精神家园的守望者-对塞林格《麦田里的守望者》的精神生态解读.doc

此文档收集于网络，如有侵权，请联系网站删除中图分类号:I106.4 学号：09004110432南阳师范学院本科毕业论文论文题目：精神家园的守望者-对塞林格麦田里的守望者的精神生态解读 作 者： 李 慧 指导教师： 李 小 海 副教授 学 院： 外 国 语 学 院 专 业： 英 语 班 级： 2009 级 4 班 二一三 年 三 月 精神家园的守望者塞林格麦田里的 守望者的精神生态解读南阳师范学院外国语学院英语专业申请文学学士学位毕业论文作 者： 指导教师： Watching on the Spiritual Homestead -An Spiritual Ecocriticism Reading of The Catcher in the RyeA Thesis Submitted toEnglish Department,School of Foreign Languages,Nanyang Normal Universityin Partial Fulfillment of the Requirementsfor the Degree of Bachelor of ArtsByLi HuiSupervisor： 此文档仅供学习与交流AcknowledgementsI would like to thank all those who have given me their generous help, commitment and enthusiasm, which have been the major driving force to complete the current paper. Here I would like to express my deepest thanks to my supervisor, Mr. Li, for his insightful views on how this thesis should be constructed, and for him providing me with timely feedback, careful modification and encouragement that are very helpful for writing the thesis. Without his help, this thesis would have been impossible. Mr. Lis passion in this field is never-ceasing and inspiring. From him, I have more closely experienced what the virtues like integrity and devotion mean for a true scholar.I should express my gratitude to my families and classmates. I thanks for their encouragement when I felt frustrated in the process of writing the thesis, and for their suggestions and supports.摘 要麦田里的守望者是美国20世纪文学的现代经典，杰罗姆大卫塞林格（Jerome David Salinger）是美国著名“遁世”作家之一，他的作品使他被公认为战后另一类型小说的代表人物，具有严肃，自由而又趋于神秘主义的独特写作风格。他迄今为止发表的唯一 一部小说麦田里的守望者在美国战后文学中被誉为“现代经典”。小说描写了一个富家子弟拒绝进入伪善,虚假的成人世界。霍尔顿对现代社会的堕落, 虚伪和冷酷厌恶之极, 觉得自己与周围社会格格不入从而无处可归, 因此他渴望探寻一个恒久的纯真的儿童世界, 并且渴望寻找自我愿做一个精神家园-麦田里的守望者，去守望人类纯真的童年，去守望这一块自由，欢快的还未曾污染的麦田。由此，充分隐含了作者渴望回归童年、回归美好大自然的良好愿望，体现了作者的一种健康的精神生态思想,对二战后的美国的文学和文化产生深远的影响。关键词：霍尔顿; 自然; 童年; 生态批评; 生态意识; 精神 生态AbstractAs one of the famous “reclusive writers” in the United States, Jerome David Salinger gets high reputation after World War . His works make him a representative of a new kind in novel. His works are both mysterious and serious with their own characteristic style. The Catcher in the Rye, one of the most outstanding literary works of J.D.Salinger. The Catcher in the Rye depicted a young man Holden Caulfield who spurned the adults world. Holden feels extreme disgusting about the degradation and hypocrisy in modern society, and feels so out of tune with the surrounding society. But there has nowhere to go, so he is eager to explore the innocence of the permanent childrens world to find himself. And was eager to be a catcher in the rye，which showed his passion for returning to youth and nature and his thoughts of eco-philosophy. It had great influence on the literature and culture in America after the Second World WarKey Words: Holden; nature; childhood; ecocriticism; ecological consciousness; spiritual ecocriticismContentsAcknowledgements I摘要 IIAbstract IIIContents.IVChapter 1: Introduction.11.1 The Theoretical background .11.2 A brief introduction of ecocriticism.21.3 The brief introduction of ecological consciousness2Chapter2: The ecological consciousness of Holden in the The Catcher in the Rye.3 2.1 The brief introduction of J. D. Salinger and his work The Catcher in the Rye.32.2 Ecological consciousness in Salingers life42.3 Ecological Consciousness of Holden.52.3.1 The return to nature .52.3.2 The passion for children-image of nature.7Chapter3. Conclusion83.1 Harmony with nature is the tendency in modern society.10 3.2 Harmony between humans and nature is the theme .12 Bibliography14Chapter1. Introduction1.1 The Theoretical backgroundIn the process of industrialization, mankind has greatly improved their material life with the advancement of science and technology and created a splendid civilizationIn the meantime，mankind has gradually also entered an era of ecological crisis. Ecological crisis is a state of human, induced ecological disorder that could lead to the destruction of ecological conditions on this planet, which could in turn deepen the spiritual crisis. To some extent，the plight of modern mans existence results from the connection between ecological crisis and spiritual crisisSuch influence can be better interpreted by a literary critical theory rising in a state of ecological degradationEcocriticismEcocriticism is one of the most recent interdisciplinary fields that have emerged in literary and cultural studiesIt began in the 1970s，burgeoned in the late 1990s and is still booming development at present. Stressing the linkage between the literary, texts and the natural world, it is developed against the background of the increasingly severe environmental crisis. It has been developed against the background of the increasingly severe environmental crisis and the development of global movement of environmentalismEcocriticism is still a young literary theory，and has a lot of growing yet to do in the future.1.2 A brief introduction of ecocriticismDeveloped against the background of the increasing environmental crisis，ecocriticism is the study of literature from the environmental perspective. The term of ecocriticism can trace back to William Rucekert the Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism. He sets out to“experiment with the application of ecology and ecological concepts to the study of literature”1:114. Most ecocritical works share common motivation：the troubling awareness that we have reached the age of environmental limits, a time when the consequences of human actions damaging the planets basic life support systems and crises are growing in both ecosphere and spiritual sphere. Ecocritics encourage others to think seriously about the