V. Give a brief answer to the following questions. (20%)
1. Discuss the theme of Wuthering Heights。
2. Say something about John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim Progress.
①The Pilgrim Progress, written by John Bunyan, was written in the old-fashioned, medieval form of allegory and dream. It became an immediate success upon its publication.
②The allegory depicts the Puritan struggle for freedom of worship, the eternal
struggle of man to find unity with God. The purpose is to urge people to seek salvation through constant struggle with their weaknesses and social evils.
③The book is ranked as one of the greatest allegories in English language. It
sets a standard in story-telling with vivid characterization and natural dialogue.
It becomes a landmark for later works s uch as Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Celestial Railroad.
3. Say something about Hamlet.
①Hamlet is generally regarded as the most representation of Shakespeare’s
artistic creations and the summit of the Renaissance drama.
②It is not a simple revenge play but a tragedy of humanist ideals crushed by
cruel reality. It addresses the fundamental question of the meaning of human existence, with Hamlet’s meditation on life and death at the centre.
③It portrays the social realities in England a t the end of the 16th century and
the start of the 17th century.
4. Say something about Robinson Crusoe.
①The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, which is often
shortened as Robinson Crusoe, was based on the true experience.
②It is a n interesting picaresque novel about an 18th century English adventurer.
Crusoe is practical, religious and mindful of his profit. He resembles the rising bourgeoisie at the earliest stage of its development.
③In depicting Crusoe’s efforts and growth on th e island, the novel glorifies
both physical and mental labor. The novel also shows the author’s attitude towards colonialism and Negro slavery.
1. Discuss the theme of Wuthering Heights
5. Say something about Paradise Lost and its theme.
7. Say something about The Canterbury Tales.
The Canterbury Tales is written in middle English created by Chaucer. The pronunciation and spelling are quite different from those in modern English, but the reading of the Tales is not as difficult as it first appears for the modern reader.
It is sometimes argued that the greatest contribution that The Canterbury Tales made to English literature was in popularizing the literary use of the vernacular English. Chaucer’s poetry, along with the poetry of his other peer writers, helped standardize the London Dialect and establish English as the literary language of the country.
Chaucer was one of the first English poets to use the five-stress line, a decasyllabic cousin to the iambic pentameter, in much of his work. This arrangement became one of the standard poetic forms in English. He is father of English poetry.
9. Say something about Bacon’s Of Studies.
①Bacon was one of the greatest minds in an age of giants. His compact style with
wise ideas has won him popularities. His famou s essays in students’ bibliography include ”Of Study”,” Of Beauty” and “Of Truth”.
②Of Study discusses the function and method of reading. It is one of Bacon’s
most frequently quoted essays.
③The essay is known for its clearness, brevity and force of expre ssion. The
discussions are clearly presented. The first sentence points out the three functions. Then it discusses some wrong opinions about study, the importance of experiment in study, the various methods to read, the role of discussion and notetaking. The essay also argues that study is different fields can bring all sorts of benefits and improve spiritual defeats.
④Bacon has employed various rhetorical devices in the essay: metaphor makes the
essay rich; parallelism makes it sinewy; and contrast makes it persuasive. 10. Say something about Paradise Lost and its theme.（同上第⑤题）
14. Say something about Gulliver’s Travels.
①Gulliver’s Travels, as Swift’s highest achievement, is considered to be a
satirical examination of the human nature, man’s potential for depravity and the dangers of misuse of reason.
②The novel gives an unparalleled sarcastic depiction of all the social vices
of the early 18th century. In spite of his contempt for the rulers and social evils, Swift cherished a great love for the common people.
③Gulliver’s Travels is a fantasy, and at the same time, a realistic work of
fiction, including four voyages.
18. Say something about the poem I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.
①I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,also known as “The daffodils”, was written by
British romanticist William Wordsworth.
②The poet described his heartfelt happiness as he saw the beautiful daffodils
and sang high praises of nature.
③Its rhyme scheme is ababcc.
