英语毕业论文：《老人与海》的悲剧色彩-对完美主义的质疑.doc

老人与海的悲剧色彩:对完美主义的质疑AbstractThrough ages, human beings have always been in pursuit of the perfection of everything. Not all things, however, are perfect in the world. Both Hemingway and Santiago, the hero in his famous work The Old Man and the Sea are perfectionists. In their daily lives, perfectionists have endless sadness since they always demand more and more. When a person wants more and his present situation could not satisfy him, he is bound to involve in a strange circle, which will make his mentality full of contradictories. It is uneasy for him to let himself free. Perfectionists could not be easily understood by others. Though an analysis of the tragedy of the old man and Hemingway, this thesis mainly discusses the tragic color in The Old Man and the Sea, and draws a conclusion that their perfectionism leads to their tragedy. In that way, the paper challenges perfectionism. Just like an old saying goes: “No one is perfect”. There is no absolute perfectionism in the world. In fact, pursuing perfection is a good medicine for those who are vacuous to remedy, but on the premise that they know their potential well in pursuit of perfection. If a person does not know his potential of perfection and over-pursues it, not only does he live without happiness, but he gets nothing in the end as well. The world is imperfect. Therefore, it is essential to accept the imperfection of the world and learn to abnegate some unrealistic pursuits. This thesis tries to elucidate the truth that people who over-pursue perfection cannot but hurt themselves in the end.Key Wordstragic color; perfection; perfectionism; Hemingway; Santiago 摘要千古以来，人们历来追求事事的完美，然而，事事皆不完美，即使是人们心目中最完美的东西也有它的破绽。就像是海明威和他的名著老人与海里的铁汉英雄-圣地亚哥一样，他们两人都是人们心目中的完美主义者。然而在日常的生活中，完美主义者总是有着无穷无尽的悲哀，因为他们一生的追求会随着自己目标的达成变得越来越多。若是一个追求完美的人为自己定了很高的目标而没有实现时，他们就很容易陷入一种精神的怪圈，这样的怪圈使得他们的内心总是充满矛盾，在不断的挣扎中，他们难以脱身。本论文从研究老人与海的悲剧色彩入手，分析老人的悲剧，指出他的悲剧是由他的完美主义思想所致，同时也说明海明威的悲剧，海明威对自己的要求太高了，他不断追求心中达到完美的目标，甚至有些目标已经超过了他的能力范围。然而，他的事事追求完美的思想使得他承受不了生活的压力，病痛的折磨，最终，他以自杀结束了他本是辉煌灿烂的人生。接着论文则对世人觉得理所当然的追求完美主义的思想提出质疑。正如金无赤金，人无完人所阐述的道理，世间没有绝对的完美。实际上追求完美是弥补心灵空虚人的一剂良药，但前提是在人们真正了解自己的潜能。一个人若是连自己都不了解，不知道自己真正所需，就过度追求生命中事事的完美，那他的一生必定没有幸福，而且到头来也不会得到他所追求的完美。整理我们的思绪，放弃不切实际的想法，做我们自己而不在意别人的想法，这才是我们每个人应该做的。世界从来就不完美，学会放弃才是人生的宽途。本论文分析老人和海明威的悲剧以及对造成他们悲剧的原因-追求完美主义，进行分析，试图说明过分追求完美必然导致对自己的伤害。关键词悲剧色彩；完美；完美主义；海明威；圣地亚哥 IntroductionHemingways life is filled with kinds of adventures, and from his rich and colorful life experiences，his life seems like an unusual book which many other people in the world admire and envy. Indeed, Hemingway is a great writer, a code man with white beard; even today he had left us for a few decades, his brave figure has still been living in peoples memory. His adventurist spirit made him create many novels, so that people always say he directs his own stories in his works. From his works and life experiences, Hemingway is indeed a perfectionist. Many of the heroes that he created in novels are represented his code man spirit-perfectionism, especially in The Old Man and the Sea. The old man named Santiago represented Hemingways perfectionism characteristic more vividly than other code man in his works. Hemingway left many myths to the literary world after his shocking death, more and more researchers discussed his works; a lot of discussions are talked about his writing style, life experiences and his own code man spirit. Hemingways name had been staying in literary world forever because of the whole worlds attention.Perfectionism is a double-edged blade which brings both honor and sadness to Hemingway. He chose to die in the prime of his life. Hemingway left many unsolved questions to the whole world, people regret for his choice. Meanwhile, we could find a real Hemingway when we stand in his shoes, he is a complete perfectionist. He would prefer regretting for the whole world to regretting for himself, thats a perfectionists choice.Even though Hemingway chose another way to express his hero spirit and his perfectionism, some people suspect what his perfectionism brought to him. Perfectionism brought honor, wealth, wonderful life to him, but he decided to discard all honor because he had been tortured by sickness greatly, he chose to die in the end. Hemingway was involved in strange perfectionism circle. At the same time, the code man spirit made him pursuit perfection of everything. As a perfect man in peoples eyes is Hemingways aim. The