The Pessimistic Themes of Katherine Mansfields Store 凯瑟琳曼斯菲尔德的悲观的主义.docx

The Pessimistic Themes of Katherine Mansfields Store 凯瑟琳曼斯菲尔德的悲观的主义.docx

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ThePessimisticThemesofKatherineMansfieldsStore凯瑟琳曼斯菲尔德的悲观的主义

ThePessimisticThemesof

KatherineMansfield'sStore

APaperPresentedto

ShanghaiInternationalStudiesUniversity

InPartialFulfillmentoftheRequirements

FortheDegreeofBachelorofArts

By

JIJiaqi

UndertheSupervisionof

Ms.YUANJie

November,2011

诚信声明

·本学位论文是我在导师的指导下取得的研究成果。

在本学位论文中，除了加以标注和致谢的部分外，不包含其他人已经发表或公布过的研究成果，也不包含我为获得任何教育机构的学位或学历而使用过的材料。

·学位论文作者签名：

·签名日期：

Contents

Acknowledgementsi

内容提要i

Abstractii

Introduction1

ChapteroneDisillusion3

1.1.TheDisillusionofLove3

1.2.TheLostFantasy4

1.3.TheLostInnocence5

ChapterTwoLoneliness8

2.1.TheLonelinessofChildhood8

2.2.TheLonelinessOfYouth9

2.3.TheLonelinessOfOldAge10

ChapterThreeDeath12

3.1.TheHelplessnessBeforeDeath12

3.2.TheTribulationOfTheLiving13

Conclusion15

Bibliography16

Acknowledgements

IwouldliketoexpressmyheartfeltgratitudetoMs.YuanJie,mysupervisor,withoutwhosehelpandguidancethecompletionofthispresentthesiswouldhavebeenimpossible.

内容提要

二十世纪初，包含了多角度透视，意识流等新颖手法的“现代派”小说逐渐形成，并对传统的写作模式进行了冲击，而凯萨琳·曼斯菲尔德就是英语短篇小说的领域的创新者之一。

作为英语现代文学史上一个举足轻重的角色，曼斯菲尔德在其短暂的一生中完成了多部脍炙人口的作品。

这些作品绝大部分是以她的故乡新西兰为背景，以她早年的亲身经历为创作素材。

由于个人的坎坷生活，曼斯菲尔德的作品中总会带着悲剧色彩。

本文就将以曼斯菲尔德小说中的三个悲剧性主题：

幻灭感，孤独感和死亡进行依次探讨。

全文共分3章。

第一章简单介绍了

关键词：

主题悲剧性幻灭感孤独感死亡

Abstract

Atthebeginningofthe20thcentury,modernstorywasbeingformulatedandlotsoffreshmeans,includingperspectivefrommulti-angles,streamofconsciousnesscameintothestorywritingworld,andKatherineMansfieldwasoneofthepioneersinthefieldoftheEnglishshortstory.

AsaconsequentialroleinthemodernEnglishliteraryhistory,Mansfieldcompletedanumberofworkswhichenjoyedgreatpopularity.TheseworksmostlytakeherhometownNewZealandasbackgroundandtakeherearlierpersonalexperienceasthesourceofmaterial.Becauseoftheroughlife,Mansfield'workalwayshadthecoloroftragedy.ThispaperwillexploreMansfield'sthreepessimisticthemes:

disillusion,lonelinessanddeathwiththeillustrationofherstories.

Keywords:

themes；pessimism；disillusion；loneliness；death

Introduction

Asanaccomplishedwriterofshortstory,KatherineMansfield（1888-1923）isnowconsideredoneofNewZealand’sgreatestliteraryfigures. Mansfield'sshortstoriesarealwaysthesubjectsofcriticalresearch,especiallyherpessimisticshortstories.Whatshewrotemostprofoundlyinherworksarethethreepessimisticthemes—disillusion,lonelinessanddeath.Sherevealedthetruthandcrueltyoflifethroughapparentlyordinaryevents,whichmadeherstoriesrealandlife-like.Whenwereadthesetragedies,weseemedtoenterintoMansfield'sinnerworld.Wewouldfindthatallherlifewashauntedbydisillusion,lonelinessanddeath.

