(精品论文)英语毕业论文---最后的莫希干人象征性手法分析

AcknowledgementsI am very grateful to the following people, as they have given me continuous help during my study. Mr. Long Zhichao, the supervisor of my dissertation, who guided me to the right direction towards the accomplishment of this work. All my teachers, who have ever taught me.All my family members, who have been giving me a lot of support during the years of my study.AbstractJames Fenimore Cooper was one of the first popular American novelists, who was born in September 1789 in Burlington and died in 1851. The Last of Mohicans is regarded as Coopers masterpiece, which opens a new area for American literature. The story happens in the third year of the seven-year war which launched by the English and French aggressors. The story reappears vividly the aggressors criminal action and it also reveals the authors sympathy to the Indians through the whole story. The novel exposes that the roof of the contradiction conflict and violence slaughter lies in the colonization desire of the English and French aggressors.The author applies a large amount of symbolism to promote the development of the story, to distill the theme of the novel and to present the “black” atmosphere. The paper is divided into three parts: the first part mainly introduces the author and the story content to the reader. The second part analyzes the use of symbols in The Last of Mohicans through the descriptions of the conversations, bible, environment, animals and gun. The third part is the conclusion. It helps the reader to get a further understanding of the novels deep sense and attain a better understanding of the meanings what the author really wants to express.Key Words: The Last of Mohicans; conversation; environment; animals; gun摘 要詹姆斯费尼莫尔库伯出生在美国伯斯顿（1789-1851），是美国文学史上一位很受欢迎的作家。最后的莫希干人是作者库柏的经典代表作，它开创了美国民族文学的先河。故事发生在战争的第三个年头，它生动地再现了英法侵略者的罪恶行径，同时也处处流落出作者本人对印第安人的同情。小说揭示了矛盾冲突、暴力屠杀的根源在于英法侵略者的殖民欲望。作者在文中大量运用象征主义手法，以此来推动故事情节的发展、升华文章的主题，渲染“黑色”气氛。本文共分为三个部分：第一部分主要介绍作者和故事内容；第二部分分别从语言、圣经、环境、动物、长枪等方面来分析最后的莫希干人的象征主义手法；第三部分为结论部分。通过论文三部分的描写来使读者对文章的深层含义有更深一步的了解，方便读者了解作者所要表达的真正含义。 关键字：最后的莫希干人；语言；环境；动物；人物ContentsI. Introduction1A. An introduction to the author: James Fenimore Cooper.1B. An introduction to the novel2II. The analysis of symbols in The Last of Mohicans.5A. Brief introduction to symbol .51. The concept of symbol.52. The feature of symbol.53. The function of symbol5B. The analysis of symbols in The Last of Mohicans and their.6contributions to the theme1. The language6a. The scream6b. Words from the Bible82. The Animals.10a. The Horse.10b. The Raven.113. The Environment.124. The Length Gun .13. Conclusion.15Bibliography17I. IntroductionA. An introduction to the author: James Fenimore CooperJames Fenimore Cooper is one of the first popular American novelists. Born in September 1789 in Burlington, New Jersey, Cooper grew up in Cooperstown, New York, a frontier settlement that he later dramatized in his novels. He attended Yale when he was only thirteen but was expelled for instigating a practical joke. His father forced him to join the Navy. Cooper began writing almost by accident. When reading a popular English novel aloud to his wife one day, Cooper suddenly tossed the book aside and said, “I could write you a better book myself”. He lived up to his claim by writing Precaution in 1820 and The Spy, his first popular success, the following year. For the rest of his life, Cooper attracted a massive readership on both sides of the Atlantic. When he died in 1851, Cooper was one of the most famous writers in the world.After achieving success as a novelist, Cooper spent seven years living in Europe, during which time he wrote many of his most memorable stories. Cooper drew on his memories of his childhood on the American frontier, writing high-spirited, often sentimental adventure stories. These frontier romances feature his best-known character, the woodsman Natty Bumppo, also known as “Hawkeye” or “Leather stocking.” This heroic scout was featured in five novels, known collectively as the Leather stocking Tales: The Pioneers, The Prairie, The Pathfinder, The Deer slayer, and, most famously, The Last of the Mohicans. Written in 1826, The Last of the Mohicans took place in 1757 during the French and Indian War, when France and England battled for control of the American and Canadian colonies. During this war, the French often allied themselves with native American tribes in order to gain an advantage over the English, with unpredictable and often tragic results. Descriptions of certain incidents in the novel, such as the massacre of the English soldiers by Huron Indians, embellish accounts of real historical events. Additionally, certain characters in the novel, General Montcalm in particular, are based on real individuals. Creating historically inspired stories was common in nineteenth-century adventure tales. In writing The Last of the Mohicans, Cooper followed the example of his contemporaries Sir Walter Scott and the French writer Alexandra Dumas, whose novel The Three Musketeers takes even greater liberties with historical events and characters than The Last of the Mohicans.B. An introduction to the novel The story takes place in North America, near the river Hudson. There are two English forts, fort Edward and fort William Henry surrounded by Indians, the tribe of the Mohicans, Hurons and Delawares.The French soldiers are about to attack fort William Henry which is 15 miles away from fort Edward. General Munro, the leader of the attacked fort asks fort Edward, where his daughters Cora and Alice live, for help. In fort Edward the English soldiers prepare for help. A second group which consists of Duncan, an English soldier, the two girls Cora and Alice, the music teacher David and their guide Magua from the Indian tribe of the Hurons also want to leave and go to fort William Henry on a secret path across the forest. While walking through the woods their guide Magua disappears, but they meet three men: Chingachgook, the chief of the Mohicans, his son Uncas and Hawkeye, a white man, who lives with the Mohicans and is the friend of the chief. The three offer to guide them to the fort. On an island in the Hudson River, where they want to hide themselves from the Indians, the Hurons attack them. Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingachgook can escape, but the Indians take Duncan, Cora, Alice and David as prisoners. During the imprisonment，Magua, the chief of the Hurons, asks Cora to be his wife, but she refuses him and says definitely “No”. A short time later， Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingachgook can free them and they continue the way to fort William Henry. As the whole group arrived at fort William Henry, the French are just attacking it. The French win the battle, but they let the English leave the place as free persons. When the English are outside of the fort the Hurons attack them. Magua catches Cora and Alice and moves away, David follows them. After the others notice the kidnapping of the two girls, they follow the footprints. They find only Alice, because Cora is taken to the camp of the Delawares, friends of the Hurons. They set Alice free and leave the camp in direction to the Delawares. Magua and his warriors follow them after a while. The Delawares see the group of men with Alice and take them as prisoners. When Maguas group arrive to the camp, the Delawares bring their prisoners before him. Magua wants to take the prisoners with him, but Uncas lets them understand that he is one of the Delawares by showing a special sign on his body. As the old chief of the Delawares recognizes that Uncas is the young chief of the tribe, he gives Uncass friends the freedom. But Magua persists in taking Cora, the woman he loves, with him. He is allowed to take her because his chief of the Hurons. He leaves the camp with her, followed by Uncas and his friends. When they meet Magua and his warriors again, they fight against them. Magua and Cora flee and run on the top of the mountain. When she replies again “No” to the question of marrying him, he kills her. Uncas who appears cant hinder the death of Cora, but he fights with Magua and is killed by him as well. Finally Hawkeye comes and shoots at Magua, who runs away and tries to jump over an abyss, but he falls down the abyss and dies. At the graves of Cora and Uncas all of the friends are there in a sad mood, when Hawkeye the white man and Chingachgook the Indian swear to be friends forever.II. The analysis of symbols in The Last of MohicansThe Last of Mohicans is regarded as Coopers masterpiece. In this novel, the author reappeared truly the soul-stirring struggle and deep historic changes which had happened at that time. Through these thrilling plots, readers can see clearly the colonists cruelty and greedy, the native Mohicanss bravery and kindness. In order to present these plots well, the author uses a large number of symbols to promote the development of the plots and make the whole story covered with the black background.A. Brief introduction to symbol1. The concept of symbolSymbol is an important technique of expression in literature creation, which is based on a certain relation between different objects and has the aid of some concrete objects image (symbolizing object) to express some abstract concept, thought and emotion (symbolized object). That is so-called “placing abstract sense on a concrete object”.2. The feature of symbolThe author reposes his own opinion in the described objects rather than expressing it directly. Then he expresses his own opinion implicitly through the description, expression of the emotion and comment on the specified “objects”.3. The function of symbola. Distills the themeThrough similar association of ideas, symbolism can extend the content from nature to human social life and use the characteristics of the original content to symbolize some spiritual quality or character. In this way, the theme can be promoted to a new state.b. Implicit expression of beauty The inspiration, which is presented by symbol, doesnt lie in the image itself but in the suggestive meaning of the image. Symbol owns many characteristics, such as, implied expression, full of suggestiveness, obscurity and multi-senses, the meaning being implied. So using symbols can leave a broad association and imagination space for readers.B. The analysis of symbols in The Last of Mohicans and their contributions to the themeThis thesis analyzes the symbols used in The Last of Mohicans and their contributions to the theme through the following aspects.1. The language a. The screamThe Indians always lives in the primeval forest, the readers can easily find the wildness and rudeness from their behaviors. The scream is the key method to express their opinions except the speech. We can say that the Indians can use scream to express what they want to express. The author gives us a detailed description of their scream to show the danger in their journey.For example, in the chapter of the massacre, the author uses scream both at the beginning and the end of the massacre. “At that dangerous moment, Magua placed his hands to his mouth, and raised the fatal and appalling whoop.finally, the cries of horror were lost to their ear, or were drowned in the loud, long and piercing whoops of the triumphant savages”(225,230). With the whoop of Magua, over two thousand savage persons gathered together and rushed down the hill. They quickly covered “the unlucky land” and carried out the horrendous and unparalleled cruel massacre. This kind of sound makes people tremble