old man who Hemingway created in The Old Man and the Sea is also a person represented Hemingways perfectionism spirit. He has his own sadness.The paper focuses on The Old Man and the Sea，find out the tragic color in the novel, meanwhile, explains Hemingways tragedy in order to challenge the perfectionism which is held by the author-Hemingway and his creative code hero-Santiago. I BackgroundA To the Author: Earnest HemingwayEarnest Miller Hemingway was born in a well-to-do family in Oak Park, Illinois near Chicago, on July 21st, 1899. He was an American Nobel Prize winner in literature (1954), a spokesman for “The Lost Generation”. After he got the Nobel Prize, he ended his life by himself. His life was filled with many kinds of adventures that represent in his works. He styled the particular type of the tragic hero in his novels, and his life attitude had been widely recognized and imitated in English-speaking countries and all over the world as well. Hemingway was a myth in his own time and in American literature.After the publishing of The Old Man and the Sea in 1952, this novel had played a crucial role in the development of Hemingways critical reputation. Prior to the appearance of this crisp and lyrical novel about an old Cuban fishermans struggle with a titanic fish, Hemingway had published nothing of distinction during the twelve years since For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940); the early promise of the brilliant short story collection, In Our Time (1925); and his finest novels, The Sun Also Rise (1926); and A Farewell to Arms (1929), seemed distant and unfulfilled; Hemingways nonfiction of the 1930s; Death in the Afternoon (1932) and Green Hills of Africa (1935), had been disappointing by comparison, and a “novel” like To Have and Have Not (1937), two previously published short stories hastily cobbled together, seemed a shocking performance from a craftsman once so exacting; Across the River and into the Trees (1950) had been savaged by the critics, and Hemingway was widely considered to be a has-been. The Old Man and the Sea (1952), however, was hailed as Hemingways triumphant return. William Faulkner as Hemingways strong competitor was ever said “Time will show that this novel (The Old Man and the Sea) would be the most brilliant medium-length novel for our time”.B. The Medium-Length Novel1. SummaryAmong all of Hemingways works, The Old Man and the Sea, it is a work that leads to the top of Hemingways career of writer and made him receipt the Nobel Prize. It is a poetic tragic novel about Santiago-an old Cuban fisherman who has gone for 84 days without catching anything. Therefore, the boy, Mandolin, who used to sail with him, is forced by his parents to leave the old man and catch in another “good-lucky” ship. The old man insists on fishing alone and at last, he hooks an eighteen-foot, giant marlin, the largest he has ever known. But the titanic fish is very powerful and disobedient. It tows the old man and his boat out to sea for 48 hours, with the old man bearing the whole weight of the fish through the line on his back. The old man, with little food and sleep, has to endure much pain and fights against his treacherous hand cramp. To his great excitement, on his third day at sea, he succeeds in catching the weakened marlin to the surface and harpoons it. On his way home, he lashed marlin alongside his boat because it is too big to be pulled into the boat. But, unfortunately, the sharks in different directions assaulted the old man and the giant marlin for four times. The old man fights to kill the sharks with as much might and many weapons as he can summon, but only to find a giant skeleton of his marlin left after his desperate defense. At last, Santiago, having lost what he fought for, reaches the shore and struggles to his shack. He falls into sound sleep, dreaming of Africa and the lions again. His struggle wins him much respect; meanwhile, he still made himself indulge in the atmosphere of tragic color, no one understands his sadness except himself.2. The Social Background of This WorkLiterature is the reflection of society. Therefore, in order to prove this novels tragic color, the social background is one of the necessary factors for us to appreciate this work.Hemingway lived in the period that the World War One broke out; many young volunteers took part in “the war which also called a war end all wars”. But the harsh reality made