Introduction to British and American Literature（结课留档）

1、Is the writing of literature believed to be an important part of the society's life?

I think so. Although the production and consumption of literature often appear to impose little direct instant impact on everyday happenings or concrete issues like economic development, it does play a profound role in the society’s life. The reading of written literature gives its readers a collective sense of identity, consciously or unconsciously. It propels people to continually renew their understanding or view towards social issues and awaken their cultural consciousness or self-recognition.

（17.5/20）

2、Is poetry believed to be the expression of the thoughts of the poet, or does it rather set out the society's common beliefs?

There is no clear split between these two, or rather they are intertwined. The poet is such a person living in the society of his age as a marinated egg has been left a profound mark by its surrounding soy sauce, by which means this kind of mark will never fade in essence. However, it cannot be denied that the poet can be a great turbulence or a pushing current within the tide of era and probably start a fresh, even breathtaking epoch simultaneously with all the like-minded.

（18/20）

3、Is literature influenced or controlled by political forces?

In some historical eras, the public lived under the powerful rule of some dominant government, where any written words, let alone literary works, were carefully examined, whether they should be regarded harmless to the government that could be transmitted among the common people and ready for publication. Due to the fact that some particular themes are not allowed to be included in published works under some political background, a number of authors will take the thematic restrictions into consideration when they write. However, this kind of influence or control from political forces, which writers must endure, is partially limited. Some once-banned books like “Doctor Zhivago” have endured and finally received recognition.

（18.5/20）

4、Is the reading or writing of literature seen as entertainment?

Not exactly correct. The presence of a good piece of literature, whether in the form of reading or writing, contains usually both seriousness and entertainment. Literature is an existence that stands beside real life. In this context, people read throughout the life process in order to get some kind of spiritual enjoyment or motivational strength to comfort themselves or provide themselves with a sight of any unknown world. In order to fulfill this goal, writers will never isolate but combine these two factors, seriousness and entertainment, to make their literary works readable, enjoyable as well as meaningful, and thus well-received.

（19/20）

5、Is literature seen as "reflecting" reality?

I think so. When writers present literature, fiction or non-fiction, they often select some scenes or plots from real life, rearrange the narrating order of story or change the way of presentation, to make the literary works intriguing, illuminating or persuasive. Literature is like something that is accompanied side by side with real life or reproduction of happenings in reality, but not equivalent to what has once happened or will happen in real life. It is often just an attempt to show what can happen, one plot after another, according to the deductive logic which is presupposed within the presented literary world.

（18.5/20）

Essay Questions: "Self-Reliance" is one of Emerson's most important essays, Emerson in it urges us to trust ourselves, rather than be ruled by others' advice. To what extent are you self-reliant? Is it more difficult to be self-reliant in a modern, technological society than in one which is more rural?

Self-reliance plays an important role in helping ourselves realize that we are spiritually independent individuals, have rights to determine what we want to do and take accordingly responsibilities for everything that we intend to do and for what we have done.

It cannot be denied that it is more difficult to stay self-reliant in a modern, so far internationalized society than in one which is more outreached from modern commercial and technological influence. Primarily, a modern society is generally populous and thus the way to get a better chance of promotion or to improve living conditions within is generally standardized. Conforming to the standardized rule which is well accepted by the most citizens of this society, people need to accommodate to the complicated social environment, have all-round competence to survive the severe social competition for educational as well as other resources and win their own place. In this living process, endless temptations of more material comforts or desire to gain a higher position or higher social status can test our self-reliance, our perseverance and determination to keep doing what we truly want to do. Frequent setbacks, obstacles and frustrations can also test our self-confidence as well as our trust in ourselves. In comparison, it is easier to be ourselves and obtain self-fulfillment in a social environment which is relatively detached from the competitive outside world, for in harmony with the countryside we are disturbed seldom and have easy access to inner peace, which is a decisive factor in living in the lifestyle that we want to have.

From my perspective, I’m self-reliant to a certain extent. Specifically speaking, I work, study, read, exercise, take part in diverse cultural activities like drawing classes, DIYs, musical instrument courses, foreign language courses as well as readers’ forums with authors, or write, try to lead a positive and rich life, mainly because all of above-mentioned are what I should do, what I trust I can fulfill, what will help me improve, grow wiser, happier and develop into a better person in my belief. It is of much significance for an ordinary resident in a metropolis like me being constantly on the alert that I’m on the move of self-improvement. Still, I communicate with my teachers, friends or colleagues often. Besides daily conversation for relax and fun, we exchange ideas concerning our problems or confusions in life, and reasonable suggestions are made accordingly. Most of the time, I take these advices into consideration, reason and reflect and finally find out feasible solutions. Diligence ought to be the right way but there is still more to learn.

（19.5/20）

In "The Decaying of Lying" Oscar Wilde advances a number of rather unusual ideas about Art and Nature. What, according to Wilde, is the real relation between Nature and Art?

First: Nature is imperfect, while (authentic) Art is perfect. Art is a perfect self and stand for nothing else but itself. Art provides an ideal model for Nature.

Second: Nature or real life is merely an imperfect imitation of Art. Art extracts all sorts of components from Nature, makes use of these components as material, recreates Nature and lets Nature find expression in a new form. It is better for Nature or real life to imitate Art, for, through Art, hidden secrets of all things can be revealed and any imperfection can be renewed and perfect again.

Third: Art is pure. When we devote ourselves to Art, we should work for Art for the sake of Art rather than for any other purpose.

（20/20）

{此题作答参阅了王尔德《谎言的衰朽》原文及以下论文片段}

Which literary work introduced in this course do you like best? State your reasons with more than 200 words.

Among the literary work introduced in this course, I like “The Yellow Wallpaper” best.

First and foremost, this work arouses my awareness once again of being an independent woman, especially in the family setting. Born and grown up in an ordinary family influenced greatly by traditional concepts, I inherit the most part of traditional thinking. For example, I should get married with a good, warm-hearted man with a strong sense of responsibility; Or women ought to realize that men mostly have not much interest in housework, although the household chores should be shared after marriage. However, it does not mean that I’m willing to be dominated by my father or my future husband. In other words, I don’t want to satisfy all the demands that go against my will, or, I don’t want to be whom a man of authority in my family wants me to become. In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, a rather similar self-consciousness to be one’s own self is vividly depicted. It not only tells me the fact that I, as a woman, am not alone in this journey of retaining spiritual independence in the domestic situation, but also encourages my determination not to stay under the control of others.

Second, it puts forward constructive as well as feasible ways to fight for this kind of independence in front of my father or my future husband when necessary. The protagonist revolts against her husband and asserts her independence mainly through writing. When she writes, she feels she lives not as a capable wife but as a woman with a mind of her own. Thus, writing is a symbol which is characteristic of her own being. For me, a yearning for lifelong learning and reading as well as an interest in science and literature are characteristic of my own being. In order to strive for this freedom to do as I wish all through my lifetime, I ought to be perseverant and determined, while at the same time taking the possible reactions of my men family members into full consideration beforehand. It is far from enough for an independent person to have self-awareness to be independent. Besides that, a person should be thoughtful and considerate of the loved ones around, who will in turn grant us with our freedom to pursue what we wish for willingly.

Last but not least, the course informs me that a woman’s dilemma between family and work, or between devotion to her husband and commitment to independence is still common among the females in the contemporary era. This will lead me into further thinking of this problem in a broad social sense. Never ceasing to progress – it is my goal and wish.

{后记：不能做到的女性主义宣言、做不到与难以实现的女性主义宣言和做得到的女性主义宣言之间的界线有多远？}