浅析《肖申克的救赎》的美国式英雄主义.docx

浅析《肖申克的救赎》的美国式英雄主义.docx

《浅析《肖申克的救赎》的美国式英雄主义.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《浅析《肖申克的救赎》的美国式英雄主义.docx（10页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

浅析《肖申克的救赎》的美国式英雄主义

浅析《肖申克的救赎》的美国式英雄主义

SimpleAnalysisofAmericanHeroisminTheShawshankRedemption

Abstract（加脚注）

Justlikelove,heroesareeternalthemesintheworld.Ifthelovepatternisaritualprocessoflifewhenpeoplegetridofthebarbarismagesufficientlyandenterthecivilizationage,theheromodeiscomplexreactionthatpeopleseekforachievementsandgoals.TheShawshankRedemptionisacknowledgedasoneofthemostpopularAmericanmovies;itreflectsthecorevalueofAmericanheroismprofoundlyanddeeply.Inthethesis,theheroisminTheShawshankRedemptionisrevealed,sothathowthemoviereflectstheheroismcanbebetterunderstoodbyaudiences.Furthermore,theauthorgivesabriefintroductionofculturalcharacteristicsofheroisminthemovie,reasonsresultinginheroismandtherelationshipbetweentheAmericanheroismandAmericandreaminTheShawshankRedemptionsoastoindicatethecorevalueofAmericanheroism.

Keywords:

TheShawshankRedemption;heroism;America

摘要

如爱情一般，英雄也是永恒的主题。

如果说爱情模式是人类充分摆脱野蛮时代而进入文明时代后人生的仪式过程，英雄模式则是人生追求成就目标活动投射到心灵中的情结反应。

《肖申克的救赎》一直被认为是最受欢迎的美国电影之一，它深刻地体现出了美国英雄主义核心价值观。

本篇论文旨在揭露电影《肖申克的救赎》中的英雄主义从而让我们更深入的理解电影是如何体现英雄主义的。

该论文的论点是电影主要从英雄主义的文化特征，英雄主义产生的原因和《肖申克的救赎》中美国英雄主义和美国梦之间的关系三个方面来体现英雄主义。

关键词：

《肖申克的救赎》；英雄主义；美国

Contents

1Introduction

1.1BackgroundaboutStephenKing（paraphrase）

AsoneofAmerica’spopular,imaginativeandmostproductivewritersofourtime,StephenKing（1947-）isafrequentrecipientandnomineeofliteratureawardsandprizesoverthepastdecadessincehisfirstnovelcameout.In1982,KinggottheHugoAwardforhisnon-fictionDanseMacabre（1981）,hewasnominatedLocusAwardforfortyseventimesfrom1987to2007andreceivedtheawardsforfourtimes.In1986,KingreceivedtheO.HenryAwardforhisshortstory“TheManinBlackSuit”.In2003,thelife-timeachievementmedalwasconferredtoKing;thehonorputhimintherankofgreatauthorsofAmerica,suchasSaulBellow,ToniMorrisonandArthurMilleretc.

Constantlymovingaroundthecountry,King’schildhoodwasnothappy.HewasborninPortland,Mainein1947toalowermiddle-classfamily.King’smotherRuthandhisadoptedbrotherDaveledarestlesslifeaftertheirfatherhadgoneoutforapackofcigarettesandneverreturned.WhenKingwaselevenyearsold,thefamilymovedtoDurham,Maine,whereKingstayeduntilhegraduatedfromtheUniversityofMainein1970.TheplacecarriedsomanyKing’semotionsandmemoriesthat“CastleRock”hadbeenthesettinginmanyofhisfictions.

Successnevercomeseasily.Astheillnessinearandthroat,seven-year-oldKingstayedathomealoneandbegantoimitatethestorieshereadfromfunnybooks.Surprisedathisperformance,King’smotherencouragedhimtowritestoriesonhisowninsteadofimitation.In1960,King’sfirststorywasrejected;however,itdidnotstophiswritings.Withanexcellentstory-tellinggenius,hisstorieswerepopularamonghispeersandrelatives.WhenKingstudiedattheUniversityofMaine,hebegantowriteforaweeklycolumnoftheschoolnewspaper.AftergraduationwithaB.A.inEnglish,Kingtaughtatahighschool,butwhatheearnedasateachercouldn'tmakebothendsmeet.BothKingandhiswifehadtodootherjobssoastosupportthefamilywhichownstwodaughters.Duringthevacation,Kinghadtoworkatanindustriallaundry,butthesalarycouldnotevenaffordthechargeoftelephone.

