A Thematic Analysis of A Farewell to Arms

zwwx @overseaen.comISSN 1009 5039htp://www.overseaen.comOverseas English海外葵箭Tel:+86-551- -5690811 5690812A Thematic Analysis of A Farewell to ArmsLIULi-man(Schol of Forcign languages and Literalures, Lanzhou Univeriy, Lanzhou 70000, China)Abstract:“A Fareuell to Ams”is one of the most famous works witten by Emest Hemingway. It displays two main interwaving themesof war and love by the nrration of a young soldier' s experience and his love afairs with a beautiful nurse in the first world war. The novelrelects the author' s strong hatred of war and exposes that the war is the real roo of the couple' s tragedy in this novel and the“Lost Genera-tion" in the real society.Key words: Hemingway; themaic anlysis war love中圖分類(lèi)號:1106文獻標識碼:A文章編號 : 1009- -5039(2012)11-0183-021 Ernest Hemingway and His Classic A Farewell toalso the last part in this novel. The idylic life in Switzerland is f=Armsnally replaced by tragic ending. Catherine dies of dystocia. Henrybecomes all alone in the world. At last, war desttoys love.Emest Miller Hemningway July 21. 1899 -July 2, 1961), was.The time 6pan in this nove! is about three years. We could seeregarded as one of the most oulstanding and infuential writers inthat the developmental speed of plot in each part is diferent. Some20h century. As a rpreentative figure of the Lost Generalin, com-parts are witen roughly and skaled over while other parts are ex-fusion and osellation to life, society and world were abundant inquisitely complicated. Thus war and love themes are well-arangedhis work. The New York Times wrote in 1926 conceming Heming-and the entire novel structure is also well knit.國way' s The Sun Also Rises: “ht is a tmuly gipping story, told inalean, hard, atheic narrative prose that puts more literary English2.1 Anti-war thematic analysto sharne”心A Farewell to Armns, a semi- -autobiographical novelThe change of ideology of Hemingway can be summarized towiten by Emest Hemingway . is regarded as one of the most reprt-be a trilogy that is fanaticiem disilusion-befuddlemnent.sentative novels of the Lost Generation. In this novel HemingwayIn the first phase, lofty slogans and decepive propagandapresents a strong argument against war and tells a tragic love storymade it possible for Hemingway and his American peers yearn forat the same time.throwing themselves into the war. In their eyes, the war was a glori-The fllowing part will concretely make a thematic study onous way to show their patriotism.this classic work in war and love two aspets.In the phase of sobrety, however, the essence of war朗wellas cruelty of reality disilusioned them and forced them to turn to2 Well- -knit Themes in Novel StructureThe title of this novel is A Farewell t0 Arms. The wordponder soberly about the war.In the last phase-- befuddlement, Hemingway suffering“Arms” has a meaning of weapons but also has another mean-from physical and mental trauma and his cognilive limitations, wasing-- -lover' s arms. That is to say the theme in this novel is aboutBoberly aware that he had got lost and had no way out.war and love. Sructrally. this double- theme has its own ermphasisMany friends of Henry are klled in the gunfire. Even if Henryin each part,leaves war and pursues happy life of common people, his belovedIn the first part, Henry first meets Catherine in a