梭罗《瓦尔登湖》的象征主义分析研究文学专业

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1、 题 目 梭罗瓦尔登湖的象征主义分析 AcknowledgmentsFirst, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my paper supervisor Ms Yang, for her kindly assistance and valuable suggestions during the process of this paper. Ms Yang has academic style and meticulous approach to life. She is an example to me. She has walke

2、d me through all the stages of the writing of this paper. Without her consistent and illuminating instruction, this thesis could not have reached its present form. Second, my particular thanks also go to all the teachers who have taught me, friends and family, for their encouragement and support for

3、 the completion of this paper throughout. I also owe my sincere gratitude to my friends and my fellow classmates who gave me their help and time in listening to me and helping me work out my problems during the difficult course of the thesis. AbstractThe theory of Symbolism has been a hot issue in F

4、oreign Literary Works. Symbolism is one of the most famous schools in modernism literature, and its fundamental characteristic is implying the works thinking, the evolvement of things especially the authors inner sincerity. This thesis employs Symbolism Theory to present Thoreaus Spiritual Minds in

5、Walden and wants to explore the artistic charming of Walden and Thoreaus spiritual pursuit. After analyzing the symbols of images in Walden, this thesis draws the conclusion that people have to return to Nature to seek out the truth by themselves. Key words: symbolism; spirit; Walden; images摘要象征主义理论

6、在外国文学作品中一直是一个很热门的话题。象征主义是现代主义文学中最受欢迎的流派之一，它的特点是用意象来表达作者暗含的思想，是作者内心最真实的心理过程。 本研究运用象征主义理论来体现梭罗在瓦尔登湖中的精神高度和探索瓦尔登湖的文学艺术及梭罗的精神追求。通过瓦尔登湖中意象的分析，这篇论文得出的结论是: 人类必须回归到大自然中去自己找到真相。 关键词：象征主义；精神；瓦尔登湖；意象 Contents云南民族大学毕业论文（设计）原创性声明.Acknowledgmentsii Abstractiii摘要iv1. Introduction11.1 A General Introduction to Henr

7、y David Thoreau11.2 A General Introduction to Walden11.3 The Purpose of the Study22. Literature Review32.1 Research Abroad32.2 Domestic Research32.3 Critical Comment of the study43. Symbolism53.1 The Definition of Symbolism53.2 The Significance of Symbolism in Literature54. Symbolism Embodied in Wal

8、den74.1 Symbols of Natural Sceneries74.1.1 Symbol of the Ponds74.1.2 Symbol of Water84.1.3 Symbol of Bean and Cabin94.2 Symbols of Animal104.2.1 Symbol of Ant104.2.2 Symbol of Other Animals124.3 Symbols of Seasons135. The function of Symbolism in Walden15 5.1 Beneficial to Those People Who Have Desi

9、re155.2 Helpful to Those People Who Have Lost Themselves in Life176. Conclusion18References191. IntroductionThoreau studies in China are not only less in amount, but also one-sided in viewpoint. To redress the balance, I should focus my study on Thoreaus thinking. Thoreau is not one who pays no atte

10、ntion to the society. Instead, he is very active in politics having delivered a series of political lectures in Concord on anti-slavery, materialism and so on.1.1 A General Introduction to Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau (1817-1862), one of the most famous American classic writers in the 19th

11、 century. He was also known as the leading transcendentalist whose reputation and influence had been on the rise after he died. Emersons the truest disciple, the man who put into practice many of Emersons theories. Thoreau was born in Concord in 1817. He was educated in Harvard, graduating in 1837,

12、the year of Emersons famous address, “The American Scholar.” Coming under the Emersons influence (Thoreau had once walked eighteen miles to Boston to hear him lecture). Thoreau lived for more than one year in Emersons house, doing chores and serving as a general handyman, and most important of all,

13、absorbing many of the older mans ideas. Thoreau was only forty-five when he died. He has spent a lifetime near Concord, only a few short trips to Maine or Cape Cod, but a longer journey to Canada. Yet he had no sense of being confined by the narrow geographical limits of his life. As a young man Tho

14、reau took an unusual interest in nature world, thus he spent two years and two mouths in living in Walden Pond and wrote about his life experiences. Thoreau felt that man should seek truth directly by himself and not through imitation of others. As he saw it, the best way to find truth is by coming

