Fiction,history and pedagogy: a double-edged sword

There are many areas of overlap between history and fiction. Teachers of history have long recognized this connection and used a range of fictional accounts in their teaching. In this article, we argue that fiction is a double-edged sword that must be handled carefully. On the one hand, it presents compelling characters and accounts that provide powerful connections with the past often missing from school history. On the other hand, the narrative force that draws the reader in and connects him or her to the experience of the characters also mitigates against alternative readings of the situation, undercutting the reader’s ability to understand the past in complex and critical terms. We contend that in the hands of effective teachers, the double-edged sword of fiction can be a valuable and effective tool in the teaching of history. We begin by exploring three scholarly conversations around the nature of history, history education and learning theory. We then discuss the general relationship between history and fiction, move on to describe two broad categories of fiction and their particular connections to history and history teaching and consider some of the tensions between history and fiction. Finally, we investigate pedagogical implications for effective use of fiction in the teaching of history.     

The good, the bad and the ugly: teachers' perception of quality in fiction for adolescent readers

Recent years have seen a great development in fiction written for the adolescent market‐teenage fiction. This article seeks to explore the notion of quality in teenage fiction building on earlier research by Whitehead (1977), Hall and Coles (1999), and Benton (1995a) and using findings from interviews with teachers in secondary schools in the South West of England in 2003 and 2004, the first phase in a study into perceptions of quality in teenage fiction. Questions are raised about whether English teachers have sufficient knowledge of this genre of literature to support pleasure and progress in reading for adolescents and also whether teenage fiction should be more directly addressed in the curriculum perhaps through a school canon, which may apply educational criteria to define a body of literature that begins where the child is, but allows for clear progression in reading.     

The depiction of stuttering in contemporary juvenile fiction: Implications for clinical practice

We reviewed 29 contemporary juvenile fiction books featuring characters who stutter to assess the presentation of stuttering‐related content. Although plots varied widely, most characters displayed attributes or accomplishments that offset their communication impairment. Many characters improved social and/or communicative functioning during the stories, though rarely in conjunction with professionally administered intervention. Most books depicted listener responses to stuttering, including impatience, teasing, ridicule, and bullying. Some books contained incorrect or distorted information, which could convey the mistaken impression that stuttering is simply a symptom of emotional distress. Nonetheless, most portrayals of stuttering seemed sufficient for the books to be considered for use as an instructional tool in certain education and intervention activities. Potential applications of the books in these contexts are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

《狂人日记》是中国现代派小说的开山之作

中国现代派小说的发展与世界同步,《狂人日记》便是开山之作。从国外回来的鲁迅写了一篇纯粹的意识流小说。他用以反传统见长的西方现代派小说样式来举起反封建的大旗。     

词汇衔接的重构与英汉语篇翻译质量

英语词汇衔接的两大模式,即复现和搭配,不仅可形成近程纽带,也可构 成远程纽带,其成功识别与重构对提高英汉语篇翻译质量有重要意义。小说Atonement 的中译本为分析英汉翻译过程中词汇衔接重构存在的问题及对语篇翻译质量的影响提 供了原材料,从中总结出形式对应的词汇衔接翻译策略。     

Orientalism(s), world geography textbooks,and temporal paradox: questioning representations of Southwest Asia and North Africa

In this critical discourse analysis of six high-school world geography textbooks, we explore how constructions and representations of North Africa and Southwest Asia have served to reinforce Orientalist discourse in formal curriculum. Visual and written representations in these textbooks were overwhelmingly confounded by a traditional/modern dichotomy that constructed a paradoxical “Muslim world.” Gender and religion coding perpetuated the temporal paradox with women and Islam used as symbols of the traditional in need of western modernization. This paper begins with a contextualization of the study of textbooks and addresses investigations of media portrayals of Muslims, Arabs, and Islam. We then describe our theoretical grounding in criticalist perspectives and detail methods of analysis. Lastly, we present the three themes revealed through analysis and conclude with recommendations for enhancing geographic literacy in schools.     