field hospi-surviving in the war still dies of dystocia. His only spiriual supporttal, which bappens in the period of war. In the second part, Hen-of living is collapsed with the death of Catherine. The author’8ry's courage and patience stand the Ltest of injury. The injured Hen-war atitude implied in this novel is that war means death. Warry finds that his afections to Catherine is not a sexual firting. Bothdoes not only bring physical and mental agonies but also destroyof them fall in love shortly. In the third part. Henry relurms to the .people' s hope and confidence to life. The opening chapter of thefront. Then the ltalians are defeated and during the retreat Henrynovel is very inportant and it finst sets up a bleak and apprachingjumps into a river to escape. After going ashore, Henry cuts off thedeath mood that basically penetrates the whole work.stars in his uniform which means he severs his relation to the war.Troops went by the house and dowrn the road and the dust theyThe war theme begins to fade out. In the fourth part, Henry andaised powdered the leaves of the tee. The trunks of the tres tooCatherine meet again and flee to Switzerland. They set foot on thiswere dusty and the leaves fell earty that year and we saw the lroopsneutral state, which indicates that love defeats war. The ffth part is中國煤化工YHCNMHG收稿日期:2012-04-05修回日期:2012-05-10作者簡(jiǎn)介:劉麗曼(1988 -),女,甘肅嘉峪關(guān)人,蘭州大學(xué)2011級MTI筆譯方向碩士。栳目責任偏輯:楊事NU較庭N 1832012年06月Overseas Engish臨外英imaching alog the road and the dust ring and leaves, sired byhe did nohing heroic. As a sldier, the highest honor i to be地the breere, flling and the soldies marching andaftervward the roadwarded for heroie acion in a btle, however, Henry wineses hiscompanion is klleld by his owm aray. How could he reeive such Bbare and white excep for the leaves."The concise description of the scenery anda close-up ofmedal at the price ofhis friend' slife.trops trudgjng render a depresive atmosphere of imminent mistor-2.2 Analysis of love themetones. The bare and white mad both symbolizes the hero’● emptyThe New York Tines' Hemingway expert Percy Hutchinsonheart and his hopelesness after losing evenything.said, " the story of the love between the English nurse and theIt is not hard to find that during Caporeto retrtet, continuous-American ambulance oficere, 田helpless as that of Romeo and Ju-ly happened ragedies deeply influence Henry' 6 mind. Aymo is liet" 4 Indeed, the characters in two works all sufer from the g0-shot by people on his own side, Bonello would rather be capiveny of losing beloved. Dferenly, in Shakepeare' B work. tragicthan making meningless sacifie. Henry serving for lalian amyfeling obains proper relief by the ending that their feuding famisays they are in more danger from Italians than Gemans. Angry sol- lies ulimately unite. However, in Hemingway' sA Farevell todicns throw away their riles and cy“Dowmn with the oficer, VivaAmus the hero does not only suffe physical lortures from the warla Pace!" (Hemingway. 56) These deseriptions both scorchinglybut alke loses his only mental support for sunival. In folowigsatirize on the war and make Henry soberly know about it. Finally, part, the author of this paper will ilustrate the love theme in Athis bodines is climaxed by the erary slaughter o batle polie.Farewelll to Amus. In a wartime stting, Henry' 8 outlook of love al-Because Henry speaks lralian with an acenl. he is naturally比。