学期论文.docx

学期论文.docx

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学期论文

《永别了，武器》中象征意义

李海龙

赤峰学院外国语学院，赤峰024000

摘要：

无论在中国还是海外，海明威都被视为上世纪二三十年代美国“迷茫的一代”的最具代表性的作家。

他的《永别了，武器》日益受到人们的关注。

这部作品，除了有现实主义的描写，以及他那“冰山”理论下电报式的简约、含蓄的文风，更充满了迷人的象征。

阅读这部小说时如果不能很好地把握这些象征意义，那就很难真正理解本部作品的内涵。

本文旨在通过对其中几处明显的象征意义的分析来帮助读者更好地理解这部小说。

关键词:

海明威；《永别了，武器》；象征；含蓄

SymbolisminAFarewelltoArms

LiHailong

\（SchoolofForeignLanguages,ChifengUniversity,Chifeng,InnerMongolia024000,China）

Abstract：

Whetherathomeorabroad,Hemingwayisseentobeoneofthemostoutstandingwritersof"LostGeneration"intwentiesandthirtiesoflastcentury.Andhisnovel"AFarewelltoArms"isalsoincreasinglyrecognizedashismostoutstandingwork.Thiswork,inadditiontothedescriptionofrealismaswellastelegraph-likeconciseandimplicitstyleoperatingonhis"icebergtheory",isfulloffascinatingsymbols.Afterreadingthismasterpiece,ifyoufailtonoticethesecharmingsymbols,itisdifficulttosaythatyouhaveaccuratelygraspedtheideologicalcontentofthiswork.Thispaperaimsatanalyzingsomesymbolstohelpreadersbetterunderstandthisnovel.

Keywords:

Hemingway;"AFarewelltoArms";symbols;indirectway

.Introduction

ThenovelAFarewelltoArmsisalovestorybasedonHemingway'sexperiencesasayoungsoldierinItaly.ItisastoryaboutLieutenantFredericHenry,ayoungAmericanambulancedriverservingintheItalianarmyduringWorldWarI.HenryfallsinlovewiththeBritishnurseCatherineBarkley.Afterheiswoundedatthefrontbyatrenchmortarshell,shetendstohiminthehospitalduringhisrecuperation,andtheirrelationshipdevelops.HisrecuperationandromancewiththenowpregnantCatherineendsabruptlywhenHenrymustreturntothefront.HenrynarrowlyescapesdeathatthehandsoffanaticalItaliansoldiers,whoareexecutingofficersseparatedfromtheirtroopsduringtheItalians'disastrousretreatfollowingtheBattleofCaporetto.HefindsCatherine,andafterasojourninanItalianresort,thecouplefleestoSwitzerlandontheeveofHenry'sarrestfordeserting.InSwitzerland,theirchildisborndead,andCatherinediesshortlyafterduetohemorrhages.

ErnestHemingwayisknowntobeoneofthemostfamouswritersinAmericanliteraturehistory.Whenitcomestothissuccessfulnovelist,mostpeoplewillcalltomindhismasterpieceOldManandSea.WhileAFarewelltoArms,hissecondinfluentialnovel,wasalsoawardedhighpraiseallaroundtheworld.Hemingway’swarexperiencehelpedhimcreatethisstory.Thisnoveldescribesalovestorybetweenasoliderandanurseagainstabackgroundofsocialandpoliticaldisorder.AsHemingwayisawriterofsymbolism,heusesthiswritingskillsalotwhendescribingthisromance.Tosomedegree,thisindirectwayaddstothedifficultyofunderstandingthisnovel.Thusonlywhenyouaresensitiveenoughcanyouhaveaclearideaaboutwhatthiswriterwantstotell.TheaimofthisessayistoanalyzeseveraloutstandingsymbolsinAFarewelltoArms,includingnaturesymbolslikemountainandrain,andcharactersymbolslikeFredericHenryandCatherine.

.NatureSymbolism

Whenreadingthisnovel,peoplemayfindtherearefewsurprises.Themaineventsarerecordedintheordertheyoccur,however,readersneverfindthestoryboringduetothewriter’svividdescriptionofweatherandplace,whicharousespeople’simaginationtofindthehiddenpart.SinceHemingwayseldomexpresseshisemotionorattitudesdirectly,readerscanonlyfindcluesrootedinthedescriptionofscenestofigureoutHemingway’sthought.Thereisnodoubtthatdifferentpeoplehavedifferentideasaboutthesymbolism,that’swaythediscussionaboutthethemeofthenovelisstillheatedtoday.

1.SymboloftheMountain

InChineseculture,mountainstandsforcalmnessandpatience.Weusuallyrelatemountainstothosewhoarereliableandtough.ThisalsoappliesinHemingway’snovel.Throughoutthestory,themountainshaveastrongpresenceasaplaceofhomeandsafety.

