海明威小说的悲剧色彩

1、精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上专心-专注-专业专心-专注-专业精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上专心-专注-专业 The Tragic Color of Ernest Hemingways Novels海明威小说的悲剧色彩摘 要欧内斯特海明威是一个出色的作家，而且他有一个悲剧小说家的身份，在他一生近40年的辛勤笔耕中，海明威用一支笔塑造了无数具有独特性格特征的悲剧人物形象。海明威为什么能够创造出如此众多具有独特性格特征的典型人物形象呢？外部和内在的影响都在形成他的悲剧意识和塑造他的悲剧英雄中有着非常重要的意义。其外部因素：经历过两次世界大战，海明威深深地领悟到战争给人们带来了精神

2、上和肉体上的悲剧。在精神上，是亲人分离甚至家破人亡，造成他们精神上的迷惘、空虚和绝望，在肉体上给他们带来病痛。由于家庭以及参与战争的独特经历，海明威发展成为一个敏感而具有浓厚悲剧意识的作家。海明威的作品吸取了古典悲剧里有益的东西，并融入了新的元素，形成了从内容到形式焕然一新的现代悲剧。在这个意义上，他开创了美国的新现代悲剧. 关键词：海明威；人生悲剧；硬汉；迷惘一代；悲剧色彩AbstractErnest Hemingway is an outstanding writer. Nearly 40 years of dedicated hard in his life, Hemingway sha

3、ped numerous tragedy characters with a pen. Why Hemingway can create so many unique characters? The influence of the external and internal plays an important role in forming his tragic consciousness and shaping his tragic hero. External factors: After experiencing two world wars, Hemingway realized

4、deeply that the war brought pain for people in mentally and physically. The separation from relatives and being homeless made them confusing, emptiness and desperate. Their body diseases were caused by war.Being influenced by his family and his personal experiences, especially his experiences on the

5、 battlefield, Hemingway is essentially a writer with a sense of tragic consciousness. Hemingways works absorbed something good from the classic tragedies and put in his own new elements to produce a new kind of modern tragedy both from form to content. In this sense, he created the new modern Americ

6、an tragedy. Key Words: Hemingway; the life of the tragic; tough guy image; the lost generation; tragic colorContents TOC o 1-3 h z u 1. Introduction Tragedy is of the important characteristics of Hemingways novels. According to his own experience, Hemingway showed unique perspective about tragedy. I

7、n his several of the most influential writings, such as Jack in The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms of Henry, in the Old Man and the Sea At the same time, Hemingways own life was a tragedy; Hemingway was blind in one eye when he was a child. Because he took part in the war many times, his life ha

8、d numerous injuries. Because of his background and experience, tragic color can be found everywhere in his writings. Hemingway was born on the morning of July 21 1899 in Oak Park .He began his writing career as a reporter for the Kansas City star in 1917. Hemingway later said:”those were the best ru

9、les, I ever learned for the business of writing. I have never forgotten them”. (DongHengZhuan,1980:221) However, this job did not last long. During the First World War, he volunteered to join in the Red Cross as an ambulance driver but badly wounded while serving with the infantry. Hemingway not onl

10、y wounded in the body, but also got hurt in heart at the same time. He left three times in the marriage. He participated in two World Wars, but he suffered pain each time. But Hemingway is not willing to silently endure stabbing pain; he expressed his pain in his works. Thus his character influenced

11、 his creative writing, his works was marked the stigma of the times. As the twentieth century American the most talented writers, he has ever used the pen to describe the huge tragedy that came from the two world wars. For his works, we can find the theme of his works with more violence, strifeMany

12、researches have been done on his novels. On the basis of these researches, this thesis is divided into three main chapters. In first chapter, the definition of the tragic color will be presented. In the second chapter, the background of tragedy color will be showed. In the third chapter, the heroes

