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愤怒的葡萄
Acknowledgements
Firstandforemost,Iwouldliketoshowmydeepestgratitudetomysupervisor,arespectable,responsibleandresourcefulscholar,whohasprovidedmewithvaluableguidanceineverystageofthewritingofthisthesis.Withouthis/herenlighteninginstruction,impressivekindnessandpatience,Icouldnothavecompletedmythesis.Hiskeenandvigorousacademicobservationenlightensmenotonlyinthisthesisbutalsoinmyfuturestudy.Ishallalsoextendmythankstomyparentsforalltheirkindnessandhelp.Iwouldalsoliketothankallmyteacherswhohavehelpedmetodevelopthefundamentalandessentialacademiccompetence.Mysincereappreciationalsogoestotheteachersandstudentsfromouruniversity,whoparticipatethisstudywithgreatcooperation.Lastbutnotleast,I’dliketothankallmyfriends,especiallymythreelovelyroommates,fortheirencouragementandsupport.
ABSTRACT
ThetopicresearchedinthethesisisthesymbolismandbiblicalallusionsofgrapesinTheGrapesofWrath.TakingtheJoadfamilyasarepresentative,thenovelvividlydescribesamiserablejourneythatOklahomanfarmersareforcedtomigratetoCaliforniaduetoseveredroughtandcrueloppressionofbankers.AsanovelfactuallyreflectingtragiccircumstanceofAmericanlaboringpeopleduringtheGreatDepressionin1930s,TheGrapesofWrathleavesagreatimpactontheAmericansocietyandencouragestheAmericanstoinspecttheirhistoryagainandtoseriouslydeliberatetheirsituationsduringtheGreatDepression.
Exceptthepracticalsignificance,TheGrapesofWrathisofveryhighartisticvalue.Theapplicationofthesymbolism,asanoutstandingfeature,penetratesthroughthewholenovel.Therefore,theauthortriestosystematicallyanddeeplyinterpretthesymbolismandthebiblicalallusionsofthegrapesinTheGrapesofWrathinthethesis.Thethesiswillbedividedintofiveparts.Firstofall,theauthorsimplyintroduceslifestoriesandworksofJohnSteinbeckandsummarizesthehistoricalbackgroundandthemaincontentofthenovel.Secondly,theauthorreviewsthecurrentresearchstatusofthenovelathomeandabroadandintroducestheoreticalbasisoftheresearch.Then,thesymbolismandthebiblicalallusionsofthegrapesinTheGrapesofWrathareintroducedindetails.Inthefollowing,scenerysymbolsandscenesymbolswhichareappliedinTheGrapesofWrathaswellastheimportancesignificanceconveyedinthenovelareanalyzedparticularly.Thethesispointsoutthataspiritjourneywhichchangesfromindividualstogroupsandfromnumbnesstoconsciousnessofthemigrantsisthethemehighlightedinthenovel.Finally,aconclusionisdrawninthethesis.Theapplicationofthesymbolismisfullofexcellentartisticvalueandexertsanimportanteffectondeepeningthetheme.Allinall,thethemethatthespiritjourneyofthemigrantsischangedisfullyhighlightedandemphasizedbyapplyingthemeaningfulscenerysymbolsandthescenesymbolsaswellastheallusivecharactersymbols,sothatthemeaningofthenovelismoreprofoundandtheinfluenceofthenovelismoreeverlasting.
