英语专业毕业论文---探求隐形人中追求自我与存在主义的表现

1、摘 要通过运用萨特存在主义原理对看不见的人中主人公寻找真正存在历程的分析，本文揭示了人对自我价值和生存意义的不懈追寻这一主题。存在主义是十九世纪兴起的一种哲学。它探讨人的存在，生活的无意义无目的，及其人类生存的孤独。但是它并非一种消极哲学。因为，它非常强调人对自由的追求。在看不见的人中，就体现了这种思想。小说的主人公看不见的人是一个非洲裔美国人，他在战后美国种族歧视的背景下经历了存在的困境，曾经痛苦、绝望和孤独。但他并没有屈服于这种命运，而是勇敢地克服了这些悲观的情感，超越了恶劣的环境，最终获得了自由并对自己的行动承担了责任并走出了心理和社会的茫茫迷雾，寻找到了真正的自我价值和本己的真正存在。

2、关键词：萨特存在主义；身份；种族；自由abstractthrough the analysis of the heros search for his true existence in invisible man by employing sartrean existential theories, this thesis intends to reveal the individuals persistent pursuit of his own value and the meaning of being alive. existentialism is a philosophical

3、movement developed from the end of the nineteenth century to the twentieth century. it explores the existence of human being, emphasizes the meaningless and purposeless life, and the loneliness of human existence. however, existentialism is not depressing, since it attaches great importance to peopl

4、es pursuit of freedom. this kind of existentialistic tendency is revealed in this novel. the hero, known as the invisible man in the novel, is an african american. he experiences his existential predicaments in the context of the anti-black racism in postwar america. for this reason, he feels anguis

5、hed, despairing and lonely. but instead of being resigned to his tragic fate, he gains his freedom and shoulders his responsibility for everything he did by overcoming his sufferings and transcending the vicious conditions. thus, by going out of the nothingness of existence, he finds his true self.

6、coming out of the vast fog, he finally finds himself and true existence. key words: sartrean existentialism; identity; race; freedomcontentsintroduction1chapter 1 existentialism in invisible man31.1the invisible mans invisible existence before he awakens31.1.1the invisible mans original mode of exis

7、tence: being-in-itself31.1.2 the invisible mans psychology: self-deception91.2 the invisible mans visible existence after he awakens13chapter 2 seeking for self-identity162.1 his awakening162.2 his freedom192.3 his responsibility21conclusion23references25acknowledgments26introduction the grandson of

8、 slaves, ralph ellison was born in 1914 in oklahoma, and was raised largely in tulsa, oklahoma. his father was a construction worker, and his mother was a domestic servant who also volunteered for the local socialist party. as a young man, ellison developed an abiding interest in jazz music. he befr

9、iended a group of musicians who played in a regional band called walter pages blue devils, many of whom later played with count basies legendary big band in the later 1930s. ellison himself studied the cornet and trumpet, and planned a career as a jazz musician. in 1933, he left oklahoma to begin a

10、study of music at the tuskegee institute in tuskegee, alabama. the institute, which is now called tuskegee university, was founded in 1881 by booker t. washington, one of the foremost black educators in american history, and became one of the nations most important black colleges. it later served as

11、 the model for the black college attended by the narrator in invisible man. ellison left the tuskegee institute in 1936 and moved to new york city, where he settled in harlem. as an employee of the federal writers project, ellison befriended many of the important african-american writers of the era,

12、 including langston hughes and richard wright. ellison also befriended the eminent jazz writer and sociologist albert murray, with whom he carried on a lengthy and important literary correspondence, later collected in the book trading twelves. after a year editing the negro quarterly, ellison left f

13、or the merchant marines, in which he served during world war . after the war, ellison won a rosenwald fellowship, which he used to write invisible man. of all his works, invisible man is universally regarded as his masterpiece and electrified the nation in 1952. this is a story of a young black man

14、who is in a lunatic world where he can never get what he wants and even invariably achieves the opposite of what he aims at. hoping to impress a trustee of his college, he accidentally exposes the fellow a negro farmer, who is about to have children simultaneously with his wife and daughter, and eve

15、n worse, he leads him to the golden day. the result is he is dismissed from his college. hoping to get a stable job, he works hard but is doubted by the veteran worker and gets deadly hurt in an accident and even becomes experimentalinstrument of new machine in the factorys hospital. hoping to work

16、for the repressed human beings, he joined the brotherhood. his best efforts to gain honor with brotherhood get him promptly and severely punished. his lectures to women on the improvement of their estate win him instant invitations to their beds. his grand mission to rise in political and social wor

17、ld includes with his withdrawal into a manhole, where he decides to hibernate for a while, assessing the value of his quest. although deeply realizing the absurdity of the world and the alienation of human beings, he still tries his best effort to get the freedom and take his responsibility. he beco

18、mes a real existentialistic hero. through the analysis of the writer and the book of invisible man, the thesis is intended to provide a general view on the subject of the themes and existentialism in this book. meanwhile, by means of accomplishing the thesis, the ability to explore and solve problem