13、of three novels will be analyzed. The tragic color in these heroes will be discussed from point of environment, society, and psychology. 2. Background of Tragedy ColorAs a famous tough guy writer in Europe and the United States in the 20th century literary world, with his lonely, confused, pessimist

14、ic, brave character and unique creative ideals, Hemingway was praised as the most famous writers during the two world wars by western critics. It is obvious to see that his works is full of suffering consciousness. Tragic color is not a fragmentary phenomenon in Hemingways work. Hemingway expressed

15、opinion that is “we had better challenge the fate rather than yield to it”.(Ernest Hemingway, 2000: 68) The fact is that Hemingway never yields to his despair but find the power to deal with it. We can not only find tragic color in Hemingways works but also death affair. The theme of death also refl

16、ects tragic color. 2.1 Social BackgroundFor any writers works, they are always influenced by the era. Their works were marked the brand of era. Before the First World War, the United States was protected by Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Therefore, peoples thought was closed, because they were affecte

17、d by geographical location. The development of industry and westward movement made the American territory expand. Peoples thought were opened. The First World War made peoples thought from calm to grief. Under the United States governments the slogan of “save the world democracy”, Hemingway particip

18、ated in the First World War like most patriotic youth. The cruelty of war made Hemingways body and mind suffered great damage. He later recalled: “for writers, war experience is valuable, but this kind of experience is too much, will cause harm”. (库尔特.辛格，2001:102) After the war, he had been at a los

19、s, tried to use love and happy to forget the pain. He was also confused, and he did not want to do anything. Finally he put the sad, frustrated, disappointed and suffering express in words. Hemingway said: “life itself is a tragedy”. (ChenShouZhou, 2001) Tragedy of Hemingways novel is actually a kin

20、d of refraction of his own life. He survived the three serious car accidents and air crashes, which led to at least 12 damages to the brain. Hemingway survived two air crashes in two days that created his public image as tough guy whom even an air crash could not kill. When Hemingways graduate from

21、high school, the First World War raged in Europe. During the war, he used his eyes see the cruelty of war and tragic fate of people. In 1920, The First world War made western society rumpus. In that war, peoples old and new ideas were alternate. In that era, American became a tragedy of the times. T

22、he damage of physical and mental was caused by the First World War. The First World War left the eternal wounds for the young generation.With the heroic medals granted by Italian government, Hemingway got back America like a hero. However, the reality is cruel. There was no place for him. His job wa

23、s taken by the new generations. He was not respected by people, and those who suffered and survived like him were considered as people with problem. He did not have interest in life. So he felt very pain, and his life was wasted in depression. A person existed as a society inevitably occur contact w

24、ith the outside world. The smoke of the First World War is gone, but the impact on this generation of war is not disappeared. War played an important role in forming the tragic consciousness. The war had destroyed the Christ civilization of traditional ethics, belief, ideal and habits, make young ge

25、neration lost direction. The First World War caused great disaster, became the source of Hemingways writing. Facing bloody war, humble life, the terror of life, the terrible of the society, and the political machine cold, Hemingway felt that the human living environment is so bad. Facing the war of

26、cruelty and misery, Hemingway realized the fragility of life. At the same time, he has made the profound reflection for the tragedy of human situation. Social backgrounds play an important role in writing novels. Hemingway experienced the First World War and the Second World War; many of his works w

27、ere composed during the war. So his works present some themes such as violence, fighting, failure and death. This is a reason of Hemingways works are mostly end in tragedy.2.2 Personal Experience as a BackgroundHemingway said: “life is a tragedy”. (Chen ShouZhu，2003) Hemingways novel of tragedy is a

28、ctually a kind of refraction of his own life. Hemingways life is a legendary life, also is the tragedy of life. This is closely related to his family. Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 in Oak Park, in an orthodox higher middle class family as the second of six children. Oak Park is a small upper mid

29、dle-class suburb of Chicago. His parents were ardently religious. Under their strict control, he had to do everything under religious virtues and high moral ideals. He wanted to exclude not only his parents but also his entire family, religion and childhood hometown. That leads to him isolate from s

