AnIntroductiontoBritish&AmericanLiteratureByJIALiFeb,2012AboutMyselfMyName:JiALi(賈莉）MyTelyE-mailAddress:storymango@126.co139.com

AboutthecourseTeachingmaterialAnIntroductoryCourseBookofEnglishandAmericanLiteratureTheObjectivesofthiscourseEnablethestudentstogetageneralideaaboutthedevelopmentorhistoryofEnglishliteratureEnablethestudentstogetageneralideaaboutthemajorgenresofEnglishliteratureindifferenttimes,andalsothemajorworksofmajorauthorsCultivatetheliterarytasteofthestudentsEnrichthestudents’knowledgeWhatisliterature?Writtenworksofthehumanexperience,pastandpresentthatareintendedforreading,butnoteverythingintendedforreadingisclassifiedasliterature.Weusethewordliterature---inabroadsense,tomeancompositionsthattellstories,dramatizesituations,expressemotions,andanalyzeandadvocateideas;inanarrowsense,tomeancompositionsthatwellwrittenthatsomeaestheticvalueisacquired.

Literatureisapermanentexpressioninwordsofsomethoughtsorfeelingsorideasaboutlife&theworld.Literatureisaperformanceinwords.Itistheworkofmenwhoarespeciallysensitivetothelanguageoftheirtimeandwhousetheskilloflanguagetomakepermanenttheirvisionoflife.(Apoembeginsindelightandendsinwisdom.)Otherideasaboutliterature1.Plato&Republic(428-347BC)Notonlypleasantbutalsousefultothestatesandtohumanlife;2.Aristotle&Poetics(384-322BC)Instinctofimitationandharmony3.WilliamShakespeare(1564-1616)They’retheabstractandbriefchroniclesofthetime.(Hamlet)4.WolfgangvonGoethe(1749-1832)歌德

Makeacommonsubject/realityinterestingandpoetic;andshowanapprehension&representationoftheindividual/particular5.FriedrichvonSchiller(1759-1805)席勒

LettersontheAestheticEducationofManBeautymakesafullman---combinehissensuousdrivewithsensedrive,tomaintaindignityandenjoylifetowardsperfectionandtruth.6.VictorShklovsky(1893-1984)什克洛夫斯基Artastechnique:aspecialwayofthinkingandknowing---estrangement,displayinglanguageoutofitsusual7.KennethBurke(1897-)Asequipmentforliving---todealwithrecurrentsituationsindailylife.8.IserAskthereadertojoininthegame.Whataretheformsofliterature?PoetryDramaFiction（Novels，Shortstories…)EssaysWhyliterature?Whybothertoreadit?Withlifeasshortasitis,withsomanypressingdemandsonourtime,withbooksofinformation,instruction,anddiscussionwaitingtoberead,whyshouldwespendprecioustimeonworksofimagination?Theeternalanswerstothesequestionsaretwo:enjoymentandunderstanding.Sincetheinventionoflanguage,menhavetakenpleasureinfollowingandparticipatingintheimaginaryadventuresandimaginaryexperiencesofimaginarypeople.Whatever---withoutcausingharm---servestomakelifelessboring,tomakethehourspassmorequicklyandpleasurably,surelyneedsnothingelsetorecommendit.Enjoymentisthefirstaimandgoodreasonofreadingliterature.

But,unlessliteraturegivessomethingmorethanpleasure,ithardlyjustifiesitselfasourstudysubject.Unlessitexpandsorrefinesourmindsorquickensoursenseoflife,itsvalueisnotappreciablygreaterthanthatofvideogames,bridgeorPing-Pong.Tohaveaconvincingclaimonourattention,itmustyieldnotonlyenjoymentbutunderstanding.

Theexperienceofhumankindthroughtheageisthatliteraturemaysupplysuchunderstandinganddosoeffectively---thatthedepictionofimaginedexperiencescanproviderealinsights.“Thetruesthistoryisfulloffalsehoods,andyourromanceisfulloftruth.”(SamuelRichardson)Butnotalltheliteraturemaypresentsuchinsights.Onlysomedoes.Therefore,literaturemaybefirstlyclassifiedintotwobroadcategories:literatureofescapeandliteratureofinterpretation.

Escapeliteratureisthatwrittenpurelyforentertainment---tohelpuspassthetimepleasantly.Ittakesusawayfromtherealworld:itenablesustemporarilytoforgetourtroubles.Itsonlyobjectispleasure.

Interpretiveliteratureiswrittentobroadenanddeepenandsharpenourawarenessoflife.Ittakesus,throughtheimagination,deeperintotheworld:itenablesustounderstandourtroubles.Itsobjectispleasureandunderstanding.

