首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Literature and Life In a reaction against a too-rigid, over-refined classical curriculum, some educational philosophers have
Literature and Life In a reaction against a too-rigid, over-refined classical curriculum, some educational philosophers have
admin
2014-09-17
75
问题
Literature and Life
In a reaction against a too-rigid, over-refined classical curriculum, some educational philosophers have swung sharply to an espousal of "life experience" as the sole source of learning. Using their narrow interpretation of John Dewey’s theories as a base for support, they conclude that only through "doing" can learning take place. Spouting such phrases as "Teach the child, not the subject," they demand, without sensing its absurdity, an end to rigorous study as a means of opening the way to learning. While not all adherents to this approach would totally eliminate a study of great hooks, the influence of this philosophy has been felt in the public school curricula, as evidenced by the gradual subordination of great literature.
What is the purpose of literature? Why read, if life alone is to be our teacher? James Joyce states that the artist reveals the human situation by re-creating life out of life; Aristotle that art presents universal truths because its form is taken from nature. Thus, consciously or otherwise, the great writer reveals the human situation most tellingly, extending our understanding of ourselves anti our world.
We can soar with the writer to the heights of man’s aspirations, or plummeting with him to tragic despair. The works of Steinbeck, Anderson, and Salinger; the poetry of Whitman, Sandburg, and Frost; the plays of Ibsen, Miller, and O’Neill; all present starkly realistic portrayals of life’s problems. Reality? Yes! But how much wider is the understanding we gain than that attained by viewing life through the keyhole of our single existence.
Can we measure the richness gained by the young reader venturing down the Mississippi with Tom and Huck, or cheering Ivanhoe as be battles the Black Knight; the deepening understanding of the mature reader of the tragic South of William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams, of the awesome determination and frailty of Patrick White’s Australian pioneers?
This function of literature, the enlarging of our own life sphere, is of itself of major importance. Addition- ally, however, it has been suggested that solutions of social problems maybe suggested in the study of literature. The overweening ambitions of political leaders and their sneering contempt for the law--did not appear for the first time in the writings of Bernstein and Woodward; the problems, and the consequent actions, of the guilt ridden did not await the appearance of the bearded psychoanalyst of the twentieth century.
Federal judge Learned Hand has written, "I venture to believe that it is as important to a judge called upon to pass on a question of constitutional law, to have at least a bowing acquaintance with Thucydides, Gibbon, and Carlyle, with Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, and Milton, with Montaigne and Rabelais, with Plato, Bacon, Hume, and Kant, as with the books which have been specifically written on the subject. For in such matters everything tums upon the spirit in which he approaches the questions before him. "But what of our dissenters? Can we overcome the disapproval of their "life experience classroom" theory of learning? We must start with the- field of agreement that education should serve to improve the individual and society. We must educate them to the understanding that the voice of human experience should stretch our human faculties, and open us to learning. We must convince them--in their own personal language perhaps--of the "togetherness" of life and art; we must prove to them that far from being separate, literature is that part of life which illuminates life. (578)
According to the passage, the end goal of great literature is ______.
选项
A、the recounting of dramatic and exciting stories, and the creation of characters
B、to create anew a synthesis of life that illuminates the human condition
C、the teaching of morality and ethical behavior
D、to portray life’s problem
答案
B
解析
事实细节题。文章的第二段引用了两位文学巨匠的话来说明文学的目的James Joyce states that the artist reveals the human situation by re-creating life out of life;Aristotle that art presents universal truths because its form is taken from nature.那就是文学取材于生活,因而能够表现生活中的真理,因此B项是正确的。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/2TdO777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
HowtoGettheMostfromYourCollegeProfessorI.Dailyroutineincollege—Getupinthemorning—Gotoattend(1)_____—Goan
IfanEnglishspeakerrefusesthecomplimentwhichmerelycomesoutofpolitenesshemaysay______
In1966,TheyRefusedtoSue?NotNowWheneverthephrase"compensationculture"isused,anactivecoalitionoftradeunion
WhichofthefollowingwordisNOTaloanwordinEnglish?
Working-classfamiliesintheUnitedStatesareusuallynuclear,andmanystudiesindicatethatworking-classcouplesmarryfor
Working-classfamiliesintheUnitedStatesareusuallynuclear,andmanystudiesindicatethatworking-classcouplesmarryfor
Throughoutmostofitshistory,______wasamajorproblemthatplaguedIreland.
UltimoVargashadbeeninHatch,NewMexico,onlysixmonths,sinceMarch,andalreadyheownedhisownbusinesstocompetewith
A、Watchherplayer.B、Playhercardsincooperationwithherpartner.C、Quitthegame.D、Teachthemanhowtoplaybridge.A在对话中
随机试题
识别塑料的方法是_________。
Begg矫正技术的原理是
提插补泻法中.泻法的操作手法是
下面哪一个脏具有“运化水谷”功能
A.白及B.白芍C.五灵脂D.贝母E.京大戟藜芦反()。
《合同法》第一百二十二条规定:“因当事人一方的违约行为,侵害对方人身、财产权益的,受损害方有权选择依照本法要求其承担违约责任或者依照其他法律要求其承担侵权责任。”该条款规定了下列哪一类法律现象的处理原则?(2011年卷一11题)
根据我国现行有关资本金制度的规定,除国家对采用高新技术成果有特别规定外,以工业产权、非专利技术作价出资的比例不得超过投资项目资本金总额的()。
一、背景A安装公司承包了某42层办公大楼的机电安装工程,工程内容包括建筑给水排水、建筑电气、通风与空调、建筑智能化等工程,合同总工期为24个月。在施工准备阶段A公司项目部编制了材料供应计划,要求材料到达施工现场要验收确认后入库。项目部还编制了施工
期货公司开展资产管理业务的,单一客户的起始委托资金不得低于人民币()万元。
教学技能的主要特点有()。
最新回复
(
0
)