Студопедия

КАТЕГОРИИ:


Архитектура-(3434)Астрономия-(809)Биология-(7483)Биотехнологии-(1457)Военное дело-(14632)Высокие технологии-(1363)География-(913)Геология-(1438)Государство-(451)Демография-(1065)Дом-(47672)Журналистика и СМИ-(912)Изобретательство-(14524)Иностранные языки-(4268)Информатика-(17799)Искусство-(1338)История-(13644)Компьютеры-(11121)Косметика-(55)Кулинария-(373)Культура-(8427)Лингвистика-(374)Литература-(1642)Маркетинг-(23702)Математика-(16968)Машиностроение-(1700)Медицина-(12668)Менеджмент-(24684)Механика-(15423)Науковедение-(506)Образование-(11852)Охрана труда-(3308)Педагогика-(5571)Полиграфия-(1312)Политика-(7869)Право-(5454)Приборостроение-(1369)Программирование-(2801)Производство-(97182)Промышленность-(8706)Психология-(18388)Религия-(3217)Связь-(10668)Сельское хозяйство-(299)Социология-(6455)Спорт-(42831)Строительство-(4793)Торговля-(5050)Транспорт-(2929)Туризм-(1568)Физика-(3942)Философия-(17015)Финансы-(26596)Химия-(22929)Экология-(12095)Экономика-(9961)Электроника-(8441)Электротехника-(4623)Энергетика-(12629)Юриспруденция-(1492)Ядерная техника-(1748)

John RonaldReuel Tolkien

У

N

Of the 20th Century

Of the Second Half

English Literature

XI

Westminster Abbey,

a large Gothic church in London,

built in the 11th century

Many fairwus people are buried there. Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare are among them. Almost all British kings and queens since William the Conqueror have been crowned in Westminster Abbey.



Different literary tendencies appeared one after an­other: "The Angry Young Men" (1953-1957), "Move­ment", "New Left" and teenager's literature (after 1958 "the Working-Class Novel" and "the New Wave Dra­ma"). The main essence of all these literary groups was the earnest searchings of the writers for their place in life, for a better future...

After World War II the novel continued to be the leading genre in English literature. Charles Percy Snow, Graham Greene, James Aldridge became the famous writers of that period. In the fifties there appeared the term "The Angry Young Men" which was applied to the young people, the writers, who wanted to express their anger with the society and their disillu­sionment and dissatisfaction with a strange and unset­tling world.


George Orwell (1903-1950)

George Orwell, whose real name was Eric Blair, was born in India and well educated in England. He studied at Eton, but he hadn't got a higher education. During his schooling Or­well read a lot; his favourite writers were Jack London, Jonathan Swift and Lawrence Sterne. He knew quite well that his future career would be connected with literary activity. After an upper-class education he worked for Burma Police during 1922-1927 because he was eager "to escape not merely from imperialism but from every form of man's domination over man".

His life experience helped him to write his novels and essays. Thus his first book "Burmese Days" was published in 1934. Then followed "A Clergyman's Daughter" (1935) and several essays on politics, art and literature. The writer exposed all the vices of the human gap between the upper classes and the working class. George Orwell worshiped the ideals of socialism and hated fascism. That is why he took part in the Spanish Civil War as a BBC correspondent in 1936. Orwell fought for Republicans and was badly wounded. From then on he worked as a journalist and novelist. His Spanish impressions are described in his documen­tary novel "Homage to Catalonia" (1938) in which he appreciated the atmosphere of equality and brother­hood among the' Republicans during the war. George Orwell became a staunch supporter of Socialism, though he realized that some Spanish Republicans be­trayed the interests of freedom and equality. Moreover,


                   
     
 
   
     
 
 
 


his faith in socialism was shaken by the events in: Russia, the practice of severe repressions of Stalin in 1937-1938. He understood how selfish, greedy and mean some people were in their aim to possess a great political power and their desire to suppress the others. His thoughts and sufferings George Orwell vividly re­vealed in his two very popular novels: "Animal Farm" (1945) and "1984" (1949). The writer blamed Totalita-rism and proclaimed Socialism.