19、s independently is cultivated.chapter 1 existentialism in invisible man1.1the invisible mans invisible existence before he awakens1.1.1the invisible mans original mode of existence: being-in-itselfthe invisible man is the nameless protagonist of the novel and also the narrator relating his own story

20、 in the first person. as he tells us, he was born in a poor black family and his grandparents had ever been the slaves before the civil war. being ashamed of being the descendent of slaves and his poor living conditions, he attempted to break away from these plights by uplifting himself. in order to

21、 achieve his success, he studied diligently and was very careful about his manners and attitudes towards the authoritative people. in this way, he formed the humble and submissive character. gradually, this humility and submissiveness rooted in his mind and thus became his determined essence. with t

22、his nature he is not only a person taking orders meekly from his masters but also one without reflecting on everything, especially himself. in this way, he exists on the level of “being-in-itself”. “being-in-itself”, in sartres perspective, means non-conscious reality. and if man exists in this way,

23、 he has no consciousness of freedom and cannot assume his responsibility for everything he does. therefore, existing in this mode, a person would not become what he currently is not but just falls in the pure and simple being. the narrator is the very person existing in the mode of “in-itself”, for

24、he always remains humble and submissive without questioning his determined servility. and once his grandfather negates this moral standard he immediately becomes uneasy and worried. originally, his grandfather lives meekly and uncomplainingly as a good slave. but before he dies, he defines his meekn

25、ess as treachery.as his thoughts indicate, the narrator believes in values and morals of the racist society whether they are right or not. in this way, he exists on the level of being-in-itself. yet he doesnt know it is the type of being that makes him lose his humanity and individuality and becomes

26、 an object. in this view, the narrator has no possibilities of becoming something that he currently is not.existing in this way, the narrator escapes from his free awareness and the pain of responsible life. and that is why he doesnt know what his grandfather says on his deathbed: “son, after im gon

27、e i want you to keep up the good fight. i never told you, but our life is a war . . . i want you to overcome em with yeses, undermine em with grins, agree em to death and destruction, let em swollen you till they vomit or bust wide open”. (ellison, 2005: 16)the meaning of these words becomes a const

28、ant puzzle that lies uneasily in the depth of the narrators mind. in appearance, the old man has been the “meekest of men” who never makes any trouble. yet on his deathbed he has called for black people to keep up a fight. the enigmatic words confuse the narrator, because having evaded his self-cons

29、ciousness, he isnt able to understand the warning from his grandfather. his grandfather wants to convey a sign of fighting. that is to say, they blacks are not inherent in servility and meekness. as other black people have the capability to change their lives by fighting for their freedom. hence, th

30、ey are not determined as objects with inertia and stillness. instead, as human beings they have equal rights to improve themselves and free themselves. therefore, he intends to arouse the narrators self-consciousness to revolt against the oppression and enslavement of white men.what he wants is free

31、dom, equality and dignity of being a citizen of america. failing to examine the true meaning of the words he escapes from the pain of his true existence. however, if a man wants to exist freely he must be a certain kind of individual who strives, considers and chooses. in contrast with the idea, the

32、 narrator never considers himself as an individual with self-consciousness. instead, he never bothers himself to consider, choose and decide lest without the approval of the white folks he lose his own worth and sense of meaning. therefore, he is just “what it is” and exists in the mode of the in-it

33、self. considered as a good slave with “desirable conduct”, the narrator delivers an oration in which he shows that “humility is the secret, indeed, the very essence of progress”. (ellison, 2005: 17)because of this successful speech, he is invited by the superintendent to deliver it again at a gather

34、ing of the towns leading men. but when he arrives, he finds that he must take part in the battle royal to be fought by several black boys about his age firstly. this battle royal is as part of the entertainment of the white men. immediately, he has some misgivings over being one of the black enterta

35、iners. then he thinks fighting with other black boys hysterically like the stupid clowns is actually the humiliating torment.however, he endures it in order to speak in front of the white citizens, for he says: “i wanted to deliver my speech more than anything else in the world; because i felt that

36、only these men could judge truly my ability”. (ellison, 2005: 25) these words out of the inside of the narrator clearly reveal his determined nature before he awakens. and if mans essential nature are already given and fixed, he can not have been responsible for being himself. thus, evading his true

37、 himself and expecting other people to confer the value and meaning on his existence, he is doomed to existing as things, since matter is not in any sense free with the determined essence. therefore, existing in this way, he doesnt know who he is, and how he behaves in the given circumstances.as suc

38、h a good slave, he is fully blind to himself and his relationship to the racial society. and his blindness becomes the major obstacle to seeing through the truth. for this reason, ellison employs the imagery of blindness to present the symbolic meaning of it. imagery is a kind of literary device use