changes as his increasingly clear undenstanding of he war.ganded as a German spy to be shot. Al the eleventh hour, HenyThe period Henry and Catherine spend in Switerland is thejumps into the river lo survive.happiest in their lives. Nevertbes, shadow of the war is sill catHe decides to completely keep away from the war and wantson them.“The weather became quite warm and it was like spingtocherish his only piriual spt--he love with Caherie. How-We wished we were back in the mountins but the spring weatherever, such a simple hope is fnaly broken. The war detmoy Hen-lasted only a few days and then the cold raness of the break-ry' sdream and quenches his enthusiasm of life. Sufering from略ing-up of winer came" (Hemingway, 310) This deseripin actualonies of war, Heny' s antipathy of war reaches the acme.ly implie the domed tragie ending afher a ephemeral happy lie.Henry pricipates the war in curiosily and romanticim. TheIn the last chaper, Heningway particularty depicts Cathereal war, however, is toally diferent from that in his imagiaion.nine' ; childbirth procs. This slory employs the frst peron asHe winees seven thousand soldies die from malaria, anothernarative pespecive. As the relacer, Henry loks back this painfuldriver Pasim'。miserable deah s well s sauphered ofces.process and makes readers fully experience the misery."This is war, and the sealled honor ol war is smashed in feont ofFinlly, Catherine painfully dies of dyetocia. Hemingway' 6relity. In chapter x, there in a dalopne between Henry and Rim-description of Henry; rliectin, however, is s0 succinet.aldil:He went down the hall. I went to the door of the roomn.“How are you, baby? How do you fel? I bring you hig--”. Youcan' ↑c(diǎn)ome in now," one of the norses said.It was a botle of cogpac. The orely brought a chair and he sat* Yes Ican," Isaid.down,“and good nevs. You will be decorated. They want to get“You can' tcome in yet."you the medagia d' argento but perthaps they can get only theYou get ou," Isaid. “The other one too."ronze."But aler Ihed gou tbe out and sbut the dor and lurned of“What for?"the lightit wan' tany good. I was like saying god-by w a stat.Because you are gravely wounded. They say if you canue. Atera while 1 went out and left the hopital and wlked backprove you did any heroie act you can get the siver. Othenwise itto the hotel in the rain.(Hemingway, 330)will be the bronve. Tell me exactly what happened. Did you do aryThis ending is tally concise and dispassionate. Losing Catheheroie act?"No," Isaid. " I was blown up while we were eatingrine makes him compleely get lot. Henry epes from the warbut he will never escape from the tragic destiny. Catherinecheese."death is the summit of his spiritual tregedy. What this pprenly. Be serious. You must have done somehing heroic eitherberunfnished ending displays is a boundless sorow.fore or after. Remember carlully."3 Conclusion“I did not."As ome of the moet famous war lieany works,A Faremell toDidn' t you camy anybody on your back? Gordi says youArms is not simply a love lngedy. Ani-war theme is in this novelcrried several pepple on your back but the medical major at theGinal pont delres itis isible He had 1o sign he porsion hrogou. The tegy of Henry and Caherire resals foo veaHemingway contatively potrays bntality of war and indiridualfor the citation."