《鲁滨逊漂流记》现代性思想的进步意义与局限性 [3]
论文作者:www.51lunwen.org论文属性:本科毕业论文 Thesis登出时间:2014-05-25编辑:lzm点击率:20638
论文字数:5334论文编号:org201405241813398614语种:英语 English地区:中国价格:免费论文
关键词:鲁滨逊漂流记现代性思想Robinson Crusoe进步意义与局限性Limitation of Modernity
摘要:This paper gives some ideas to the study of Robinson Crusoe as well as to the study of modernity. The study reveals that the two aspects, the progressiveness and limitation of modernity, existed from its very beginning. However, the two aspects of modernity were covered by the remaining influence of God and traditional value in the 18th century. This influence makes Robinson’s optimism for modernity.
relationship between men and men, tyranny of rationality, and so on.
Ⅱ. The Progressiveness of Modernity in Robinson Crusoe
The main character Robinson always has a passion in his mind, and he gets out of his father’s ideas shadow. Although he was perturbed and hazy, the new spirit— modernity at the time inspired him, and led him to have a life style of the modern sense. His dissatisfaction and constant pursuit of the life can sum up such progressiveness of modernity.
2.1 Pursuing the Free Life, Affirming to Self-value
Robinson himself was such a man who insisted in his own will and took adventures on the regardless of his parents’ and friends’ persuasion. He acted according to the call of his intuition rather than the regulation of society.
2.1.1 The Pursuit of the Free Life
During the long period of the Middle Age, Christian Theology occupies the dominating status; everything considers the “God” as the center. Human being is insignificant, and is the God’s servant, also doesn’t have the freedom to pursue happiness, only serves as the docile lamb with the yoke. As Rousseau in The Social Contract explicitly declared the “people are born free”, people recognized that freedom is every person’s original, inherent rights. Because of the Protestant Ethics Reform, the pursuit of wealth and overseas adventure has become the perfectly legitimate goal to pursue. Robinson, the protagonist of the novel, did not want to stick to an easy life. “My head began to be filled very early with rambling thoughts”. (Daniel Defoe, 2004: 2) Even though his “wise and grave” father persuaded him again and again, as an enviable middle-class youth, he could “be well introduced, and had a prospect of raising fortune by application and industry, with a life of easy and pleasure”. (Daniel Defoe, 2004: 3) But Robinson would not tolerate mediocrity and restraint, and finally running away from home, to pursue the freedom that he dreamed. He initially experienced three times risk-taking, then went to Africa in slave ships crash on his way, and lived on a desert island for up to twenty-eight years. However, he did not despair, to rely on tenacious perseverance to survive, even remake the desert island into a prosperous and peaceful paradise. In his later years, Robinson did not change his original intention and started again his “new venture” with his nephew by proclaiming “wandering into nature”.
2.1.2 The Affirmation of the Self-value
The pursuit of freedom for Robinson reflected in affirming to self-value, also the self-decision and the self-realization are the criteria to determine that value. Robinson no longer gave to his parents right to choose his life, he wanted to find a new life, which follows his own desire, to experience. This new life was not mediocre and easy, nor was waiting for grace, but rather to rely on his own constant adventures to confirm his own ability. Moreover, he no more took his soul unreserved to the God. From the initial voyage to the management of the plantation, from dealing with the slave trade to becoming the master of the desert island, a conflict existed in Robinson’s heart, which was between the radical individual consciousness and the conservative religious concepts. Eventually, the tameness and devotion gave their place to the ambition. While living on the desert island, he found the Bible again and conv
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