自考论文-从《大卫_科波菲尔》中的人物形象看狄更斯的人道主义.doc

高等教育自学考试本科毕业论文题目：从大卫科波菲尔中的人物形象看狄更斯的人道主义Dickenss Humanitarianism Embodied in image of David CopperfiedSubmitted to the B.A. Committee in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the English Department of Hebei Teachers UniversityMay.2012摘要 查尔斯狄更斯是维多利亚时期最伟大的批判现实主义作家，大卫科波菲尔是查尔斯狄更斯的一部代表作。 这部小说主要描绘大卫如何通过挫折与教训，走上正确的人生道路的过程。从这个意义上说，他是部典型的教育小说。同时，在这部小说中有两大亮点。一是作者的人道主义思想：人性是狄更斯人道主义的基础与出发点，道德是狄更斯人道思想的主要内容。二是小说中的人物塑造；狄更斯笔下的人物性格鲜明独特，有明显特色。其中，作者侧重描写人物的道德层次，所以他笔下的人物更具有深厚的人性内涵。 首先，本文介绍狄更斯的简介和创作生涯。随后简述狄更斯的人道主义观点。其次，本文对大卫科波菲尔的人物形象展开了分析，从人物特征来研究和体现人道主义思想。本文旨在通过对该方面进行深层次的探索，来感受人道主义思想的内涵和精髓。关键词：人物性格 人道主义精神 社会黑暗 AbstractCharles Dickens is the greatest representative writer of English critical realism in the Victorian period. David Copperfield is Dickens representative work.It is written about the progress for David how to overcome the frustration and learn some lessons, and then walk the right path of life at last. In this sense, it is a typical educational novel. At the same time, there are two bright spots in this novel. The one is humanitarianism, humanity is the basic of humanitarianism, and the ethics are the main points of it. Another one is the character of roles in the novel; the roles characters are obviously bright and distinctive. Among them, the author focuses on the moral level of description of characters, so there are some characters with profound human meaning. First,this article gives a brief introduction of Dickens the writer and his creative career,and then dickens briefly explain the view of his humanitarianism .Secondly, the type of character in the David Copperfield to start the analysis, from features of characters to study and reflect humanitarian.Therefore, this paper aims to conduct the exploration deeply, and to essence the meaning of humanitarianism. Key words: characteristics; humanitarianism; dark societyContentsAbstract.IVAbstract in Chinese.VIntroduction .1Chapter One General Introduction of Humanitarianism4Chapter Two Analysis of Three Types of Image and Its Implied Humanitarianism.7 2.1The positive character 7 2.1.1 Miss Betsey as a fairy godmother7 2.1.2 Agnes as a good girl8 2.2 The negative role10 2.2.1 James Steerforth as abductor 10 2.2.2 Urian Heep as an evil 11 2.3 The neutral image 12Chapter Three Application of Humanitarianism and Its Influence15Conclusion 19Notes 21Bibliography22Introduction Charles Dickens (born Feb.7, 1812, Portsmouth, Hampshire,Eng,Died June 9, 1870., gads Hill, near Catham, Ket) British novelist,was generally considered as the greatest one of the Victorian period. The defining moment of Dickens life occurred when he was 12 years old. With his father was in debtors prison, he was with drawn from school and forced to work in a factory. This deeply affected the sensitive boy. His fiction career began with short pieces reprinted as Sketches by “Boz” (1836). He exhibited a great ability to spin a story in an entertaining manner and this quality, combined with the most popular English author of his time. The serialization of such works as Oliver twist(1838)and the Old Curiosity Shop (1841) followed. After a trip to America, he wrote A Christmas Carol (1843) in a few weeks. With Dombey and Son (1838), his novels began to express a heightened uneasiness about the evils of Victorian industrial society, which intensified in the semiautobiographical David Copperfield (1850), as well as in Bleak house (1853), Little Dorrit(1857), Great Expectations (1861), and others. Dickens works were characterized by an encyclopedic knowledge of London, pathos, a vein of the macabre, a pervasive spirit of benevolence and geniality, inexhaustible powers of character creation, an acute ear for characteristic speech, and a highly individual and inventive prose style. All his life and works kept pace with the development of his times. On the whole, his novels were mainly written in a realistic way, disclosing the hypocrisy, greed, meanness and cruelty of the upper-class and capitalist society. As well he was always trying to awaken the general public to struggle against the oppression with a great sympathy and serious attitude. In addition, he praised in his works the good qualities of human beings, such as truth, kindness and beauty. Dickens was the main are presentative of realism in 1990s. Karl Marx praised him and Thackeray as a group of outstanding novelists of G.B. In a word, Charles Dickens was the greatest realistic and critic writer in the Vitoria period. David Copperfield, created in 1850, was one semi-autobiography by Dickens. It told readers an uncommon story about the boy-hero David Copperfield during his whole life. David was born when his father died. His weak and poor mother remarried Mr.Murdestone. David had become a real orphan. He luckily met a kind-hearted aunt who helped him much. At last David made a great success by his own efforts. In Dickens own words, David Copperfield was his own favorite baby. The story was deal with the life of David Copperfield from childhood to maturity. David was born in England in about 1820. David dislikes his stepfather and had similar felling for Mr. Murdstones sister Jane. During the thrashing, David bit him and was sent away to a boarding school, Salem House, with a ruthless headmaster, Mr. Creakle. Here he made friends with James Steerforth and Tommy Traddles who left and then reappeared later on. Soon after David went back to Salem House, his mother and her baby died and David returned home immediately. Mr.Murdstone sent him to work in a factory in London where he was a joint owner. The grim reality of hand-to-mouth factory existence echoed Dickens own travails in a blacking factory. His landlord, Wilkins Micawber, was sent to a debtors prison (the