Georgian historiography being an attempt to create a shared and self-congratulatory impression of the past serves as verbal equivalent of a national monument. Ann Radcliffe＇s Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne was writte...Georgian historiography being an attempt to create a shared and self-congratulatory impression of the past serves as verbal equivalent of a national monument. Ann Radcliffe＇s Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne was written during the acme of popularity of gothified histories. This makes the novel a high drama of murder and revenge, usurpation and restoration, love and abduction, cruelty and virtue upholding common people＇s vow of joining hands to fight for ethical cause of avenging oppression against the backdrop of the Scottish highlands. On the one hand, the novel helps in perpetuating nationalist identity among English citizens by acclaiming virtuous, just, and moral act of the rightful feudal Chief Osbert and declaiming in contrast the avarice, oppression and lust of the usurper Malcolm. On the other hand, the self-devastating pride and calm resignation of the highborn women such as Mary and Louisa portrayed in the novel conform and thereby contribute to the notion of the ＂Angel in the House＂. The paper, thus, will examine the role of prevalent sense of honour and values imbibed in the major characters of the novel in bringing justice to the oppressed characters.展开更多
Robert James Waller （1939-2014） does not catch readers＇ attention until his popular novel The Bridges of Madison County （1996） wins him great admirations since its publication in 1992 which brings him instant suc...Robert James Waller （1939-2014） does not catch readers＇ attention until his popular novel The Bridges of Madison County （1996） wins him great admirations since its publication in 1992 which brings him instant success. The story explores the dilemma between responsibility of family and fulfillment of desires. Set in America in the 1960s, the novel is woven by the romantic story of the two middle-aged man and woman after they countered and gathered together for four days. Though simple in plot, it really deserves detailed interpretation and appreciation. This paper will mainly discuss Kincaid＇s cultural values reflected not only in the romance between his lover and him, but also in his attitudes towards women＇s rights.展开更多
This paper analyzes the role of six tropes （metonymy, synecdoche, metaphor, analogy, allegory, and irony） in Nietzsche＇s and Novalis＇ writings on language and cognition, using the comparison to show how a negative...This paper analyzes the role of six tropes （metonymy, synecdoche, metaphor, analogy, allegory, and irony） in Nietzsche＇s and Novalis＇ writings on language and cognition, using the comparison to show how a negative element in Nietzsche＇s attitude towards the tropic nature of cognition underlies well-known problems in his response to nihilism. These problems include ambiguities in Nietzsche＇s attitude to truth, and the question of how well he can carry through his project of affirming the individual on the basis of a creative reinterpretation of experience. I maintain that Novalis understands language and cognition to be tropic in a similar way as Nietzsche does, and that these writers provide similar critiques of discursive reason on the basis of what they view as its stultifying rigidity and misleading claims to a ＂literal＂ form of objectivity. However, I argue that Novalis avoids Nietzsche＇s difficulties by maintaining that a creative element in cognition does not rule out a variant of a correspondence notion of truth. Although Novalis＇ account thus falls foul of Nietzsche＇s goal of providing an immanent affirmation of human experience, the comparison shows that a Nietzschean attempt to provide a convincing model of individual self-affirmation should integrate a more positive role for trope, which can support a satisfying conception of the value of human creativity.展开更多
Edna O＇Brien （1930-）, an Irish novelist, poet, and short story writer, is considered as a pioneer for her frank portrayals of women and the most gifted woman writing in English at her time. Her first novel, The Cou...Edna O＇Brien （1930-）, an Irish novelist, poet, and short story writer, is considered as a pioneer for her frank portrayals of women and the most gifted woman writing in English at her time. Her first novel, The Country Girls （1960）, was an immediate success. Her writing is lyrical and intense with passions and aspirations. Set in Britain, the short story Cord describes a story about how the mother and the daughter got along in the short reunion after a long separation. The paper mainly explores different religious values, cultural values, and social values between them which caused irreconcilable conflicts. The present paper concludes that the ＂Cord＂, the blood tie, can never get rid of the spiritual barrier. Only mutual understanding can eliminate the gap and acquire a harmonious relation between parents and children.展开更多
Against the backdrop of Chinese culture, this paper offers a localized explanation of the Western concept of ＂archetypal criticism.＂ It proposes that four ＂thematic archetypes＂ can be observed in the relations bet...Against the backdrop of Chinese culture, this paper offers a localized explanation of the Western concept of ＂archetypal criticism.＂ It proposes that four ＂thematic archetypes＂ can be observed in the relations between folklore, legends and the novel in the new era （since reform and opening up） in China. The first is the coexistence of man and nature; the second, enduring suffering and realizing one＇s poterltial; the third, discontent with reality expressed in writing about imaginary worlds; and the last, criticism of the materialistic personality which places material gain above justice and lusts after gain. The presentation, dynamics of change, practical and cultural meanings and aesthetic values of these ＂thematic archetypes＂ in the novels of the new era reveal writers＇ reflections on ＂modernity＂ and the awakening of aesthetic consciousness in relation to their own land. This paper also argues that the world outlook that pursues harmony between man and nature, the view of life that prefers justice to material gain, and the values that affirm morality, life and human dignity contained in traditional Chinese folk culture and literature may supply us with important spiritual resources for responding to contemporary life, rebuilding the poetry of life and raising the quality of culture.展开更多
文摘Georgian historiography being an attempt to create a shared and self-congratulatory impression of the past serves as verbal equivalent of a national monument. Ann Radcliffe＇s Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne was written during the acme of popularity of gothified histories. This makes the novel a high drama of murder and revenge, usurpation and restoration, love and abduction, cruelty and virtue upholding common people＇s vow of joining hands to fight for ethical cause of avenging oppression against the backdrop of the Scottish highlands. On the one hand, the novel helps in perpetuating nationalist identity among English citizens by acclaiming virtuous, just, and moral act of the rightful feudal Chief Osbert and declaiming in contrast the avarice, oppression and lust of the usurper Malcolm. On the other hand, the self-devastating pride and calm resignation of the highborn women such as Mary and Louisa portrayed in the novel conform and thereby contribute to the notion of the ＂Angel in the House＂. The paper, thus, will examine the role of prevalent sense of honour and values imbibed in the major characters of the novel in bringing justice to the oppressed characters.
