Lesson 4 nettles.docx
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Lesson 4 nettles.docx
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Lesson4nettles
LessonFourNettles
AliceMunro
●Objectives
Afterstudyingthisessay,studentswillbeableto:
1.graspthethemeoftheshortstory(friendshipandlove,marriageanddivorce,women’sidentityinsociety,conflictsbetweencareerandfamily,etc.);
2.identifytheregionalidentityofthewriting(thedistinctiveCanadianlandscape,lifestyleandcustomsasrevealedinthestory);
3.graspthemajorcharacteristicsofthewriting(shiftsintime,illusorysimplicity,vividdepictionofnaturalscenes,probingofcomplicatedfeelingsandsubtlemeaningsoflifeinasimpleplot,theemploymentofsymbolism,etc.);
4.conductaseriesofreading,listening,speakingandwritingactivitiesrelatedtothethemeoftheunit.
●Timeallotment:
Theteachingplanistobecarriedoutwith10periods.
AbouttheAuthorandtheStory“Nettles”
RegardedbymanycriticsasthegreatlivingwriteroffictioninCanada,AliceMunrohasmadehercareeroutofshortstoriesandoftenbeencomparedtoChekhov.
BornintoafamilyoffarmersinthesmallruraltownofWingham,Ontario,Munrobeganwritinginherteens.Shepublishedherfirststoryin1950whenshewasstillastudentatwesternOntarioUniversity.Herfirstcollectionofstories,DanceoftheHappyShades,waspublishedin1968.Itreceivedhighacclaimandwonthatyear’sGovernorGeneral’sAward,whichisthehighestliteraryprizeinCanada.HernextworkwasLivesofGirlsandWomen(1971),acollectionofinterlinkedstoriespublishedasanovel,anditwontheCanadianBooksellersAssociationInternationalBookYearAward.Herotherbooksareallshortstorycollections:
SomethingI’veBeeMeaningtoTellYou(1974);WhoDoYouThinkYouAre?
(1978,titledTheBeggarMaidinEnglishandAmericaninEnglishandAmericaneditions);TheMoonsofJupiter(1982);TheProgressofLove(1986);FriendsofMyYouth(1990);OpenSecrets(1994);andSelectedStories(1996).WhoDoYouThinkYouAre?
AndTheProgressofLovewontheGovernorGeneral’sAward.Herlatestbook,Hateship,Friendship,Courtship,Loveship,Marriage(2001),isacollectionofnineshortstories.Youcansee,Munroisaprolificwriter.
Theshortstory“Nettles”,whichfirstappearedinNewYorkerin2000,isincludedinthisbook.Inthisstory,theauthorusesfirst-personnarration.Theplotofthestoryevolvesaroundamiddle-agedwoman’sreunionwithachildhoodboyfriendin1979,butitmovesbackandforthbetweenpastandpresent.LikemostotherstoriesbyMunro,theprotagonistisawoman.The“I”inthestoryshouldnotbetakenastheauthorherselfalthoughthesubjectmatterofMunro’sstorieshasoftendevelopedfromherownexperience.Munrohasexplainedinvariousinterviewsthatherstoriesarenotautobiographical,butshedoesclaiman“emotionalreality”forhercharactersthataredrawnfromherownlife.Munro’slifeexperiencesofgrowingupinarelativelypoorprovincialsouthwesternOntariotownduringthedepression,goingthroughtherebelliousnessandidealismofadolescence,discoveringsex,leavinghome,fallinginlove,gettingmarried,havingchildren,gettingdivorced,andgettingalonginavarietyofcomplicatedrelationships,allinformthefictionshecreates.“Nettles”isnoexception.HerfictionalworldrangesacrossthewholebreadthofCanada,butherstoriesthattakeplaceinOntarioarerootedinherownformativepast,representmoreevocativesettingsexperienceinchildhoodandarerecollectedbyaperceptiveadultmemory.InLivesofGirlsandWomen,Munroexplainsthroughacharacterwhatshehopestoachieveinwritingaworkoffictionaboutsmall-townlifeinOntario.Thecharacterworkshardtoportraynotonlywhatisactually“real”aboutthetown,butwhatismeaningfully“true”.Inordertodososhemustcapturethedull,ordinarysimplicityofherneighbor’sdailylives.Thischaracter’sdescriptionofhereffortshasoften–andrightly—beenusedbycriticstodescribeMunro’sownintentionsasawriter:
“whatIwantedwaseverylastthing,everylayerofspeechandthought,strokeoflightonbarkorwalls,everysmell,pothole,pain,crack,delusion,heldstillandheldtogether–radiant,everlasting.”In“Nettles”weseeevidenceofMunro’srealistictechnique:
detailsthathavebeenarrangedandilluminatedmemorably.“Nettles”isoneofMunro’spenetratingstoriesthathaveledtoherbeinglaudedasoneofthefinestlivingNorthAmericanwritersbycriticsandpeersalike.
AlthoughnearlyallofAliveMunro’sfictionissetinsouthwesternOntario,herreputationasabrilliantshort-storywritergoesfarbeyondthebordersofhernativeCanada.Heraccessible,movingstoriesofferimmediatepleasureswhilesimultaneouslyexploringthecomplexityandbeautyofeverydaylife.Thisaspectofherwritingisalsodemonstratedinhershortstory“Nettles”
DetailedStudyoftheText
1.Whydoestheauthorchoose“nettles”asthetitleofthestory?