39、d by writers to convey a picture without saying directly what the image is. ellison has the extraordinary gift to use the imagery to convey the complicated meanings, which can help inform the major themes. before the black boys start their fighting they are blindfolded and herded into boxing ring. t

40、heir wearing blindfolds symbolize that they are powerless to recognize their exploitation at the hands of the white men. the narrator is one of them, and is subjected to the same pain and abasement. however, he holds himself aloof from them, for he regards them as inferiors to himself. in this view,

41、 his blindness actually signifies his lack of insight into what he should be and what he will be. therefore, he exists blindly and believes in the tamer ingratiating ideology blindly. and it is the blindness that makes him play the good slave before the white folks and destines his following sufferi

42、ngs and difficulties.since the narrator is in the mode of being-in-itself, he cannot use his sensibility to explore his true self. he just respects the authorities and believes he should act according to them, for he thinks the authorities are incarnation of power. with this humility, he begins to d

43、eliver his speech. but the leading citizens of the town authority in his mind are so inattentive that his voice can barely be heard. however, when he accidentally uses the word “social equality”, full and ominous silence descends. the white men are displeased with this offensive word “equality”. for

44、 them, the equality between blacks and whites is impossible. blacks are born inferior to them. therefore, they are certainly blacks fathers. thus, they immediately warn the narrator to know his place at all times. and he obeys them unquestioningly. this behavior completely exposes his servile nature

45、, which is determined in advance by the historical long enslavement and oppression. in sartres view: “man has a greater dignity than a stone or a table. what gives him dignity is his possession of a subjective life”. (stumpf, 2000: 58) therefore, the narrator is not “a conscious subject”, which diff

46、erentiates himself from a thing. instead, by fleeing from the subjective and free life, he just falls in the pure and simple being.in view of his successful speech he gets a prize to the state college for negroes. thus, he can keep developing in the same way and help shape the destiny of other black

47、s. overjoyed at his prize, he totally forgets the degrading and humiliating events of the evening. however, the white folks dont hope to develop him at all. instead, they want to control him further. therefore, his future is determined. for this reason, he never chooses for himself but is chosen by

48、other people. thus, his “being-in-the-world” means nothing as he has lost his individuality. booker t. washington is a black educator who holds an idea that blacks should work hard with humility to achieve their economic success. believing in his ideology, the narrator has lost his free consciousnes

49、s. one day he has been assigned as chauffeur to mr. norton, a visiting millionaire. the narrator hopes to get “a large tip, or a suit, or a scholarship next year” (ellison, 2005: 38) by flattering him. mr. norton is not a man but a god in his mind. he is eager to serve him but he doesnt know that it

50、 is him who denies his worth and reinforces his servility. mr. norton is one of the original founders of the college and he thinks that negro people are connected with his destiny. and he even indicates straightforwardly that the narrator is his fate: i am dependent upon you to learn my fate. throug

51、h you and your fellow students i become, let us say, three hundred teachers, seven hundred trained mechanics eight hundred skilled farmers, and so on. that way i can observe in terms of living personalities to what extent my money, my time, and my hopes have been fruitfully invested. (ellison, 2005:

52、 45)that passage indicates that in the guise of his benevolence norton reveals his “contempt of colonialism for the incompetence of the colored races, of any culture or tradition to the people forced into dependence on the civilization of the western world”. (ellison, 2005: 18) just as what he prese

53、nts the invisible man is just one important “cog”. if the narrator fails he has failed by this defective cog. in this way by degrading the narrator to the thing he actually negates the narrators meaning of existence.blunted by his long submissiveness the narrator is unconscious of nortons genuine de

54、sire. he always depends on the authorities to direct him and make decisions for him. sartre has asserted that man should not count on anything, anybody to direct him. instead, man should do everything according to his free will. in this sense, sartre calls for people to realize their true existence

55、by choosing and acting freely. but, in contrast with the idea, the narrator believes what is authoritative and never involves himself in his own life. hence, he fails to become a free individual choosing and acting for him. in this way by forfeiting his free awareness he cannot extricate himself fro

56、m existential predicaments.listening to nortons talk attentively he unwittingly turns into the road of the old slave cabin where jim trueblood lives. the college hates and distrusts him because he has committed the blackest sin: incest. cast out by his family and black community, trueblood goes off

57、to try to figure out if he is guilty or not. but however hard he thinks over it he cannot solve the problem. finally he gives up and decides to come back whether he is guilty or not. his returning instead of exiling himself shows that he resolves to act according to his free will, because he believe

58、s he has the freedom to create his own values and morals. furthermore, he thinks he should take the responsibility for who he is.blind to the revelation from trueblood, the narrator just fears that norton might die from shock and he drives to the nearest bar, the golden day, for help. there he meets

59、 the particular veteran who tells him who he is, and how he behaves. but by escaping his consciousness he doesnt accept the advices. the golden day is a sporting and gambling house where the college prohibits the students from going. when the narrator and norton enter the house, it happens to be some fifty veterans from the insane asylum in the place.when the superca