15、back to the nature, because modern civilized life has dehumanized man and placed man in a spiritual adversity. Hence the book is full of people waking-up, as a matter of fact, he wakes up several times by himself in the book. As J.L Basile sums it up, about man, what he is, and what he should be and

16、 must be.1.2 A General Introduction to WaldenWalden, Thoreaus masterpiece could be considered as the brand new Relationship between human and nature. Walden is composed of 18 chapters. Each of which has its own title. In 1845 Thoreau began a two-year residence at Walden Pond. He lived at Walden in a

17、 hut built by his own hands. He evaded various social organizations, though he did not intend to live a hermit life. He received some visitors and now and then returned to Concord to see his friends. In Walden (1854), the superb book that came out of this two-year experiment, Thoreau explained many

18、of the beliefs that led him to try this kind of life. He thought it is better for one to work one day a week and rest six, rather than the other simple necessities could (be met) on that ratio and the rest of the time could be devoted to the thought. Thoreau maintained that this was a private purpos

19、e, not a program for society. For Thoreau, as for Emerson, self-reliance and independence of mind ranked above all. Thoreaus sensitive harmony with all of nature was extraordinary. Birds would perch on him, and all animals trusted him, and it is even said that the fish in Walden Pond would let thems

20、elves be handled by him. In 1847, he left Walden Pond, not because the experiment was a failure, but because it was completed. In 1846, while still at Walden Pond, Thoreau was arrested for failure to pay a trifling sum in taxes. He spent a night in Concord jail. He had refused the payment deliberate

21、ly because he disapproved of slavery and of the governments conduct of the Mexican War. From this experience came his famous essay, “Civil Disobedience” (1849), which stated Thoreaus belief that no men should violate his conscience at the command of a government.1.3 The Purpose of the StudyPeople li

22、ve in a world full of crisis of war and the problem of pollution. Thoreaus Walden arise peoples memories including its cleanness and completeness. Thoreau argues in Walden, and mankind doesnt gain their happiness if they cannot find positively their true independence of their spirit. Thoreau persuad

23、es people to get away from the industrialization and seemingly live a colorful life. Therefore, this paper is aimed at educating people to seek truth directly by themselves and not through imitation of others. And it is beneficial for those people who have great desire and lose themselves in modern

24、life. It will teach them an enlightenment of spiritual quietness. 2. Literature Review about SymbolismThoreau was regarded not only as a transcendentalist or Emersons follower but also an individual with some original ideas while we Chinese scholars labeled Thoreau as an ecologist. Based on these ea

25、rly reviews, critics in the 1960s tried to explore the deep reason for Thoreaus muti-sideness.2.1 Research AbroadThe famous literary critic, Robert F. Sayre comments: “Walden, is one of the Americans books, is at once a personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual dis

26、covery, manual of self-reliance, and masterpiece of style (Zhao Wutong, 2015:4).”In 1862, Emerson published an article about Thoreau in Atlantic, which would seem to be as the beginning of studying Thoreau. There have been over one hundred years for the scholars studying on Thoreau so far in America

27、. Thoreau might be a complicated one in American literary history. First, American writer J.R Lowell and British writer A.E Stevenson criticized that Thoreau was an amateur naturalist and he simply imitated Emerson only. However, the scholars like Mark Van Doren and Norman Forester were sure the art

28、 achievements that Thoreau had made. They believe that Thoreau devoted all his life to pursuit the truth, the kindness and the beauty with nature. But they did not focus on Thoreaus thoughts and ideas.In 1941, it was a turning point for the study of Thoreau. F.O Matthiessen, a Harvard University sch

29、olar, comes out American Renaissance: Art and Expression in the Age of Emerson and Whitman. In his work, Matthiessance interpreted Walden as a whole, which was supported in detail by American New Criticism. And it made Thoreau becomes one of the classic writers in American literary history. And afte

30、r 1950s, the study of Thoreau increased quickly, and it includes five aspects. First, biographical study; Second, literary study; Third, philosophic study; Fourth, ecological study; Last is culture study.2.2 Domestic ResearchSo far, we Chinese have accepted Thoreau and his works. The studies of Wald

31、en fall into two periods; the 21st century is a watershed. At the beginning of the first period of time, most are the introduction for Thoreau and his works. While, since 1990s, the studies of Thoreau have made a spurt of progress. In the new century, the studies tend to be more diverse. Many schola

