英语本科毕业论文中国80后与美国迷惘一代的比较.docx
《英语本科毕业论文中国80后与美国迷惘一代的比较.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《英语本科毕业论文中国80后与美国迷惘一代的比较.docx(18页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
![英语本科毕业论文中国80后与美国迷惘一代的比较.docx](https://file1.bdocx.com/fileroot1/2023-2/1/8d5d6ad5-3e1e-467a-b633-c82021fade47/8d5d6ad5-3e1e-467a-b633-c82021fade471.gif)
英语本科毕业论文中国80后与美国迷惘一代的比较
中国80后与美国迷惘一代的比较
TheComparisonBetweenthe“Generationof1980s”andthe“LostGeneration”
FengFei
UndertheSupervisionof
LiLiqin
SchoolofForeignLanguagesandCultures
PanzhihuaUniversity
May2007
Contents
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………...I
Keywords……………………………………………………………………………...I
摘要………………….………………………………………………………………....II
关键词.….………………………………...…………………………………………….II
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….1
I.TheCharacteristicsoftheTwoGenerations…………………………………………2
A.The“LostGeneration”……………………………………………………….…..2
B.The“Generationof1980s”…...............................………………………...........2
Ⅱ.SocialBackgroundoftheTwoGenerations………………………………………..3
A.TheUnitedStatesin1920s……………………………………………………….3
B.ChinaintheTurnoftheNewCentury……………………………………………4
Ⅲ.TheInfluenceoftheEconomicTransformation…………………………………....5
A.TheInfluenceon“lostgeneration”………………………………………….……6
1.ThesufferingoftheWar……………………………………….……………….6
2.TheDiminishoftheTraditionalValuesandtheWorshipforMoney………......6
B.TheIndulgenceintheMaterialisticEnjoyment…………………………………..7
1.TheDiminishedInfluenceoftheConfucianism…………………..……………7
2.TheImpactfromtheWest……………………………………………….……...8
IV.TheInfluenceoftheDifferentPoliticalSystem…………………………………….9
A.TheLosingTrustfortheGovernment…………………………………………….9
B.TheIndifferencetoPolitics……………………………………………………....10
V.TheDifferentPerformance……………………………………………………….....11
A.TheResorttotheLiterature………………………………………………..…….11
B.MoreIndulgenceintheMaterialism………………………………………….….12
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….…….13
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………................15
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………….…..16
Abstract
Thispaperanalyzesthe“spirituallylost”oftheChineseyouth(thegenerationofthe1980s)andthe“lostgeneration”intheU.S.Andalsoitexplorestheirspiritualperformancewhentheyfacethetransformationofthesociety.ThroughthewayofcomparingtheUnitedStateseconomicconditions,politicalpoliciesandcultureintheperiodof1920-1930withthatofChinaintheperiodaftertheyearof1980,thispaperanalysesthereasonbehindthespirituallylost.Anditalsoprobesthedifferenceoftheir“spirituallylost”aswellasthewaythetwogenerationsadoptedtostepoutofthe“spirituallost”whentheyfaceit.Atlastthewriterproposesthatthegenerationofthe1980sshouldfindtheway,whichcouldhelpthemstepoutthespiritualdilemma,intheChineseculturalorigins.
KeyWords
Thegenerationof1980s;thelostgeneration;socialtransformation;spirituallost
摘要
本文分析比较了中国青年一代(80后)和美国迷惘一代在遭遇社会变革时的精神上的迷惘及其迷惘的表现.文章通过对美国20世纪二,三十年代与中国20世纪80年代以来的社会政治、经济、和文化状况的阐述,分析了这种迷惘背后的原因,揭示了二者迷惘的差异.同时还探索了二者在步出这种迷惘时所采取的措施.最后作者提出中国的80后需要从中国的传统文化中找到步出迷惘的途径.
关键词
80后,迷惘一代,社会变革,精神迷惘
Introduction
After1990s,everyaspectofpeoples’lifehasbeenchanged.Withanunexceptionalpace,citiesextendedtheirterritoriesandthemarketstretcheditsinfluencetoeverycornerofthesociety.Packsofcrowdedskyscrapers,flowsofmobilizedpeopleandexpresswaystotallyoverturnedpeople’sviewtowardmoralprincipleandrationalthinking.AnindustrialrudimentarybegantotakeforminChina.Alltheideasandrelationssharedbeforenolongerexist.Thereisagroupofpeople,whowasborninthe1980sandmostgroupmembersareyoungwriters.Theywroteouttheirexperiencestowardthesociety,andthisgroupisbeingregardedasthe“lostgeneration”ofChina.Evensomepeopleequatethegenerationof“the1980s”withthe“lostgeneration”ofAmerica.Actually,peoplecouldeasilyfindoutthattherearesomeshadowsoftheyouthofAmericain1920s-1930sonthem.Bothgenerationsenjoyedgreatmanysimilarities,suchas,revoltingagainsttraditionalforms,indulginginthematerialisticenjoymentandunabletostopit,hatingtheindustrialworldleadingaBohemianlife.Alsobothgenerationsfacedthesameproblembroughtbythesocialtransformation,andsomescholarsbelievedthattheyarespirituallybankrupted.Despitealloftheseeminglysimilaritiessharedbythetwogenerations,theyaretwodifferentgroupsofpeoplewholivedindifferenttimesanddifferentcountriesalsotheculturaloriginsandthesocialbackgroundtheyfacedarenotthesame,butscholarsofChinaseldomanalyzesthedifferenthistoricalorigins,explorestheirdifferentperformanceinspiritualfieldandtheirreactiontowardsthesocialtransformation.Someresearchersstudiedthetworespectivelybyputtingthetwointheirownsocialbackground,andneglectedcomparingthetwo.Onthisbasis,startingwithcomparingthetwogenerations’livingenvironment,say,thetwocountrieseconomicconditionsandpoliticalsystem,thispaperdevotedtomakeadetailedanalysisbetweenthetwo,inthehopeofthiscouldenlightenthemindoftheyounggenerationandguidethemspiritually.