relationship between humans and nature, the ethical and aesthetic dilemmas posed by the environmental crisis, and how language and literature transmits values with profound ecological implications.1.3 A brief introduction of ecological consciousnessThe influential statement of ecological consciousness was first advocated by Aldo Leopold (18871948) in his posthumous book，A Sand Country Almanac，in 1949Leopold says: says，“changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the landcommunity to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members，and also respect for the community as such”2:86. The search for deep ecological consciousness is yearning for a more objective consciousness and state of being through an active questioning and meditative process and way of life. Just like Aldo Leopold emphasizes that we should be striving for harmony with the land and admitting at the outset that the thing we need must grow from within. 2:95-98 Ecological consciousness makes possible the extension of an ethical attitude toward nature，pointing the way to a new relationship between nature and man. Its something that lies at the heart of humanity, it must develop almost as matter of instinctChapter2. The ecological consciousness of Holden in the TheCatcher in the Rye2.1 An introduction to J.D. Salinger and his work The Catcher in the RyeJerome David was born on January 1st, 1919, in a well-to-do merchant family in New York City. From 1932 to 1934, Salinger received his education in both public and private schools in Manhattan. When he was 15, he was sent to a military academy, Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania, where he got his only diploma in his life. In 1940, Salinger published his first short story, The Young Folks in Stray and The University of Kansas City Review was published later in the same year. At the end of WW, Salinger was discharged from the army and remained in Europe, working as a civilian for the Department of Defense until May 1946, when he returned to New York city. He never stopped writing and publishing his works. In 1951, Salinger published The Catcher in the Rye after working on it a decade. The Catcher in the Rye depicted a young man Holden Caulfield who spurned the adults world. And eagered to be a catcher in the rye，which showed his passion for returning to youth and nature and his thoughts of eco-philosophy. Branch once says:“The Catcher in the Rye leaves us doubtful that the individual，even assisted by the analysts best efforts, ever truly escape the double trap of society and self ”3:214-215. What further-contributes to the “underlying despair of Salingers heel”, so Branch says，is that Holden has not matured or learned anything by the end of the novel and that “Holden wants to remain forever the catcher in the rye ”3:220-221. It had great influence on the literature and culture in America after the Second World War2.2 The ecological consciousness in Salingers lifeIn the early 1960s, Salinger began to publish less and to disengage from societySince 1965, he has hardly been seen or heard of and has not published anything in either magazines or books. He has become an utter recluse and seldom receives interviewFor many years he has remained in his home，out of the public sightIt is said that he is still writing but he writes just for himself and his own pleasure. In Paul Alexanders Biography of Salinger，he speculated that Salinger enjoyed the attention for being a recluse4:56. To some extent，it is just his personal reticence，in other words，his insistence on privacy in an age of exposure that contributes to his reputation and transforms him into something of a cult figureSalinger continues to main cabin his silence，but Holden Caulfield，the unforgettable character of his novel The Catcher in the Rye，continues to speak to generations of readers and writersSalingers journey of the human spirit through the illusions of the material world to the transcendent spiritual oneness keeps attracting reader and critics. Margaret says that Salinger often talks about Holden as a real person，not only the character in the fiction, indicating that Holden is the real portrayal of Salinger5:23.When asked if the novel was in any way autobiographical，Salinger said: “ Sort of，I was much relieved when I finished it. My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book，and it was a great relief telling people about it ”6:133. As a conclusion，Holdens life experience epitomizes Salingers. Hence he shares the same philosophy. Being the incitation of Salinger, Holden inevitably bears ecological consciousness in his own character2.3 Ecological Consciousness of Holden2.3.1 The return to natureSalingers times，or more exactly Holdens times，the economy of America was developing at full speed and material wealth accumulating frenziedly. The Second World War brought enormous wealth to the United States, did not bring peace and stability to the United States. Everyone is measured absolutely by his surface value，money income and social status，not by his character or morality, which increasingly transformed the free America into a snobbish America. People were farther away from natureNature is highly symbolic to Holden. From Naesss point of view，if one extends oneself to include other species and even the whole nature，the interest of nature will be ones own 7:167. Living as naturally as possible and renouncing those necessary material need is one of the yearnings for the ultimate spiritual truths. Holdens distinctive identify of “the catcher in the rye to catch and prevent kids from being hurt and killed is possible ways toward the perfection of life. It is the endless source for him that