King’swifeplaysanirreplaceableroleinhiscareer.HiswifeTabithabelievesinhistalentinwriting,encouraginghimtoinsistonwritingnomatterhowmanytimeshisworkswererejectedbythepress.ItwasTabithawhofoundthemanuscriptofCarrieinthewastebasket,shepickeditout,putitinorder,andreaditcarefully,convincingKingthatitwasaninterestingfictionworthworkingonit.Fortunately,inthespringof1974,thenovelCarriewasacceptedforpublication.Kingknewfromhiseditorthatthesuccessofthefictioncouldprovideenoughmoneytoquithisjobasteacherandcouldwritefull-time.Fromthenon,Kingbeganhisjourneyinliteraryandreceivedalmostalltheprofessionalawards.

1.2BriefintroductionofTheShawshankRedemption（paraphrase）

ThestoryofTheShawshankRedemptionstartsin1947whentheprotagonist,AndyDufresen（actedbyTimRobbins）arrivesatShawshankprison.Heisasoft-spokenbankerconvictedofmurderinghiswifeandthemanwithwhomshehasanaffair.HeisservingtwoconsecutivelifesentencesandistobeimprisonedfortherestofhislifeinShawshankMaximumSecurityPrison,Maine.

SoonafterAndyarrivesattheprison,“TheSisters”,agangofprisonrapistsledbyBogsDiamond,turntheirattentionstoAndy.ThestoryisnarratedbyRed-Andy’sbestfriend.RediswellknownforbeingabletogetalmostanythingintoShawshankprison.AndyasksRedtogethimarockhammerwiththeexcusethatheisarockhound.Redisalittlesuspiciousatfirst,thinkingthismaybealethalobject（whichitis）.However,afternegotiation,theymakethedeal.Aftersometime,AndycomesintothemovietheatreandasksRedtogethimaposterofRitaHayworth,whoappearsonthemoviescreenthatRediswatching（ThisistheonlyreferencetoRitaHayworthinthestory）.Andyhangsthebigposteronthewalloftheprisoncell.Attheendofthestory,bothitemsturnouttobecrucialpartsofaschemethatthemildmanneredbankerpreparedforalongtime.

Theprisonagreestoprovidechancesfortheprisonerstotartheroofofabuilding.Whilstontheroof,Hadley,thechiefoftheguard,istellingtheotherguardshowhehasbeenleftaninheritancebyhiswealthybrother.However,Hadleycomplainsaboutthetaxhewillhavetopayontheinheritance.Atthistime,AndyapproachesHadley,whonearlythrowshimofftheroofandcontinuestoexplainthatthereisaloopholewhichallowsHadleytokeephisentireinheritance,withoutpayinganytaxes.Andyofferstocompletethepaperworkinexchangeforsomebeersforhisfellowprisoners.

Ashislifeoutside,Andybecomesasuccessfulfinancialadvisorinsidetheprison.TheguardsuseAndytocompletetheirtaxreturns,loanapplicationsandothersimilarfinancialtasks.Inreturn,theguardprotectsAndyfromtheharassmentofthe“Sisters”.WhenBrooks,thelibrarianisparoled,Andytakesoverthelibrarianrole.AndysendsweeklyletterstotheStateSenateaskingforfundsandbooks.Theotherinmatesandguardsthinkheiswastinghistimeuntilonedayhedoesreceiveresponse.Asthelibrarian,Andyalsoplaystheroleofteacherandhelpsseveralotherinmatestogettheirhighschooldiplomas.

ThearrivalofayoungprisonercalledTommyruinsAndy’speacefullife.Bychance,TommytellsAndythathehadacellmateatadifferentprisonwhobraggedaboutkillingarichgolferandsomehot-shotbanker’swife,andthebankergettingjailedforit.ThisisclearlytherealkillerofAndy’swife.Andyseesthepossibilityofanewtrialsincethisevidencewouldprovehisinnocence.AfterAndyputsforwardtherequesttotheWardenNorton,heisturneddownandisplacedinsolitaryconfinementfortwomonthsalone.BecauseNortonwantstokeephimintheprisontoworkforhim,hekillstheinsiderTommy.