Mansfield’spessimismiscloselyrelatedtoherlifeexperience.Sheherselfsufferedmuchsetbackinherlife.Herfirstmarriagefailedcompletely,asaresult,sheseparatedwithherhusbandsoon.In1918theydivorcedofficially.AndshewaspregnantinGermany,butunfortunatelymiscarried.Inthissituationshefinishedherfirstbook"InaGermanPension"（1911）withasorrowfulfeeling.DuringWorldWarI,shelostherbrother,whojoinedarmy.ShewassogrievedandwenttothesouthofFrenchwhereshewrote"Prelude"withastrongemotionofhomesicknessanditwaspublishedin1918.

In1920hercollectionofshortstoriesBlissAndOtherStorieswaspublishedandthistookagreatfametotheauthoress.In1912heroutstandingworkGardenPartyAndOtherStorieswasissued.FromthensheestablishedherstatusintheliteraryworldofBritain.ItisapitythatwhileshewasinherprimeofartistictalentandpowerMansfield'shealthdeteriorated.ShehadtostopwritingandtorecuperateinsomeplacessuchasthesouthofFrench,Switzerlandandsoon.OnJanuary9,1923,shedied.

Withsucharoughlife,Mansfieldcouldonlyexpressherfeelinginwriting.Sheconcentratedongriefonherworks.Andallthesesetbacksbecamethesourceofinspiration."Bliss","TheTirednessOfRosabel","TheFly"andherothershortstorieswerethereflectionoftheroughlifeofMansfield.

Thispaperwillbedividedintofourparts.ItwillstudyMansfield'sthreepessimisticthemesinturnthroughherseveralworks.Thefirstpartwilldiscussthethemeofdisillusionthrough"Bliss","HerFirstBall","MissBrill"and"GardenParty".Thesecondpartwillstudythethemeoflonelinesswithananalysisof"TheDoll'sHouse","TheTirednessofRosbel","Picture"and"TheCanary".Thethirdpartwillconcentrateonthethemeofdeathandtherelevantworks,suchas"TheFly"and"LifeofMaParker".

ChapteroneDisillusion

DisillusionseemstobethethemewhichwasMansfield’sveryfavorite.Shewroteaboutitagainandagain.Disillusionisalossofillusion.Itisthesenseoflossandmelancholythatisbroughtaboutbyasuddenfeelingofdisenchantmentinone'slife.Itisasuddenawakeningfromone'sdream,oralossofthepassionofpursuingideals.DisillusionisadominantthemeinMansfield'sshortstories,amongwhich"Bliss","HerFirstBall","MissBrill",and"GardenParty"aremostrepresentativeworks.

1.1.TheDisillusionofLove

"Bliss"wasoneofMansfield'srepresentativeworks.ThestorydepictedBerthaYoung’sdisillusionoflove.Bertha,a30-year-oldwoman,hadbeenimmersingintheblissofloveallday,onlytofindherselfafoolforherhusbandcommittedfornicationwithherfriend.Itwasastoryaboutthedisillusionoflovethatwascausedbythelossofhappiness.

Bertha,theheroineof"Bliss",wasacharacterwholivedindream.Inhervieweverythingwasprefect.Shethoughtthatshehadbeenhappyenoughandeverythinginherlifewascompletelyglidingthelilytoherheartwhichhadbeenfilledwithhappiness.InfactthearticleusedmanywordstopaintapicturebeforeBerthaknowingherhusband'sbetraying.Atfirstthecontentofthisstorygivesthereadersawarmfeeling.Thereaderswouldeasilyregardthisworkasatypicalcomedy.However,attheendofthestory,Mansfieldrevealedthetruthbehindtheblisswithoutanyomen.ThishugecontrastimmediatelybroughtaboutanintensefeelingofdisillusionmenttobothBerthaandthereaders.AndthefactthatthedescriptionabouttheblestlifeofBerthaintheprecedingpartofstorywhichseemsexceedinglylong,andevenabitmeaninglessplayedagreatroletorenderBertha’sillusoryblissevenmoreironicattheendofthestory.

