的引用作品。 五、评分标准 Idea (40%) Structure (20%) Language (30%) Format (10%) Total (100%)
查尔斯·狄更斯（Charles Dickens, 1812.2.7.～1870.6.9.）是19世纪英国文坛上的璀璨明星，也是世界文学史上一位伟大作家。在读者眼里，他是一位批判现实主义小说家，以揭露、批判英国资本主义社会而闻名于世。在他的作品中，我们既可看到苦难的穷人、失业工人、可怜的学徒，甚至童工、孤儿寡母、小资产阶级的破产者，又能面对正直的医生、公道的律师、慈善的银行家和有德行的资本家。可见，狄更斯一方面谴责自己所处时代英国社会的黑暗与弊端，如议会政治和司法制度；另一方面，他又满怀同情叙写一个个不同的社会角色，显示了对人性探索的深刻性和浓厚的幽默情调。他的创作具有鲜明的道德意图，笔尖流淌的是强烈的民主精神、人道主义精神和“圣诞精神”，总能散发出一股生活的希望和人性的温暖。 作为文学家，狄更斯的成就举世瞩目。他创造了丰厚的精神财富，其创作不仅是时代和社会的图景，将19世纪英国维多利亚时代的风貌刻画得淋漓尽致，而且体现出一种独特的现世情怀和广博的人文关怀，其中蕴涵着社会观、宗教观、教育观、政治观、人生观和伦理观等，让后人从中获得启迪。虽然狄更斯的社会价值观与所处时代英国社会富足和贫穷共存的悖论紧密相联，但他始终秉持人道主义情怀和社会正义感，深刻揭露和批判英国社会的阴暗面及弊端。难怪革命导师马克思在谈论英国著名作家时也充分肯定狄更斯的伟大成就，并将其归入杰出小说家行列，认为像狄更斯这样的作家“在自己卓越的、描写生动的作品中向世界揭示的政治和社会真理，比一切职业政客、政治家和道德家加在一起所揭示的还要多2”。狄更斯观察事物的敏锐程度是罕见的，其犀利的文笔也是值得后人效仿的。美国的赫尔曼·麦尔维尔、赛珍珠，中国的老舍、张天翼都曾受他影响。 在狄更斯的手里，文学发挥了独特的社会功能。他通过人物世俗性的描写来反映历史变革时期的社会风貌和人物的内心感受，从早期人物理想化的乐观形象到后期人物愤懑、哀伤和绝望态度，无不堪称天才之笔。诚如哈罗德·布鲁姆所言，在英国作家中，“也许只有狄更斯，在世界性的影响上可以与莎士比亚匹敌，他的作品与莎士比亚的作品、《圣经》和《古兰经》一样，都代表了我们所能感受到的真正的多元文化主义4”他的创作实践和艺术思想应该属于全人类，至今依然是值得开掘的艺术瑰宝，具有当下启示： 首先，狄更斯是一位立足于现实生活的现实主义作家。他能以敏锐的目光观察生活，鲜活地刻画各种社会典型，反映时代气息，使笔下人物将个人前途与价值取向同社会联系起来，从而体现出鲜明的社会价值，秉承了艺术家的责任和操守。 其次，狄更斯是一位崇尚艺术革新、追求创作个性和禀赋的独特艺术家。他从一开始就努力摈弃模仿习作时形成的人物脸谱化，尽可能让笔下人物以自身的言行举止来展示形象，让读者自己判断是非，体现了从单一到成熟的实验革新精神。 再则，狄更斯亲眼目睹社会繁荣发展和平稳安定背后所掩饰的各种肮脏龌龊等不尽如人意之处，深刻领略到社会变迁过程中人性的迷失、心灵扭曲和普通人生活的辛酸。他站在人道主义的高度，从政治、经济、文化和道德等方面洞察社会及其弊端，并勇敢地批判各种丑恶社会现象，为民请愿，申张正义。 。狄更斯的作品不断被改编为戏剧、电影、电视，既扩大了狄更斯在读者心目中的影响，也大大拓展了狄更斯研究的领域。狄更斯专注所处时代的视觉娱乐，着迷于再现城市生活复杂性问题，这已成为21世纪狄更斯批评的焦点之一。 如今，家庭、性别、伦理、城市空间和政治意识形态等概念都是西方学者用以阐释狄更斯文学艺术思想的切入点。对狄更斯与小说形式，以及狄更斯与戏剧、电影改编和流传等话题的