2022GRE考试阅读理解练习GRE考试阅读理解练习“Iwanttocriticizethesocialsystem,andtoshowitatwork,atitsmostintense.”VirginiaWoolf’sprovocativestatementaboutherintentionsinwritingMrs.Dallowayhasregularlybeenignoredbythecritics,sinceithighlightsanaspectofherliteraryinterestsverydifferentfromthetraditionalpictureofthe“poetic”novelistconcernedwithexaminingstatesofreverieand第1页共7页visionandwithfollowingtheintricatepathwaysofindividualconsciousness.ButVirginiaWoolfwasarealisticaswellasapoeticnovelist,asatiristandsocialcriticaswellasavisionary:literarycritics’cavalierdismissalofWoolf’ssocialvisionwillnotwithstandscrutiny.Inhernovels,Woolfisdeeplyengagedbythequestionsofhowindividualsareshaped(ordeformed)bytheirsocialenvironments,howhistoricalforcesimpingeonpeople’s第2页共7页lives,howclass,wealth,andgenderhelptodeterminepeople’sfates.Mostofhernovelsarerootedinarealisticallyrenderedsocialsettingandinaprecisehistoricaltime.Woolf’sfocusonsocietyhasnotbeengenerallyrecognizedbecauseofherintenseantipathytopropagandainart.Thepicturesofreformersinhernovelsareusuallysatiricorsharplycritical.EvenwhenWoolfisfundamentallysympathetictotheircauses,sheportrays第3页共7页peopleanxioustoreformtheirsocietyandpossessedofamessageorprogramasarrogantordishonest,unawareofhowtheirpoliticalideasservetheirownpsychologicalneeds.(HerWriter’sDiarynotes:“theonlyhonestpeoplearetheartists,”whereas“thesesocialreformersandphilanthropists…harbor…discreditabledesiresunderthedisguiseoflovingtheirkind…”)Woolfdetestedwhatshecalled“preaching”infiction,too,andcriticizednovelistD.H.Lawrence(amongothers)forworkingbythis第4页共7页method.Woolf’sownsocialcriticismisexpressedinthelanguageofobservationratherthanindirectcommentary,sinceforher,fictionisacontemplative,notanactiveart.Shedescribesphenomenaandprovidesmaterialsforajudgmentaboutsocietyandsocialissues;itisthereader’sworktoputtheobservationstogetherandunderstandthecoherentpointofviewbehindthem.Asamoralist,Woolfworksbyindirection,subtlyundermining第5页共7页officiallyacceptedmores,mocking,suggesting,callingintoquestion,ratherthanasserting,advocating,bearingwitness:hersisthesatirist’sart.Woolf’sliterarymodelswereacutesocialobserverslikeChekhovandChaucer.AssheputitinTheCommonReader,“ItissafetosaythatnotasinglelawhasbeenframedoronestonesetuponanotherbecauseofanythingChaucersaidorwrote;andyet,aswereadhim,weareabsorbingmoralityateverypore.”LikeChaucer,Woolf第6页共7页chosetounderstandaswellastojudge,toknowhersocietyrootandbranch—adecisioncrucialinordertoproduceartratherthanpolemic.本文来源：网络收集与整理，如有侵权，请联系作者删除，谢谢！第7页共7页
