Introharacter.Theword“hero”originallyreferstoaman,inmythologyandlegend,oftenofdivineancestry,whoisendowedwithgreatcourageandstrength,celebratedforhisholdexploits,andfavoredbythegods.Inthenovel,theword“hero”isfreedofsuchnoblerequirementsandanycentralcharacterscanbelabeledasheroes.JonathanWildistheherointhenovelofthesamenamebyHenryFielding,thoughheisanotorioushighwayman.Somecritics,annoyedbytheconnotationof“hero,”prefertheword“protagonist,”whichsoundsneutral.Theenemyorrivaloftheprotagonistiscalled“antagonist.”Themainormajorcharactersarethoseincloseanddynamicrelationwiththeheroorheroine.Closerelationdoesnotmeangoodrelation.PabloinForWhomtheBellTollsisconstantlyfindinggonist,”whichsoundsneutral.Theenemyorrivaloftheprotagonistiscalled“antagonist.”Themainormajorcharactersarethoseincloseanddynamicrelationwiththeheroorheroine.Closerelationdoesnotmeangoodrelation.PabloinForWhomtheBellTollsisconstantlyfindingIntroductionI.Whydowehavesuchcourse?Englishliteratureisoneofthecompulsoryandmostimportantcourses.However,theEnglishliteraturecoursesofferedaremerelytaughtattheleveloflearninggeneralinformationanddevelopingliteralunderstanding.Admittedly,suchcourseshelpthem/youalotintheir/youracquisitionoftheEnglishlanguage.ButthefunctionofEnglishliteraturereachesfarbeyondthat.InreadingEnglishliterature,astudentshouldhavethepowertodiscernhowhumanbeingstranslatetheirexperienceintoartisticexpressionandrepresentation;howwriters,throughtheircreativeimpulses,conveytoustheirinsightsintohumandestinyandhumanlife;andhowsocialconcernisinvolvedinaspecificformofhumanimagination.Inaddition,studentsshouldelevatetothelevelofcultivatingacuriosityfortheunknown,thinkingcogentlyandlogically,expressingthemselvesclearlyandconcisely,andobservingtheworldaroundthemcriticallyandobjectively.Butmoststudentsarestillatalossastohowtheycaneffectivelyanalyzealiteraryworkbythemselvesinanyoftheserespects,eventhoughtheyhavereadplentyofexcerptsfromrepresentativeworksintheBritishandAmericanliterarycanon.Andtheytendtohav