30、ociety.From genetic factors to external factors, we can clearly see different miniature from the father and mother. They play an important role in Hemingways life and creation. Hemingways mother was a dominating woman of artistic temperament. As a former opera singer, she trained young Hemingways in

31、terest in literature and art. Headstrong Ernest is always openly rebellious when his mother told him what to do. Later, he blamed his mother for his fathers suicide; therefore, he rarely talked about his mother. The unharmonious relationship with his mother was still a pain for Ernest Hemingway. . H

32、is father is the local famous doctor; he liked to cultivate the students interest in “man” and character. He has a great influence on him than his mother. When Hemingway was very young, he learned violent and the terrible side of world from his father. The growing boy found the father was not only a

33、 teacher-guide but also a fixed refuge against the terrors of the emotional and spiritual unknown as they encountered. For a long time, he could not walk out of this sudden abnormal death. Hemingway expressed his feelings that his father was a coward in his early works. From then on, the shadow of d

34、eath haunted him and made him think about the meaning of life and death. However, Hemingway was greatly disturbed by his fathers suicide. The formation of the tragedy of Hemingways novel is relative to his war experiences. In Hemingways life, the First World War wounded and postwar frustrated is gre

35、at influence on him. Ten years after the war, he quickly grew up. Hemingway took part in the war for many times, he felt deeply that peoples happy and pacific life was devastated by the cruelty of the war. The war had destroyed the traditional values and western civilization. Real life is disappoint

36、ing after the war. Hemingway returned to the United States in 1919 and returned to hometown plantations. In conservative plantations, although it survived the war, people still cant change the middle classs optimistic, Ethical standards of Victorian England still dominant, Hemingway felt the pain an

37、d confusion.In a word, Hemingways family and early life experiences have great influence on him. It is an important stage for him to form his character and his concept of life. Hemingway has inherited his mother art character to against with violence, danger and death. However, personality is inheri

38、ted from his father. Therefore, he gradually became a man both tough and sensitive. 3. Famous Works of Tragedy Character Image Analysis3.1 Hemingways Own Image RefractionA life of Hemingway is legendary life; he was regarded as the embodiment of the American spirit. Thanks to his tough spirit of ins

39、istent, Hemingway created countless “tough guy” characters in his works. In The Old Man and the Sea, he put his personal experience on the old man and reflected some of his innate characters. We find some common points between the author and the old man, the most familiar point is that both of them

40、have the spirit of Code Hero. Their heroic spirit is the representation of Hemingways own fearless fighting spirit.Hemingway was Byronic Hero; he has rugged appearance and tragic life. The hero like Hemingway, also called Code Hero, is one who wounded but strong, more sensitive, enjoyed the pleasure

41、 of life in face of ruin and death and maintain, through the notion of a code, an idea of him. Hemingway wrote all his life about the theme “grace under pressure” and his Code Hero with stoic courage lives by a pattern which gives life meaning and value. Because of many diseases, his spirit is very

42、depressed; Hemingway did a hard struggle with illness. Medical treatment is invalid after many times, he shot himself in the end. Hemingway in his short life, personally participated in the two world wars, also visited virgin forests to hunt in Africa. Hemingway had extraordinary life experiences, b

43、ecause he ever is the fisherman and the matador at the time. We can find the writers figure in any his works.3.2 Explanation of the Lost Generation A lost generation is an important genre of literature in the history of American literature, it was produced in the 1920s, reflected the people of the F

44、irst World War especially young generation, hated to war and dissatisfied about real life. Many young people affected by the political slogan propaganda, the war as a sacred and romantic career, are cheerfully to sign up to join the army. During the war, they saw the cruelty of war and brutality. Wh

45、en they realized that the war was not so great, war destroyed their moral support to enable them to lose confidence, feel confused and overwhelm in the future.3.3 Explanation of the Tough-guy ImageTough guy image is Hemingways unique distinctive character; most of them are always tough guys: tough a

