论《诺斯托罗摩》中康拉德怀疑主义.docVIP

 On Conrad’s Skepticism in Nostromo By You Lina Under the supervision of Prof. Hua Quankun A thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment Of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts to the School of Foreign Studies Anhui University April 2009 Acknowledgements The present thesis is accomplished under the inspiration and instructions of my respected supervisor, Professor Hua Quankun. I am extremely grateful to him for his illuminating directions, valuable suggestions and constant encouragement throughout the writing of the thesis. He made a lot of corrections and suggestions as to the language and improved some ideas in my paper. Without his supervising, this thesis would never have come to the present form. I would also like to express my gratitude to all my teachers in the School of Foreign Studies, especially Professor Qi Tao, Chen Bing. During my graduate years, their untiring instruction and devotion helped me to lay a solid academic foundation and cultivate a great interest in literature, which subsequently led to my systematic study on Joseph Conrad. Last but not least, my gratitude goes to my parents who have offered me much help and support in writing this paper. i Abstract Published in 1904, Nostromo is an acclaimed novel by Joseph Conrad, considered by some critics as one of the best novels of the age. An epic-like novel with its significant events, grand-scaled scenes, original construction, profound ideology and numerous characters, Nostromo has occasioned a large critical industry devoted to its interpretation and appreciation ever since its first publication. So far, most studies on this novel focus on topic such as ideology, narrative techniques, myth, politics, history, gender issues, imperialism, colonialism, globalization, and so on. However, his skeptical attitude displayed in this novel has not been systematically explored. The primary academic significance of the present thesis is to fill up a blank in Conrad studies. Skepticism is both a