ANIMAL FARM

"Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" is a satirical fable about Stalin's Russia, a political allegory, which tells the story of a political revolution that went wrong. George Orwell exposes ambition, hypocrisy and self­ishness of the leaders.

ANIMALS ARE EQUAL.

The animals on a farm, led by the pigs, revolt against the tyranny of their master Jones; they expell him and take control on the farm. Their slogans resemble the seven Commandments of the Bible:


But the purity of their political ideas is soon de­stroyed, and they become as greedy and cunning as their farmer whom they banished.

The action of the story takes place in England on the Manor Farm. Among the animals there are the pigs, the dogs, the hens, the sheep and cows, the cart­horses, the cat, the raven and the oldest animal of the farm Benjamin, the donkey.

The animals are assembled in the big barn by a wise boar Old Major who is highly regarded on the farm. Old Major tells them that their life is misery and slavery. And the only real enemy they have is Man, who steals the produce of their labour. "Only get rid of Man, and everything would be our own. All men are enemies. All animals are comrades. Only Rebel­lion will do justice".

Soon Old major dies, but his speech about the Rebellion produces a new outlook on life among the most intelligent animals. They are three pigs: Napo­leon, "a large and fierce-looking" boar with a repu­tation for getting his own way; Snowball, "inventive and quick in speech", and Squealer, "a small fat pig with very round cheeks, twinkling eyes... and shrill voice. He could turn black into white". These three have elaborated Old Major's teachings into a complete system of thought. They call it Animalism. The prin­ciples of their theory are inscribed on the wall (The Seven Commandments).

So Mr Jones, the farmer, is expelled, the Manor Farm is renamed to Animal Farm.

Firstly, everyone works according to his capa< it} Nobody steals, there is no jealousy among the animull

On Sundays there is no work. The animals beet >. hi

masters of their farm. But not all of them arc i i|ii 'I


in their reading and writing skills. "As for the pigs, they could already read and write perfectly, the dogs learned to read fairly well". Some of the rest of the animals couldn't put words together; others knew only the letter "A".

Gradually, the pigs occupy the privileged position on the farm. It becomes clear that they want to seize the power, the whole management and organization of the farm.

Step by step, Napoleon becomes a dictator.

All orders are issued by one of the pigs.

"Napoleon himself was seen in public only once a fortnight." He likes to be flattered, he is called the Father of All Animals.

Meanwhile, life on the farm is hard; the farm is short of money, rations are reduced. Only the pigs are putting on weight.

When Animal Farm is proclaimed a Republic, it becomes necessary to elect a President. There is only one candidate, Napoleon, who is elected unanimously.

Years pass by... Many animals have been born to whom the Rebellion is only a dim tradition. The farm is more prosperous and better organized. But the ani­mals are not rich, except for the pigs, who begin to walk on their hind legs. They resemble people. "Napoleon was strolling upright... with a pipe in his mouth. He carried a whip in his trotter".

On top of everything, the Seven Commandments are reduced to a Single One:

All Animals Are Equal, but Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.

Furthermore, for the first time animals and human beings "were meeting on terms of equality" in the


farmhouse garden. Napoleon occupies the seat of honour at the head of the table. A dozen of farmers and half a dozen of the "more eminent pigs" feel at ease in their chairs and play a game of cards.

Napoleon has a few words to say, that the name "Animal Farm" has been abolished. It is to be known as the "Manor Farm" which is "its correct and original name". After the applause having come to an end, the company takes up their cards, but "Napoleon and Mr Pilkington had each played an ace of spades simul­taneously". A violent quarrel starts. There are shout­ings, bangings, suspicious glances, furious denials... "No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs... The farmers' and the pigs' faces were all alike. It was impossible to say which was which".

"Animal Farm" is a political satire. Thus George Orwell is considered to be a "political writer". He criticizes the Russian revolution of 1917 which went wrong. There are some obvious comparisons which are clearly seen. Animal Farm is Russia. Mr Jones is the Russian Tsar, Napoleon is Stalin. All the other animals are the representatives of different political parties and social classes. George Orwell creates some vivid characters and reveals the consequences of nearly all revolutions.

