1、Sudden LightI have been here before,But when or how I cannot tell: I Know the grass beyond the door, The sighing sound, the lights around the shore.You have been mine before,How long ago I may not know: But just when at that swallows soarYour neck turned so, Some veil did fall, - I knew it all of yo
2、re.Has this been thus before?And shall not thus times eddying flight Still with our lives our love restore In deaths despite, And day and night yield one delight once more?,English and American Literature,Welcome to join Georges class and explore the beauty of English and American literature!,An Int
3、roduction to English and American Literature,George October 22, 2004,Foreign language learning is really very difficult to students.,Questions: Whats foreign language, English, French, Japanese, or ? What students, colleges, middle-school students, or pupils in primary school? ,What makes the differ
4、ence?,experience,Another Example,How beautiful the girl that I dated is.,The Girl I Dated,Goals of This Course,The Forms of Literature What Do We Read for in English and American Literature The History of English Literature and Some Important Novelists The History of English Literature and Some Impo
5、rtant Novelists,Study Strategy,Read extensively on simplified English and American novels Read some Chinese translations to the English and American Classics Read some Criticisms of English and American Literature,On the Final Exam,Course paperWrite a book report of 350 words before week 15 and writ
6、e an essay of 400 words about a certain novel or novelist.,Words Bank,literature: 文学 fiction: 虚构, 小说 non-fiction: 非小说作品(如传记) novel: 小说 = novelist 小说家 narration: 叙述 exposition: 讲解, 说明 argumentation: 议论 genres: 文学分类,The Forms of Literature,Questions:,Chapter 1,What is literature?,1. Anything writtenre
7、cipe books, telephone directories, guidebooks to museum,2. The art that use language as a mediumcf: music, painting,Wanted,Man. 38. Divorced. Mechanic engineer. Non-smoker. Kind and patient. Seek a pretty lady under 30. She must be kind, humorous, hardworking, economical, most importantly, rich.,Cha
8、pter 1,The Forms of Literature,Chapter 1,Literature,fiction,non-fiction,novel,short story,play,poem,description,narration,exposition,argumentation,What Do We Read For in English and American Literature,Questions:,Chapter 1,Why do we read novels, stories ,entertainment exploration shelter,What do we
9、care about while reading?,story,What Do We Read For in English and American Literature,Question 1,Chapter 1,Why do we read novels, stories ,entertainmentkill time, read for fun exploration a tool to adventure, a window to know the outside world, shelter to escape from the cruel reality, ,What Do We
10、Read For in English and American Literature,Question 2,Chapter 1,What do we care about while reading?,story 1. What is going on? 2. What is said?,3. How it is said?,plot,Words Bank,characteristics: 特征 character: 人物 prose: 散文 narrative: 叙述 rhyme: 使。 。有节奏 account: 叙述 fictitious: 虚构的,Fiction(1) The Nov
11、el,Questions:,Chapter 2,What is novel?,What are the similarities between novel and short story?They share some characteristics, such as plot, character, etc.,The Definition of Novel,Chapter 2,1. “Novel” comes from the Italian word “novella” meaning “a little new thing,” ”piece of news,” “chit-chat”,
12、What is novel?,Questions:,2. In English, the word “novel” means “new, unusual, being the first of its kind,” as in the phrase “a novel idea.”,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,1. The novel is a new genre or formdiffers from poetry, drama, ballad,A poem is originally a rhymed structure while a novel is not rh
13、ymed, namely, a novel is in prose form.,A drama is a show or performance intended for viewing or watching while a novel is a telling a narration intended for reading.,A ballad is a musical piece for singing while a novel is not.,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,2. The content of a novel is of fictitious nat
14、urediffers from the stories of historian,Novels tell made-up stories, but the stories of the historians tell truth.,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,3. The purpose or first purpose of a novel is to entertaindiffers from your news, advertisements,We read news for whats going on around us or in world and we r
15、ead advertisements for the latest information about certain products, but we read novel for fun or entertainment.,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,Conclusion 1,A novel is a fictional prose narrative for entertainment.,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,The function of novel,1. Novelists the one who write the novel,2.
