《海上扁舟》和《少年派》中角色的人性对比研究.docx

《海上扁舟》和《少年派》中角色的人性对比研究.docx

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《海上扁舟》和《少年派》中角色的人性对比研究

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本科毕业论文（设计）

《海上扁舟》和《少年派》中角色的人性对比研究

AComparativeStudyonHumanNatureofCharacters

in“TheOpenBoat”andLifeofPi

指导教师姓名

单位名称及地址

专业名称

英语（英语翻译方向）

论文提交日期

2014年5月4日

论文答辩日期

2014年6月5日

答辩委员会主席

论文评阅人

2014年5月4日

AComparativeStudyonHumanNatureofCharactersin“TheOpenBoat”andLifeofPi

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ApapersubmittedinfulfillmentoftherequirementsofthedegreeofBachelorofArts

SchoolofForeignStudies

June2014

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Acknowledgement

Firstofall,Iwouldliketoextendmysinceregratitudetomysupervisora,forherinstructiveadviceandusefulsuggestionsonmythesisproposalandplot.Iamdeeplygratefulofherhelpinthecompletionofthisthesis.Althoughshewasgoingtohaveababy,Mrs.stillcaresaboutmyprocession.IamalsodeeplyindebtedtoMr.andalltheothertutorsinTranslationStudiesfortheirdirectandindirecthelptome.

Specialthanksshouldgotomyfriendswhohaveputconsiderabletimeandeffortintotheircommentsonthedraft.

摘要

斯蒂芬•克莱恩的短篇经典小说《海上扁舟》和扬•马特尔的当代畅销小说《少年派》虽然时隔百年，但在创作内容上却有异曲同工之妙。

本文将运用比较文学的方法研究两部作品中主要人物的对话和活动等，从两篇文学作品的内容、人物特点分析主要人物在遇到海难过程中的应对方式方法，总结人性差异和宗教因素差异，从而剖析在最极端条件下人们的信仰，以及信仰对人性的影响。

进一步分析宗教信仰在人物人性中的体现和作用，尤其是在最原始的条件下信仰对人性的潜移默化之影响，以及随着百年时代变迁人性的本质通过小说表现出来的变化。

关键词：

《海上扁舟》；《少年派》；人性；宗教信仰

Abstract

Thepaperattemptstomakeastudyonthedifferentconceptsconcerninghumannaturereflectedin"TheOpenBoat"andLifeofPi,fromtheperspectivesoftheircommonconnotationstotheirdifferentunderstandingsofthehumannature.Itfinallycomestotheinferencethattheessenceofhumannature."TheOpenBoat"isoneofthebrilliantrealisticshortstorieswrittenbyStephenCraneandLifeofPiisYannMartel'scontemporarybest-seller.Althoughthereareonehundredyearsbetweenthem,theirthemesaredifferentinapproachbutequally.Thispapermeanttogiveacomparativestudyonthesetwonovelsinmaincontentsandcharacters.Thentoanalysesthereflectionsandfunctionsofbelief,especiallyreligiousbeliefinhumannatureandafurtherstudyonchangesofhumannaturethroughhundredyears.

Keywords:

"TheOpenBoat";LifeofPi;humannature;religiousbelief

AComparativeStudyonhumanityofcharactersin“TheOpenBoat”andLifeofPi

1Introduction

1.1theintroductionof"TheOpenBoat"

StephenCrane,thefamousAmericannovelist,shortstorywriter,poetandjournalist.Heisrecognizedbymoderncriticsasoneofthemostinnovativewritersofhisgeneration.CranewastheeighthsurvivingchildofMethodistProtestantparentsinNewark.Hebeganwritingatfourandhadpublishedseveralarticlesbytheageofsixteen.Maggie:

AGirloftheStreetswhichwaspublishedin1893isCrane'sfirstnovel,whichgenerallyconsideredbycriticstobethefirstworkofAmericanliteraryNaturalism.Withoutanybattleexperience,CranewrotehisCivilWarnovelTheRedBadgeofCouragein1895,anditwonhiminternationalacclaim.In1897,thejournalistCranesufferedshipwrecknearthecoastofFlorida,whichleavinghimandothersadriftforseveraldaysinadinghy,andhewasoneoftheonlythreesurvivors.Basedonthisaccident,“TheOpenBoat”cameoutinJune1898.Crane,withhisdirectexperienceinthesea,unfoldshisideasandinterpretationoflife,displayingtherelationbetweenmanandnature.Thefoursurvivors:

captain,oiler,cookandcorrespondentstriveforsurvival.Theirmutualdependencyand"thesubtlebrotherhoodofmen"areshowedinatenfeetboatontheboundlesssea.AsMarstonLafrancesays,Crane'sstudentsgenerallyagreethat"TheOpenBoat"isthecrownofallhisworks.