④The poem can be divided into two parts: the first part describes the scenery
and the second part expresses the poets’ emotion. We can see daffodils everywhere, and the poet compares them to the stars in the sky. He is immensely influenced by the beauty and the memory of the daffodils is imprinted in his mind, which brings back happiness when he feels lonely, dull or depressed.
22. Say something about the poem Ode to a Nightingale.
Ode to a Nightingale, written by John Keats under a plum tree in the yard of his friend out of “a tranquil and continual joy”in the nightingale’s song, contains his poetic feeling on the song of the nightingale. The poem is not about the bird only, it is about human experience in general. The principal stress of the poem is a struggle between ideal and actual: nature and the human, art and life, freedom and bondage, waking and dream.
23. Say something about Pride and Prejudice.
Pride and Prejudice, written by Jane Austen, ha long been a favorite of both readers and critics and is often regarded as Jane Austen’s consummate achievement
27. Say something about Jane Eyre.
①Jane Eyre, written by critic realism novelist Charlotte Bronte, is a frank and
passionate story of the love between a governess and her master, a married man, Mr. Rochester.
②The novel is written in the first person and contains authentic autobiographical
experiences.
③Jane Eyre has many merits. It is the first governess novel in English literature.
It is one of the most popular works of the working middle class women. It announces
30. Say something about Tess of the D’Urbervilles.
①Tess of the D’Urbervilles is the twelfth novel by Thomas Hardy. It tells the
misery and tragedy of Tess. It deals with such themes as injustice of human existence, social classes and social status of women in Victorian England.
②It questions society’ sexual mores by portraying a heroine who is seduced by
the son of her employer and is not considered a pure and chaste women by the rest of society.
③Thus it is an attack on the hypocritical morality of the society an d the
political status quo in English.
38. Say something about Charles Dickens.
Charles Dickens is a British critical realist in Victorian Age. Charles Dickens was the son of a navy clerk. When he was fifteen, he left school and entered a lawyer’s office. In 1834, his lifework of writing began. The novel Pickwick Papers brought him into the first rank of the most popular novelist of his day. The rest of his life was work without rest.
①The first period of his literary career: This period is referred to the years
from 1836-1841, which is marked for youthful optimism. The main novels in this period are: Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist and The Old Curiosity Shop.
②The second period of his literary career: the second period, which began from
1842, was a period of excitement and irritation. In this period, he visited America and was shocked by the corruptive influence of wealth and power there. The main novels are: Dombey and Son, David Copperfield.
③The third period of his literary career: Dickens’ works in this period show
intensifying pessimism. His main novels in this period are: Great Exceptions,
A Tale of Two Cities.
39. Say something about John Milton.
Milton is the greatest writer of the seventeenth century. In his life and literary career the two dominant historical movements of Renaissance and Reformation combined and received their most intense and intelligent expression. He towers over his age just as Shakespeare towers over the Elizabethan Age and Chaucer over the Medieval Age. His works mainly include Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes.
41. Say something about Geoffrey Chaucer.
The 14th century is called “Age of Chaucer”. Chaucer is acclaimed not only as “the father of English poetry”, but also the father of English fiction”.
His masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, is one of the most famous works in all literatures.
43. Say something about Jane Austen.
①Jane Austen was the first English Woman novelist.
②Austen was born in Hampshire, a small town in southwest England. She was educated
at home and led a quiet life. Austen wrote altogether 6 novels, among which the most important ones are Pride and Prejudice, Sense and sensibility and Emma.
③Jane Austen was popular all through the 19th century. She died in 1817 at the
age of 42.
45. Say something about Thomas Hardy.
①Hardy was born in Dorset, which he called Wessex in his novels. His principle
novels are the Wessex novels. Among his famous novels, the best-known are Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure.
②Other works by Hardy include The Return of the Native, Far From the Madding
Crowd and The Mayor of Casterbridge.
48. Say something about George Bernard Shaw.
Bernard Shaw was the greatest dramatist in English literature in the 20th century.
He used stage to criticize the evils of capitalism.
His major plays include Man and Superman, Major Barbara and Pygmalion.
