1、自考英美文学选读部分考点解析0322英美文学选读部分考点解析(2011. 3.22修改稿)1. Question: Under the influence of the leading romantic thinkers like Kant and the Post-Kantians, Romanticists demonstrated a strong reaction against the dominant modes of thinking of the 18th centurys Neoclassicists. Discuss, in relation to the works yo
2、u know, the difference between Romanticism and Neoclassicism.Answer:1). Neo-classicists upheld that artistic ideals should be order, logic, restrained emotion and accuracy, and that literature should be judged in terms of its service to humanity, and thus, literary expressions should be of proportio
3、n, unity, harmony and grace.(参看p81)Popes An Essay on Criticism advocates grace, wit (usu. through satire/humor), and simplicity in language (and the poem itself is a demonstration of those ideals, too); Fieldings Tom Jones helped establish the form of novel; Grays Elegy Written in a Country Churchya
4、rd displays elegance in style, unified structure, serious tone and moral instruction.2). Romanticists tended to see the individual as the very centre of all experience, including art, and thus, literary work should be “spontaneous overflow of strong feelings,” and no matter how fragmentary those exp
5、eriences were (Wordsworths I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud or A Solitary Reaper,) or Coleridges Kubla Khan, the value of the work lied in the accuracy of presenting those unique feelings and particular attitudes.3). In a word, Neo-classicism emphasized rationality and form but Romanticism attached grea
6、t importance to the individuals mind (imagination, temporary experience)2. Charlotte Bronte (p.261.) Jane Eyre, a character created by Charlotte Bronte, is a strong-willed, fiery-passioned, independent-minded woman who fights bravely for her own rights as an individual human being. Discuss her stron
7、g qualities with examples from the novel Jane Eyre.A. sufferings of Jane Eyres early childhood which help form her personal qualitiesB. her rebellious spirit against injusticeC. her strong sense of self-relianceD. her heroic struggles for womens rights of freedom, equality and independenceE. her sea
8、rch for true love and happiness3. Emily Bronte (p.270.)Taking the whole novel Wuthering Heights into consideration, do you think Heathcliffs above accusation of Catherines betrayal can be justified? If you think so, what reasons does Catherine have to betray Heathcliff and their love?(pp.270-271.) A
9、. Heathcliffs above accusation of Catherines betrayal can be justified.B. The reasons of her betrayal may be: 1). The fancy she felt for Linton, that is, she was attracted by Lintons pleasant personality, his rich knowledge, and his elegant manners. 2). Her vainglory made her desire a kind of upper-
10、class life and social status. 3). She was afraid that she might suffer poverty nad be degraded if she had got married to Heathcliff. 4). She fancied if she got married to Linton, she might have the means to help Heathcliff in getting a good education and becoming a gentleman so that they could be un
11、ited without being degraded.4. Nathaniel Hawthorne（p.439）Please comment on this passage from Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown. 1). Goodman Brown utters this cry when his wife Faith, together with lots of prominent people of the village and the church, attending a witches Sabbath in the woods. 2). His
12、cry shows his great surprise and disillusionment. Thereafter, he becomes distrustful and doubtful. He lives a dismal and gloomy life because he is never able to believe in goodness or piety again. Here the author makes a pun of the word “faith”. Goodman Brown loses not only his faith in religion and
13、 life, but also his faith in his wife, for his wifes name is Faith. 3). From this story, we also can see that Hawthorne is a great allegorist and a master of symbolism. The story itself is an allegory and is full of symbols such as the forest, the night, the snake, and the pink ribbon.5. Nathaniel H
14、awthorne（p.439）Who is Faith? What does the name imply? Faith is Browns wife. The original meaning of the word means confidence or a religious belief. Here it is used allegorically. When the young man cries “My Faith is gone!” it means that he has lost his faith in his wife, his religion and human be
15、ings. 6. Nathaniel Hawthorne（p.445. LL2-3）What idea does the quoted sentence express？ Good Brown is obviously addressing the image of his wife, urging her to resist the devil. At the same time, he is exhorting himself to have faith, to look heavenward, to withstand the infernal eloquence of the Wick
16、ed One. 7. Nathaniel Hawthorne（p.445. Para.5-6）A. What is the general idea of this passage? Maybe the terrible experience was only a dream that Brown made when he slept in the forest. It is all right if you think that way. But after he came back from the fearful dream, Brown became a sad and distrus
17、tful man. B. Did the author tell for sure whether it was only a dream or not? The author didnt allow himself to decide whether the events of that night happened in a dream or in reality. This ambiguity is central to understand the theme of the story. This kind of writing is typical of Hawthorne, who
18、 tends to put everything ambiguous in his work and leave readers in doubt. 8. Nathaniel Hawthorne（p.446. LL.6-11）A. What had happened in the story before this church scene?Brown had attended a witches party where he saw many prominent people of the village, the minister included.B. Why was Brown afr
19、aid the roof might thunder down?Brown was shocked by the minister, secretly a member of the evil club, who could talk about sacred truths of the religion openly and unashamedly. He thought God would punish such hypocrites by thundering down on them.9. Walt Whitman（p.450.） Whitman has made radical ch
20、anges in the form of poetry by choosing free verse as his medium of expression. What are the characteristics of Whitmans free verse? 1). It doesnt have fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme. 2). The poetic lines are simple and prose-like, varying in length, which allows him to express his ideas freely.
