英美文学术语 A Structured Approach to the Short Story.docx

英美文学术语 A Structured Approach to the Short Story.docx

《英美文学术语 A Structured Approach to the Short Story.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英美文学术语 A Structured Approach to the Short Story.docx（16页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

英美文学术语AStructuredApproachtotheShortStory

英美小说选读学习资料

December,2009

PartIIAStructuredApproachtotheShortStory

Thetermstructureasappliedtoashortstory,ortoanyformofliteraryart,isametaphoricalexpressionreferringtothearchitectural-likepatternofthework.Muchlikeabuilding,ashortstoryisanorderlyarrangementofindividualpartsputtogethertoformacohesivewhole.Inabuilding,theconstituentelementsarephysicalandexistinspace;inashortstory,theelementsareintangibles,buttheytooarearrangedinaccordancewithacarefullyconceivedplan.Insteadofexistinginspace,theseelementsexistasideasinthemindofthewriterthataretransferredtothemindofthereaderthroughthemediumoftheprintedpage.Thestructureisthenre-createdinthereader’smindasthestoryisread.Behindthisconceptofstructureliestheassumptionthattheauthorhasanawarenessandunderstandingoftheneedforthestructureintheworkandthat,inwritingthestory,hasmadedeliberatechoicesintheselectionofdetailsandhascarefullyarrangedthesedetailsintoameaningful,aestheticpattern.Afurtherassumptionisthatfullofappreciationofastorybythereaderdemandssomeawarenessandunderstandingofitsstructure.

Initsbroadestsense,structureincludesalltheelementsinastory:

plot,characterandcharacterization,pointofview,language,whichcanberealistic,symbolicorallegory,andtheme.Instudyingliteraturefromastructuralpointofview,onemaydealwiththeseelementsseparately,atfirst;however,theultimateobjectiveistoseetheworkasawholeandtobecomeawareofhowthepartsareintegratedtoproduceacompositeeffect.

ElementsofPlot

Simplystated,plotisthearrangementoftheeventsinastoryintoacausalsequences.Althoughtheshortstoryisoneofthemostflexiblevehiclesforthediverseelementsofaplot,thisflexibilityandvarietydoesnotreducethevalueofasystematicandevenorthodoxapproachtoplotconstruction.

Amongtheformalelementsofplotare:

exposition,background;conflict,theoppositionofforces,internalorexternal;complication,thedevelopmentofpredictableorunforeseencontingenciesintheaction;foreshadowing,ahintofwhatistocome;reversal,achangeinfortuneexperiencedbytheprotagonist;denouement,thefinaloutcomeofthesequenceofevents;andinsight,recognitionbytheprotagonistofhisorhernatureorfate.

CharacterandCharacterization

Characterandcharacterizationarecloselyrelatedbutessentiallydifferentconcepts.Characterreferstooneofthepersonsinthestory—theendresultoftheauthor’sefforttocreateafictionalpersonality.Characterization,ontheotherhand,referstothemeansbywhichthewritercreatesthesumoftraits,thoughts,andactionswhich,takentogether,constituteacharacter.

Atthesimplestlevel,literarycharactersmaybelongtoanumberofstocktypes.…….Withcreativeimagination,however,awritermaystartoutwithcommonplacecharactersanddevelopthemintouniversalfigures,farbeyondtheoriginalcardboarddimensionsofthestereotypestowhichtheyarerelated.DonQuixote,Hamlet,orHuckFinn,tonameafew,escapetheconfinesoftheirtypes—theimpracticaldo-gooder,theslow-to-actintellectual,andtheboywhorebelsagainstthemoresofhissociety—andtranscendtheirliteraryconfinestobecomesymbolsofhumanaspirations.

Anotherconceptrelatingtocharacteristhatofflatness,oritsopposite,roundedness.Ifthestoryisashortone,theauthormaycreateonlyflatcharacters,thatis,characterswhoseessencemaybesummedupinaphrase.Ifthestoryrequiresit,asisusuallythecase,awritermaycreatearoundedcharacter,thatis,acharacterwhoissocomplexastorequireextendedanalysis.Bothtypesofcharactersmayappearinthesamestory,dependingontheirimportanceandthelengthofthestory.

Literarycharactershavealsobeendescribedasbeingstaticordeveloping,dependinguponwhethertheyremainthesamefromthebeginningtotheendofthestoryorwhethertheyundergosomesignificant,internalchangeinthecourseoftheevents.Theconceptofdevelopingsuggeststhatthecharacterachievesadifferentviewoflifeasaresultofsomeinsightgainedfromconflictandisnolongerquitethesamepersonasbefore.Theconceptofstaticsuggeststheopposite.

PointofView

Theconceptofpointofviewintroducedinthediscussiononcharacterandcharacterizationrequiresamoredetailedexplanationbecauseofitsimportancetothestructureofastory.Thereareseveralquestionsaboutthewayastorycanbetoldthatwillhelpleadustoanunderstandingofexactlywhatpointofviewis,whatvarietiesthereare,andhowdifferentpurposesareservedbythesedifferentvarieties.Chiefamongthesequestionsarethefollowing:

throughwhoseeyesandearsdoweknowwhatisgoingon?

