英語短篇小說教程

ShortStoriesinEnglish:AReadingCourse虞建華編寫英語短篇小說教程

ShortStoriesinEng1UnitFourTheCharacterandCharacterizationReading:“Mr.Know-All”bySomersetMaughamUnitFour2TheCharacter:

Originallyreferstoapersonwhotypifiessomedefinitequality,butnowismoregeneralizedtorefertoanypersoninacreativewriting.TheCharacter:3TheCharacterandOtherLiteraryTerms:character

heroandheroine

anti-heroprotagonist

/maincharacterantagonist

foilTheCharacterandOtherLitera4Theanti-heroTheanti-heroisafictionalcharacteroccupyingacentralpositionintheplotbutpossessingqualitiesantitheticaltothoseofthetraditionalhero.Theanti-heroisnotsimplyafailedherobutasocialmisfit,graceless,weak,andoftencomic,theembodimentofineptitudeandbadluckinaworldapparentlymadeforothers.Theanti-hero5TheCharacter:Aroundcharacter:usuallyhasmorethanonequality,andgrowsinthecourseofthestorydevelopment,ashereactstoeventsandtoothercharacters.A

flatcharacter:isconstructedaroundasingleideaorquality.Suchacharacterdoesnotdevelopinthecourseofnarrationandiseasilyrecognizedandremembered.

A

foil:isasupportingcharacterwhoseroleinthestoryistohighlighttheprotagonistbypresentingacomparisonoracontrasttohim.

TheCharacter:Aroundcharacte6Astaticordynamiccharacter:Aflatorroundcharacterisalsoreferredtoasastaticordynamiccharacter.Astaticcharacterisonewhochangeslittleifatall.Thingshappentosuchacharacterwithoutthingshappeningwithin.Adynamiccharacter,ontheotherhand,isonewhoismodifiedbyactionsandexperiences,andoneobjectiveoftheworkinwhichthecharacterappearsistorevealtheconsequencesoftheseactions.Astaticordynamiccharacter:7Individualizedandtypecharacters:

Individualizedcharactersareonesendowedwithtraitsthatmarkthemasindividuals,asopposedtotypecharacters.Individualizedcharactersbelong,generallyspeaking,torealism,asopposedtothetypecharactersofromanticism.Individualizedandtypecharac8Characterization:

Characterizationisthecreationofimaginarycharacterssothattheyexistforthereaderaslifelikepersons.Characterization:9Characterization:directandindirectpresentation

Therearetwobasictypesoftextualindicatorsofcharacter:Thedirectpresentationnamesthecharactertraitorsumsitup,suchas“he’sutterlyselfish”or“helovesonlyhimself.”Theindirectpresentation,ontheotherhand,doesnotmentionthetraitbutdisplayandexemplifiesitinvariousways,leavingthereaderthetaskofinferringthequalitytheyimply.

Characterization:directandi10Thecommonmethodsofindirectpresentation:theactandspeechintheformofbehaviorandconversation;theactivityofmindinmusing,meditation,self-debatingorinteriormonologue;theexternalappearance,suchasacrookedfaceindicatingacrookedmind,oradirtyanddisorderlyroomconnotingthecharacter’sstateofconfusion.Thecommonmethodsofindirect11PreferenceforindirectmethodInanindividualisticandrelativeperiodlikeourown,generalizationandclassificationofcharacters/peoplearelesstolerated.Whensuggestivenessandindeterminacyarepreferredtoclosureanddefinitivenessandwhenemphasisisputontheactiveroleofthereader,theexplicitnessandguidingcapacityofdirectdefinitionareoftenconsidereddrawbacksratherthanadvantages.Preferenceforindirectmethod12Characterization,thedirectmethod

sample1:

Hewascertainthatyouwereasgladtoseehimashewastoseeyou.Inyourownhouseyoumighthavekickedhimdownstairsandslammedthedoorinhisfacewithoutthesuspiciondawningonhimthathewasnotawelcomevisitor.Hewasagoodmixer,andinthreedayskneweveryoneonboard.Heraneverything.(SomersetMaugham,“Mr.Know-All,”lines87-91)Characterization,thedirectm13Characterization,theindirectmethod

Sample2:

“Doyoulikecardtricks?”“No,Ihatecardtricks,”Ianswered.“Well,I’lljustshowyouthisone.”Heshowedmethree.ThenIsaidIwouldgodowntothediningroomandgetmyseatattable.“Oh,that’sallright,”hesaid.“I’vealreadytakenaseatforyou.Ithoughtthataswewereinthesamestateroomwemightjustaswellsitatthesametable.”(SomersetMaugham,“Mr.Know-All,”lines77-83)Characterization,theindirect14ReadingTip:

ThestoryissetinthedecliningyearsoftheBritishcolonialism.ManypeopleintheBritishcolonies,orinAmerica,theformercolony,wouldcallthemselves“Englishpeople,”regardingthemselvesasmembersofthegloriousBritishEmpire.Butthose“ColonialEnglish”wouldnotbehighlyregardedbysome“real”Englishwhoheldtheattitudeofracialornationalsuperiority.

ReadingTip:15TheStory:SomersetMaugh:Mr.Know-All

TheStory:16QuestionsforDiscussion:Summarizethefourmaincharacters:thenarrator,Mr.Kelada,Mr.andMrs.Ramsay.