Kings Bench Prison) after going bankrupt, and was there for several months before being released and moving to Plymouth. David had nobody left to care for him in London, and decided to run away. He walked all the way from London to Dover, found his only known relative, his eccentric Aunt Betsey Trotwood, who agreed to bring him up. The story followed David as he grew to adulthood, and was enlivened by the many well-known characters that entered, left and re-entered his life. These included his faithful housekeeper Peggotty, and their orphaned niece Little Emily, and his landlords daughter and ideal angel in the house1, Agnes Wickfield, who became his confidante, and the evil Uriah Heep who was punished at last. This paper aims to reflect the this novel through three different types of image of the roles character.Chapter One General Introduction of HumanitarianismHumanitarianism is an ethic of active compassion which begins to express in philanthropy and social welfare. From an exclusive concern with charity, humanitarian action is led increasingly to vindication of the respect owed to the individual human beings. This idea, originating in stoic natural law, influences in its Christian and secular manifestations, and in European thought. Not immediately, denial of the spiritual equality inhering in every human is the touchstone of wrongness in humanitarian action. Humanitarianism is originated a kind of Renaissance ideology, it promotes to care, love and respect people. It is also a people-centered world view. The French Revolution put humanitarianism into specific slogans of freedom, equality and love. Humanitarianism plays an active an active role in the feudal system during the bourgeois revolution.As a thought or ideology, the bourgeoises uses the humanitarian to express the view which focus on individual basis, they think each one is a separate entity, respect the equality and the rights of freedom. It recognizes the value and dignity. Also, it regards people as human being, not tool.Humanitarianism is originated from humanism which makes a great progress during the anti-feudal. The preface Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Citizenship in the first constitution of France is the manifesto of bourgeois humanism. The theoretical basis of bourgeois humanism is a super class and the abstract theory of human nature. They purpose the social system which bases on private ownership, and the core od individualism. With the loss of the bourgeois and the upsurge of of the proletarian revolutionary movement, the bourgeois humanism begins to lose the historical function gradually. Marxist emphasizes on peoples status and value, he regards the human emancipation and freedom as a goal, so it is the revolutionary humanitarianism. It is a philosophy of development and change category.Humanitarianism is germinated during the period of civilization, but as an era of humanitarian thought and theory, it is gradually formed in the 15th century and manifested initially in literature and penetrated gradually into other areas.Humanitarian is extended from Lantin humanistas, and in Roman tiomes the ideas is a way to encourage individuals o get the maximum development, it also has a humane education system. Emerging bourgeois thinkers in the 15th century, humanitarian is the spirit of the Renaissance, which calls for the full development through the study and carries forward the culture of ancient Greece and Rome. In the course of the bourgeois revolution, humanitarian against the feudal Church and requires the full development of the human personality. Until the 19th century, humanitarian is an important ideological weapon of establishing and consolidating the capitalist system. In modern, although Western thinkers havent given up the humanitarian, their humanitarian theories, more or less include with nihilism or pessimism colors.Bourgeois humanitarianism carries on and develops the essence of ancient Greece, breaks the ideological restraints which claims that people are a natural part and dominate nature. According this theory, bourgeois criticize relentlessness the feudal Church which is the sensual and secular life for the sin of a asceticism, and they confirm that the people have the right to enjoy the world, so that to seek happiness in the lifetime, and create freely, fight for personal liberation and the establishment and such these progressive thinking has been disseminated widely.A large number of integrity person in the world, included some well-known scholars, scientists, artists and writers still believe the traditional bourgeois humanism, and precede all the criticism of the capitalist world of crime against humanity during this principle. They go against the aggression, and save the world peacefully.In paper, there is some analysis of the three types of images of different characters. Different characters reflect different humanitarianism.Chapter Two Analysis of Three Types of Image and Its Implied Humanitarianism2.1The positive character2.1.1 Miss Betsey as a fairy godmotherAunt Betsey was one of the most interesting characters in the novel. On the one hand, she was very eccentric and even arrogant. The writer described Betseys eccentricity of hanting donkeys. As soon as she found a donkey getting into the grass in front of her house, she rushed out of the house, not caring about her behavior and seized the bridle of the animal to lead it out of her sacred precincts 2 The first impression she left to readers was negative. At the beginning of the novel, she visited Davids mother, with hope that the newly-born baby would be a girl, and promised to afford the girl all the expenses as a prevention of the same mistake made by herself. Her story was heart reading.Aunt