Keywords:
TheGrapesofWrath;grapes;symbolism;biblicalallusions
摘要
本论文要研究的课题是《愤怒的葡萄》中“葡萄”的象征意义与圣经典故。
《愤怒的葡萄》以约德一家为代表,描述了俄克拉荷马州的农民由于严重的干旱以及银行家的残酷压迫,被迫迁移到加利福尼亚州的艰难旅程。
作为一部真实反映二十世纪三十年代经济大萧条时期美国劳动人民悲惨境遇的小说,《愤怒的葡萄》对当时的美国社会产生了巨大的影响,它促使美国人民重新审视自己的历史并认真思考自己在经济大萧条时期的处境。
除了现实意义之外,《愤怒的葡萄》也具有很高的艺术价值,其中象征手法的运用作为一个突出特征贯穿整部小说。
因此,本文试图对《愤怒的葡萄》中“葡萄”的象征意义和其中的圣经典故进行系统和深入的解读。
本论文将分为五个部分:
首先,本文简要介绍了约翰斯坦贝克的生平及其作品并对《愤怒的葡萄》这部小说的历史背景及主要内容进行概述。
接着,本文总体回顾了国内外关于这部小说的研究现状并介绍了本研究的理论基础。
然后,本文具体介绍了葡萄的象征意义和《愤怒的葡萄》中运用的圣经典故。
之后,本文具体分析了《愤怒的葡萄》中所运用的景物象征和场景象征以及它们在传达小说主题中的重要意义。
本文指出移民工人从个人到集体,从麻木、消极到觉悟、反抗的精神转变之旅是小说所要突出的主题。
最后,本文得出结论,在《愤怒的葡萄》这部小说中,象征手法的运用充满了高超的艺术价值,同时它在深化主题中也起到了重要的作用。
总体來说,通过运用各种极具深层含义的景物象征和场景象征以及暗指的人物象征,移民工人的精神转变之旅这一主题得到了突出和强调,进而也使得该小说的意义更加深刻,影响更加持久。
关键词:
《愤怒的葡萄》,葡萄,象征意义,圣经典故
Contents
TheSymbolismandBiblicalAllusionsofGrapesinTheGrapesofWrath
《愤怒的葡萄》中“葡萄”的象征意义与圣经典故
1Introduction
1.1AbriefintroductionofJohnSteinbeck
JohnEarnestSteinbeckwasoneofthemostsignificantAmericanwritersinthe20thcentury.HewasbornonFebruary27,1902inCaliforniaanddiedonDecember20,1968inNewYork.HeattendedStanfordUniversityintermittentlybetween1919and1925,whereheenrolledinliteratureandwritingcourses.Nevertheless,Steinbecklefttheuniversitywithouttakingadegree.Afterwards,hedidavarietyofjobs,workingasafarmlaborer,anewspaperreporter,achemist’sassistant,abricklayerandaroad-buildingworker.Itwastheworkingexperiencesthatprovidedhimdirectobservationoftheattitudes,behaviorsandlanguagesoftheworkingpeople.Thepreciousexperiencesjustlikeinvaluableassetswhichlaterbecamethemainsourcesofhisinspirationandwritingsubjects.
Steinbeckisknowntousforhisuniquewritingtechniques,profoundcompassionfortheoppressedpeopleanddeepinsightintohumannature.What’smore,hestoodasaliterarygiantinthe20thcenturyofAmerica.HewonthePulitzerPrizein1940forhismasterpieceTheGrapesofWrathandtheNobelPrizein1962forhisoutstandingcontributiontoliterature.JohnSteinbeckwasaproductiveandaccomplishedwriter.Hehadproducedmorethanthirtyvolumesoffictionsandnonfictionsattractingalargenumberofreadersfromdifferentculturalbackgroundsthroughouthislife.Inhislifetime,hepublished16novels,amongwhichthemostfamousoneswerethedepressionnovels,especiallythelabortrilogy―InDubiousBattle(1936),OfMiceandMen(1937)andTheGrapesofWrath(1939).Thethreenovelswerecloselyconnectedwiththepoliticalandsocialenvironmentofthe1930s’America.TheGrapesofWrath,amonumentalepicoftheGreatDepression,hasbeencommonlyacknowledgedasthebestworksamongallhismasterpieces.
