A Naturalistic Study of Henry Flemings Timidity in The Red Badge of Courage.docx

A Naturalistic Study of Henry Flemings Timidity in The Red Badge of Courage.docx

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ANaturalisticStudyofHenryFlemingsTimidityinTheRedBadgeofCourage

题目：

ANaturalisticStudyofHenryFleming’s Timidityin

 TheRedBadgeofCourage

Contents

1.Introduction…………………………………………………………1

1.1.TheReviewofTheRedBadgeofCourage………………………1

1.2.TheReviewofStephenCraneandtheNaturalisminTheRedBadgeofCourage………………………………………………..2

2.NaturalisticStudyofHenryFleming’sPsychology…………………3

2.1.TheCallofWild—theDesiretoGototheBattlefield……………3

2.1.1.TheExteriorFactor—HisPoorFamilyBackground…………4

2.1.2.TheInteriorFactor—RegardlessofObstruction……………..6

2.2.TheSurvivaloftheFittest—HisCowardiceinBattlefield………9

2.2.1.HeroismSurrenderingtoAnxietyandTimidity…………….10

2.2.2.TriumphofCowardice………………………………………12

2.3.InstinctforLiving—HisEndeavorofCoveringaftertheWar…..16

2.3.1.CoveringHisCowardicebyLying…………………………16

2.3.2.LivingonbyWorkingHard…………………………………18

3.Conclusion……………………………………………………………20

Bibliography…………………………………………………………….21

Abstract

TheRedBadgeofCourageisthemasterpieceofAmericanwriterStephenCranewhoisafamousnaturalistwriterin19thcentury.Thisnovel’sbackgroundisAmericanCivilWar（1861-1865）,andittellsusthatapeasantwoman’sson-HenryFlemingwhoalwayscraveforthemilitarylifeandtobeaherointheCivilWar.Henryattendsthemilitarywithouthismother’sobstructionandheiscontrolledbyhisinstinct--timiditythroughwholeprogress.Duringtherunning,Henry’spsychologyhaschangedlot.Finally,heiscommendedforhisfraudcourageousbehavior,andhismindisstillfilledwithfearandcowardice.Returningtothebattlefield,hefightshardwithragejustforcoveringthefearandcowardice.Inthisessay,IwillanalysisHenryFleming’scowardiceandhispsychologychangefromnaturalism.

Keywords:

timidity;naturalism;psychology;instinct;fear

摘要

《红色英勇勋章》是美国十九世纪的现实主义作家斯蒂芬·克莱恩的代表作。

小说以美国南北战争（1861-1865）为背景，讲述了一个农妇的独生子亨利·弗莱明，渴望过军旅生活，渴望在战争中成为受人敬仰的英勇而不顾母亲的劝阻毅然加入了军队。