古典、唯美、神秘的实验叙事--论须兰小说的叙事特征

须兰小说是20世纪80年代先锋小说在90年代的延续和转型.既有与先锋小说近似的叙事策略,又具有新变与异质的叙事特征.不过,还不能因此就简单地把须兰小说归入"新历史小说"之中.     

转变、矛盾、否定：E.M.福斯特的戏剧观和电影改编观

长期以来,学界对E.M.福斯特的研究都集中在其文学创作和小说理论方面,鲜有人对其戏剧观和电影改编观进行考察和研究。鉴于先前研究的不足,本文将通过福斯特撰写的电影评论、他与友人之间关于戏剧和电影创作的书信往来、以及相关人士对福斯特戏剧和电影实践的回顾,展现福斯特对戏剧和电影看法的转变过程,探讨他对这两种艺术形式所持的审美标准和矛盾看法,以及最终由此产生的对电影改编的否定态度。此外,通过考察福斯特的戏剧观和电影改编观,本文还将从另一个角度来印证其小说理论及小说创作意图,进而说明福斯特在文学批评和艺术思想上的连续性和统一性。     

作为元小说的《老年艺术家画像》

元小说是“关于小说的小说”,或“小说何以成为小说的小说”,即：在小说创作的同时对小说创作本身进行评述。这两种过程在形式上精密结合,从而打破了“创作”与“批评”的明显界限。使它们合并为“阐释”和“分解”的概念。海勒的《老年艺术家画像》就是这样一部典型的元小说,它在内容上形式上和语言上造成传统小说和叙述方式的解体。     

Independent reading: The relationship of challenge,non‐fiction and gender to achievement

To explore whether different balances of fiction/non‐fiction reading and challenge might help explain differences in reading achievement between genders, data on 45,670 pupils who independently read over 3 million books were analysed. Moderate (rather than high or low) levels of challenge were positively associated with achievement gain, but non‐fiction read was generally more challenging than fiction. Non‐fiction reading was negatively correlated with successful comprehension and reading achievement gain. Overall, boys appeared to read less than girls, and proportionately more non‐fiction, but this less carefully—especially in the higher grades—and had lower reading achievement. Differences between classrooms in promoting successful comprehension of non‐fiction were evident, suggesting intervention could improve achievement. Implications for research and practice are explored.     

Fiction,empathy and lifelong learning

The article aims to demonstrate that the impact of fiction on adult learning could be illuminated by a deeper engagement with research into empathy. It recognises that the lifelong learning literature acknowledges the importance of empathy in adult learning and that discussions of the role of fiction in adult learning often refer to fiction’s capacity to promote empathy. There is limited adult education literature exploring how fiction generates empathic feelings or how such feelings might lead to sustained changes in perceptions or actions. This article analyses an example of Hoffman’s work on empathy to illustrate the benefits of engagement with empathy research. This analysis leads to a consideration of fiction’s capacity to promote an involuntary empathy that can help adult learners develop deeper understandings of difference and of excluded groups. It also shows that an understanding of the factors that inhibit the development of empathy and enable individuals to justify the sufferings of others could be of value to educators. Finally it suggests that Hoffman’s examination of conditions that lead to empathic anger is helpful for educators wanting to use the potential of fiction to encourage and promote action in the cause of social justice.     

文学虚构的解构——西方现代和后现代语境中的虚构理论

文学虚构理论真正成熟的阶段是在现代主义时期。在这一时期,众多的文论家和美学家开始更多地从作品的层面去思考文学虚构问题。他们把虚构视为作品获得文学性的根据,虚构也因此具有了本体论意义。而到了后现代主义时期,在那种消解一切,包括文学与非文学、虚构与现实的状况下,现代主义时期的文学虚构理论的存在依据也就从根本上被否定了,文学虚构一词开始失去了它独立的内涵,变得无法进行界定了,文学虚构自身因此被消解了。     