them aware that modern warfare was not as glorious or heroic as they thought. As a young writer and spokesman of the “The Lost Generation”, and influenced by the frivolous, greedy and heedless way of life in America. Hemingways works all vividly recorded the life of those physically and mentally wounded soldiers, revealed the frustration, loneliness when “God is dead”. That period’s tragedy made Hemingways works full with tragic color, such as A Farewell to Arms, Death in the Afternoon, The Sun Also Rise and TheOld Man and the Sea. The menace, the anguish dereliction, the futility and sterility expressed in these works had been afflicting all sensitive members of the post-war generation.The other circumstances that made Hemingway wrote the novel was Hemingways writing capability had been questioned by people at that time. Under kinds of gossip, Hemingway decided to write The Old Man and the Sea which had been constructed in his mind for more than 10 years. At last, this masterpiece proved his writing talent.II The Tragic Color in The Old Man and the SeaA. Definition of the Tragic ColorIn the ancient Greek, tragedy is defined as Socrates died from poison; Jesus was hung on the cross. In the eyes of westerners, tragedy is the highest art in aesthetics. Some artists even thought real art only comes from tragedy. A large number of writers and artists focus their eyes on tragedy, so that they are willing to create their works with tragedies.There are so many explanations for the word “tragedy”. The definition of tragedy in the Dictionary of Literature Theory is: “tragedy is a story with contradictory confliction ended up with the good persons unfortunate fate.” Aristotle, who is one of the greatest teachers in ancient educational history, has ever defined tragedy thus: “tragedy, then, is and imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude.”(王佐良，2004，29) Chinese famous literary writer Lu Xun defined the word “tragedy” that: tragedy destroys the most valuable things in peoples life in front of human beings. Generally speaking, tragedy only refers to good persons unfortunate fate. In the eyes of this thesis author, according to this Hemingways novelThe Old Man and the sea, which is a typically works that comply with Chinese tragic recognition-destroy the old mans efforts in front of people. That is the cruelty of tragedy. In this medium-length novel, tragedy represented in many respects, such as the old man tortured by loneliness, sickness and so on, even the titanic fish has its tragedy.B. Tragic Color Represented in the NovelTragic color in this novel is mainly represented in two quarters, the first respect is the titanic fishs inborn tragedy; the second part is the old mans tragedy.1. Titanic Fishs TragedyThe first tragedy is existed in the giant marlins tragedy. Fish is born to be defeated, its an immutable fact.It was defeated by the old man, and then it was destroyed completely by four fierce sharks continually attack. A fish is born to be defeated, its fate is bound to be defeated and shared by human beings or other stronger animals. Thats a fishs tragedy. Its an inborn loser.2. The Old Mans TragedyThe titanic fishs tragedy is one of tragedies in the novel, but the old mans tragedy is the main tragedy in it.From the very beginning of this novel, Hemingway depicted the sad tone that a poor and lonely man with shabby boat, deep sea as background is also symbolizes a kind of sad tone, these sad tones last at the end of this novel.The old mans wife has been dead for many years, without leaving any descendants, he misses his wife very much, in order to not miss his wife, he puts off all of his wifes color photos, because he feels so lonely once he sees those photos.The old mans tragedy is also represented in no one care about him except his good friend, a little boy named Mandolin. However, the little boy could not always stay with him and take care of him. During the days the old man sails into deep sea with his outsized dream, no one company with the old man, he feels so lonely. He misses his beloved wife and his good friend-the little boy, he wants the little boy to help him and speak to him, but he can only speak to himself, the giant marlin, little tired bird and the deep blue sea. During those days, with little food and sleep, he endures much pain and fights against his treacherous hand cramp, no one helps him, the old man says to himself again and again: “thats great