文摘Robert James Waller （1939-2014） does not catch readers＇ attention until his popular novel The Bridges of Madison County （1996） wins him great admirations since its publication in 1992 which brings him instant success. The story explores the dilemma between responsibility of family and fulfillment of desires. Set in America in the 1960s, the novel is woven by the romantic story of the two middle-aged man and woman after they countered and gathered together for four days. Though simple in plot, it really deserves detailed interpretation and appreciation. This paper will mainly discuss Kincaid＇s cultural values reflected not only in the romance between his lover and him, but also in his attitudes towards women＇s rights.
文摘This paper analyzes the role of six tropes （metonymy, synecdoche, metaphor, analogy, allegory, and irony） in Nietzsche＇s and Novalis＇ writings on language and cognition, using the comparison to show how a negative element in Nietzsche＇s attitude towards the tropic nature of cognition underlies well-known problems in his response to nihilism. These problems include ambiguities in Nietzsche＇s attitude to truth, and the question of how well he can carry through his project of affirming the individual on the basis of a creative reinterpretation of experience. I maintain that Novalis understands language and cognition to be tropic in a similar way as Nietzsche does, and that these writers provide similar critiques of discursive reason on the basis of what they view as its stultifying rigidity and misleading claims to a ＂literal＂ form of objectivity. However, I argue that Novalis avoids Nietzsche＇s difficulties by maintaining that a creative element in cognition does not rule out a variant of a correspondence notion of truth. Although Novalis＇ account thus falls foul of Nietzsche＇s goal of providing an immanent affirmation of human experience, the comparison shows that a Nietzschean attempt to provide a convincing model of individual self-affirmation should integrate a more positive role for trope, which can support a satisfying conception of the value of human creativity.
文摘Edna O＇Brien （1930-）, an Irish novelist, poet, and short story writer, is considered as a pioneer for her frank portrayals of women and the most gifted woman writing in English at her time. Her first novel, The Country Girls （1960）, was an immediate success. Her writing is lyrical and intense with passions and aspirations. Set in Britain, the short story Cord describes a story about how the mother and the daughter got along in the short reunion after a long separation. The paper mainly explores different religious values, cultural values, and social values between them which caused irreconcilable conflicts. The present paper concludes that the ＂Cord＂, the blood tie, can never get rid of the spiritual barrier. Only mutual understanding can eliminate the gap and acquire a harmonious relation between parents and children.
文摘Against the backdrop of Chinese culture, this paper offers a localized explanation of the Western concept of ＂archetypal criticism.＂ It proposes that four ＂thematic archetypes＂ can be observed in the relations between folklore, legends and the novel in the new era （since reform and opening up） in China. The first is the coexistence of man and nature; the second, enduring suffering and realizing one＇s poterltial; the third, discontent with reality expressed in writing about imaginary worlds; and the last, criticism of the materialistic personality which places material gain above justice and lusts after gain. The presentation, dynamics of change, practical and cultural meanings and aesthetic values of these ＂thematic archetypes＂ in the novels of the new era reveal writers＇ reflections on ＂modernity＂ and the awakening of aesthetic consciousness in relation to their own land. This paper also argues that the world outlook that pursues harmony between man and nature, the view of life that prefers justice to material gain, and the values that affirm morality, life and human dignity contained in traditional Chinese folk culture and literature may supply us with important spiritual resources for responding to contemporary life, rebuilding the poetry of life and raising the quality of culture.