1.2AgeneralintroductionofTheGrapesofWrath
TheGrapesofWrath,oneofJohnSteinbeck’smostfamousmasterpieces,hadacomplicatedhistoricalbackground.Itwascreatedinthe1930s,whentheAmericansweresufferingfromthedestructiveinfluenceoftheunexampledeconomiccrisiswhichisknownastheGreatDepression.Inthiscrisis,banksandcompanieswerebankrupted,theunemploymentratesoaredandalargenumberofpeoplewerefacingthestarvationdanger.However,exceptthephysicaldestructionthatithadgivenriseto,theGreatDepressionalsomadepeoplefeelconfused,disappointedandevendesperate.AsapartofthelinkageeffectsoftheGreatDepression,tenantsweremoreseriouslyinfluenced.Onaccountofthefallingincomesfromfarming,theywerenotabletopaythemortgagesontheirlands.Asaconsequence,theyweredrivenawayfromthelandbythebankers.
What’sworse,naturaldisastersalsoattackedthesouthwesternGreatPlainsofAmericainthe1930s.AnespeciallyseriousdroughtwhichlastedforaboutadecadeaffectedlargeareasoftheAmericanMidwest,includingthestatesofOklahoma,NewMexico,Texas,ColoradoandKansas.Gradually,farminglandsbecamecorrodedandwerenolongersuitableforplanting.Asaconsequence,alargenumberofhelplesstenantsintheseareaswereforcedtoleavetheirhomeandmovetowardCaliforniasoastosearchnewwaysofsurvival.
Nevertheless,theyhadgonethroughalotofunimaginabletroublesduringthejourneywestwardandafterarrivinginCalifornia.Inadditiontotheshortageoffood,moneyandshelter,themigrantlaborersarealsosubjectedtounfairtreatment.TheywerenotonlydiscriminatedbytheCalifornianpoliceandlocalresidents,butalsowereoppressedrelentlesslybythegreatfarmownersthere.Themigrantlaborershadaterriblymiserablelifeduetohunger,unemploymentandpoverty.ItseemedthattheirdreamofhavinganewlifeinCaliforniawascompletelycrushed.Nevertheless,theunbearablesufferingsandmiseryhadresultedinthespiritualgrowthofthemigrants.Thenovelfollowedupthewholeprocessoftheirspiritualchangewhentheygrewfrombeingnegativetobeingmorepositivetofightfortheirownrightsandfrombeingconcernedaboutindividualbenefitstobeingmoreunitedandconcernedaboutotherpeople.Moreimportant,thebookwasaffirmativeinthattherestillexistedhopeforthemtocreateanewlifeinthefuturewiththespiritualenhancementofthemigrantlaborers.
2Literaturereview
AfterthenovelTheGrapesofWrathwaspublishedin1939,itimmediatelybecameabest-seller.Fromthenon,ithadbeenthehottopicofcriticalcirclesandstudiesaboutitneverceased.Nevertheless,italsoarousedmuchargumenteversinceitspublicationaccordingtoitssubjectandartisticmatter.Somecriticspraisedthisbookasa“proletariannovel”,fortheythoughtitwasmainlyconcernedwith“thelifeoftheworkingpeopleorwithanyindustrialorsocialproblemfromthelaborers’pointofview”(Tedlock,1957:
xxxiv).MalcolmCowley,afamouscritic,thoughthighlyofthenovelandhedeclaredthat“TheGrapesofWrathbelongstothekindofthegreatangrynovelslikeUncleTom’sCabinwhichhasstimulatedthepeopletorevoltagainsttheintolerabletreatments”(McEIrath,1996:
167).
Eversincethepublicationofthenovelin1939,however,therewereothercriticswhorejecteditduetothefactthattheyfoundtheauthor’ssympathywiththecommunistideology.Intheessay,TheCalifornia:
StormandSteinbeck,EdmundWilson(1941:
42)condemnedthat“Mr.Steinbeckalmostalwaysdealswiththeloweranimalsorwithmankindsoelementarythattheyarenearlyontheanimallevel.”WilsonthoughtthatJohnSteinbeck’sdescriptionwasshallowandlackmoralsignificance.Thus,hiscriticismthrewSteinbeckintothelowestlevelofnaturalisticwriters.Asaconsequence,Steinbeck’slitera