Shaw is a critical realist writer and a humorist. His plays deal with contemporary social problems.
53. What is the theme of The Waste Land?
The theme of the poem is modern spiritual barrenness, the despair and depression that followed the First World War, the sterility and turbulence(动荡)of the modern world, and the decline and breakdown of Western culture.
1. Discuss the theme of Wuthering Heights
5. Say something about Paradise Lost and its theme.
VI. Write no less than 120 words on each of the following topics in English.
3. Thomas Hardy, living at the turn of the century, is often regarded as a transitional writer. In him we see the influence from both the past and the modern. Tess of the D’Urbervilles is one of his greatest works. Try to discuss the fate of Tess in this work.
The discussion about the fate of Tess in Tess of the D’Urbervilles.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles is Thomas hardy’s representative work, as a transitional writer, his work reflect the profound changes about the social economic, politic, moral, customs and the tragic fate about the people(especially the fate of women)which caused by the capitalism intrudes England rural towns, it reveals the hypocrisy of bourgeoisie moral, legal and religion.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles concentrate on the ‘character and environment. The heroine Tess while clever beauty, diligent and kind, but as a victim of she finally was on the gallows. So what are the reasons? Here we analyze her tragic fate from the following 3 aspects:
Firstly, the tragic fate of Tess first comes from the capitalist society.
In the furious conflict between individual and environment, Tess's fate is inevitably miserable. Tess lived in the Victorian period as British capitalism intrudes England rural countries. Though she is diligent and kind, clever beautiful girl, but as a laborer, a powerless of agricultural workers without money and social status, naturally will be affected by the capitalist society of oppression and reproach. With the capitalist invasion, those who own a small piece of land and production material of peasants are forced to, and then go bankrupt. Visible, Tess's tragic fate and her economic poverty are closely linked. This is one the social reason.
Secondly, unjust laws system is also a factor in Tess tragedy. In capitalist society, the legal system are protect the exploiting class profits while oppress powerless workers. From the story, we knew that Alec is a domineering, do evil young guy, he was protected by the injustice law while the beautiful and diligent Tess was killed, it shows the underclass counteractions people in society is impossible to get treated fairly.
Thirdly, Tess's destruction is closed linked with the hypocrisy of religion .Alec's characters, revealed the hypocrisy of religion. He is on the business, is a bourgeois upstarts and carnal "person". He set a trap to seduce
a Tess, but using the biblical allusions to blame them. Later he was turned
into a good cleric. Who advised Visible, in capitalist society, religion is the reactionary ruling class anesthesia, cheating, and a fool of working people.
Marx once said: "with artificial Christian." Religion is bourgeois reproach and defiled women provided theoretical basis.
Fourthly, Tess is also a victim of the bourgeoisie hypocritical moral. From the story, Angel is the representative of bourgeoisie hypocritical moral, though he is a liberal thought of intellectuals, but he has a deep psychological ingrained in traditional ethics and morality. his own dissolute behavior was forgived by Tess, but he did not forgive Tess on the situation the fault is not Tess, but Alec. He has not a little sympathy on Tess, which force Tess came back to Alec.
Fifthly, Tess’s tragic is also related by her own personality.
Tess is a brand-new woman created by hardy, she has dual personality. On the one hand, she dares to against the hypocrisy of traditional moral and religious, On the other hand, cannot completely get rid of the traditional ethics of their own. Because Tess was born in a peasant family, remaining some of the old farmer on moral and destiny view that she appeared when traditional moral against the weak side. when she treated with the secular public opinion, she also think herself is guilty. Tess, as a certain historical period of the individual, must be particular historical period of social consciousness and moral concepts, she thought and action are bound by age and social consciousness.
From above all, the tragedy of Tess have social reason also have her own personality reason, but all these reasons are directly linked with the bourgeoisie society, it’s the kinds of reflects of the society. Her destroy is inevitably in the bourgeoisie society.
6. Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe is a very influential novel in the enlightenment period of the English literature. It depicts Crusoe as a figure of middle class who makes success through his hard work. Discuss the social reason why the novel becomes so successful.
