英语文学名著选读.pptVIP

English Literature Appreciation Time: Tuesday 13:30-15:00 Class Room: 307, Chengxin Building Lecturer: Hu Zhenming Email: walterhzm@ Lesson 1 What is the literature? Literature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means “acquaintance with letters” (from Latin littera letter). Different Definitions: any symbolic record, encompassing everything from images and sculptures to letters only text composed of letters, or other examples of symbolic written language Literature is the garment which one puts on what he says or writes so that it may appear more attractive. Roman Jakobson (11 October 1896 – 18 July 1982) Russian linguist and literary critic , Formalist school “organized violence committed on ordinary speech” Literature is not only about ideas but also about experiences. Writers of essays, fiction, drama, and poetry may try to put their readers inside the mind of such a character, making readers intimately share the patient’s experience and feel what it is like to be the patient. Text-oriented approach Artist-oriented approach Reader-oriented approach M. H. Abrams Mirror and Lamp On the Uses of Studying Literature The wisdom thesis The exploration or heuristic thesis The representation or reflection of reality thesis The ideology or world-view thesis The cultural code thesis The language theses The subjectivity thesis Cultural function theses * *