1.2theintroductionofLifeofPi

LifeofPiwaswrittenbyCanadiannovelist,YannMartel.HewasborninSpainbutraisedinCostaRica,France,Mexico,andCanada.WhenMartelgrewupasanadult,hespenttimeinIran,TurkeyandIndia.HeisthefirstCanadiantorepresenttheWashingtonArtsCommission.SevenStories,hisfirstpublishedfictionalwork,appearedin1993,buthewasbestknownforthenovelLifeofPi..Originally,theideasofLifeofPibasedonanovelcalledMaxandtheCatswhichdescribedaJewendedupinalifeboatwithablackpanther.Martelwasinspiredbythenovelandhebegantoplothisownstory.Hespenttimeintemples,churchesandmosquesforsixmonthstogetenoughlocalcoloranddetail.ThenhereturnedtoCanadaandspentayearandahalfreadingthefoundationaltextsofChristianity,Islam,Hinduism,castawayandotherdisasterstories.Finally,thewholeworkcameout.Theprotagonist"Pi",anIndianboy,exploresissuesofspiritualityandpracticalityfromanearlyage.Hesurvives227dayswithaBengaltigernamedRichardParkerafterashipwreckwhilestrandedonalifeboatinthePacificOcean.LifeofPihassoldmorethantenmillioncopiesworldwideanditwonMartelanumberofliteraryprizes,includingthe2001HughMacLennanPrizeforFictionandthe2001-2003Asian/PacificAmericanAwardforLiterature.

1.3ComparativeStudy

ComparativeStudyisamethodoftenusedintheearlystagesofthedevelopmentofabranchofscience.Itcanhelptheresearchertoascendfromtheinitiallevelofexploratorycasestudiestoamoreadvancedlevelofgeneraltheoreticalmodels,invariance.

Tocomparethesetwowritings,shipwreck-relatedisthejoint.In“TheOpenBoat”,foursurvivorsworktogetherinunitytofightagainstthedeaththreatens,andtheyalmostwin.ButinLifeofPi,justthesecondparallelstory,thefourluckydogsarenotluckyintheend,becausetheybetrayeachotherandonlyonelivealive.Herecomestothequestionsabouthumanityandthatiswhatthispapergoingtoanalyze.

2.Humannatureanalysis.

What is human nature?

 I think the answer will be various kinds from one to another. Nearly everyone has the different idea from each other. Even though the concepts of human nature are diversified, it can be generally divided into two kinds:

 virtuous and vicious.HumanNature,bydefinition,referstohumanity.Humanityisafundamentaldefinition.Itexplainshumanbeings’behaviors.Asaneutralmeaningoftheword,therearetwomeaningsofhumanity.InChineseculture,somepeoplethoughthumannature,thatis,peopleareborninkindness.Confuciusistherepresentative.Andsomepeopleholdthefollowingview:

peopleareborninevil,Xunziistherepresentative.Inwesternliterature,goodandevil,thetwocontradictoryaspectsofhumannaturearealsopresentedintwoextremeways.

2.1HumannatureinTheOpenBoat

In“TheOpenBoat”,fourluckysurvivors“rodeuponthesea”inabathtub-likeboat.Thewavesandeachforth-topthreatentheboat.Afterdescribedtheupsettingenvironment,characterscomeonstage.Thecook,theoiler,thecorrespondentandtheinjuredcaptain,theycometogetherbecauseoftheshipwreck.Everyoneisaninseparableinthesurvivalmode.

Nature in “TheOpenBoat” is ruthless and it shows no sympathy to those four people who struggled for their lives on the sea. "A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats." Here the description of the heavy waves in part I in the story is the reflection of thecruelty of nature. Waves symbolize nature. The author also wrote these words in part IV, "The billows that came at this time were more formidable. They seemed always just about to break and roll over the little boat in a turmoil of foam." In the part VII in the short story, there is such a sentence, "The third wave moved forward, huge, furious, implacable." All these sentences above reveal the cruelty of nature through the expression of harsh waves. On the other hand, the goodness of human beings comes into being in readers' mind. "It would be difficult to describe the subtle brotherhood of men that was here established on the seas. No one said that it was so. No one mentioned it. But it dwelt in the boat, and each man felt it warm him. They were a captain, an oiler, a cook, and a correspondent, and they were friends, friends in a more curiously iron-bound degree than may be common." These four people were not familiar with each other at all before they were on the little boat. But they united together, cooperated and cared about each other in order to survive. This, to great extent, shows the goodness of human being.

"IfIamgoingtobedrowned—ifIamgoingtobedrowned—ifIamgoingtobedrowned,why,inthenameofthesevenmadgodswhorulethesea,wasIallowedtocomethusfarandcontemplatesandandtrees?

WasIbroughtheremerelytohavemynosedraggedawayasIwasabouttonibblethesacredcheeseoflife?

"Thissentencerepeatagainandagain.Withakindofhelplessness,theyreflectthepowerfulstick-at-itiveness.Althoughhumanstrengthsarelimited,thespiritstosurviveareimmortal.Facingtheindifferentnature,humanbeingsnevergiveup.Thefourcharactersexperiencehopefultohopeless,re-hopefulandre-hopeless,butexcellentspiritsthroughoutthewholestory.Becauseofthiskindofgoodhumannature,theyarepersistinguntilberescued.

 The application of contrast in "TheOpenBoat" expresses the power of nature and bravery of human beings. At the same time, it delivers the hope of survival. Whenever people come across hardships, only through amicability and cooperation can people win over all the difficulties. "Power lies in unity and hope lies in defiance."

2.2HumannatureinLifeofPi

Life