“1 didn' teary anybady. I couldn' tmov." (Hemingway,happin_fects the historical rea.中國煤化工and expes pople63sonsC N M H Gment of human cviliaRinaldil, his bttle companion aks him about his herois 80. antiTHthat Henry can be rewarded a medal. It is ervident that he is very他(下轉第199頁(yè))pugant to this and without any iteret. He repeatell stale that本欄目責任編輯:楊菲非184/中塑屬野懲1',I,I088*.2012年06月Overseas English溶弗英語(yǔ)西蒙能夠以理性的眼光看到問(wèn)題的木質(zhì)。是西蒙最初認秩序。 孩子們有組織地獵取食物.搭建草屋.并且在山上燃起識到“野獸就在我們自己身上”。他不惜生命代價(jià)說(shuō)出“野獸”明火作為求救的信號。 這些都顯現了孩子們身上的文明以及的真相,是因為他清楚只有讓大家知道真相才能消除恐慌,從他們對重返文明社會(huì )的渴望。而組織起文明有序的社會(huì )生活。但是在陌生的孤島上.面對惡劣的生存環(huán)境，孩子們心中西蒙代表了人性中的美德和維系文明社會(huì )關(guān)系的理性,可滋生的無(wú)助和恐懼使他們逐漸失了理性.他們只能求助于自是當西蒙說(shuō)出真理時(shí),他被瘋狂的孩子們廝殺了。西蒙的死，己內心深處強大的野性力量。在惡劣的生存環(huán)境下,在無(wú)法戰猶如支撐人類(lèi)社會(huì )的倫理道德和理性被抽掉了,社會(huì )陷入一片勝的神秘的自然面前.孩子們逐漸拋棄了良好教養,并且不再混亂的無(wú)政府狀態(tài)中。奢望回歸文明,喪失掉了最初的天真與善良"。文明與理性在2.3杰克一野性的代表不可戰勝的自然面前就顯得無(wú)能為力。作為野性的代表,杰克有領(lǐng)導才能,渾身充滿(mǎn)自然的力3.2人性深處的野蠻與邪惡的力量量。在涂料和面具的掩護下，他具有更加自信的個(gè)性。他熱衷“蠅王' "即蒼蠅之王,源于希伯萊語(yǔ)Baalzcbub。在《圣經(jīng)》于獵殺和屠宰野豬,這是他的野獸本性的充分表現。他領(lǐng)導中“Bal"被當作"萬(wàn)惡之首”。在英語(yǔ)中,“蠅王”是污穢物之孩子們“獵野豬"和“跳狂舞"的活動(dòng)有效地滿(mǎn)足了他們野性發(fā)王.也是丑惡靈魂的同義詞。在小說(shuō)里,蠅王不只是象征著(zhù)丑作的內在饑渴。正如戈爾丁所言:“他們醉心于享受征服的快惡的懸掛著(zhù)的豬頭.更代表的是人性最深層的黑暗面,是無(wú)法感與殺戮的樂(lè )趣.把自己的意志強加于人,結果其生命時(shí)感到避免的劣根性"。就像喝了一大杯美酒-樣醇香”?！彪S 著(zhù)野性的擴張，他居然把邪惡就隱藏在每個(gè)人的內心深處。惡劣的環(huán)境會(huì )喚起潛自己的同伴也轉變成獵殺的對象,在他的影響下,這種暴力殺伏于內心的野性。 當孩子們受到非理性狩獵樂(lè )趣的誘感時(shí),代戮在孩子中蔓延書(shū)散開(kāi)來(lái)。他們瘋狂地廝殺了西蒙,用巨石砸表文明的教育的影響逐漸衰退。人類(lèi)文明的天性,-旦失去了死了豬崽,用熊熊烈火燒得拉爾夫無(wú)處藏身。法規和文明的約束,是非常脆弱的.極易變得邪惡和野蠻[4]。杰克是野性的典型代表。野性也同時(shí)潛伏于每個(gè)人內心4結束語(yǔ)深處.是孩子們難以抗拒的誘惑。所以在杰克的召喚下.孩子在<蠅王》里這座沒(méi)有文明約束的荒島上,天真純潔的孩子們內心深處的野性蘇醒活躍起來(lái),一發(fā)不可收拾。杰克所代表建設文明烏托邦的努力是徒勞的。拉爾夫所代表的文明與民的野性勢力逐漸擴張,最終占了統治地位。他的勝利,就是野主是有有限,不完善的;西蒙所代表的善良和理性是蒼白無(wú)力蠻對文明的勝利。的;所以當杰克所代表的野蠻暴力橫行時(shí),它所向披靡,所有文3《蠅王》中文明被摧殘的原因明付之- -炬。威廉.戈爾丁以寓言般的故事向人們昭示了在不小說(shuō)的結尾.荒島:有組織的制度逐漸被野蠻吞噬.整個(gè)可戰勝的自然面前,在人們內心的野性的召喚下.文明是多么小島變成火海，野蠻統治了一切。在文明與野蠻的較量中文明脆弱和不堪- -擊。以失敗告終。文明被摧毀首先歸因于其自身脆弱的-面;另.參考文獻:外,人們內心深處不可抗拒的邪惡與野蠻的力量是最終導致了[1]朱彥.從《魯濱遜漂流記》和(蠅王》看英國荒島文學(xué)中的現實(shí)文明毀滅的另-一重要原因。主義元素[I].常熟理T.學(xué)院學(xué)報2009().3.1惡劣環(huán)境中文明與理性的脆弱[2]威廉.戈爾T.Lord of the Flies[M].上海:上海譯文出版杜.2006.孩子們剛剛來(lái)到島上時(shí)他們身上還保存著(zhù)人類(lèi)社會(huì )文明[3]崔麗萍.論(蠅王)中的人性喪失(D].河北師范大學(xué),2008.和理性的殘留。他們在拉爾夫的帶領(lǐng)下.試圖維持文明的社會(huì )[4]寶新麗.淺析《蠅王》中的象征主義1]商情.2009(2).(上接第184頁(yè))[1] Hemingway,Emest.A Farewell to AmsMJ.New York:CharlesScribner' s Sons,1957.Notes:[2] Lyn,Steven.Texts and Contexts: Writing About Literature with①“Marital Tagedy" . The New York Times October 31, 1926.Critical Thery[M].2nd ed.NY:Longman,1998.Retrieved 2010-01-15.[3]常耀信美國文學(xué)簡(jiǎn)史(第三版)[M].天津:南開(kāi)大學(xué)出版社,②劉象愚,李娟.戰爭與人一走 進(jìn)海明威的《永別了,武器).1999.北京師范大學(xué)出版社,2007,第74-75頁(yè)。[4]董衡巽海明威研兗[M]北京:中國社會(huì )科學(xué)出版社,1980.③Emest, Hemingway. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Charles[5]龍海波.從海明威的戰爭創(chuàng )傷看《永別了,武器》的主題[J].邵Secribner' s Sons, 1957.陽(yáng)學(xué)院學(xué)報,2007④Si, S.Y. Theme, Style and Symbolism of A Farewell to Amms.[(6]劉象患李娟.戰爭與人一走進(jìn)海明威的《永別了 ,武器)M]New Column of Educational and Cultural Development, 3,北 京師范大學(xué)出版社2007。0341-2. 2005[7彭雅英海明威及其作品的悲劇+頤1J].長(cháng)春大學(xué)學(xué)報,2005⑤董衡巽.海明威研究.中國社會(huì )科學(xué)出版社, 1980,第228頁(yè)。中國煤化工⑥劉象愚李娟，第86頁(yè)。[8]湯永藝出版社1991.CNMHGReferences:栳睛任編輯:備莘華、、要喚199.