Example of proposal report for English graduation thesis in British and American Literature
1. Background and significance of topic selection:
(1) Research on the topic Source
I encountered a type-related question during the postgraduate entrance examination. I was very interested in it, so I decided to choose this question.
(2) The purpose of the research
This article describes the conflict between civilization and nature in "Wuthering Heights" through the symbolism in "Wuthering Heights".
(3) The significance of the subject research
Emily Bront? was a famous British novelist and writer in the Victorian period. She was one of the famous Bront? sisters. She is also the most talented of the three sisters. She only wrote one novel "Wuthering Heights" in her life, but this great work made her famous all over the world. Through "Wuthering Heights", Emily Bronte used the Victorian era as the background, and fully expressed the conflict between civilization and nature in the Victorian era by writing about the love and hatred between two completely different families and three generations. And how it reflects Emily Bronte's preference for nature. There are constant conflicts between nature and civilization in the novel. Emily Bronte uses contrasts and symbols many times in the novel to express this conflict, for example, the conflict between Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, and the conflict between Catherine's two different views on love. This conflict is based on Emily Bronte's unusual love for nature and the prevailing background of modern civilization at that time. The three famous sisters in the history of British literature have lived in the wilderness since childhood. Nature is a sacred thing in their hearts, which is very similar to the view of New England Transcendentalism. Influenced by famous poets such as Wadsworth and Coleridge during the British Romantic period, nature, emotion and Gothic elements all played a decisive role in Emily Bronte's works. Moreover, Emily Bronte lived in the materialistic Victorian era, when people's lives based on natural feelings were severely impacted by modern civilization. As a representative figure of critical realism in the Victorian era, Emily Bront? saw all the evils brought about by modern civilization, and became even more obsessed with her love for nature. Therefore, if you want to truly understand this great work, you must understand Emily Bronte's views on nature and civilization in the novel. Only by understanding Emily Bronte's attitude towards nature and civilization can we truly understand the deeper meaning behind this love and hatred - human life should conform to nature and nature. Through the contradiction between nature and civilization in "Wuthering Heights", the viewpoint of returning to nature in "Wuthering Heights" is narrated.
2. Current research status at home and abroad:
(1) Current status of domestic research
1. Chen Maolin learned about nature from Emily Bront? Analyzing the impact, his "Return to Nature and Nature - Ecological Criticism of Wuthering Heights" believes that "Wuthering Heights" is an ode to nature. Nature has a unique role in novels. It relaxes people's spirits and tolerates everyone. It seems to be a soul of flesh and blood, sharing people's pain and changes. The work expresses the author's deep love for nature, and also reflects the conflicts and contradictions between nature and civilization. Ye Lirong proposed in his article "The Journey of Self-Search--Analysis of the Theme of Wuthering Heights": Emily Bronte created two passionate and rebellious characters in the novel--Heathcliff and Catherine, showing their difficult journey of finding themselves and returning after being lost, showing the inner world of people in self-conflict. Their life full of struggle is a true portrayal of the individual's journey of pursuing themselves.
2. Wang Hongjie believes in "The Impact of Nature and Civilization" that the conflict and contradiction between nature and civilization is one of the important themes in "Wuthering Heights". Nature requires people to live in compliance with their inner emotions and nature, and to obtain the comfort and contentment that nature gives them. Civilization is a new way of life that is different from nature and requires people to live in compliance with morality and reason. Civilization has thus brought about a materialistic society and human beings who pursue their own interests. Therefore, pure and natural people are polluted by civilization. And nature will not disappear with the emergence and progress of civilization, it will always exist. Therefore, since the birth of civilization, the conflict between civilization and nature has continued.
(2) Current status of foreign research
1. The famous British female writer Virginia Woolf wrote "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights" in 1916 〉》An article. She wrote: When Charlotte writes, she says I love, I hate, I suffer with eloquence, brilliance, and passion. Her experience, though more intense, is on the same level as our own. But in Wuthering Heights there is no me, no governess, no boss. There is love, but it is not the love between men and women. Emily was motivated by certain more general ideas, and the impulse that drove her to create was not her own suffering or her own damage. She looked at a world torn apart and felt she had the power to piece it together in a book.
That ambition can be felt throughout the novel - a partly frustrated but ambitious struggle that speaks through the mouths of her characters not just about I love or I hate, but about us, All mankind and you, the eternal power? This sentence is not finished. ?
2. When the British progressive critic Arnold Kettle discussed the novels of the nineteenth century in the third part of his book "Introduction to British Novel", he concluded:? "Wuthering Heights" uses artistic imagination to express the spiritual oppression, tension and conflicts of people in the capitalist society of the 19th century. This is a film without idealism, without false comfort, without any suggestion that the forces that manipulate their destinies are beyond the struggles and actions of human beings themselves. The powerful evocation of nature, wilderness and storms, stars and seasons, is an important part of the revelation of the true movement of life itself. The men and women in "Wuthering Heights" are not prisoners of nature. They live in this world and work hard to change it. Sometimes it goes smoothly, but it is always painful. They almost constantly encounter difficulties and make mistakes. ?