而之后的整个生活都被自己的本能—胆小所控制。

特别是在逃跑期间，他的心理经历了更多的变化。

在返回军营之后，他由于身上多了一条伤口而被大家赞扬，而此时他自己的心理确实充满着胆小与害怕。

重返战场之后，为了掩饰自己的胆小与害怕，亨利·弗莱明更加英勇的战斗。

在这篇论文中，我将从自然主义的角度去分析弗莱明的胆小与心理变化。

关键词：

胆小；自然主义；心理变化；本能；害怕

1.Introduction

TheRedBadgeofCourageisthemasterpieceofAmericanwriterStephenCrane,whoisafamousnaturalistwriterin19thcentury.Thisnovel’sbackgroundisAmericanCivilWar（1861—1865）,andittellsusthatapeasantwoman’sson—HenryFleming,whoalwayscravesforthemilitarylifeandwantstobeaherointheCivilWar.Inordertomakehisdreamcometrue,heattendsthemilitaryregardlessofhismother’sobstruction.Beforethewar’sbeginning,Henry’smindisfulloffearandtimidityforhearingsomerumors.Whenfacingtherealwar,herunsawayfromthebattle.Duringhisrunningaway,heworriesaboutthathewouldbelaughedat.Hefaceshisfriend’sdeath.Helongsforawoundtocertificatehiscourage.Finally,hegetsawoundbuthasnothingtodowiththecourageousbehavior.Afterreturningtothemilitary,althoughheiscommendedforhisfraudcourageousbehavior,hismindisstillfilledwithfearandcowardice.Returningtothebattlefield,hefightshardwithragejustforcoveringupthefearandcowardice.ThisnovelendswithadeclarationofHenry’sdevelopmentintoamanofhonorandcourage.

ForStephenCrane（1871—1900）,asIknow,heisoneofthegreatestnaturalismnovelistsinAmericanliteraturehistory.Atthesametime,heisashortstorywriter,poetandjournalist.（BowersF.,1984:

5）TheFrenchschoolofNaturalismhasagreatinfluenceonhisnovelsandhim.Duringhisshortlife,hecreatesthreefamousnaturalismnovels:

TheRedBadgeofCourage,Maggie—AGirloftheStreetsandTheOpenBoat.Therefore,someonesaysthatheisageniusintheAmericannovelhistory.SomeonecallshimthepioneerintheAmericannaturalismliterature.Inthesethreenaturalisticnovels,wecangetaseriousofnaturalisticideasandthemes.Forexample,“Thefatespresideoverman’slife,whenthemanisinfrontofthecruelfates,environmentsandsocieties”,“Man,whoaredeprivedoffreedom,cannotgetthehelpfromtheGod,becausetheGodiscoldanddon’tcareabouthuman’ssuffering”.（罗小云,2009:

2）Atthesametime,Stephen’snaturalismalsoincludesaseriousofDarwin’stheories,like,“thesurvivalofthefittest”,“alllivingwhichincludesmanisconstrainedbythelawsofnature”“humanbeingisanimalandanimalishumanbeing”andsoon.（刘丹,2010:

32）Fromthemacro,theNaturalismmeansthepoweroftheenvironment.Nomatteritisnaturalenvironmentorurbanenvironment,theycanbeyondoroverwhelmthehuman’spowersothatthemancannotdoanythingforthedecisivethings.AccordingtotheEmileZola’sdefinitiontotheliterarynaturalism,thenaturalismisdirectobservation,descriptionandacceptancetoallthings.

InCrane’sTheRedBadgeofCourage,StephenCranefocusesondescriptionofHenryFleming’spsychology.WecangetCrane’snaturalismfromthesepoints.Firstnaturalism,humanbeingsaregovernedbytheirinstinctandpassions.Second,manisoftengovernedbytheirheredityandnaturalenvironment.Thirdisnaturalselectionandsurvivaloffittest.Fourth,animals’characterisbasicpersonalityofhumanbeings.Therefore,inthisessay,IwillstudyHenryFleming’stimidityinaccordancewithnaturalistideas.

2.ANaturalisticStudyofHenryFleming’sPsychology

InTheRedBadgeofCourage,HenryFleming’spsychologicalchangesexperiencefivestages.AtFirst,hefeelsexcitingafterattendingthemilitary.Second,itisabouthisfearandanxietyafterhearingtherumoraboutthewar.Third,itisaboutthetimidityhefeelswhenhefacesthedeathintherealwar.Fourth,itispsychologicalconflictandself-reproachafterherunsawayfromthebattlefield.Fifth,itisaboutthecowardiceandfearhefeelswhenHenryreturnstothearmy.Inmyunderstanding,thefearandtimidityareprevailingthroughoutHenry’spsychologicalchanges.

