20世纪美国现实主义小说的发展与复兴

The development and revival of 20th century American realistic fiction

:2 0世纪美国文学的最高成就是小说 ,小说的最高成就是现实主义小说。 2 0世纪美国现实主义小说的发展大致呈现四个阶段。一、世纪初至 2 0年代末的“自然现实主义” ;二、30年代的左翼现实主义小说 ;三、40至 6 0年代的流派现实主义 ;四、70年代末崛起的后现代现实主义小说。后现代现实主义是对六七十年代以来后现代主义小说无视现实、无视读者的极端主义的反叛 ,同时也打破了这一时期后现代派小说“一统天下”和现实主义小说创作低迷不振的僵局 ,代表着美国现实主义小说的复兴。后现代现实主义小说既保留了传统现实主义注重讲故事和人物刻划的优点 ,又吸收了后现代主义实验性的创作方法 ,形成了一种独特的现实主义创作风格。

The best achievement of 20 th century American literature is fiction, while the best achievement of fiction is realistic fiction. 20 th century American realistic fiction has roughly undergone four phases of development. The first is the so called “natural realism” form the turn of the century to the twenties; the second the left wing realistic fiction of the thirties; the third stylistic realisms from the forties to the sixties, and the fourth postmodern realistic fiction that began from the seventies. Postmodern realistic fiction represents a rejection of the extremist tendency in the postmodern fiction that ignores both reality and reader. At the same time, it demonstrates a break away from the dominance of extremist postmodern fictional mode, and the low point of realistic fiction writing, representing a revival of American realistic fiction. Postmodern realistic fiction has maintained the stress realistic fiction lays upon story telling and characterization, and at the same time incorporates the experimental mode of writing as characterized in postmodern fiction, and consequently forms a unique variety of literary realism.