海外英语-重压之下的悲剧精神

TheTragicSpiritundertheWeight重压之下的悲剧精神Abstract：AfterWorldWarI,theexistenceofGodandthewholeChristianschemeofthingswascastindoubt.Theoldvaluesystemsinpeople’sheartcollapse,andthenewfaithhaven’tbeendevelopedyet.Theyaredepressedabouttheworldandrealizethemeaninglessnessoftheirlivesandexistence.Theirlivesturnintotragedy.However,inHemingway’seyes,amanshouldn’tlosehisdignitynomatterhowhesuffersinhislife.Inotherwords,peopleshouldkeepthetragicspirit,thatis,akindofsublimespirit.Keywords:meaninglessness;tragedy;tragicspiritAcleanandwell-lightedplacehasbeenresearchedforseveraltimesbyresearchersandscholars.Mostofthemarefocusedontheperspectivesofnihilismandexistentialism.“Itwasallnothingandamanwasanothingtoo.”However,Hemingwayalsowantstoemphasizepeople’sdignityoftheweight.Liketheoldmanintheshortstory,hesuffersalotinhislife,buthedoesn’tlosehisdignity.Therefore,thispapertriestoanalyzetheshortstoryfromtheviewofthetragiclifeandpeople’stragicspirit.Peopleshouldkeepakindofsublimespiritnomatterhowhesuffersinhislife.1.TheTragicLifeIntheworldofHemingway,theexistenceofGodandthewholeChristianschemeofthingswascastindoubt.TheDarwinism,theIndustrialRevolution,andImperialismhaveshakenthelong-standingfaithofpeopleinGodandreligion.Peoplestrugglewithmythologicalandmoralaimlessnessastheysearchforthemeaningoflifeinachangedworld.AftertheWorldWarI,theoldvaluesysteminpeople’sheartcollapses,andthenewfaithhasn’tbeendevelopedyet.Peoplearehurtpsychologically.Theyaredisappointedforthecountryanddon’tknowthemeaningofexistenceandlife.Thewholesocietyissurroundedbytheatmosphereofnihility,despairandhopelessness.Thisbringsthesadnessofthewholesocietyandmanypeople’slifeturnintotragedy.Therearethreemaincharactersinthisshortstory,theyoungerwaiter,theolderwaiterandtheoldman.Theyallliveatragiclife,buttheyhavedifferentperformancesinthisshortstory.Theyoungerwaiterisimpatientandinhospitaltotheoldman.Whathewanttodoisthattoclosethecafeandgotohometohiswife.Hedoesn’tcarehowtheoldmanneedtheplacetoescapehisloneliness.Whenheardthesuicideoftheoldman,hedoesn’texpressanysympathyforthat,butevensays,“youshouldhavekilledyourselflastweek.”totheoldman.[1]Also,hehasnotrealizedthenihilityinlifeandhasamisunderstandingaboutlife.Forexample,whenaskedaboutwhytheoldmanwantstokillhimself,heonlysays“nothing”and“Hehasplentyofmoney.”[1]Maybefromhisperspective,moneyiseverythingandcandealwitheverything.Hecannotunderstandwhytheoldmanfeeldesperateandlonelywhilebeingsorich.Heisselfishandhislifeisself-centered.Hedoesn’tcaremuchaboutotherpeople’slife.Therealproblemisthathedoesn’trealizethefaithproblemofthesocietyanddoesn’tseethatonedayhewilltoofacethedesperatenihilityinlife.Theolderwaiteralreadyunderstandsthenihilityinlife.Atthelastpartofthestory,hesays,“itwasallnothingandamanwasanothingtoo.”[1]Andheimitatesaparagraphofprayerwordsfulloftheword“nada”.Herealizesthathislifeisliketheoldman,holdingnomeaning.Heisverydepressedbecauseofthecruelreality.Hefeelspityfortheoldmanandhehimself.Therearemanypeopleliketheminthesocietyfeelinglonelyandsad,too.Itisalsodifficultforhimtofallasleepafterwork.Heneedsaclean,well-lightedplacelikethecafetocomforthissoulandescapefromthenihilityandsadnessoflife.Thedeafoldman,withnowifeandonlyaniecetocareforhim,isverylonelyanddesperate.Hehasplentyofmoney,butitdoesn’tdealwithhisproblem.Hislifeseemsmeaninglessandheisnearlyisolatedfromotherpeople.Hefindsnomeaninginhislifesohetriestokillhimself.Hegetsdrunktoescapefromthenihilityandhopelessnessoflife.Itseemsthathislifeisatragedy.2.TheTragicSpiritLifehasnomeaningandpurpose.Peoplearedisappointedforthecountryanddon’tknowwhatlifeisfor.Theystruggleswithmoralandpsychologicalaimlessnessastheysearchforthemeaningoflife.Manypeople’slifeturnintotragedy.However,inHemingway’seyes,amancanbynomeanslosehisdignitynomatterhowhesuffersinhislife.Amancanbedestroyedbutnotdefeated.Theoldmanstrugglestofindawaytodealwithhisnihility.Hetriesinseveralunsuccessfulways.Forexample,heattemptstocommitsuicidebutfails.Thenhetriestogetdrunkinthecafetoforgetaboutthecruelreality.Althoughtheoldmanfeelsverydesperatehestillremainshisdignity.Itcanbeseenfromtheshortstorythatheisalwayscleananddrinkswithoutsplitting.Althoughheisdeaf,withoutwifeevenalmostisolatedfromtheoutsideworld,hestilltrieshisbesttoescapefromthenihilityoflife.AsHemingwaysays,“Butmanisnotmadefordefeat,amancanbedestroyedbutnotdefeated.”[2]Meanwhile,theolderwaiteralsokeepsthetragicspirit.Hedealswiththeproblempositively.Hedoesn’tescapefromthenihilityoflife,butbravelyfacesitandtrieshisbesttolivewithit.Herealizesthemeaninglessnessandhopelessnessofhislife.Heknowstheworldhelivesinhasnomeaningandpurpose.Healsofindsit’shardtofallasleepafterwork.However,hehasalreadytakeninsomniaforgranted.Heknowsthathisinsomniaisnotacommonproblemofhimself,butadisillusionfromthewholesociety.Attheendofthisstory,hesaystohimself,“Afterall,it’sprobablyonlyinsomnia.Manymusthaveit.”[1]Liketheoldman,healsoneedsaclean,well-lightedplacetocomforthissoul.Thelightgivesonepeaceandsolace.Itisarefugefromthedarknessofthenightoutside.Peopleeagertofindapl