Howmuchdoesthisobserver-spokesperson,ornarrator,knowaboutthepeopleandeventsinthestory?

Doesheorsheknowallthereistoknowabouteveryoneandeverythingoristheknowledgepossessedlessthantotal?

Doesthespokespersonseeintothemindsofallthemajorcharactersorintothemindofjustone?

Foreaseofnamingandforthesubsequentidentification,wemayask:

inwhatpersonisthestorybeingtold—firstorthird?

Wealsoneedtoconsiderthedegreeofparticipationthattheauthor’sspokesperson—observerhasintheactionofthestory.Forexample,isthisspokespersonanagentintheeventsmerelyanobserverattheperipheryoftheaction,oranoutsiderreportingsecond-handinformation?

Finallywemightinquire:

howdoesthepointofviewchosenservetheauthor’spurposesandhowisitbettersuitedtotheneedsofthestorythanotheroptionsmighthavebeenwhenoneconsiderstheoveralleffecttheauthorisattemptingtoproduce?

Inaskingallofthesequestions,andparticularlythelastone,oneshouldkeepinmindthatthepointofviewselectedbytheauthorshouldunifyandgiveasenseofdirectiontothestory.Atthesametime,itshouldalsoblendsmoothlywithalltheelementsofthestory.

Forthepurposeofconvenientreference,severaldifferentpointsofviewhavebeentraditionallydistinguishedandnamed.Oneoftheearliestemployedandmostfamiliaristhefirst-personpointofview,inwhichthenarratormaybeamajorcharacter,aminorcharacter,orabystander.Thenarratormaygiveafirst-handaccount,oronemixedwithconjectureandhearsay.Thenarratormaybeattheedgeoftheactionandbasicallyobjectiveinattitude,asisthecasein“TheFalloftheHouseofUsher.”Orthenarratormaybeatthecenteroftheactionandhighlyinvolvedemotionally,asistheyoungmanin“I’maFool.”Ontheotherhand,theauthormayelecttousethethird-personpointofview,inwhichthereaderseesandinterpretseverythingthroughthemindofasinglecharacter,whomaybeatthecenterofthestory,aswithMissBrillintheMansfieldselection;orattheperiphery,aswiththetownsman-narratorin“ARoseforEmily”（whoaretotallyoperatesfromthethirdpersonpointofview,eventhoughheemploysthepronoun“we”）;oroutsidetheactionentirely,asin“TheMinister’sBlackVeil.”Whenasinglecharacteratthecenteroftheactionisusedasthefocusofimpressions,thetermcentralintelligenceisoftenapplied.Inthecentralintelligencepointofview,thecharacterisawareofallthatoccursinthestoryandeverysignificantthoughtheorshehasismadeknowntothereader.Althoughacentralintelligencecharacterisinvolvedinorwitnessesallthatishappening,thecharactermaybetemporarilyconfused,self-deluded,ornaïveenoughtobeunawareofitsfullmeaning.However,eveninsuchinstances,thereadermayexpecttobeprovidedwiththenecessaryinformationtoallowacorrectinterpretationofthesignificanceofwhatisgoingon.Sometimesthispointofviewisreferredtoaslimitedomniscience,sincetheauthorprovidesaccesstothemindofonlyonecharacterinthestory.

Anotherpossibilityistheoneinwhichthewritermaychoosenottoinvadetheinnersanctumofthemindofanyofthecharacters.Instead,theauthormaydecidetofunctionasthe“camera-eye”and“tape-recorder”andabstainfromanyjudgmentalcomment,relyingonlyonthecarefulselectionofsignificantdetails,asHemingwaydoesin“TheKillers.”Thisostensiblyobjectivepointofviewisvariouslyreferredtoas“thestage-setting”or“scenic”techniqueoftellingastorybecauseofitsemphasisonstraightforwardrepresentationanddeliberateavoidanceofexplicitinterpretationofmotivesandactions.

Opposedtothesepointsofviewwithvaryingdegreesoflimitedknowledgeistheomniscientpointofview,oneinwhichtheauthorprovidestheaccesstothethoughtsofanyandallthecharacters,inanyplaceatanytimeheorshechooses.Usuallytheauthorspeaksinthethirdperson,butthemethodmay,onceinawhile,beusedwithafirst-personnarrator.Althoughwritersoftheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturieswhoemployedthispointofviewoftenindulgedincommentsmadedirectlytothereader,modernwritersusingthismethodusuallyrefrainfromsuchstatements.Instead,theymaintainanaestheticdistancethroughirony,scrupulousattemptsatimpartiality,orsomeothertonaldevice,asinthecasewithFitzgeraldandMaugham.

Language

Linkedasitistothepatternofaction,characterandcharacterization,andpointofview,language,besidesbeingthemedium,isalsoanotherimportantelementinthestructureofthestory.Asthetermisusedhere,languagereferstothewayinwhichwordsareputtogetherforthecreationofspecialeffects.Amongtheseeffectsare:

attitu