32、rs study from four aspects. First, the acceptance before the 21st century; Second, the acceptance after the 21st century; Third, the study of Thoreaus philosophy; Last, the Thoreaus ecological thoughts.2.3 Critical Comment of SymbolismAbout the research of Symbolism, it actually represents a special

33、 thinking or mood of author when they employ symbols. It can also well convey a good comprehension on readers. In fact, many symbols are applied in this work. From Walden, we can see that Thoreau uses the baskets and maggots to symbolize his literary ability and peoples old thoughts, which makes gre

34、at impression on readers mind with a vivid picture and expresses Thoreaus spiritual enrichment. Thus this paper will analyze the symbolic images one by one from Walden.3. SymbolismThe practices and beliefs of symbolism changed American. Symbolism which originates from the French Symbolist Movement i

35、n the late 19th century is used as one of the important devices in modern fiction. Its an effective tool for writers to express abstract ideas and profound views in their works.3.1 The Definition of SymbolismAccording to Chadwick (1971), symbolism uses symbols to distil a private mood or to evoke th

36、e subtle affinities which exist between the material and spiritual worlds. It stresses the priority of suggestion and evocation over direct description and explicit analogy, the notion of a deeper, hidden level of meaning and connections is favored. “Symbolism involves movement from the plane of mat

37、erial objects and the sensations they evoke to the plane of abstract concepts and personal feelings, from sights and sounds and smells to the notions or emotions they inspire (Chadwick, 1971).”According to Baldick (2000), symbolism is also the name given to an important movement in late 19th-century

38、 and early 20th-century poetry. This movement began in France, which was called French Symbolist Movement. It is the literary and artistic movement advocated by a group of French poets who founded the modern tradition in western poetry between the 1870s and 1890s. The main symbolists - Paul Verlaine

39、, Arthur Limbo and Stephen MacMay - wrote against realism and naturalism, against descriptive precision and objectivity; they believed that evocativeness and suggestiveness could best be obtained by verse forms that were not too rigid. Their chief inspiration was the work of the poet Charles Baudela

40、ire (1821-67), especially his theory of the “correspondences” between physical and spiritual realms and between the different senses. The main feature of the symbolists works is that the writers aimed for poetry of suggestion rather than direct statement, evoking subjective moods through the use of

41、private symbols. They adopted the notion that the symbol of the subjective world is objective world; and to symbolize the highest reality of the inner world, we should use the images with sounds and colors. “Applying ambiguous and cunning imagery to scrap readers sensual and mental situation beyond

42、normal consciousness (Baudelaire, 1821: 79).” 3.2 The Significance of Symbolism in LiteratureSymbolism is a significant element in literature and is a kind of connection between peoples comprehension of this world, and the way that writer conveys his comprehension. According to Barnet (2000), “when

43、human beings read, they may have such a kind of feeling that some certain characters or some certain objects in the story convey more connotation than themselves.” According to Zhao JinJin(2008), “symbolism is used as one of the important devices m modern fiction and it is essentially an indirect mo

44、de of expression, which suggests much more than what is actually described or asserted.” An examination of the application of symbolism in literary works will be immensely helpful. Many classic works employs symbolism, it allows the reader to understand the theme and turns the novel into a classic.

45、As we read, we may feel that certain characters and things in the story are more representative than themselves, or imply deeper meanings. When we read, we may feel that certain characters and certain things in the story stand for more than them, or hint at large meanings. Symbolism is often used as

46、 a method of uniting the internal and the external or projecting the internal onto external. Symbolism is widely employed in literary works. As a literary technique, symbolism in English literature has a great tradition. This is a way for the reader to provide readers with a lot of thought, and to e

47、nhance the readers understanding. It can also reveal the implicit meaning from outside the word. Literary symbols often refer to or stand for a complex set of ideas. 4. Symbolism Embodied in WaldenSymbolism is also influenced by the European Romanticism, which also plays a high value on mans spiritu

48、al growth. So in the final analysis symbolists are more interested in man than nature, more interested in thought than in observation symbolists usually choose Nature as their object of description.4.1 Symbols of Natural SceneriesThere are types of natural scenery which exist in Walden. The readers

49、can get a better understanding of Thoreaus thoughts with the description of different sceneries.4.1.1 Symbol of the Ponds In the book of Walden, the pond is a very significant symbol. It is one of the themes of the book. It is not only the natural pond but also the Thoreaus interior landscape. It is