Atthebeginning,Henrycommentedonthecomingbattlewhichwastostartforfourhundredtwentymineworkers.Hesaidthatthebattlewastostart.Butthebattlefieldsaren’tanyfourhundredtwentiesawayinthemountains.Infact,itwasveryhardfortheenemytocarrytheirlargergunsinmountains.Thatmeansmountainswillbringdisadvantagestotheenemy,whichinturnbringsafetytoHenryandhisfriends.Typicallyspeaking,amountainisnotmobile,so“intheolddaystheAustrianswerealwayswhippedthemthere.”（Cooperman,1976:

99）SoHenry’sstatementindicatedthecharacter’slongingforthesenseofsafety.Besides,themountainsplayanotherimportantandinterestingroleinHenryandCatherine’slovestory.ThemountainsmakeitquiteeasyfortheloverstoescapetoSwitzerland.Astheyrowacrossthelake,themountainsinmoonlightwatchedthem.Hemingwayusesthefollowingsentencestodescribethescene“LookingbackIcouldseethelongdarkpointofCastagnolaandthelakewithwhite-capsandbeyond,themoononthehighsnowmountains”.ThepoliceinSwitzerlandarealsohelpfulandfriendlytothetworunaways.Atfirstsight,thepolicemanwasimpatienttoHenryandCatherine.Whileafterhelistenedtotheirintroductionoftheexperienceandcurrentsituation,hechangedhisattitudeandletthemgo.SwitzerlandisacountryfullofmountainsandtheauthorarrangesHenryandCatherine’sescapehere.ItisevidentthatHemingwayregardsmountainasaparadisefortheyoungcouple.Inthisplot,thenovelistpointedthatitcanbeallowedthattheloversarenotfreeofthecontaminatingshadowofwaruntiltheyhaveescapedupthelakeandmountainsofSwitzerlandandestablishedthemselvesintheirlittlechaletaboveMontreux.

However,asthesayinggoes“Everycoinhastwosides”,thereisstillsomeambiguityinhowHemingwayhaspresentedthemountain.Inthefirstchapterofthenovel,thewriterdescribesahorriblesituationwhereawarhappensinamountain.Hewrotethat“Therewasfightinginthemountainsandatnighttheycouldseeflashesfromtheartillery.Inthedarkitwaslikesummerlightingbutthenightswerecoolandtherewasnotthefeelingofastormcoming.Thefightinginthemountainscausedsomuchdeathandwoundsthatreadersmayassociatemountainswithcoldandbadthings.Onthecontrary,thesnowhereseemstosymbolizetheniceandgoodthingsinlife.

2.SymbolofRain

Fromthebeginningupuntiltheveryend,rainappearseverywhereandusuallyisrelatedtopainanddepression.ItcanbeseenclearlyhowHenrystruggledinsomanyrainydaysinhislife.Hemingwayusesdifferentwordstodescriberainswhendifferenteventshappen.Ingeneral,rainkeepschangingwiththechangingofHenry’slife.

Fromtheveryfirstchapter,rainclearlysymbolizesdeath.OnPage7,“Inthefallwhentherainscame,theleavesallfellfromthechestnuttreesandthebrancheswerebareandthetrunksblackwithrain,"Henrytoldus“Thevineyardswerethinandbare-branchedtooandallthecountrywetandbrownanddeadwithautumn.”AnotherexampleisAymo’s（thedriver）deathafterbeingshot.Inthisplot,Henrysaid“Helookedverydead.Itwasraining.”Thesetwosentenceshaveclearlyrevealedtherelationbetweenrainanddeath.Throughoutthenovel,weseethatHemmingwayusesraintoreplacedeathoremotions.Thisprovidesreaderswithcluestopredictwhatwillhappennextasonceitstartsraining,unhappythingsfollows.Forexample,onPage138,beforegettingkilled,Aymostates:

"Wedrinkbarberanow.Tomorrowmaybewedrinkrainwater".Inthisnovel,rainnotonlystandsfordeathbutalsoallunhappyevents.Inchapter19,there’sadialoguebetweenHenryandCatherineaboutrain.Catherinesaidshewasafraidofrainbecausesometimesshewouldseeherdyingintherain.Sheevenexpressedherfearofrainbysaying“It'sallnonsense.It'sonlynonsense.I'mnotafraidoftherain.I'mnotafraidoftherain.Oh,oh,God,IwishIwasn't."Shewascrying.Henrycomfortedherandshestoppedcrying.Butoutsideitkeptonraining.Catherineissoafraidoftherainthatreaderscan’thelpthinkingthatrainisassociatedwithdisaster.That’swhyreaderswillnotfeelsurprisedwhyCatherinediedinarainydayinsteadofasunnyday.Ifyoureadchapter24totheendcarefully,youmayhaveastrongfeelingthattherearemoreandmoredescriptionsaboutrain.Itseemsthatrainistheonlyclimateinsuchplots.HemingwaymustarrangesomanyrainydaysbecauseweatherisrelatedtoHenry’slife.SinceHenry’slifegoesdark,itisreasonablewhyheseldomseesshiningdays.Onarainynight,HenryandhisfriendswerearrestedbyItalianarmybecausetheycouldnotspeakstandardItalian.TheSecurityDepartmentofficerregardthemasGermenspiesbymistakeandsentencedthemtodeath.Henryseemedtoendhislifeinsuchadarkrainyday.Heisaloyalsoldierwithhighsenseofresponsibility.Soit’sreallyfrustratingforhimtoacceptthissituation.Thispartshowswar’sterribleforcewhichcanbringharmtopeoplebothphysicallyandspiritually.Inthelastpartofthisnovel,fromCatherine’shemorrhagetodeath,itkeepsrainingoutside.OnPage93,theauthorwrote“Justafterthenursehastoldhimthatthebabyisdead,Henrylooksoutsideagainandcouldseenothingbutthedarkandtherainfallingacrossthelightfromthewindow."RainisalwayswithHenryduringhishardtime.Thestoryalsoendswitharainynight.Hemingwayendedthisstorybywritingthat“AfterawhileIwentoutandleftthehospitalandwalkedbacktothehotelintherain.”Theendingissopopularandsimple,butalsomeaningful.Althoughtherearenocryingortearing,readerscanstillfeelstronglyhowdepressedHenryis.Henry’ssilences