Robinson Crusoe is supposedly based on the real adventure of an Alexander Selkirk who once stayed alone on the uninhabited island Huan Fernandez for five years. Factually, the story is an imagination. In the story the author describes inviting plots of Robinson Crusoe who survives and lives quite well on an island after the shipwreck. In Robinson Crusoe, Defoe traces the growth of Robinson Crusoe from a na?ve and artless youth into a shrewd and hardened man, tempered by numerous trials in his eventful life. The realistic account of the successful struggle of Robinson here is a real hero: a typical eighteenth century English middle-class man, with a great capacity for work, inexhaustible energy, courage, patience and persistence in overcoming obstacles, in struggling against the hostile natural environment. He is the very prototype of the empire builder, the pioneer colonist. Robinson Crusoe is an adventure story in the spirit of the time. So when it was published, people all liked that story, and it became an immediate success.
7. In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen explored three kinds of motivations of marriage the middle-class people had in the second half of the 18th century. Say something about this novel and try to make a discussion about the three kinds of motivations with specific examples from the novel. Make comments on Austen’s attitude towards these motivations.
First, there is marriage merely for fortune, money and social rank. This is to be found in Miss Bingley’s pursuit of Darcy, Lady de Bourgh’s intention to marriage between her daughter and Darcy, and in Charlotte Lucas’marriage to Mr.Collins. The snobbery and vanity of the rich and the practicality of the poor gentry women are fully accounted for.
The second is the tendency to marry for beauty, attraction and passion regardless of economic conditions or personal merits. This is generally known as Mr.Bennet and Mrs. Bennet who has a beautiful face but an empty head and of their youngest daughter Lydia to the handsome, charming but morally weak and penniless Wickham. The terrible aftermath of such marriage is only too obvious in the marriage of the two generations of the Bennet.
Lastly comes the idea marriage, which is a love match with considerations of the lover’s personal merits and economic conditions. Such perfect happiness is to be found in the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth and that of Mr.Bingley and Jane, although the satisfaction of both the personal and economic conditions like this is really a bit too idealistic.
What Jane Austen tries to say is that it is wrong to marry just for money or for beauty, but it is also wrong to marry without consideration of economic conditions. Of the three types, she prefers the the last one. And in the last type, she seems to give her particular preference to the marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth.
28. What is the social significance of The Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales has its social significance in several ways. ①It represents the spirit of the rising bourgeoisie people’s right to pursue earthly happiness is affirmed by Chaucer. ②the ideas of humanism are shown in C haucer’s praising of man’s energy ,intellect, wit and love of love. ③Chaucer exposed and satirized the evils of the time. ④the corruption of the church is vigorously attacked. ⑤Chaucer showed sympathy for the poor to some extent. ⑥Chaucer established the language of literature.
36.John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress is generally regarded as a religious allegory. Say briefly about this
book and what does the work symbolically concern? What is the predominant metaphor that is carried on through the whole work? And what is the author’s purpose in writing such a book?
A. It concerns the search for spiritual salvation.
B. “That life is a journey” is to urge people to abide by Christian doctrines.
C. The author’s purpose is to urge people to abide by Christian doctrines and to seek salvation through constant struggles with their own weakness and all kinds of evils.
ment on Jane Austen’s characteristics of he r novels.
1. Jane Austen is one of the realistic novelists. She drew vivid and realistic pictures of
everyday life of the country society in her novels.
2. Jane Austen’s main concern is about human beings in their personal relations, human beings
with their families and neighbors. Stories of love and marriage provide the framework for all her novels and in them woman are always taken as the major characters.
3. Jane Austen’s work has a very narrow literary field. She confines herself to small country
parishes, whose simple country people become the characters of her novels, but within her own field, she is unrivaled.
4. Her novels show a wealth of humor, wit and delicate satire. Her plots are straight-forward.
There is little action. Her characters are like real living creatures, with faults and virtues mixed as they are in real life. Jane Austen is successful in the employment of irony and frequent use of witty and delightful dialogues.