with fear and feel absolutely terrified. The Hurons didnt stop their revenge until their greedy occupied the windward. The death finally brings back their sharp weapons, which makes the massacre end up with the crying of the wounded, the horrible scream of the enemies and the sharp whoop of the Hurons. Thousands of soldiers, women and children fall down in the blood. Their blood makes the whole plain become red. The land is vibrant with life but soon becomes barren and desolate, as if a large scissors cuts off its greenery. The blood flows like a river, which makes people feel dazzling and shocking.At the ending，“Whirling the bloody knife up at the imploring youth, the victorious Magua uttered a cry so fierce, so wild, and yet so joyous, that it conveyed the sounds of savage triumph to the ears of those who fought in the valley, a thousand feet below” (440).When Uncas fell，Magua cried in the valley, Hurons holding the weapon shrieked and jumped up and down. The sound is very piercing, the Hurons became wildly. However the seemingly triumph cry is in fact the cry for their tragic destiny, English and France conquerors realized their hope of a mutual slaughter among the American people.The detailed description of the cry by the author mainly shows the silly of Indian original tribe, except showing the dangerous when moving. In the Indians eyes, they do not understand their mutual slaughter, and this gives a better opportunity for the English and France conquers. The author shows sympathy to the Indians by the detailed description, and adds much more art color for the tragic ending.b. Words from the BibleThe Bible is the miniature of western civilization, Christian soul, and spiritual sustenance, anyone who wants to learn western culture must read the Bible. The Western likes to go to Church or stay at home praying safe and sound for family, and social stability and unity. In their eyes, The Bible is Sacrosanct. As the World-renowned writer, Cooper would not miss this point, however the Bible do not bring much peace in this article, oppositely it brings bad luck when it appears each time.The author describes one character named “David”, who teaches singing Hymns. David can not be separated from the Bible who is the only weapon of him. He will sing when he calms down. “The book was open at a hymn not ill adapted to their situation, and in which the poet, no longer goaded by his desire to excel the inspired King of Israel, had discovered some chastened and respectable powers”(68).This description is after first dinner after flee, the author expresses respects of Mohicans by the content in the Bible. Author thinks the Mohicans as the temper, respects the Mohicans as the God. To all appearance, their souls was baptized and purified in such peaceful environment. But no one knows what is waiting them is the war in the dawn, the sisters were caught in Maguas hand again in this war.David shared comforts and hardships with this people all the time, whenever they faced the dangerous David was accustomed to prayer, prayed for their sufferings to end, but what brought them were always blood, separation and pain. Until the last massacre in the novel, David still prayed with his “weapon” in the massacre, but no one knew who he prayed for was Uncas. Uncas was killed by Magua with knife when he rescued his beloved person, Cora. Although he died, he still despised the aggressors crime action from his expression. This expression appeared on his face when he fell on the ground. Through the detailed description, the author wants to show Uncas will going beyond his other compatriots for several centuries. And he also recalls all the Indians should unite to fight against the English and French aggressors.At the end of the novel, the author described “the last Mohicans”, Uncas death and the mourning funeral with a grief tone. David chanted the Bible for Uncas in the burial for the last time, it sounded miserable and distress deeply. The Bible prayed not only for Uncas would have a good trip but also prayed for the American would have a good luck.The death of Uncas, like a stream suddenly becoming a fall, makes people shock and ponder. His death foretells that the whites will take the place of the Indians and the virgin land will be destroyed. While the Indians offer their seat to the whites civilizations, towns and their controls in the nearly future. Cooper knows clearly it is inevitable that the America will be occupied by the aggressors because of the whites superior technology and the Indians intrinsic weakness.This description makes a close connection with the theme of the novel. The last warrior of the Mohicans was gone, which makes the theme distill again. The author thinks that the bravery, honesty and hope disappear with the death of Uncas death.2. The AnimalsIn this novel Cooper only mentions two kinds of animals, the horse and the raven, though Coopers favorite thing is not animals. Through his description of these two animals, he makes readers deeply feel how much hardship the colonists bring to the people in America.a. The Horse“I will not deny, however, but the horses cowered when I passed them, as though they scented the wolves; and a wolf is a beast that is apt to hover about an Indian abashment, craving the offal of the deer the savages kill”(58).The description of the horse appears at the first night when they begin to seek safety flight. In order to protect themselves from the Hurons persecution, they have to hide horses in the watercourse. The author often arranges the descriptions of the horses at the beginning of a fight. This not only describes a common fight, but also presage a will-be lasting war. In this novel, the author compares the people in America to the faithful animal “horse”, while compares the English a