英国文学史及选读考试必看

英国文学选读考试必看

June, 2010 Part I 复习重点章节

1.William Shakespeare;

2.Francis Bacon;

3.John Donne;

4.William Blake;

5.Jane Austen;

6.Charles Dickens;

7.Thomas Hardy;

8.Oscar Wilde;

9.William Butler Yeats;

10.James Joyce;

11.D.H. Lawrence;

Part II 考试题型

1.In this part you are going to explain the following literary terms briefly

and to give examples from the stories you have learned from the course

to illustrate the terms. (about 15 points)

Examples

character and characterization; symbol and allegory, theme, point of view,

etc.)

2.Analysis of short stories and novels (about 40 points)

Example 1

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve

and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been

insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less

difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little

information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied

herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its

solace was visiting and news.

Questions

What can we learn from this short passage about Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet?

What was the tone of the passage? Does this passage illustrate the style of

Jane Austen?

Example 2

One evening I went into the back drawing-room in which the priest had died.

It was a dark rainy evening and here was no sound in the house. Through one of the broken panes I heard the rain impinge upon the earth, the fine incessant needles of water paying in the sodden beds. Some distant lamp or lighted window gleamed below me. I was thankful that I could see so little.

All my senses seemed to veil themselves and feeling that I was about to slip from them, I pressed the palms of my hands together until they trembled, murmuring: O Love! O Love! many times.

Questions

What can we learn about “I” from this short passage? What was the meaning of the sentence “I was thankful that I could see so little.” ? What rhetorical device was used in this passage?

Example 3

“Justice was done, and the President of the Immortals (in Aeschylean phrase) had ended his spot with Tess. And the d’Urbervilles knights and dames slept on in their tombs unknowing. The two speechless gazers bent themselves down to the earth, as if in prayer, and remained thus a long time, absolutely motionless: the flag continued to wave silently. As soon as they had strength they rose, joined hands again, and went on.

Questions

What is your understanding of the sentence “And the d’Urbervilles knight and dames slept on in their tombs unknowing”? Was justice really done?

What is your understanding of the very end of the novel “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” by Thomas Hardy?

3.Analysis of the poems (about 30 points)

Example 1

Little Lamb I’ll tell thee,

Little Lamb I’ll tell thee!

He is called by thy name,

For he called himself a Lamb;

He is meek & he is mild,

He became a little child;

I a child & thou a lamb,

We are called by his name.

Little Lamb God bless thee.