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

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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