WhataretheundesirablequalitiesofMr.Keladaaccordingtothenarrator?Findthemoutinthetextandlistthem.AretheygoodproofthatMr.Keladaisanunworthyperson?Wehavebeengivenenoughhintsaboutthetruevalueofthenecklaceandthepossiblestorybehindit.Canyoufindthem?Whydidthenarratorsaybytheendofthestory“IdidnotentirelydislikeMr.Kelada”?QuestionsforDiscussion:Summ17Thefourmaincharacters:thenarrator,areserved,politeyetprejudicedEnglishman;Mr.Kelada,anover-zealous,talkativeyetkind-naturedcolonial;Mr.Ramsay,anoverbearing,unpleasantandinsensitiveAmerican;Mrs.Ramsay,amodestyethelplessladywhohadfooledherhusband.Thefourmaincharacters:then18英語短篇小說教程

ShortStoriesinEnglish:AReadingCourse虞建華編寫英語短篇小說教程

ShortStoriesinEng19UnitFourTheCharacterandCharacterizationReading:“Mr.Know-All”bySomersetMaughamUnitFour20TheCharacter:

Originallyreferstoapersonwhotypifiessomedefinitequality,butnowismoregeneralizedtorefertoanypersoninacreativewriting.TheCharacter:21TheCharacterandOtherLiteraryTerms:character

heroandheroine

anti-heroprotagonist

/maincharacterantagonist

foilTheCharacterandOtherLitera22Theanti-heroTheanti-heroisafictionalcharacteroccupyingacentralpositionintheplotbutpossessingqualitiesantitheticaltothoseofthetraditionalhero.Theanti-heroisnotsimplyafailedherobutasocialmisfit,graceless,weak,andoftencomic,theembodimentofineptitudeandbadluckinaworldapparentlymadeforothers.Theanti-hero23TheCharacter:Aroundcharacter:usuallyhasmorethanonequality,andgrowsinthecourseofthestorydevelopment,ashereactstoeventsandtoothercharacters.A

flatcharacter:isconstructedaroundasingleideaorquality.Suchacharacterdoesnotdevelopinthecourseofnarrationandiseasilyrecognizedandremembered.

A

foil:isasupportingcharacterwhoseroleinthestoryistohighlighttheprotagonistbypresentingacomparisonoracontrasttohim.

TheCharacter:Aroundcharacte24Astaticordynamiccharacter:Aflatorroundcharacterisalsoreferredtoasastaticordynamiccharacter.Astaticcharacterisonewhochangeslittleifatall.Thingshappentosuchacharacterwithoutthingshappeningwithin.Adynamiccharacter,ontheotherhand,isonewhoismodifiedbyactionsandexperiences,andoneobjectiveoftheworkinwhichthecharacterappearsistorevealtheconsequencesoftheseactions.Astaticordynamiccharacter:25Individualizedandtypecharacters:

Individualizedcharactersareonesendowedwithtraitsthatmarkthemasindividuals,asopposedtotypecharacters.Individualizedcharactersbelong,generallyspeaking,torealism,asopposedtothetypecharactersofromanticism.Individualizedandtypecharac26Characterization:

Characterizationisthecreationofimaginarycharacterssothattheyexistforthereaderaslifelikepersons.Characterization:27Characterization:directandindirectpresentation

Therearetwobasictypesoftextualindicatorsofcharacter:Thedirectpresentationnamesthecharactertraitorsumsitup,suchas“he’sutterlyselfish”or“helovesonlyhimself.”Theindirectpresentation,ontheotherhand,doesnotmentionthetraitbutdisplayandexemplifiesitinvariousways,leavingthereaderthetaskofinferringthequalitytheyimply.

Characterization:directandi28Thecommonmethodsofindirectpresentation:theactandspeechintheformofbehaviorandconversation;theactivityofmindinmusing,meditation,self-debatingorinteriormonologue;theexternalappearance,suchasacrookedfaceindicatingacrookedmind,oradirtyanddisorderlyroomconnotingthecharacter’sstateofconfusion.Thecommonmethodsofindirect29PreferenceforindirectmethodInanindividualisticandrelativeperiodlikeourown,generalizationandclassificationofcharacters/peoplearelesstolerated.Whensuggestivenessandindeterminacyarepreferredtoclosureanddefinitivenessandwhenemphasisisputontheactiveroleofthereader,theexplicitnessandguidingcapacityofdirectdefinitionareoftenconsidereddrawbacksratherthanadvantages.Preferenceforindirectmethod30Characterization,thedirectmethod

sample1:

Hewascertainthatyouwereasgladtoseehimashewastoseeyou.Inyourownhouseyoumighthavekickedhimdownstairsandslammedthedoorinhisfacewithoutthesuspiciondawningonhimthathewasnotawelcomevisitor.Hewasagoodmixer,andinthreedayskneweveryoneonboard.Heraneverything.(SomersetMaugham,“Mr.Know-All,”lines87-91)Characterization,thedirectm31Characterization,theindirectmethod

Sample2:

“Doyoulikecardtricks?”“No,Ihatecardtricks,”Ianswered.“Well,I’lljustshowyouthisone.”Heshowedmethree.ThenIsaidIwouldgodowntothediningroomandgetmyseatattable.“Oh,that’sallright,”hesaid.“I’vealreadytakenaseatforyou.Ithoughtthataswewereinthesamestateroomwemightjustaswellsitatthesametable.”(SomersetMaugham,“Mr.Know-All,”lines77-83)Characterization,theindirect32ReadingTip:

ThestoryissetinthedecliningyearsoftheBritishcolonialism.ManypeopleintheBritishcolonies,or