分析《纯真年代》所反映的老纽约社会毕业Word文档格式.docx
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英语09-2
学生姓名：
张丽
学号：
200909020018
指导教师姓名：
李卫荣
指导教师职称：
副教授
2013年5月
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TableofContents
摘要………………………………………………………………………………III
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………IV
Introduction………………………………………………………………………1
Chapter1LiteratureBackgroundandPlotSummary……………………3
1.1ThehistoricalbackgroundofTheAgeofInnocence……………………3
1.2TheplotsummaryofTheAgeofInnocence………………………………3
Chapter2NewYorkUpperClass’AttitudesTowardstheRelationshipAmongtheThreeMajorCharacters…………………………………………5
2.1Upperclass’attitudestowardstherelationshipbetweenNewlandandMay………………………………………………………………………5
2.1.1Newland’sattitudetowardshisrelationshipwithMay……………………5
2.1.2May’sattitudetowardsherrelationshipwithNewland……………………62.1.3Ellen’sattitudetowardstherelationshipbetweenNewlandandMay………………………………………………………………………7
2.1.4Relativesandfriends’attitudestowardstherelationshipbetweenNewlandandMay………………………………………………………7
2.2Upperclass’attitudestowardstherelationshipbetweenNewlandandEllen………………………………………………………………………8
2.2.1Newland’sattitudetowardshisrelationshipwithEllen………………8
2.2.2Ellen’sattitudetowardsherrelationshipwithNewland………………9
2.2.3May’sattitudetowardstherelationshipbetweenNewlandandEllen…10
2.2.4Relativesandfriends’attitudestowardstheretionshipbetweenNewlandandEllen…………………………………………………………………12
Chapter3TheSocialFeaturesofthe“OldNewYork”……………………12
3.1Theconservatismof“oldNewYork”……………………………………12
3.2Thehypocrisyof“oldNewYork”………………………………………13
3.3Thesnobbismof“oldNewYork”………………………………………14
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………16
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………17
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………18
摘要:
伊迪丝·
华顿是美国著名小说家之一。
她一生创作出大量杰出作品，其中《纯真年代》诠释了华顿一生的历程，浓缩了她思想的精髓。
这部小说对当代起着不可小视的作用。
小说以贵族青年纽兰和埃伦的爱情悲剧为主线，以新兴资产阶级的代表博福特的命运沉浮为辅，相互映衬，反映出内战之后美国上流社会最典型的时代特征。
本文首先简要介绍伊迪丝·
华顿本人及其作品。
其次介绍了《纯真年代》的时代背景以及主要内容梗概。
小说通过贵族青年纽兰与埃伦之间的爱情悲剧故事，展现出19世纪70年代末纽约上流社会的风貌。
接着主要阐述纽约上流社会对三位主人公间关系的看法。
年轻儒雅的纽兰深陷在遵守社会规范和追求真爱的两难境地，热情奔放的埃伦摇摆于摆脱婚姻的枷锁与聆听真情的呐喊之间，而天真纯洁的梅则致力于维护自己的婚姻和保全虚妄的社会地位。
而亲戚朋友们为了家族名誉与梅合谋赶走埃伦，所有这些看似简单的情节却蕴含着人性的冷漠与世俗的捆绑。
再接下来具体分析“老纽约”的社会特点。
通过分析小说主要人物间的关系，以及亲戚朋友和他们自身对其关系的看法及他们的最终选择，不难看出纽约上流社会保守、虚伪和势利的特点。
最后为结语，系统阐述文章的主旨内涵。
关键词:
华顿老纽约社会特点
Analysisof“theOldNewYork”SocietyReflectedin
TheAgeofInnocence
Abstract:
EdithWhartonisoneofthemostdistinguishedAmericanwomenwritersinthetwentiethcentury.Asaproductivewriter,shepublishedagreatmanyfamousworksduringherlife,amongwhich,TheAgeofInnocenceisdefinitelythemostrepresentativeonewhichcanberegardedastheminiatureofWharton’swholelifeandcontainstheessenceofherthoughts.Itisnoexaggerationtosaythatthisnovelhasmadeagreatcontributiontothedevelopmentofrealisticnovels.ThenovelgivesfirstplacetothelovetragedybetweennoblemanNewlandandEllen,supplementingbytheupsanddownsofBeaufortwhichistherepresentativeoftheemergingbourgeois.Bycomplementingeachother,theyreflectthemosttypicalcharacteristicsoftheAmericanupperclassaftertheCivilWar.
Thefirstpartofthepapergivesageneralintroductionoftheauthor—EdithWharton,andhermainworks.Chapter1isaboutthehistoricalbackgroundandtheplotsummaryofTheAgeofInnocence.ByillustratingthelovetragedybetweenNewlandandEllen,wecanseethesocialcustomsoftheupperclassinNewYorkinthelate1870s.InChapter2,NewYorkupperclass’attitudestowardstherelationshipamongthethreemajorcharacterswillbeelaborated.YounggentlemanNewlandArcher’scontradictioninsocialresponsibilityandselffreedomandthelovewithEllenOlenska;
PassionateEllenOlenska’sdilemmainthemarriagecrisiswithherhusbandandheraffairwithNewland,whileinnocentMay’sstruggleinmaintaininghermarriageandfallacioussocialposition.However,theirrelativesandfriendstryeverythingtheycantoexpelEllenbacktoEuropetogetherwithMayinordertoprotectfamilyreputation.Alltheseseemingsurfaceplotsactuallyarethedefenseagainsttheconventionsandhumanapathy.Chapter3isthebackboneofthethesis,aimingtoanalyzethesocialcharactersofthe“OldNewYork”.Byanalyzingtheupperclass’attitudestowardstherelationshipamongthethreemajorcharactersandtheirchoices,itiseasytoseethattheconservatism,hypocrisyandsnobbismoftheupperclass.Thelastpartrestatestheaimofthethesis,andtheconclusionofthethesis.