if the little boy is here”.The result of his sailing is also one of tragedies in the novel. After he has caught the giant marlin, and returns to shore, he only takes a big fish skeleton, people respect his capability but he dissatisfies with the result and he still feels frustrated. He expresses his loneliness to the little boy. There are no more words for him, the fatigue and his tortured heart made him feels so tired, he sleeps deeply in his shabby boat. He dreams of a group of lions which symbolizes success, but this sailing is not thought as a successful one by himself.All of old mans tragedies come from himself at heart. There is a contradiction existed in his mind. His whole life depends on the sea and of course he has become an old experienced fisherman for he has been living in the sea for many years. But at this time he catches nothing for 84 days. Other people or fisherman starts to suspect his ability and joke about his decreased capabilities of fishing. Gossips made the old man determine to sail into the deep sea, which leads to his tragedy, because sailing to the deep sea has surpassed his capability in his old age. He still wants to become a successful fisherman in peoples eyes; but his outsized dreams destruction made him feels so sad. In the end, the old man becomes more silent, he only wants to sleep in order to refresh his body, and he only expresses his sadness, but not his ambition to conquer the sea any more. At that time, he has realized his dream could not be fulfilled any more. Even through he knows his ability could not realize his outsized dream completely, this dream could not vanish in his mind. At the last paragraph of this novel, words from a female traveler made readers give more pity on the old man, the female traveler points the titanic skeleton and asks a waiter what it is. Not until the waiter explains, she thought it is a sharks skeleton and cries out “I has never saw such a beautiful sharks tail”. The old mans dream completely shattered, his fruit has been mistakably regarded as a sharks skeleton. People around the shore dont understand what the old man strives for in his old ages. No one understands his sadness besides himself. If he doesnt want to become a successful fisherman in his old age, he could enjoy himself till the end of his life.Throughout the novel, all of the old mans tragedies come from his ambition, his outsized dream. He is too old to sail into the deep sea and he should stay in peaceful harbor; enjoy himself in his little boat although life may be poor, however, he neednt prove his ability to other people. In one word, perfectionism leads to Santiagos outsized dream which caused his tragedy.III PerfectionismA. DefinitionIf a person with a character who always compares himself or his achievements with perfect things, this kind of person is a perfectionist. Oxford Advanced Learners English-Chinese Dictionary explains “perfectionist” as the following two meanings: one: person who is not satisfied with anything less than perfection; two: person who insists on perfection in every detail even when it is not necessary. Famous psychologist Burn pointed out:“perfectionist is a person who determine to get higher aims, and compel himself to pursuit their aims excessively. In the process of pursuing those aims, they are easy to hurt themselves”.One of perfectionists main features is their eagerness to prove their ability. Psychologist Karen Harney has already given these explanations for perfectionists eagerness: “the meaning of perfectionists life is not existed in his happiness and enjoyments, but focus on his accomplishments about his own responsibilities and compulsory. In terms of their motivation of life, they are not willing to acquire happiness but pursue right and perfect things in all of their life.”The other main feature of perfectionist is their self-contradictory characteristic; many perfectionists struggled in their self-contradictory minds. Generally speaking, perfectionists character is always stubborn, straitlaced, and inflexible. They always plan a high standard for themselves and try their best to achieve it, if they failed, they will feel so sad and hard to accept the result. This could explain why perfectionists are easy to involve in depression, once they fall into the sadness, they also can not make them catch up again.B. Santiagos and Hemingways PerfectionismSantiago and Hemingway both belong to the same kind of