On the Theme of Loneliness in >The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter> [论《心是孤独的猎手》中的孤独主题], Master thesis, English Language and Literature, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China 2011 [application of Fromm's theories to art].

  • 20世纪40年代美国女作家卡森•麦卡勒斯的长篇小说《心是孤独的猎手》是一部极具代表意义的作品。该作品中的人物都呈现一个共同特征:孤独。国内对该小说的研究甚少。本论文从埃里希•弗洛姆新精神分析理论的角度对小说的孤独主题进行分析。首先,论文运用>金字塔<的图式分析小说中人物孤独的表现。由哑巴辛格所做的金字塔之梦引出小说孤独金字塔结构,阐明主要人物在孤独金字塔中的地位;探讨金字塔的核心人物辛格的性格特征,并说明他是如何成为其他四人心目中的>上帝<;以小女孩米克和黑人医生考普兰德为代表分析金字塔低层被俘虏人群的孤独,指出他们每个人都有自己的梦,但每个人都是孤独的。其次,论文探讨小说人物孤独的原因。一方面,卡森•麦卡勒斯自身的孤独体验影响了小说的创作。其严厉的家庭教育,反复发作的疾病和痛苦的恋情导致麦卡勒斯长期处于孤独的情结之中,也成为《心是孤独的猎手》孤独主题的主要缘由之一。另一方面,当时的社会环境和个人行为影响人物心理。信仰的缺失,人物交流的受阻,自我身份的不确定和感情的无能为力使人物陷入深深的孤独之中。最后,论文挖掘小说人物逃离孤独的方式。主要包括酗酒,施虐与受虐以及音乐。然而,酗酒只能暂时麻醉人的孤独之感,施虐与受虐使人迷失自我因而感到更加孤独,音乐只能从表面缓解孤独。这表明,20世纪美国社会普遍存在的孤独心理无法避免,任何消解方式都是徒劳。
  • Carson McCullers is an American woman writer in the 1940s. >The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter< is one of her most representative novels. The characters in this novel share a common feature: loneliness. In China, few works have studied this novel. This thesis analyzes the theme of loneliness in this novel by employing Erich Fromm’s Neo-Psychoanalytic theory. First, this thesis analyzes the manifestation of loneliness through the pyramid structure. By narrating the mute Singer’s dream, it reduces the pyramid structure of loneliness, and clarifies every character’s status in this pyramid; then it discusses the characteristics of the core character Singer and explains how he becomes the >God< in the hearts of the other four people; finally it chooses Mick and Copeland as representatives to present the loneliness of the captive crowd in the low layer of the pyramid, pointing out each of them has his dream, but each is lonely.– Next, this thesis probes into the causes of loneliness. On the one hand, McCullers’s personal experience of loneliness influences the creation of this novel. The strict family education, the chronic diseases and the painful love keep McCullers in the mood of loneliness, which in turn becomes the source of the loneliness of the novel; on the other hand, the social environment and individual behavior in that period affect the psychology of characters. The death of god, the breakdown in communication, the loss of identity and the inability of love result in the characters’ deep loneliness.– At last, it explores the ways to escape from loneliness, including alcoholism, sadism and masochism, and music. However, alcoholism can only temporarily paralyze the feeling of loneliness, sadism and masochism lead to disorientation, making people feel lonelier; music can merely relieve the loneliness on the surface. It demonstrates that in the 20th century, the social mentality of loneliness in America is inevitable, and all the efforts to avoid loneliness are in vain. [Author’s translation]

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Metadaten
Author:Wendan Huang
Document Type:Dissertations
Language:Chinese
Year of first Publication:2011
Release Date:2016/09/29
Format:no download and copy possible
IdNo:Huang_Wendan_2011
Writings about Erich Fromm (Secondary Literature):Dissertations / Dissertationen
Erich Fromm's Library and Erich Fromm Archive:Dissertations / Dissertationen
Licence (German):
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