16、 Readers the one who read the novel,What are the two main aspects of a novel?,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,The function of novel,1. Why are there the novelists writing novel?,to express to share to be understood,2. What do they want to share?,anything from their personal feelings such as their suffering
17、s, happiness, sorrows, etc to their experiences and thoughts.,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,The function of novel,“欲新一国之民，不可不先新一国之小说。” 梁启超,3. Why do they want to express, to share, to be understood?,“There are many reasons why novelist write, but they all have one thing in common a need to create an alte
18、rnative world.” John Fowler,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,The function of novel,Conclusion 1,Novelists have the purpose of changing things, especially peoples mind, whether they admit it or not.,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,The function of novel,1. Why are there readers reading novels?,To entertain to unders
19、tand to share and participate,2. What must the readers be ready to do before reading a novel?,The readers have to suppose that the authors tell truths and ready to accept them.,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,The function of novel,Conclusion 2,Readers, by reading whatever novels, are willingly open to anyt
20、hing new to their minds.,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,The function of novel,Conclusion 2 Readers, by reading whatever novels, are willingly open to anything new to their minds.,Conclusion 1 Novelists have the purpose of changing things, especially peoples mind, whether they admit it or not.,Conclusion,T
21、he function or purpose of the novel is to change the world by changing the readers mind.,Chapter 2,Final Conclusion,A novel is a highly stylized prose account of fictional reality in the form of story with the purpose of changing the readers mind by the aid of the readers active involvement while pr
22、oviding entertainment and superior truth in life.,What Is Novel?,Chapter 2,Lengthiness,openness,The Characteristics of Novel,What Is Novel?,Thoroughness,Profundity,Truth,The Characteristics of Novel,A short story should be of the length that it could be read at one sitting without causing tiredness.
23、,Chapter 2,Novel VS Short story,What Is Novel?,The Characteristics of Novel,Lengthiness,Question: How long can a story be called a short story? And a novel ?,Conveniently, a full-length novel, printed, comprises a book of considerable thickness.,A short story concentrates on one event or a few close
24、ly related events.,Chapter 2,Novel VS Short story,What Is Novel?,The Characteristics of Novel,Thoroughness,Question: How many events can a short story concentrate on? And a novel?,A novel is capable of relating many events that are closely or remotely relevant connected.,Chapter 2,Novel VS Short sto
25、ry,What Is Novel?,The Characteristics of Novel,Profundity,Question: How much can a short story reveal? And a novel?,A good novel does not only present the essence of life, it can be complete in both the material and spiritual senses.,Chapter 2,Novel VS Short story,What Is Novel?,The Characteristics
26、of Novel,Openness,By openness, I mean you can find elements from poetry, drama, and even film as its integrated parts.,Chapter 2,Novel VS Short story,What Is Novel?,The Characteristics of Novel,Truth,Novels tell made-up stories, but they tell truth.,Mirror and Light,Chapter 2,Mirror,What Is Novel?,M
27、irror and Lamp,Literary Theory of Plato,Idea,Projection,Real World,Literature & Arts,Absolute Truth,Imitation to the Idea,Imitation to the Real World,The Final Purpose of Literature,To arrive at a final recognition of the life.,Chapter 2,Lamp,What Is Novel?,Mirror and Lamp,Literary Theory of Romanis
28、m,Human Beings,Sth. to be Reflected,Real World,Self,Second Self,Projection of Self,The Final Purpose of Literature,To arrive at a final recognition of the spirit and thoughts.,Kinds of the Novels,The standards of classification:,Chapter 2,The standards commonly used are length, subject matter, setti
29、ng, and technique.,Questions:,1. How many kinds of novels do you know?,2. How do you distinguish between them?,Chapter 2,Full-length Novel,Tetra-logy,Novel,Short Novel,Trilogy,By Length,Kinds of the Novels,How many kinds can novel be divided by length?,Questions:,More importantly, full-length indica
30、tes a full development.,Chapter 2,Full-length Novel,Question: What is a full-length novel?,Conveniently, a full-length novel, printed, comprises a book of considerable thickness.,Kinds of the Novels,By Length,A short novel refers to a narrative midway in length between a short story and a novel .,Ch
31、apter 2,Short Novel,Question: What is a short novel?,Generally, like a short story, a short novel centers on just one or two characters.,Kinds of the Novels,By Length,Short Novel VS Short Story,Unlike a short story, a short novel has room to reveal the characters in greater fullness and depth.,To be
32、 thoroughly told, a complex story with many scenes and many characters sometime extends beyond covers of a single book.,Chapter 2,Trilogy,Question: What is a trilogy?,A trilogy is a group of three novels in a sequence.,Kinds of the Novels,By Length,Chapter 2,Tetra-logy,Question: What is a tetra-logy
