美国名人女作家伊迪丝·沃顿.docx

美国名人女作家伊迪丝沃顿EdithWhartonz1862-1937:WroteNovelsoftheYoungandInnocentinaDishonestWorldplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:22repeatByRichardThorman2007-6-16VOICEONE:mPhoebeZimmermann.VOICETWO:AndmDougJohnsonwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.EveryweekwetellaboutapersonwhowasimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.Today,wetellaboutwriterEdithWharton.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:AcriticoncedescribedAmericanwriterEdithWhartonasa"self-mademan."Shelikedthecommentandrepeatedit.OtherssaidshewasaproductofNewYorkCity.ButtheNewYorkshewroteaboutwasdifferentfromtheNewYorkofthosewhocameafterher.EdithWhartonwasborninNewYorkCityineighteensixty-two.NewYorkthenwasseveraldifferentcities.OneNewYorkwasmadeupofpeoplewhoworkedforaliving.Theotherwasmuchsmaller.Itwasmadeupoffamilieswhoweresorichtheydidnotneedtowork.EdithwasbornintothewealthyNewYork.Buttherewasa"right"wealthyNewYorkanda"wrong"wealthyNewYork.Amongtherichtherewerethosewhohadbeengivenmoneybyparentsorgrandparents.Thentherewerethosewhoearnedtheirownmoney,thenewlyrich.Edith'sfamilywasfromthe"right"NewYorkers,peoplewhohad"old"money.Itwasagroupthatdidnotwantitswayoflivingchanged.Italsowasagroupwithoutmanyideasofitsown.ItwasfromthisgroupthatEdithWhartoncreatedherself.VOICETWO:1.ikemanygirlsherage,Edithwrotestories.Inoneofherchildhoodstories,awomanapologizesfornothavingacompletelycleanhousewhenanotherwomanmakesanunexpectedvisit.Edith'smotherreadthestory.Heronlycommentwasthatone'shousewasalwayscleanandreadyforvisitors.Edith'shousealwayswas.EdithspentmuchofherchildhoodinEurope.Shewaseducatedbyspecialteachersandnotatschools.IfEdith'sfamilyfearedanything,itwassharpsocial,cultural,andeconomicchange.YetthesewerethethingsEdithwouldseeinherlifetime.TheendoftheCivilWarineighteensixty-fivemarkedthebeginningofgreatchangesintheUnitedStates.Thecountrythathadbeenmostlyagriculturalwasbecomingindustrial.Businessmenandworkersincreasinglyweregainingpoliticalandeconomicpower.EdithWhartonsawthesechangessoonerthanmostpeople.Andsherejectedthem.Toher,theoldAmericawasavictimofthenew.Shedidnotlikethenewvaluesofmoneyreplacingtheoldvaluesoffamily.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Ineighteeneighty-five,shemarriedEdwardWharton.Hewashersocialequal.Theylivedtogetherfortwenty-eightyears.Butitwasamarriagewithoutmuchlove.Innineteenthirteen,shesoughttoendthemarriage.Thatshewaitedsolongtodoso,onecriticsaid,wasasignofhertiestotheideaoffamilyandtotradition.SomecriticsthinkthatEdithWhartonbegantowritebecauseshefoundthepeopleofhersocialgroupsouninteresting.Otherssayshebeganwhenherhusbandbecamesickandsheneededsomethingtodo.ThefactisthatWhartonthoughtofherselfasawriterfromthetimeshewasachild.Writinggaveherasenseoffreedomfromtherestrictionsofhersocialclass.VOICETWO:Writingwasjustoneofaseriesofthingsshedid.Andshedidallofthemwell.Shewasinterestedindesigningandcaringforgardens.Shedesignedherownhouse.Shehadaninternationalsociallifeandleftalargecollectionofletters.Inherlifetimeshepublishedaboutfiftybooksonanumberofsubjects.ManycriticsbelieveEdithWhartonshouldhavewrittenthestoryofhersocialgroup.Todothis,however;shewouldhavehadtoremoveherselffromthegrouptoseeitclearly.Shecouldnotdothis,evenintellectually.Hereducationandhertraditionsmadeitimpossible.ThesubjectofEdithWharton'swritingbecamethestoryoftheyoungandinnocentinadishonestworld.Shedidnotmakeaconnectionbetweenherworkandherownlife.Whatshehadwastheabilitytospeakplainlyaboutemotionsthat,untilthen,hadbeenhidden.ShealsowasamongthefirstAmericanwomenwriterstogainasenseoftheworldasanevilplace."Lifeisthesaddestthing,"shewrote,"nexttodeath."