the typical embodiment of his ecological consciousnessIn The Catcher in the Rye, the chapter22, when Phoebe asks Holden what he wants with his life，he replies with his image again of a“catcher in the rye”He images a field of rye perched high on cliff full of children romping and playingHe says he would like to protect the children from falling off the edge of the cliff by“catching”them if they were on the verge of tumbling over: I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and allThousands of little kids，and nobodys around-nobody big，I mean-except meAnd Im standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do，I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff-I mean if theyre running and they dont look where theyre going 1 have to come out from somewhere and catch themThats all Id do all dayId just be the catcher in the rye and all. 6:173Rye symbolizes the nature which is peaceful, beautiful and unpolluted. Nature, as the purest and the holiest force on human, is a symbol of human spirit. As to Holden, nature is the media to seek for the divinity of humans，and an activator for humans to cultivate themselves and elevate themselves spiritually. In fact, nature is a assistor for humans perfection.Holden shows great concerns for other creatures. The most notable examples is Holdens hunting hat and the ducks in Central ParkMoreover，some of the symbols are constructed in such a way that the change in their meaning parallels the change in Holdens outlook. This is the case with the obscene graffiti in Phoebe school and the carousel in Central Park. The matter of the Central Park ducks is to be forever in Holdens mind during his Christmas weekend in New York. Confused by where the ducks go in winter, he insists on figuring out their future. Besides asking the cabbies about them，he looks for them all around the Central Park lagoon in the midnightHoldens constant concern with ducks also implies that he has an unswerving tendency towards nature. His escape，in a sense，is the quest for spiritual perfection and enlightenment. And his going back to nature，in consequence，is an active returnHe assumes his responsibility to care for，save and protect those helpless creatures. He wishes to set up a harmonious relationship with the animals and plants.2.3.2 The passion for children-image of natureChildren are connected with nature by their common nature of divinity and are regarded as peoples spiritual sanctuary. And at that time，the relationship between nature and human beings is harmonious. That means that the spiritual trauma in the adult world and all the agonies can be purified and healed in the childrens worldIn addition, all the details show Holdens obsession with “ nature ”，the image of children is, undoubtedly, a key point among all the details in Holdens eco1ogical consciousness.Holden，as an adolescent boy on the brink of adulthood，is extremely tired of the hypocrisy and degradation in modern society. What he is eager to do is to escape from a world of alienation and quests for self-identity, going back to nature and seeking a new place existing only in the children innocent worldSo children in the catcher in the rye such as Allie，Phoebe，and the kid humming the title song, play a role of beacon light in Holdens mindPhoebe and Allie are Holdens beloved kid sister and deceased brother respectivelyPhoebe is the “ Goddess ” in Holdens heart，as she is extremely smart, innocent with a touch of sophistication and simple with a touch of wit. She listens to what Holden say sand understands him more than most other people doShe is his best friend and guardian，and Holden knows he can rely on her any timeHer childish innocence is one of Holdens consistent sources of happiness throughout the novel. Holdens despair is eventually soothed with love from his kid sister and a vague sense of purpose in life. Allie is brilliant, friendly, and innocenceHe died of leukemia three years before the start of the novelHolden clearly still feels Allies death stronglyHe has no one to teach him how to cope with death. He falls in a state of spiritual impasseThus he eventually accepted Allies death，as a genuine mystic，spiritually advance far beyond the general level of the worldLife is death, death is lifeThe two contradictory concepts are one and the same. They will repeat themselves in endless cyclesThe dead Allie will stay with Holden together foreverHolden can talk with Allie when he feels 1onely；and he can pray to Allie for help when he falls in troubleHolden values children for their sincerity and innocence, seeking to protect them from the phony adult society. To a certain degree, childrens innocence and simple nature gives him wealth and strengthHolden feeling towards children shows that he wants to recover the lost self as well as the last paradiseAnd through childrens intuitive power, Holden obtain a more profound understanding of societyIt is children who help Holden to be alienated from the phony world and embrace the natureChapter3. ConclusionIn the novel，the author intends to get a deeper penetration of the inner world of adolescents so as to offer a better understanding of Holden s spiritual perplexity and his ecological complex，who is the novel s narrator and protagonistIn this way，the author hopes to offer people proper, timely guidance，bridging the spiritual gap between the real and the ideal，awaken their ecological consciousness, to develop a health spiritual ecocriticism, harmony with the nature, returning to the childhood.Salingers ecological consciousness reveals in the recognition of nature values through his characterization of Holden. As Strauch describes it, the meaning of the novel is both