Betseys marriage was really a failure. She had married a villain in her younger days. Afterwards, their marriage ended with separation, but she still had been blackmailed by that evil till he died. In her mind, she had regretted having made that mistake. Consequently, she hoped the baby would be a girl, but Davids mother gave birth to a boy, who was David. Betsey left at once, disappointedly and angrily. She didnt go to see them again for ten years. On the other hand, she was a kindhearted woman. In Chapter Fifteen ,David reached Betseys houses after a seven days walk with a worn- out look and in slovenly clothes. After hearing Davids experiences, she immediately decided to accept this poor little boy. Later she adopted David and offered him good education and also gave him motherly affection. From her words to David never be mean to anything; never be false; never be cruel 3 We could see that Aunt Betsey was an upright woman. Not only did she adopt David, but also she looked after Mr.Dick, who was mentally ill, yet not her relative friend. As David grew up, we could understand her more deeply. She was not a perfect character, but she left readers a deep impression besides the main characters in the novel.2.1.2 Agnes as a good girlAgnes,Davids second wife, was not only beautiful and gentle, but also intelligent and kindhearted. Her excellence was embodied in the description of her relations with three men in the novel. The first was her father, Mr.Wickfield. He brought up Agnes himself after Agnes mother died. Agnes was filial towards her father. For instance, her father didnt want her to go to school, and though she desires to do so, she stayed at home and managed the house since she was a teenager. These characteristics showed that Agnes behaved in a mature way, which was quite a contrast to Dora. The second was Uria Heep, who had been her fathers assistant, and later became her fathers partner. This character was the most detestable in David Copperfield. He wanted to marry Agnes only for the purpose of becoming a man with high social status and defrauding Mr.Wickfields property. Agnes knew what Heep was planning to do, but had no idea to fight against his plans. On this point, Agnes weakness was revealed. If David, Traddles and Mr.Micaber hadnt exposed Heep by showing the evidence of Heeps crime, Agnes might have been forced to marry Heep. The third was David, who had been Agnes good friend since childhood. Agnes treated him like her younger brother. When David was told that his great-aunt Betsey had suffered a sudden bankruptcy, he was so worried about their future life. At that time, Agnes came to London and encouraged David to look for a part-time job, to earn some money for the daily expenses of the whole family. With Agnes help, David was employed by Dr. Strong as his private secretary. Agnes, in this sense, was playing the role of a counselor 4 She helped David to solve problems, and always brought hope to him. She was liked Hope embodied, to me. Hoe different I left in one short minute, having Agnes at my side! It was proper to call her a good Anger 5 . Agnes was a beautiful girl with goodness, resolution and all noble qualities 6 . David chose Agnes to be his wife, which might have been the best choice and result for him. She had loved David secretly for years; she supported David; she shared with him both joy and difficulties. So both David and readers were satisfied with this perfect woman and a happy ending.These two positive characters reflect the Dickens method os suffering education and warmth probation, transform assets and society. Betsey doesnt like David at first, but when poor David finds her through a long journey, she begins to like him, and supports David to go to university and have a good job. This reflects the kindhearted during the blood relationship. The other hand is Agnes, she is a good girl and she always gives the hand to David, and loves him forever. She contributes herself and she never wants to something in return from David. This tells us that we should have charity and forgive and make our haven dream come true.2.2 The negative role2.2.1 James Steerforth as abductorSteeforth was a slick, egotistical, wealthy young man whose sense of self-importance overwhelmed all his opinions. Steerforth underscored the differences between what we understood as readers and what David sawin his youthful naivete. David took Steerforths kindness for granted without analyzing his motives or detecting his duplicity. When Steerforth befriended David at Salem House, David didnt suspect that. Steerforth was simply trying to use David to make friends and gained status. Though Steerforth belittled David from the moment they met, David was incapable of conceiving that his new friend might be taking advantage of him.Because Steerforths duplicity was so clear to us, Davids lack of insight into Steerforths true intentions emphasied his youthful innocence. Steerforth liked David only because David worshiped him, and his final betrayal came as a surprise to David but not to us.2.2.2 Urian Heep as an evilUriah served a foil to David and contrasted Davids qualities of innocence and make compassion with his own corruption. Though Uriah was raised in a cruel environment similar to Davids, Uriahs upbringing caused him to become bitter and vengeful rather than honest and hopeful. Dickens physical description of Uriah marked Uriah as a demonic character. He referred to Uriahs movements as snakelike and gave Uriah red hair and red eyes. Uriah and David not only had opposing characteristics but also operated at cross-purposes. For example,whereas Uriah wished to marry Agnes only in order to hurt David, Davids marriages were motivated by love. The frequent contrast