Afterheissetoutfromtheconfinement,AndytellsRedofhisdreamofmovingtoMexico,andsettlinginthesmalltownofZihuatanejoonthePacificcoastlineandasksRedtogotoaspecifictreewhenhegetsoutofShawshank.

Thenextmorning,Andyisdiscoveredmissingatrollcall.AninitialsearchdoesnotfindAndy.Amomentlater,Nortonfindsabigholebehindthepostercoveringthewall,nowRaquelWelch.ItshowsthatAndyhasspenthisevenings,sincegettinghisrockhammer,slowlydiggingthroughtheprisonwalls.Onthenightofhisescape,Andybreaksintoasewagepipe,crawls500yardsandfinallygetsoutofShawshankprison.

Ashorttimelater,Redisparoledandbeginstomakealifeforhimselfoutsideoftheprison.HefindsthetreethatAndyhastoldhim.Underthetree,RedfindsaburiedtinwithasumofmoneyandanotewhichencouragesRedtojoinhim.RedviolateshisparoleandcatchesabustoMexico,hopingtofindhisfriendAndy.

Attheendofthefilm,RedwalksacrossasundrenchedbeachinMexico,towardAndywhoisworkingonhisboat.ThisisthewholestoryofTheShawshankRedemption.

1.3Theconceptofheroism

所谓英雄主义指的是迷信个人力量，脱离人民群众去完成一定社会人物的思想和行为。

它的原则是个人主义，不适当或夸大地强调历史活动和社会生活中个人的作用。

平等和个人主义等常常被冠以美国社会最为显著的特征。

英雄主义是美国精神的精华与核心，当个人利益和自由遭受威胁时，抗战便迅速爆发。

当前，一种普遍理念存在于美国，即独特性是存在于任何一个人，其拥有平等的机会去实现自身的追求，也正是这一追求的存在，而吸引了无数的国际友人到此淘金，而美国亦无疑成为世界人民理想的国度。

美国电影中一个一个的英雄形象恰恰就是随这一大众愿望应运而生的。

美国的好莱坞有世界梦工厂之称，它曾创造出无数的英雄神话，塑造出多种类型的英雄形象，他们无所畏惧，无所不能，去完成着常理看来几乎难以实现的任务，对他们来讲，成功是其追求的惟一目标，就如民间传说中的佐罗，一个蒙面侠客的形象，不畏强权、劫富济贫，又如在电影《终结者》中，由阿诺·施瓦辛格扮演的外星人终结者，始终以挽救世人为己任，在影片中每次都代表正义战胜邪恶;还有《阿甘正传》中的阿甘，虽然天生智障，然而他以其不懈的努力和乐观积极的世界观，不断地在生活中创造奇迹，传奇般地鉴证了每个历史瞬间;影片中阿甘质朴可爱形象的背后，表达的是积极进取和坚忍不拔的精神，真真切切地得到了美国公众的共鸣，阿甘式的超凡才能亦为世人所向往。

总体而言，美国电影中的英雄人物或关乎国家命运、民族利益，或捍卫平等、自由与正义，或贴近现实，体现着美国人向往民主、尊严、和平的美好愿望，处处闪耀着人性光辉。

但是剥去其奢华的外衣，就能够很简单的发现，个人英雄主义始终是美国电影的主角，深化一直在被无限延伸，美国式的理想主义和英雄主义在这些英雄人物身上得到了充分的体现。

在美国英雄电影中，对于英雄主义元素可谓有着强烈的反映，英雄人物始终是自立、自强的存在，在追求自由与平等的道路上，伸张正义、除弱扶强。

在美国人的眼中，成果的惟一途径大概只有自我奋斗，通过坚持不懈的努力取得的成果才是人活于世的意义和价值的体现。

亦只有依靠自我奋斗所实现的成功，才会受到每个人的由衷赞叹和尊敬。

1.4TheStructureofthethesis

Thethesisisdividedintofivechapters.ThefirstchapterrelatestothebackgroundaboutStephenKing,abriefintroductionofTheShawshankRedemptionandtheconceptofheroism.ThesecondchapterreferstotheculturalcharacteristicsofheroisminTheShawshankRedemption,suchastakingliberalismasaneternalgoal,beingasaleader,beinganimageofaredeemer,showinggreatnessofaherothroughpowerfulenemyandneedingloveoffemale.Thenreasonsleading