2.1TheCallofWild—TheDesiretoGotoTheBattlefield

Fromthephilosophyview,weknowthateverything’shappeningdependsonbothexteriorfactorsandinteriorfactors.ThisruleisalsoapplicabletotheStephenCrane’swork.ForHenryFleming,hiscraveisexcitedbytwoaspects.Oneistheexteriorfactor—hispoorfamilybackground.Everyone,whowasborninthepoorentertainment,wantstochangethissituationinstinctively.Anotheroneistheinteriorfactor—regardlessofobstruction.ThisinthemostimportantreasonforHenry’sattendingthearmy.Becauseoftheobstruction,everyonewantstoexperiencethecravingwhilebreakingthroughtheobstruction.Now,IwillanalyzeHenryFleming’spsychologyfromthesetwoparts.

2.1.1TheExteriorFactor—HisPoorFamilyBackground

HenryFlemingwasborninapoorfamily.AsIsee,hispoorfamilybackgrounddecideshisdesiretogotothebattlefield.IcanusethesecondandthirdnaturalistideaswhichImentionedinthepreviousparagraphtoanalysisthisconclusion—“Manisoftengovernedbytheirheredityandnaturalenvironment”.Henry’spoorfamilybackgroundisthenaturalenvironment.NotonlycantheenvironmentgobeyondandoverwhelmHenry’spower,butalsoitcangovernHenryandhisinstinct,becausetheenvironmentgovernshimandhisinstinct,andtheinstinctcallshiswilddesiretouseallwaystochangethepoorfamilyconditionandenvironment.Atthatwarperiod,thebestwaytosolvethisproblemistoattendthemilitary.“Ifhetrieshisbesttosurvivefromthewarandtobeahero,thenHenrywillgettheglorywhichcanbringwealth,ahappylifeandevenrevisehisfamilybackgroundandenvironment.”（张放放,2005:

1）Beforeattendingthemilitary,Henryalwaysdreamsofthebattleallhislife.InStephenCrane’snovel,wecanseeHenry’scravingformilitarylife,forwar,forgloryandforbeingahero.

HehadlongdespairedofwitnessingaGreeklikestruggle.Suchwouldbenomore,hehadsaid.Menwerebetter,ormoretimid.Hehasburnedseveraltimestoenlist.Talesofgreatmovementsshooktheland.TheymightnotbedistinctlyHomeric,butthereseemedtobemuchgloryinthem.Hehadreadofmarches,sieges,conflicts,andhehadlongedtoseeitall.Hisbusymindhaddrawnforhimlargepicturesextravagantincolor,luridwithbreathlessdeeds.

（StephenCrane,1895:

5）

FromthisdescriptionofHenryFleming,weknowhisdesireforwar,militaryandglory.Finally,thewilddesireforceshimtojointhemilitary.Thewilddesireisgeneratedbythenaturalenvironment.So,wecansaythattheexteriorfactor—theenvironmentcontrolsFleming’sinstinct.Fromanotherpoint,thecharacterofnaturalisminAmericanliterature,wecanalsoexplainthereasonwhyHenryFlemingcravestoattendthebattlesomuch.Thecharacteris“frequentlybutnotinvariablyilleducatedorlowerclasscharacterswhoselivesaregovernedbytheforcesofheredity,instinct,andpassion”.（Philips,　Brian&　DavidHopson,2003:

22）Accordingthischaracter,HenryFleming’sfamily,whichisnaturalenvironment,belongstothelowerclassandhebelongstothelowerclasscharacterandilleducatedperson.Hislifeisgovernedbytheforceofinstinct.Therefore,thenaturalenvironmenthasagreatinfluenceonhimandawakeshiswilddesireorinstincttojointhearmy.

FromthedescriptionaboveforHenry,“HehadlongdespairedofwitnessingaGreeklikestruggle.Suchwouldbenomore,hehadsaid.Menwerebetterormoretimid”.（StephenCrane,1895:

34）WeknowthatFleminglongsforattendingawarthatjustlikestheGreekwar.Atsametime,healsorecognizesthatmenwillshowtheirtimidity,whentheyfacethecruelwar.Justbecauseofhisrecognition,itmakeshimfeeltimidand