明代文言小说总集述略

小说创作发展到明代，已成为白话小说兴盛的时代，言小说创作相对处于不太景气的状态，但言小说总集的编选却出现了异常繁盛的局面，并与白话小说融合为这一时代学的主流。但长期来，研究对明代小说研究的兴趣，多集中于白话小说，研究言小说的，也多注意明代新创作的作品，明代言小说总集的研究基本上处于无人问津的状况，这不能不说是一个很大的缺憾。     

另一个声音 另一种真实——由赛普蒂默斯透视弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫

现代读者和文学批评家不仅将伍尔夫视为意识流小说的杰出代表和女性主义者进行解读，精神分析家更将她作为精神分析学的研究对象加以剖析。伍尔夫的第一部意识流小说《达罗卫夫人》中副线主人公赛普蒂默斯与伍尔夫本人之间存在着微妙的关系，折射出伍尔夫“心灵的幽暗处”(the recesses of the heart)。伍尔夫在刻画赛普蒂默斯这个人物时，已经有意无意地将自己植入他的身上。赛普蒂默斯就是伍尔夫的另一个声音、另一种真实。     

以“平视”创作思维为根基建构复调世界——解读《罪与罚》的复调特征

“平视”创作思维是建构复调世界的关键,也是解读复调小说的钥匙。“对话”、“未完成性”等理论伴随着巴赫金复调小说理论的产生而被研究者们所熟知,但是“对话”、“未完成性”只说明了复调小说的艺术特征和创作特色,而这些艺术特征何以成为可能,则要追溯到复调小说的创作思维。正是由于作者创作思维由“俯视”主人公转换为“平视”主人公,陀氏的小说创作才会突破传统的独白体小说,具有了诸多复调特征。本文试图以陀思妥耶夫斯基《罪与罚》为例,从复调小说的艺术特征入手,阐明“平视”创作思维在复调小说创作中的意义。     

《洛丽塔》：一部玄学侦探小说

俄裔美国作家纳博科夫的《洛丽塔》是20世纪最受争议的文学作品之一。长期以来,评论界对其展开了大量的道德伦理评价,并将其归为现代主义小说。通过分析小说中的玄学侦探小说程式,论证《洛丽塔》是一部颠覆传统的玄学侦探小说。     

The Production of Tape/Slide Sequences

Tape/slide productions are essentially the arrangement of projected still pictures, often colour slides but sometimes black and white positives, into a sequence accompanied by taped sound to tell a story. This may be fiction, fantasy, documentary, experiential or reportage. Any of these forms or a compilation of them may form a magazine or audio-visual correspondence between schools, organisations or interested individuals. The usual formats are Instamatic 126 or 35mm slides. Sound is on reel to reel tapes at speeds 9–5cm per sec, or 19cms per sec, on cassette tapes.     

To Work or Play? Junior Age Non‐fiction as Objects of Design

This paper examines change and variation in the design of non‐fiction texts which have a junior‐age readership. Using a multimodal analysis, which draws from Kress and Van Leeuwen’s work, it argues that different forms of presentation of non‐fiction offer different ways of reading non‐fiction texts, which as yet are neither fully described nor recognised. Using the contrasts between linear and non‐linear design, the paper suggests that non‐fiction texts can be more or less firmly orientated towards reading as work or reading as play, contrasts which readers’ own choices in different contexts of use make apparent. From this point of view, the eclecticism of the National Literacy Strategy’s references to non‐fiction texts provides a starting point for renewed exploration of what non‐fiction is and how it really works for its readers.     

邱华栋：“新市民小说”的翘楚——兼论“新市民小说”的意义

邱华栋是“新市民小说”最具代表性的作家.他的“新市民小说”最大限度地传达了对城市生活的认同,因而成为20世纪90年代城市小说的标杆.邱华栋的“新市民小说”集中体现了“新市民”的爱情观,最关注的是“新市民”爱情的缺席.欲望书写与讲故事的叙事策略,显示了以邱华栋为代表的“新市民小说”的优长与意义.