Learningliterature……Increasingone’sknowledgeCulturalenrichmentLanguageenrichmentFosteringtheabilitytoappreciateaworkofartEnjoyingoneselfHowtostudyliterature?A.analyticalapproachTheelementsoffictionincludeplot,character,setting,pointofview,theme,symbol,style,andtone.1By“closereading”2Befamiliarizedwithsomeliteraryterms3Informationaboutthesocialandhistoricalbackgroundofthewritersisalsoimportant.4Discussionandwriting5GroundworkoflanguagetrainingB.historicalapproachItaimsatillustratingthehistoricaldevelopmentofliterature.Alltheliteratureexistsintimeandassuchbearstheunmistakableimprintoftheperiodandcultureinwhichitiswritten.RequirementsforthestudentsPrevieweachchapterorunitcarefully&makesurethatyouhavebeenfamiliarwiththeintroductorypartofthechapterorunittobediscussedbeforeyoucometotheclass.Readtheuntaughttextsinthetextbooksbyyourself.Takenotesinclass.Reviewafterclasswhatyouhavelearntinclass&trytofindrelevantbooksormagazinestoread,sothatyoumayhaveabetterunderstandingofthetextorthestudiedauthors.Trytoreadintheoriginal.Self-studysomebooksaboutliterature&getsomecommonsenseaboutliterature.Thiswillhelpyougetabetterunderstandingofthetext.Last,butnottheleast,findyourfavoriteauthororauthors&haveaspecialstudyofthem.Thisishelpfulforyoufuturestudy(alsoforyourgraduationthesis).TheSchemeofThisCourse1Thefirstsemester:Englishliterature2Thesecondsemester:Americanliterature3Thefocuswillbeonliteraryhistoryandworks4Apresentationforeachsemester5Afinalexamforeachsemester態度才是生命的全部如果將英語26個字母由A到Z分別編上1到26的分數你的知識(KNOWLEDGE)只能得到11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5=96分；

你努力工作(HARDWORK)也只能得到8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11=98分；

只有你的態度(ATTITUDE)才是左右你生命全部的1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5=100分AnIntroductiontoBritishLiteratureByJIALiFeb.20,2012AnOverallViewofBritishLiterature1.TheOldandMedievalPeriod2.TheRenaissancePeriod3.TheNeoclassicalPeriod4.TheRomanticPeriod5.TheVictorianPeriod6.TheModernPeriodChapter1TheOldandMedievalPeriod(450-1485)Earlyinhabitants---Celts---wereconquered3times:a.Romansb.Anglo-Saxons:Germaniclanguageandculturec.Normans:Mediterraneancivilization(Greekculture,Romanlaw,Christianreligion)Theperiodfrom450to1066witnessedatransitionfromtribalsocietytofeudalsociety.TheGermanictribesfromtheNorthernEuropebroughtwiththem:Anglo-Saxonlanguage,thebasisofModernEnglishAspecificpoetictradition(bold,strong,mournfulandelegiac)TheOldEnglishpoetrycanbedividedintotwogroups:Thereligiousgroup:GenesisA,GenesisBandExodusTheDreamoftheRood

Theseculargroup:Beowulf(nationalepicpoem)TheWanderer,Deor,TheSeafarerandTheWife’sComplaintNormanConquest(1066)---changes:1.Politically:

feudalistsystem2.Religiously:

Rome-basedCatholicChurch3.Language:

French---officiallanguage

Latin---principletongueofchurchanduniversities

OldEnglish---commonEnglishpeopleExtending

from

1066

to1485,themedievalperiodisnotedfortheextensiveinfluenceofFrenchliteratureonnativeEnglishformsandthemes.IncomparisonwithOldEnglishliterature,MiddleEnglishliteraturedealswithawiderrangeofsubjects;anditisutteredbymorevoicesandispresentedinagreaterdiversityofstyles,tonesandgenres.

RomanceRomanceisanoveldealingwithidealizedeventsremotefromeverydaylife.Inthemedievalperiod,itusesnarrativeverseorprosetosingknightlyadventuresorotherheroicdeeds.(P2)SirGawainandtheGreenKnightPiersandPlowmanbyWilliamLanglandTheCanterburyTalesbyGeofferyChaucerGeoffreyChaucer&TheCanterburyTalesAsthefounderofEnglishpoetry,ChaucergavestronginfluencesoverthedevelopmentofEnglishliterature.HediedinLondonandwasburiedinWestminsterAbbey,thusfoundingthePoet’sCorner.TheCanterburyTalesThewholepoemisacollectionofstories.Onaspringevening,thepoet,movedbythepassionforwandering,dropshimselfattheTarbardInn.Herehemeets29otherpilgrimsreadyforajourneyonhorsebacktofromLondontoCanterburytovisitthetombofSt.Thomas.Toentertainoneanotherduringthejourney,thepilgrims,whocomefromalllayersofsocie