155093

French Humanist Literature

Humanistic literature is secular literature that expresses humanistic ideas. It centers on people’s earthly life and takes the life of citizens as its important description object. The process of deepening the understanding of human beings by humanist writers in the form of aesthetics and art; using humanism as a weapon to attack feudalism and moral and religious asceticism.

People replaced absolute theocracy with rational religious belief, asceticism with pursuit of wealth and the enjoyment of worldly life, and ignorance in the Middle Ages with the development of science. This is the new spirit of the times – humanistic thought.

Since the end of the Hundred Years War between Britain and France in the middle of the 15th century, France’s national strength has gradually become stronger. By the early 16th century, France had become the largest absolute monarchy in Western Europe. With the development and growth of the emerging bourgeoisie.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the earliest humanists dedicated to the study of classical works appeared in France. The royal family gave strong support to the activities of the humanists, and the trend of humanism rose rapidly in the cultural field.

The literature of the French Renaissance can be roughly divided into three stages. From the 1620s to the 1640s, the writers represented by Rabelais showed the tendency of social criticism, and their works often showed optimism and self-confidence. The main literary achievement of this period was the novel, and Rabelais’ “The Giants” was the first full-length novel in Europe.

Francois Rabelais (about 1483-1553) was a representative writer of the French Renaissance. Rabelais was educated in the church from an early age, and around 1520 he entered the monastery of St. Francis Xavier as a monk. He devoted himself to studying ancient Greek and Roman writings in the monastery, and was later persecuted for criticizing the church and attacking the Pope.

In 1532, Rabelais published his novel “Pangong Guai” (the second part of “Giant”), which was loved by readers and swept France. In 1534, his “Gagandua” (the first book of “The Giants”) came out. He later completed the third and fourth volumes of the novel. The fifth was published after his death.

“Giant Biography” satirizes and criticizes the evil phenomenon of feudal society by focusing on the birth, education, study tour of the fictional giant king Gargantua and his son Pangguai, as well as their travels in search of the divine bottle. . Biography of Giants expresses the author’s humanistic ideal. Expressed the demand for individual liberation.

Gargantua and Pangguy and Friar John are all figures who represent the author’s humanistic ideals. The two giants have extraordinary physique, extraordinary strength, good nature, and extensive optimism. They are thirsty for knowledge and follow their personality. The giant image shows the humanist ideal of “man”.

“Giant” has a humorous and banter style. The author is good at using enumeration, contrast, alliteration, homophones and other techniques to achieve satirical and comical effects. The novel is rich in language, using various dialects, common sayings, academic vocabulary, and often self-created or modified words, enriching the French language.

Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549)’s “Seven Days” already has many elements of the modern short story, which marks the beginning of the French short story’s maturity. The 1640s and 1650s were the second stage. The Qixing Poetry Society, headed by Lonza (1524-1585) and Dubelai (1522-1560), closely adhered to the kingship, respected classical culture, and proposed reforming language and poetry. , contributed to the formation of the French national language and the development of poetry.

From the 1660s to the end of the century, humanist literature gradually declined. Montaigne (1533-1592) was a representative of humanistic literature in the late 16th century. His three volumes of Essays elaborated on his skeptical philosophy, religious tolerance and reform education. Montaigne’s prose works are all about everything in the world, and they are widely quoted and explained. The Essays had a profound impact on the history of European literature.