50、 a combination of exterior scenery and inward spirit.In the chapter of “ponds”, Thoreau describes amount of physical environments of the pond. This description focuses on a picture which nature and humanity unite together. Therefore, “ponds” makes readers comfortable as well as arises their thinking

51、. Just as Thoreau said, “Nevertheless, of all the characters I have known, perhaps Walden wears best, and best preserves its purity (Thoreau, 2010: 192).”Thoreau even thinks that the pond is “sky water” and convinces it “nothing so fair, so pure.” Here, Thoreau regards the Walden or the whole nature

52、 as the purest thing and is filled with inexhaustible love for nature. In Thoreaus view, Walden or nature is a life. They can teach him a profound knowledge and is one of his friends. Thoreau puts his hopes on this pond which is, not affected by the polluted water when Thoreau appreciates the unique

53、 beauty of Nature. And Thoreaus sarcasm for rude villagers who have greatly greedy desire for materials, and they are not interested in pursuing of rich spiritual development. Thoreau described those people as follow: Some skinflint, who loved better the reflecting surface of a dollar, or a bright c

54、ent, in which he could see his own brazen face; who regarded even the wild ducks which settled in it as trespassers; his fingers grown into crooked and horny talons from the long habit of grasping harpy-likeand would have drained and sold it for the mud at its bottom.(Thoreau, 2010: 194-195).From Wa

55、lden, the readers can interpret Thoreaus deep thoughts through the description of compliment and curse: people need to give up their greedy desire for materials instead of encouraging people to pursuit the rich spiritual development. Whats more, there are many metaphoric descriptions in the chapter

56、“ponds”. For example, “Thoreau thought that the shore was lips, without beard-growing lakes and it licked the tongue from time to time, when the water touched the lips. The trees around the pond are slender eyelashes are its edges, surrounded by wooden hills and cliffs are its prominent eyebrows. Th

57、e lakes are the eyes of the earth (Thoreau, 2010: 197-205).”All of those things symbolize that living things are permanent and the representation of human thought. In Thoreaus opinion, the pond is just like a beautiful lady who will accompany with him. With regard to these physical environments can

58、be a guide to Thoreaus inner exploration and play an important role in the exploration of himself.4.1.2 Symbol of WaterAt Walden, the water is characterized as a special symbol by Thoreau. Crystals of the Waldens water are clean and pure and they symbolize the same quality of humans morality. In nat

59、ure, the water is natural and original; it can keep clean as long as man will not destroy it. Thoreau resorts to the pure feature of water to symbolize the humans heart.This small pond marks all the vitalities and quietness of nature. Meanwhile, it also symbolizes the knowability and agnosticism of

60、nature. In the chapter of “the pond in winter” .Thoreau has a question about the pond: “This is a remarkable depth for so small an area; yet not an inch of it can be spared by the imagination. What if all ponds were shallow? Would it not react on the minds of men (Thoreau, 2010:164)?” Although peopl

61、e are a small part of the Universe, they can explore the mystery of the Universe; even it is not very comprehensive while it is a great progress. Nature has its laws and the same with the pond. So is it identical to the mens ethics? Thoreau puts emphasis on the height of seeking the high peak and la

62、w peak among people. He is a guider who leads people to observe peoples heart carefully. The contemplation expresses Thoreaus mind mingled with the nature as a whole. On the other hand, this further states that Thoreau is good at acquiring spiritual and ethical enlightenment from nature. Thoreau con

63、trasts the higher thought for bold men and the shallow guys for little thinking men. His expression is dedicated and accurate. In winter, Thoreau is desirous to discover the long lost bottom of Walden Pond; he surveys it carefully before the ice broke up. The depth of the pond is the symbol of himse

64、lf or others spiritual depth. Thoreaus uncertainty of “the bottomlessness of the Pond” makes him explicate the rumor like this:“while men believe in the infinite some ponds will be thought to be bottomless (Thoreau, 2010:221).” The earth is the symbol of material world and the sky is the symbol of s

65、piritual world, while Walden is a medium between materials and spirituals. Walden is a perfect forest mirror, spreading around with lights as preciousness to peoples eyes. Thoreau adds to his description: “It is a mirror which no stone can crack whose quicksilver will never wear offbut sends its own to float as clouds high above its surface, and be reflected in its bosom still. Talk of Heaven and disgrace earth (Thoreau,