●nettle:
(寻麻)anyofagenusofannualandperennialweedsofthenettlefamilywithstinginghairsthatmaketheleavesrough.Theverbnettlecanbeusedmetaphoricallytomean“toirritateortoannoy”.Thephrase“graspthenettle”meansdealingwithanunpleasantorpainfulsituationfirmlyandwithoutdelay.
●Whydoestheauthorchoose“nettles”asthetitle?
Whatisthemeaning?
Let’sbearthesequestionsinourmindswhilewereadthestory.
2.Whatisthenarrativestructureofthestory?
●Theauthorbeginsherstoryinaratherunusualway,andtheplotofherstorydoesnotfollowthenormalchronologicalorder.①Shestartshernarrationfrom1979inthebriefbeginningparagraph.Butrightafterthat②sheswitchesto“yearsafterward”inthesecondparagraph.③andfromparagraph3toparagraph15thetieisshiftedtoherchildhoodwhenshemetandmadefriendswithaboycalledMike.④fromparagraph16narrativeisshiftedbackto1979intime.Asoneofcriticsputsit,“themostnoticeableabouthertechniqueinthislatestcollectionofshortstorieswhichincludes“nettles”isthewayhernarrativesrockbackandforthintime.Thisallowshertoinfuseherstorieswithasortoffloatingsuspense,whichfallshalfwaybetweenthemeanderingspaciousnessinnovelsandtheepiphaniesorshockingtwistsofmoreconventionalshortstories.”
Para.1
3.…IwalkedintothekitchenofmyfriendSunny’shousenearUxbridge,Ontario,andwasamanstandingatthecounter,makinghimselfaketchupsandwich.
●Ontario:
aprovinceofsouthcentralCanada,betweentheGreatLakesandHudson’sbayandneighboringtheUnitedStates.ThefamousNiagaraFallslieontheborderofthetwocountries.Thefallsaremadeupoftwoparts,thesmalleroneisonetheUSside,thelargeroneontheCanadianside.In1998whenIwasonabusinesstriptotheStates,IcametoseetheFalls.AswedrovefromthestatestoCanada,wecametothesmallerfallfirst.Fromthedistance,wealreadyheardthethunderoftheturbulentwater.Asitwasalreadydark,wecouldnotseeitclearlybutcouldfeelthestrongwindcomingfromthefall.Thenextmorning,afteradmiringthefallontheUSside,wecrossedtheborderandwereamazedtofindthatthefallwejustadmiredisnothingtobecomparedwiththebiggeroneontheCanadianside.Toputitthisway,ifyouwanttohaveapanoramaviewofit,youhavetooccupyahighgroundsomehundredmetersaway.Fromtimetotime,cloudsofwatervaporsriseupandenvelopthefall.Ifyouwanttotakepictures,youhavetowaitforthecloudstodisappearandyouhavetowearraincoatifyouwanttogetneartoit.Whatamazedmemostisnotonlythesizeofthefall,butalsoitscrystalclearwaterandbluesky.ThatistheclearestwaterIhaveeverseen.(Let’scomebacktoourpoint.)ThecapitalcityofOntarioisToronto.
●Counter:
alongtable,board,cabinettop,etc.asinakitchen,astoreorlunchroomforthepreparingorservingoffood,orthedisplayingofgoods.(柜台,操作台)
●Aketchupsandwich:
asandwichusuallyhasafillingofmeat,fish,cheese,jamandvegetables.Touseketchupasthefillingofasandwichisquiteunusual.ThenarratorremembersthisunusualhabitofMike’s,andsosherecognizedhimatoncewhenshesawhimmakingaketchupsandwichatherfriend’shouseaftermanyyears.
Para.3
4.InthecountrysidewhereIlivedasachild,wellswouldoccasionallygodryinthesummer.Thissentencebringsthenarrator’smemorybacktothetimewhenshewasachild.ThesettingofthispartofthestoryistheruralOntario,thesettingofmostofhershortstories.Thepartfromparagraph3toparagraph15isnarratedinaflashback,devotedtothenarrationofherchildhoodmemories,herfriendshipwithMike.Thedescriptionsofherchildhoodshowthatthenarratorisverynostalgic.(恋旧)
5.…weneededagoodsupplyofwaterforourpennedanimals…
●pennedanimals:
domesticanimalssuchaspigs,sheep,fowls,etc.
Apenisasmallyardorenclosurefordomesticanimals.
ToPen:
istoconfineorenclose(animals)inapen.
Para.5
6.MikeMecallumhadasonwholivedwithhiminhotelroomsorboardinghouses…
●boardinghouse:
aprivatehousewhereyoupaytosleepandeat供膳食的寄宿处
7.…wenttowhateverschoolathand
●athand:
nearinspaceortime.Heremeaning“available”
●whateverschool:
publicorprivateschools
●…附近有什么学校就上什么学校
Para.6
8.MikeandIclimbedintothecabwhenitrained,andtherainwasheddownthewindowsandmadearacketlikestonesontheroof.
●cab:
usuallyataxiiscalledacabintheNorthAmerica.Hereitreferstothepartofatruckorbusinwhichthedriversits.
●…therain..madearacketlikestonesontheroof
racket:
n.(infml,usuderog)aloudunpleasantnoise,herereferstothemonotonousandloudr
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