46、nd resolute, brave and upright, can endure hardship and suffering. They are not afraid of failure and death.Hemingway created a lot of “Code Hero”, who appeared in different jobs in different periods. According to the development of his “Code Hero”, there were some groups feature identifiable Hero o

47、f Hemingway described. Due to the act, these characters have the same personalities and courage. Whether he is a soldier, a matador, hunter and fisherman, his physical strength can be activated in a critical situation. However, physical activation will destroy or seriously damage more power. Caption

48、 Herry in Fare Well to Arms, Jordan in For Whom the Bell Tolls, and Santiago in the Old Man and the Sea ,who hurt in this way or that way, yet they were not defeated. The Code Heroes have an indomitable and strong character. Whats more, they also have a stable willpower. 3.4 Analysis of the Tragedy

49、Works of HemingwayErnest Hemingway is the representative figure of “lost generation”. In his life, the “lost generation” of pessimism and negative color existed. Because of the war, he lost a lot in many aspects, it brought him endless lost. Because of Hemingways special life experience, he created

50、many tragic novels. Hemingways novel tragedy in general can be divided into four categories:1)the tragic reflection of the hero or the heroine or his relative was wounded or killed in word war I. 2) the tragedy of the hero who suffers serious defeat in the hard struggle against nature. 3) the traged

51、y of hero who is homeless and jobless during the bitter depression years.4)The tragedy of hero who is attack The old man and the sea is a natural tragedy. It is a short novel about Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who has gone for 84 days without catch. Therefore the boy, Marolin , who used to sail

52、with him, was forced to leave and caught in another ship. At the beginning, we know, “he is an old man who was alone in the Skiff in the Gulf Stream boat fishing, now he havent catch any fish for eighty-four days”. (Hemingway, 1989) The beginning has already told us this novel was a tragic ending. T

53、he old man insisted on fishing alone, in the end, he hook an eighteen-foot, huge marlin, the biggest he had never seen. The fish is very powerful and disobedient. With two days of fighting, Santiago won, he tried to return to base, but some sharks came for blood, the old man had to fight with these

54、sharks, otherwise he lost the marlin. After fierce struggle, the old man finally overcame the shark, but marlin only left skeleton. At last, the old man took marlins skeleton and steered his boat toward lights of Havana. The adventure ending has tragic color.Look from the old mans image, we can spec

55、ulate that the Old Man and the Sea is a tragic story. The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. The brown blotches of the old mans face are very obvious in the light of sun in the sea. His hands have deep scars and the scar is caused by handling heavy fish on the cor

56、ds.Santiago in the old man and the sea is Hemingway himself. He put his personal experience in the old man and reflected some of his innate character. We can find that the old man and the writer have something in The reason of Santiagos tragedy is that he fights with the invisible power of fate. Thi

57、s power is much more powerful and beyond his capacity. The reason of Hemingway gave such an ending to Santiago is that human beings can not offend the nature. The more you want to challenge, the more you will realize that the power of nature is overwhelming. Natural tragedy in the novel not only gav

58、e a person a lesson that humans cannot challenge nature but also inspired people to go forward with confidence, like the old man insisted on fishing by himself.A Farewell to Arms is Hemingways second important war novel. The First World War is the background of A Farewell to Arms. It showed the whol

59、e process of the protagonist Henry and reflected the tragedy of society. In the story, Hemingway said his generation had to live in loneliness, lost and desperate after the war. In the beginning, Henry is naive. He chatted, talked about the beautiful adventure with officers. He didnt know the real m

60、eaning of war to a person, and did not realize that the war had destroyed the world. Then, Henry and his partners are artillery attacked in the Austrian. Then he was badly wounded in the leg. War makes people sad, sick and depressed. Henrys tragic fate is doomed to failure. He knew he had the courag