33、?,A sequence of four novels is usually called a tetra- logy,Kinds of the Novels,By Length,Chapter 2,First stage: the epic (such as Iliad and Odyssey),History of the Novel,The development of imaginative fiction,Three stages,Second stage: the romance,Third stage: novel,Don Quixote de la Mancha, 17th,
34、Cervantes, the first novel,Robinson Crusoe, 1713, Defoe marking the maturation of the novel,Chapter 2,Story,Theme,Elements,Character,Plot,Elements of the Novel,Commonly, what are the elements of novel?,Questions:,Elements of the Novel,Setting,Narrative Point of View,What questions usually do the rea
35、ders ask while reading novels?,Chapter 2,What happened next? What would he do next?,the time,the event,What Is Story,Questions:,Elements of the Novel,Conclusion 1,The two basic elements of a story are the event and the time.,A story is a series of happenings arranged in the natural temporal (现世的) or
36、der as they occur.,Chapter 2,What Is Story,Conclusion 2,Elements of the Novel,Conclusion 3,Story is the basis of the novel, and indeed the basis of narrative works of all kinds.,One mark of a second-rate mind is to be always telling stories.Jean de La Bruyere,Chapter 2,What Is Story,What is appropri
37、ate attitude towards story?,Elements of the Novel,Whats the difference between novelists and newspapermen, historiansetc.?,the newspapermen, the historians, etc. aim at telling people whats going on or what happened.,Chapter 2,What Is Story,Whats the difference between novelists and newspapermen, hi
38、storiansetc.?,Elements of the Novel,In telling stories,The novelists aim at something higher or they intend to add something to the “mere” fact.,the newspapermen, the historians, etc. use the similar style of narration.,Chapter 2,What Is Story,Whats the difference between the stories of the novels a
39、nd other non-fictions (news reports, etc.)?,Elements of the Novel,In telling stories,the novelists use personalized presentation and interpretation.,Chapter 2,Kinds of Characters,Conclusion 1,What Is Character,Round characters grow emotionally or spiritually while flat characters are usually shown o
40、ne side.,Question: What are the round characters? What are the flat characters?,Elements of the Novel,Chapter 2,Kinds of Characters,Conclusion 2,What Is Character,Usually the reader is allowed access to the inner life of the round character and permitted to learn about many sides of him/her.,On the
41、other hand, the flat character is closed character to whose inner thoughts the reader is denied access.,Elements of the Novel,The king died and then the queen died.,Chapter 2,What Is Plot,Compare the following two sentences,Elements of the Novel,The king died and then the queen dies of grief.,What a
42、re the differences between the events in reality and those from the fiction?,Question:,Indicator of our interpretation and thus arrangement of the happenings,Chapter 2,What Is Plot,Conclusion 1,Elements of the Novel,In the world of reality, events take place one after another in the natural temporal
43、 order.,But in the world of fiction it is the novelists design that one particular event occur after another particular one.,Chapter 2,What Is Plot,Conclusion 2,Elements of the Novel,In the world of reality, events take place one after another in the natural temporal order, in the world of fiction i
44、t is the novelists design that one particular event occur after another particular one.,The word “ plot” implies the novelists rebellion against the natural law and his effort to make meanings out of the happenings that may otherwise be meaningless.,Chapter 2,What Is Plot,Conclusion 3,Elements of th
45、e Novel,A plot is a particular arrangement of happenings in a novel that is aimed at revealing their casual relationships or at conveying the novelists ideas.,A plot is sometimes called a story line, which, traditionally, should be a complete or unified action including a beginning, a middle, and an
46、 end.,Chapter 2,Conflict,Phases of a Plot,Exposition,What Is Plot,A complete or traditional plot consist of,Phases of a Plot,Elements of the Novel,Climax,Denouement (final stage),I was born in the Year 1632, in the City of York, of a good family, though not of that Country, my Father being a Foreign
47、er of Bremen, who settled first at Hull: He got a good Estate by Merchandise, and leaving off his Trade, lived afterward at York, from whence he had married my Mother, whose Relations were named Robinson, a very good Family n that country, and from whom I was called Robinson Kreutznaer .,Chapter 2,W
48、hat Is Plot,Exposition,Elements of the Novel,Daniel Defoe: Robinson Crusoe,Example,to make the reader be able to understand the characters and the actions,Chapter 2,What is the function of this passage?,to provide the essential background information,What Is Plot,Question 1,Elements of the Novel,to
49、lay a sound basis so that the events in the plot to begin,Chapter 2,What Is Plot,Exposition is the part of a plot that provided the essential background information so that the events in the plot have a sound basis to begin and so that the reader is able to understand the characters and the actions.,Exposition,Elements of the Novel,Final Conclusion,Chapter 2,What Is Plot,By relating an unusual or dramatic event. By describing a meaningful scene. By setting up a contrast.,Exposition,Elements of the Novel,