Berthashowedherhappyfeelingseveraltimesinthestory:

"...thatallofherfeelingifblisscamebackagain,andagainshedidn'tknowhowtiexpressit...'I'mtoohappy--toohappy!

'shemurmured...really--really--shehadeverything.Shewasyoung.Harry（Bertha'shusband）andshewereasmuchinloveasever,andtheygotontogethersplendidlyandwerereallygoodpals.Shehadanadsolutelysatisfactoryhouseandgarden..."（O'Sullivan,2006:

148）Shethoughteverythingaroundherwasprefectandshewasreallyablestperson.Howeverwhenshefoundherhusbandhadanaffairwithherfriend,shejusthadalament:

"Whatisgoingtohappennow?

"Andthestoryendshere,leavingthereadersmuchspaceforinterpretation.WecanspeculatewhatBerthawoulddoafterwards.

Onlytwopossibilitieswouldhappen.ThefirstisthatBerthahadaloudquarrelandbreaktieswithherhusbandandfriend.Thesecondisthatshekeptsilentandimmersedinthisfactitiousbliss.InmyopinionthepossibilitythatBerthachoosetheformerwillbemorethanchoosingthelatter.ThroughreadingentirestoryandanalysingthepersonalityofBertha,Ihaveenoughreasontothinklikethis.Butafterknowingthetruth,howwouldshemeetherhusbandandfriend?

Fromhavingblisstolosingbliss,thehugedifferencewillmakeherverymiserable.Althoughtimecanhealallwound,herhusbandandfriendwhoalwaysappearedaroundherwouldalwaysmakehersufferthispain.Andthiscompletelyaccordsthethemeofthestory:

Theblisscausedbyhavingsuchhusbandandfriendcontraststheagonycausedbyhavingthem.Andthisisjustthesourceofdisillusion.

1.2.TheLostFantasy

BesidesBerthawhohadthedisillusionoflove,MansfieldalsocreatedagirlLeilain"HerFirstBall",whowasveryexcitingatherfirstballandanoldunmarriedwomanBrillin"MissBrill",wholookedateverythingaroundherwithawell-meaningsight.AndwhyIwilldiscussthemtogetheristhatbothofthemlosttheirfantasybyotherpeople'swordswhentheywereimmersinginecstasy.Theysuddenlyfoundlifewasnotsoprefectastheirimagination.

"HerFirstBall"isacaseinpoint.Theheroineof"HerFirstBall"Leilawasaneighteenyearsoldgirl.Shewasinvitedtotakepartinherfirstballofherlifebyhercousins.Althoughshewasalittlenervous,shestillenjoyedandtreasuredthisballverymuch.Ifthatfatmandidnotsaythosewordstoher,thisballwouldbeanicememoryinherlife."..youcan'thopetolastanythinglikeaslongasthat.''...longbeforethatyou'llbesittingupthereonthestage.Andtheseprettyarmswillhaveturnedintolittleshortfatones...youwillsmileawaylikethepoorolddearsupthere,andpointtoyourdaughter,andtelltheelderlyladynexttoyouhowsomedreadfulmantriedtokissherattheclubball.Andyourheartwasache,ache--becausenoonewantstokissyounow...'"（O'Sullivan,2006:

240）Howcruelthesewordsweresaidtoagirlwhowasinflowerage.Thiswasherfirstball,whichwassoimportantandsignificant,justlikethebeginningofbeautifullife.Butthisfatman'swordsmadeherdreamdisillusion.EvenLeilaansweredobstinately:

"AsifIshould!

"（takeseriouslytoth