Since the publication of Coraz6n tan blanco （A Heart so White） （1992）, many critics have compared the Spanish novelist Javier Marias to Marcel Proust. Both favor long, meandering sentences, in which they insert vo...Since the publication of Coraz6n tan blanco （A Heart so White） （1992）, many critics have compared the Spanish novelist Javier Marias to Marcel Proust. Both favor long, meandering sentences, in which they insert voluminous asides. In thematic terms, their narratives are constantly involved with meditation over the extent to which we can understand the past, or the degree to which we can know either ourselves or others. Beyond their common preoccupation with time and memory, I will consider some remarkable similarities between Marias＇ and Proust＇s formative years and the role translation played in the development of their style. I will show the many ways in which Proust ＂haunts＂ Marias： in his metaphorical use of the translating practice, in his love of deferral, and in his brooding first-person narrators, racked by the anxiety of ignorance.展开更多
The novel, Lord of the flies, written by William Golding （1911-1993） who was among the most popular and influential British authors to have emerged after World War II, is permeated with symbolism. His reputation res...The novel, Lord of the flies, written by William Golding （1911-1993） who was among the most popular and influential British authors to have emerged after World War II, is permeated with symbolism. His reputation rested primarily upon his acclaimed first novel. The present paper attempts to examine the theme of Lord of the flies in respects of its counter-tradition treatment of boys, evil actions of innocent boys and its use of symbols and arrives at a tentative conclusion that the combination of the three above-mentioned elements helps the novel to express the theme that evil is human nature.展开更多
In the novel What I Saw and How I Lied （2008）, Judy Blundell presents readers a world of noir where so many lies are around the innocent protagonist, 15-year-old girl Evie. It is a challenge for Evie to probe into t...In the novel What I Saw and How I Lied （2008）, Judy Blundell presents readers a world of noir where so many lies are around the innocent protagonist, 15-year-old girl Evie. It is a challenge for Evie to probe into the heart of the deceptions and make ethical choices between good and evil. After experiencing the path from error to truth, from confusion to clarity, and unconsciousness to consciousness, Evie comes to realize the corruption and evils of the society and in an epiphany, obtains a self-knowledge which leads to her initiation. Through analyzing the ethical predicament and ethical choices of the protagonist Evie as well as the negative living environment around her, the present paper aims to interrogate the moral issues of truth, lie, justice, greed, fidelity, and betrayal so as to give readers a better understanding of the theme of initiation in the novel.展开更多
Against the backdrop of Chinese culture, this paper offers a localized explanation of the Western concept of ＂archetypal criticism.＂ It proposes that four ＂thematic archetypes＂ can be observed in the relations bet...Against the backdrop of Chinese culture, this paper offers a localized explanation of the Western concept of ＂archetypal criticism.＂ It proposes that four ＂thematic archetypes＂ can be observed in the relations between folklore, legends and the novel in the new era （since reform and opening up） in China. The first is the coexistence of man and nature; the second, enduring suffering and realizing one＇s poterltial; the third, discontent with reality expressed in writing about imaginary worlds; and the last, criticism of the materialistic personality which places material gain above justice and lusts after gain. The presentation, dynamics of change, practical and cultural meanings and aesthetic values of these ＂thematic archetypes＂ in the novels of the new era reveal writers＇ reflections on ＂modernity＂ and the awakening of aesthetic consciousness in relation to their own land. This paper also argues that the world outlook that pursues harmony between man and nature, the view of life that prefers justice to material gain, and the values that affirm morality, life and human dignity contained in traditional Chinese folk culture and literature may supply us with important spiritual resources for responding to contemporary life, rebuilding the poetry of life and raising the quality of culture.展开更多
文摘Since the publication of Coraz6n tan blanco （A Heart so White） （1992）, many critics have compared the Spanish novelist Javier Marias to Marcel Proust. Both favor long, meandering sentences, in which they insert voluminous asides. In thematic terms, their narratives are constantly involved with meditation over the extent to which we can understand the past, or the degree to which we can know either ourselves or others. Beyond their common preoccupation with time and memory, I will consider some remarkable similarities between Marias＇ and Proust＇s formative years and the role translation played in the development of their style. I will show the many ways in which Proust ＂haunts＂ Marias： in his metaphorical use of the translating practice, in his love of deferral, and in his brooding first-person narrators, racked by the anxiety of ignorance.
文摘The novel, Lord of the flies, written by William Golding （1911-1993） who was among the most popular and influential British authors to have emerged after World War II, is permeated with symbolism. His reputation rested primarily upon his acclaimed first novel. The present paper attempts to examine the theme of Lord of the flies in respects of its counter-tradition treatment of boys, evil actions of innocent boys and its use of symbols and arrives at a tentative conclusion that the combination of the three above-mentioned elements helps the novel to express the theme that evil is human nature.
文摘In the novel What I Saw and How I Lied （2008）, Judy Blundell presents readers a world of noir where so many lies are around the innocent protagonist, 15-year-old girl Evie. It is a challenge for Evie to probe into the heart of the deceptions and make ethical choices between good and evil. After experiencing the path from error to truth, from confusion to clarity, and unconsciousness to consciousness, Evie comes to realize the corruption and evils of the society and in an epiphany, obtains a self-knowledge which leads to her initiation. Through analyzing the ethical predicament and ethical choices of the protagonist Evie as well as the negative living environment around her, the present paper aims to interrogate the moral issues of truth, lie, justice, greed, fidelity, and betrayal so as to give readers a better understanding of the theme of initiation in the novel.
文摘Against the backdrop of Chinese culture, this paper offers a localized explanation of the Western concept of ＂archetypal criticism.＂ It proposes that four ＂thematic archetypes＂ can be observed in the relations between folklore, legends and the novel in the new era （since reform and opening up） in China. The first is the coexistence of man and nature; the second, enduring suffering and realizing one＇s poterltial; the third, discontent with reality expressed in writing about imaginary worlds; and the last, criticism of the materialistic personality which places material gain above justice and lusts after gain. The presentation, dynamics of change, practical and cultural meanings and aesthetic values of these ＂thematic archetypes＂ in the novels of the new era reveal writers＇ reflections on ＂modernity＂ and the awakening of aesthetic consciousness in relation to their own land. This paper also argues that the world outlook that pursues harmony between man and nature, the view of life that prefers justice to material gain, and the values that affirm morality, life and human dignity contained in traditional Chinese folk culture and literature may supply us with important spiritual resources for responding to contemporary life, rebuilding the poetry of life and raising the quality of culture.