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Toshowthatshecoulddomorethanjustwritestories,shewroteabookwithOgdenCodman,"TheDecorationofHouses."Itwasverysuccessful.Aboutthesametime,herpoemsandstoriesalsobegantobepublishedinScribner'sMagazine.Ineighteenninety-ninehercollectionofstories,"TheGreaterInclination,"appeared.Itwasanimmediatesuccess.WhenshewasinLondon,shevisitedabookstore.Thestoreowner;whodidnotknowwhoshewas,handedherthebook.Hesaidtoher,"ThisiswhateveryoneinLondonistalkingaboutnow.VOICETWO:Threeyearslaterherfirstnovel,"TheValleyofDecision/'waspublished.Threeyearsafterthatshepublishedherfirstgreatpopularsuccess,thenovel"TheHouseofMirth.""TheHouseofMirth"isthestoryofayoungwomanwholacksthemoneytocontinueherhighsocialposition.AsinsomanystoriesbyEdithWharton,themaincharacterdoesnotcontrolwhathappenstoher.Sheisavictimwhoisdefeatedbyforcesshedoesnotfighttoovercome.ThisideaiscentraltomuchofEdithWharton'sbestwriting.TheoldfamiliesofNewYorkareinconflictwiththenewlyrichfamilies.Themajorpeopleinthestoriesaretrappedinahopelessstrugglewithsocialforcesmorepowerfulthanthey.Andtheystruggleagainstpeoplewhosebeliefsandactionsarenotasmoralastheirs.VOICEONE:ThisisthesituationinoneofWharton'smostpopularbooks,"EthanFrome/'publishedinnineteeneleven.Unlikeherothernovels,itissetonafarminthenortheasternstateofMassachusetts.Itisthestoryofamanandwomanwhoselivesarecontrolled,andfinallydestroyed,bycustom.Theyarethevictimsofsociety.Theydiehonorablyinsteadoffightingback.Iftheyweretorejectcustom,however,theywouldnotbethepeopletheyare.Andtheywouldnotmeanasmuchtoeachother.Innineteenthirteen,Wharton'smarriageended.Itwasthesameyearthatshepublishedanothernovelthatwashighlypraised,"TheCustomoftheCountry."Initshediscussestheeffectsofnewwealthinthelatenineteenthcenturyonabeautifulyoungwoman.VOICETWO:MostcriticsagreethatmostofEdithWharton'swritingafternineteenthirteenisnotasgoodasbeforethattime.Itwasasifsheneededthedifficultiesofhermarriagetowritewell.Muchofherbestworkseemstohavebeenwrittenunderthepressureofgreatpersonalcrisis.Afterhermarriageended,herworkwasnotassharpasherearlierwriting.Innineteentwenty,however;sheproduced"TheAgeofInnocence."Manycriticsthinkthisisherbestnovel.InitshedealswiththelackofhonestythatliesbehindtheapparentinnocenceoftheNewYorksocialworld.Amanandwomanseetheirlivesruinedbecausetheyhavedutiestheycannotescape.EdithWhartonreceivedAmerica'stopwritingaward,thePulitzerPrize,for"TheAgeofInnocence."Innineteenninety-three,themovieof"TheAgeofInnocence"creatednewinterestinherwork.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Inthelateryearsofherlife,Whartongavemoreandmoreofhertimetoanimportantgroupofdiplomats,artists,andthinkers.AmongherfriendswastheAmericanwriterHenryJames.ShelikedJamesasamanandasawriter.Sheoftenusedhercaranddrivertotakehimonshorttrips.Atonetime,HenryJameswashopingthathispublisherwouldprintacollectionofhismanynovelsandstories.Whartonknewofthiswish.Andsheknewthatthepublisherthoughthewouldlosemoneyifhepublishedsuchacollection.Shewrotetothepublisher.Sheagreedtosecretlypaythepublishertoprintthecollectionofherfriend'swritings.VOICETWO:Innineteenthirty,theAmericanNationalInstituteofArtsandLettersgaveWhartonagoldmedal.Shewasthefirstwomantobesohonored.Fouryearslatershewrotethestoryofherlife,"ABackwardGlance."EdithWhartondiedinnineteenthirty-sevenatoneofthetwohomessheownedinFrance.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyRichardThorman.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.mPhoebeZimmermann.VOICETWO:AndmDougJohnson.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPeopleinAmericaprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.