3. Research content and innovation
(1) Research content
Emily Bronte used many times in "Wuthering Heights" Using symbolism, for example, Wuthering Heights and Sisco Larive and the childhood Catherine represent nature. They advocate freedom and follow the principles of nature and stormy life. Thrushcross Grange and the Linton family exist in opposition to Wuthering Heights. Civilized, they are polite and obey all social principles. Nature and civilization were peaceful on the surface until Heathcliff and Catherine accidentally broke into Thrushcross Grange, and conflicts continued. Catherine's natural feelings began to be truly challenged by civilization. She began to betray her inner feelings and became more and more like a lady. In the end, she gave up her true love for Heathcliff and married Edgar Linton, seemingly civilized. an absolute advantage. But after marriage, Catherine was tortured to death by the natural feelings in her heart. And Heathcliff's nature was twisted to the extreme because of Catherine's betrayal, and he became a revengeful demon. The invasion of civilization distorts human nature and restricts people's true and natural feelings, resulting in tragedy. Although civilization brings progress, it kills humanity. In the end, Emily Bronte asked Heathcliff to open the window of obstruction - civilization before his death, and let the two ghosts wander in the wilderness. All these show Emily Bronte's sympathy for the love between the two and her request for people to adapt to human nature and return to nature. This topic is going to be elaborated in three parts:
1. The definition of nature and civilization
2. The contest between nature and civilization: a. The symbol of nature and civilization: Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange; Heathcliff and Linton and Haddon b. The struggle between nature and civilization: Catherine's love choice and Heathcliff's crazy revenge lead to the distortion of human nature
3. Conclusion People should obey nature and return to nature. The invasion of civilization distorts human nature and brings devastating disasters to people.
(2) Innovation in topic research
This article mainly analyzes the conflict between nature and civilization through the use of symbolism in "Wuthering Heights". Emily Bronte not only created two completely different manor houses, representing nature and civilization respectively, but also gave the two people living in the two manor houses similar characters to their own. Through their contrast and the contradictions and differences that arise when they are intertwined, To illustrate the confrontation between self-recognition and civilization.
4. Research methods of the topic:
This topic is planned to use a variety of research techniques, and then combined with qualitative analysis research methods, comprehensive search methods, induction methods, translation methods, and literature Various research methods such as review method and literature search method are described in detail. Mainly include: 1. Qualitative analysis method: an analysis method that infers the nature and development trend of things based on subjective judgment and analytical ability. 2. Induction method: through many individual examples or sub-arguments, and then summarize all their characteristics to draw general conclusions. 3. Documentation method: The historical documentation method is a method of collecting and analyzing various existing relevant documents and materials, and selecting information from them to achieve a certain purpose of investigation and research. 4. Literature review method: that is, focusing on a certain research topic, collecting and sorting out various literature materials related to it, summarizing, identifying, cleaning and analyzing the knowledge information contained, and analyzing the researched issues within a certain period of time. Systematically and comprehensively describe, comment on, construct and elaborate on the research status, achievements, existing problems and development trends that have been achieved. Among them, determine a research topic, collect and organize the topic literature, read and mine the literature content, sort out and describe the status of the topic research, and construct and clarify the development trend of the topic research.
5. Research Plan and Expected Results
(1) Research Plan
April 15-April 18: Designated thesis advisor, student selection Determine the topic; April 19th-April 25th: Complete the mission statement and proposal report; April 26th-May 12th: Complete the first draft of the paper; May 13th-May 22nd: Complete and submit Submit the second draft of the paper; complete the third draft of the paper from May 23 to May 31 (submit it before 11 a.m. on May 31 for the defense teacher to read), guide teachers to read the paper in groups, and prepare teachers and students for the defense; June 1st - June 9th: Thesis defense (after the defense, students must promptly revise the teacher's opinions in order to bind the final draft of the thesis). June 10th to June 12th: Second defense, thesis binding, and score evaluation.
(2) Expected results
Submit an academic paper with a certain theoretical or application value, about 5,000 English words, in the direction of British and American literature according to the specified time and progress. paper.
6. References:
[1] Bronte Emily. Wuthering Heights [M]. Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Oxford University Press, 1999.
[2] Cecil, David. Early Victorian Novelists: Essays in Revaluation. . 1934
[3] Written by Emily Bronte, translated by Fang Ping. Wuthering Heights[M]. Shanghai Translation Publishing House, 2001
[4] Written by Charlotte Bronte, translated by Song Zhaolin. The Complete Works of the Bronte Sisters[M]. Hebei Education Press, 1996
[5] Chen Maolin. --Return to nature, ecocriticism of "Wuthering Heights" [J]. Foreign language teaching. 2007(01): 69-73
[6] Li Hua. The love and hate of "Wild Child"--an interpretation of the imagery and themes of "Wuthering Heights" [J]. Northern Forum. 2001(6): 80-83
[7] Pei Shuang. --The forward attitude that human beings should have on the choice between wildness and civilization in "Wuthering Heights" [J]. Journal of Shaoxing University of Arts and Sciences (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition). 2007(04): 80-85
[8] Shao Xudong. Why was "Wuthering Heights" written?--Also talking about the source of Emily Bronte's creation [J]. Research on foreign literature.
1996(04):77-81;