In Orwell's second popular book "1984", written in 1949 in Scotland where the author settled after the Second World war, he describes the future where every word is controlled; every action is seen by the state, which has developed a kind of television that can watch people in their own home,- and is changing the language so that the only words left are those for objects and ideas that the government wants the people to know about.


For George Orwell, the quality of a language implies the quality of the society, thus the government regu­lating the language manipulates the people who use it. This picture of the future, influenced by the hardships and sorrows of the war, is depressing and gloomy.

George Orwell considers that the state must play an important part in a reasonable society, but he also believes that each person in such a society needs to be independent.

George Orwell died in January 1950.

Political tales allow the writers to exaggerate the ups and downs of the society, reveal the injustice of the social life and show the possible ways to change the wrong order of things. The core of life is the struggle of Good and Evil. Only a storyteller can make negative things positive and vice versa. Thus the role of the author is precisely certain and very important. Many talented writers appeal to tale to express their own attitude to life and their social position. Furthermore, they want to educate the reader, to develop his taste, imagination and bring him pleasure. Tales teach people to be kind and honest towards those who need help and attention. The storytellers make dignity and pride ap­preciated, envy and greed punished. Lewis Carroll makes us follow his characters through the World of Nonsense in " Alice in Wonderland"; Oscar Wilde lets us plunge into the atmosphere of Art and Beauty, the life full of paradoxes and moral. Ronald Reuel Tolkien invented his own fairy language to create the imaginary world of Middle-earth. His tales are labelled both a romantic epic and science fiction. Anyway, he created a new mythology in a fantasy world where Good is opposed to Evil very vividly and convincingly.


John Ronald

Reuel Tolkien

(1892-1973)

was born in 1892 in Africa. His fa­ther, Arthur Tolkien, left England for the Orange Free State in South Afri­ca for better prospects of promotion, where he had to take up a post of a bank clerk. Soon Arthur died in 1896, and Ronald, his mother and his younger brother re­turned to England and settled near Birmingham. The family lived in poverty. Their mother died when Ronald was twelve. At that time he attended King Edward's School, where he studied Latin and Greek. Meanwhile, Tolkien was taught Middle English. Later, in Oxford, Ronald Tolkien was greatly interested in Finnish, Welsh and Anglo-Saxon. It might have been his family roots that encouraged him to plunge into the Anglo-Saxon epoch. His ancestors were Saxons. Thus his father's family name is believed to be of Saxon origin. It means "foolishly-brave", oxymoron, which Ronald occasionally used. His father's first name, Arthur, re­minds us of the times of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. As the result of everything men­tioned above Ronald Tolkien started to invent his own mythological language.

In August 1914 the First World War broke out. Tolkien graduated from Oxford the following year. He had to be embarked for France. But before taking up his commission he married Edith Bratt, his childhood sweet­heart. They married in Warwick where Edith lived.


Warwick Castle with its beautiful countryside im­pressed the future writer greatly.

Warwick Castle

In 1916 Tolkien was sent to active duty to the West­ern Front where he was struck down by^trench fever (ty­phus-like infection) | and was sent back to England. Soon | he was appointed to the post of Pro- I fessor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford and established himself one of the finest philologists in the world. At the same time he began writing his myths and legends of Middle-earth. Meanwhile, Tolkien told his children his wonderful tales. Sometimes he published his works. "The Hobbit" appeared in 1937. It was a success and encouraged Tolkien to continue developing his literary talent.

But it was not until 1954 that his masterpiece, "The Lord of the Rings", was published and rapidly came to public notice. The tale is written in two books logically connected with each other: the second book is the continuation of the first one. "The Fellowship of the Ring" is the first part of original hard-cover edition of "The Lord of the Rings" published in 1968.

<== предыдущая лекция | следующая лекция ==>
Ten Little Niggers | The Fellowship of the Ring
Поделиться с друзьями:


Дата добавления: 2014-01-07; Просмотров: 384; Нарушение авторских прав?; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы!


Нам важно ваше мнение! Был ли полезен опубликованный материал? Да | Нет



studopedia.su - Студопедия (2013 - 2024) год. Все материалы представленные на сайте исключительно с целью ознакомления читателями и не преследуют коммерческих целей или нарушение авторских прав! Последнее добавление




Генерация страницы за: 0.025 сек.