21、 3). Whitman also applies oral English in his free verse to make it an effective way to express freely the feelings of the common people.10. Herman Melville（p.469.the last paragraph）Discuss the meaning of the ending of Melvilles Moby-Dick. 1). Moby-Dick is not merely a whaling tale or sea adventure.
22、 It is a tragic epic. The voyage of the Pequod has made is a symbolic voyage of the mind in quest of the truth and knowledge of the universe, a spiritual exploration into mans deep reality and psychology.2). The battle between Ahab and the white whale symbolizes the struggle between man and nature,
23、man and fate, good and evil.3). In the end, the author might imply that mans desire to conquer nature can only end in his own destruction. Nature, symbolized by the sea, remains moving but unmoved.11. Mark Twain (p.482) What is the theme of Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?The theme of the
24、 novel is about slavery and freedom. For Huck, the voyage on the Mississippi is to run away from evils, injustices and corruption of the civilized society. For Jim, it is to escape from slavery. The book can also be seen as a journey of Hucks moral growth and a satire on sentimentality. In this nove
25、l, Huck wants to escape from this sentimentality as eagerly as he runs away from his cold-hearted father. In Hucks eyes, sentimentality is a bondage to freedom as slavery is: the former restricts mans soul and the latter bounds mans body.12. Mark Twain (p.483) The raft on which Huck and Jim float al
26、ong the Mississippi River in Mark Twains Adventures of Huckleberry Finn may symbolize the following EXCEPT .A. a return to nature B. an escape from evils, injustices and corruption of the civilized society C. the American society in the 19th century D. a small world where people of different colors
27、can live friendly and happily (or like brothers) E. spiritual freedom F. escape from different sorts of social oppression G. mobility and instability 13. Mark Twain (p.489. Para. 3) A. Under what circumstances did Huck Finn say this? B. What did he mean by saying hell go to hell? C. What did he tear
28、 up?In Chapter 31, Huck and Jim were with the two frauds, the “King” and the “Duke”, who plotted to sell Jim for 40 dollars. Huck was full of trouble and didnt know what to do when he learned that. At last he got an idea of writing a letter to Miss Watson, telling her where Jim was. But after a pain
29、ful struggle in his heart, he changed his mind and tore up the letter, because he thought he should not betray Jim. He was determined to help Jim run away at any risk.14. Theodore Dreiser (p.538. the last six lines) Briefly tell the situation that leads to the suicide and interpret Hurstwoods final
30、word-“Whats the use?”1). Sister Carrie has made a great success. As her fame arises, she deserts her former lover Hurstwood. In a cold winter, Hurstwood makes a last attempt to seek help from Carrie, but has failed, so in desperation, he decides to kill himself by turning on the gas.2). By making th
31、at comment, Hurstwood seems to have realized that it is useless to continue to fight against fate. His fate is not controlled by his own efforts but by some social forces too strong for him to resist, so he decides to give up.15. Theodore Dreiser (p.541. the last five lines) What idea can you draw f
32、rom the “rocking chair”?1). The “rocking chair” is a symbol standing for fate. It is like a cradle that makes one feel peaceful. It is also like a tide that ever goes on with life, the destiny of which is uncertain.2). At the end of the novel, Carrie sits in the “rocking chair”, which implies that her future is still uncertain and hard to foresee. 16. The Modern Period (p.547.) How did “The Lost Generation” come into existence in the literary history of the U. S.? Who were the leading figures of this literary movement? (Give at least t