KeyWords:
EdithWharton;
oldNewYork;
socialcharacteristics
Introduction
EdithWhartonwasanexoticflowerinAmericanhistoryofliterature,andsheisoneofthemostoutstanding“novelofmanners”afterHenryJames.Whartonwasborninaprominentaristocraticfamily,livinganaffluentandleisurelylife.AtWharton’searlyage,shelearnedtheintricaciesofsocialcustomsandritualsundertheguidanceofhergrandmotherandmother,soshewasquitefamiliarwiththecustomsoftheworldofupperclass.Whartonshowedakeeninterestinliteratureinherchildhood.Later,shegotmarriedwithEdwardWhartonsharingtheequalprestige.Astheywerenotcongenialinhobbiesandinterests,Whartonwastiredofthevainandflashysocialactivitiesofupperclass.ShegotdivorcedresolutelyanddeterminedlywithEdwardregardlessoftheupperclass’objection.WhartonleftforEuropeafterdivorce.ShewasinfluencedbyEuropean’sedificationofthought,andraisedherkeeninsightonthecurrentsituationinsocietyatthattime.WhartonhobnobbedwithHeryJames,andherearlyworkshadtracedthecreationofJames.Shewasputonalotofglorioustitlessinceshehadlongbeendesolated,suchas“America’smostdistinguishedsecularstylewriter”,“godmotherofthepsychologicalnovel”“feministprophet”andsoon.
BecauseofWharton’sprominentfamilybackground,sheknewverywellaboutthecustomsofNewYork’supperclass,andNewYork’sculturalenvironmenthadgivenheruniquesocialsensitivityandliterarytastes.Asonememberoftheupperclass,Whartonlivedawealthylifesinceshewasalittlegirl.Sinceshehadwitnessedtheoldconventionsforalongtime,itwasquiteeasyforhertowriteaccordingtotheseexperiences.“ShewasquitefamiliarwithNewYorkupperclass,notonlyjustfamiliarwithitsgold-platedsurface,butalsowellawareofnatureofdecadent”（WangYiting,2011）.EdithWhartononcewroteinherautobiographyBackwardGlancethat“lifeisthesaddestthingthereisnexttodeath”,whichseemstoimplythatstoriestendtoreflectsadness.Sheseldomwroteromanticscenesinherstoriesandsheneverpaidattentiontofairytales,thefabulousorthelegendary.Andconsequently,mostofhertalesdepictedheroesandheroinesleadingunhappylives.ManyofherworkswerebasedonthebackgroundofNewYork.Themasterpiecesbasedon“OldNewYork”ofWhartonincludedfulllengthnovel“TheAgeofInnocence”,“TheHouseofMirth”andthenovellacollection“OldNewYork”
（including“falsedawns”,“NewYear'
sDay”,“spark”,“spinster”）.TheseworksfullyandtrulyreflectedthesocialcharactersofoldNewYorkupperclassinthelate19thcenturyandearly20thcentury.TheAgeofInnocenceisthemostimportantmasterpieceofWhartonwhichcausedahugerepercussionassoonasitwaspublished.Ithadbroughtsubstantialeconomicincomeandextraordinaryreputationandplayedagreatroleforhertowinthe1921PulitzerPrize,andbeenthefirstladytoreceivethishonorinAmericanhistory.Inthisnovel,NewYorkisdefinitelymorethanjustageographicalname,andalsohasbecomealandofculturethatiscastedintheuniquehumancolor.
Chapter1TheHistoricalBackgroundandPlotSummaryof
1.1ThehistoricalbackgroundofTheAgeofInnocence
ThehistoricalbackgroundofTheAgeofInnocenceisNewYorkofthelate1870s.PeopleofthaterapaidmoreattentiontotheelegantandexquisitemannersthananythingelseinthehistoryofNewYork.“Theupperclassmakeeveryeffortto“windowdressing”allthetime.Theyrefusedanyexternalthreattotheentireupperclassanddecoratedtheireveryactionundertheprotectionofholinessandintegrity”（WangMin,2008）.Theyweremostconcernedabouttheirsocialstatus,livingaleisurelylifeundertheimprisonedandboringsocialnorms.Theyturnedadeafeartothemisfortunesofothers.Theauthordepictsthemvividlylikethis“Inrealitytheyalllivedinakindofhieroglyphicworld,wheretherealthingwasneversaidordoneoreventhought,butonlyrepresentedbyasetofarbitrarysigns”（Wharton,2004）.AtthattimeNewYorksocietywasdominatedbymen,womendidnothavetherighttospeakandaccepteducationinschoollikemen.Themostshamefulthingofonefamilywasdivorce.Inordertoobeythesocialnorms,thefemalehadtogiveuptheirrightstopursuehappinessandfreedom,whichwoulddefinitelyresultintheinevitabletragicendingofwomenwhoareinthe“other”statusinapatriarchalsociety.
1.2TheplotsummaryofTheAgeof
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