Ⅰ.TheCharacteristicsoftheTwoGenerations
A.The“LostGeneration”
“GertrudeSteindescribedintellectualsofthe1920sasa“lostgeneration”.WriterslikeErnestHemingwayandJohnDosPassoswroteouttheirWorldWarIexperiencesandexpressedcynicismaboutsociety’sgoalsandpurposes”(Faracher,Jo.Buhle,200030).ScottFitzgeraldlikewisequestionedthecrassmaterialismoftheopulentrich.H.LMenckenmockedthevaluesofsmalltowninAmerica,themesechoedinthewritingsofSinclairLewis.EugeneO’Neill’splaysdepictedthedarkersideoffamilylifeandexploredracism.T.S.Eliot’sthewastelandusethemetaphorimpotencetocommentonthepostwarworld.AgroupofsouthernwritersknownasFugitivesattackedindustrialismandregardedtraditionalsouthernsocietyasanalternativetocrassmaterialism.
Asitstatedabove,thelostgenerationoftheUnitedStatesmainlyreferstotheexpatriate’swriters,andmanyoftheexpatriatewarwriterswerebornintheendofthe19thcentury.Inthe1920s,theycreatedanewformofliteratureworks,whichcriticizedtheindustrializedworld,andtheytriedtotaketheflagstocreateaworld,whichemphasizedonreestablishingthemoralrulesbyadoptingthewayofcriticizethenewformsoftheindustrializedworld.Mostofthemembersaresteppedfromthebattlefield,inwhichtheywitnessedthecrueltyoftheWorldWarI,theyarenostalgictotheoldhappytimes,andmostofthemlivedinasmalltownofParis,andleadaBohemianlife.Alienationtowardthesocietyfulfilledinthemind.Atonesidetheydisdainedthenewindustrialcivilizationbutatthesametimetheycrazilycherishedthematerialisticenjoyment.Althoughthegovernmentprohibitalcoholdrink,buttheywenttothebarenjoyedeverythrillofdrinkingandalsotheytriedfashionableexperimentationofloveaffairs.Thisgenerationisacombinationofarationalmindandacrazyaction.
B.TheGenerationof“1980s”.
AccordingtoRenLanlan,“the‘thegenerationof1980s’ofchinareferstothegroupofpeople(especiallytheyoungwriters)whowasborninChinabetween1980and1990afterChinaadoptfree-marketeconomicpolicy,andopenherdoortotheoutsideworld,attheturnofthenewcentury,theypublishedbookswhichexpressedtheirdissatisfactiontowardtheworld.”(RenLanlan,200638)Someyearsago,HanHanHeiKeManZhouandrocksingerLiYangwereregardedasthespokesmanofthisgenerationbyTimes.ToomuchhasbeencommentedupontheyounggenerationofChina.Theyarebeingregardedasself-centered,greedy,desperate,materialistic,andlovesnoonebutthemselves.Thisisabewitchedgeneration,theyworshipwealthverymuch,allofthemdreamedtobecomeamillionaireattheageof30;thisisabewilderedgeneration,theydon’tknowwhotheyare,andwhohewillbe?
Theylovedself-performanceverymuch,andalwaysstandatthefrontstageofthefashionshow.Therelationshipbetweenthemandthetraditionalworldhadbeencutoffbythesocialtransformationandtheysticktothetraditionalvirtuesnomore.
Ⅱ.SocialBackgroundoftheTwoGenerations
A.TheUnitedStatesin1920s
TheeconomyofUnitedStatesunderwentatransformationduringthe1880s-1920s,theSecondIndustrialRevolutiontookplaceduringthisperiod.Thesocietyrealizeditstransformationfromtheagriculturalsocietytotheindustrialsociety.Drivenbyelectricityandautomatedmachinery,thewholesocietyconcentratedonproducingconsumergoods,theAmericaneconomygotrapidlydeveloped.TheCivilWarhelpedtopavethewayfortheIndustrialmassproduce.TheeconomicstructureofAmericanwasnolongerbeingdominatedbytheagriculture,whichsymbolizedbythefarextendedfarms,andsmallmanorshavebeentakenplacedbytheroaringengine.Abundanceofnewcommoditieshasbeenbroughttotheworld.Secondly,free-marketeconomybegantotakeitsforms,whichstimulatetheexchangeofthecommodities.Peoplealmostcouldbuyeverythingatthenearbysupermarket.Themarketregulatesitselfaccordingtotherelationshipofsupplyandneeds,andgovernmenttakesfewhandstotheeconomyaffairs.AftertheWorldWarI,the“lostgeneration”wasdawningonagloriousfuture;theprosperityofthe1920swasaharbingerofaneweraofplenty,inwhichallAmericanscouldreasonablylookforwardtotheshareofanapparentlyendlesslyexpandingAmericanpie.Atthesametimetheeconomyboombroughttheaffluentcommodities,thetransformationofthesocietybroughtnewproblems.Astheworldenteredintothe20thcentury,thefirstsingleeventofanysignificanceitwitnessedwasaglobaldisasterformankind–WorldWarI.IttookplacefromEuropeandwasfoughtprincipallyonthatcontinentbuteventuallyinvolvedallthecontinentsoftheworld.Americ