犹太人的乐观主义——《只争朝夕》中对犹太贵族价值的追寻.pdfVIP

Abstract Abstract Saul Bellow, a famous Jewish writer in contemporary American literature, explores humanist issues in his novels and portrays the psychological journey of the modern urban intellectualsto find a foothold. Critics agree that Bellow represents Jewish cultural tradition throughthe literaryconventionsofmodernism andAmerican faithinliberalhumanism. This thesis studiesoneofhismostpowerfulnovels,Seize theDay,whichisalsoanexpressionof urban Jewish alienation from American mainstreams. It mainly tells the painful but awakening story on one day of ajobless and homeless man. In the novella philosophical debate took place within the carefully delineated context of Jewish culture inAmerica, thus balancing ethnic themes with a more universalizing humanism. The thesis focuses on the engagement of the Jewish Aristocratic values reflected in the novel with humanism and humanity. It aims to reveal the Jewish optimism by analyzing Tommy’s quest for Jewish aristocraticvalues. Tommy’sfinal spiritualawakening andhis apotheosisnot onlymarks an endtoJewishself-consciousness:he(theJewish)isaspectatornolongerbutafullparticipant in the life, but provides further evidence for Bellow’s anti-pessimistic stance and his life-affirmingbelief. Thethesisisconsistedoffiveparts. Thefirstchapteristhe introduction,mainlytalking abouttheauthorSaulBellow’slifeandthegeneralplotsofSeizetheDay,andexplainingthe purpose andsignificanceofthisthesis.ChapterTwofirstintroducesthatoptimismisthecore oftheJewisharistocraticvalues,thenstudiestheideologicalsourcesoftheJewisharistocratic values in Judaism, including the concept of “God’s Chosen People”, Judaism’s tempered religiosityandmoral sobriety,theconsciousnessof“suffering”,andJudaism’sspiritualgoals, namely, self-discipline and self-realization. The third chapter discusses the process of the pursuit ofthe Jewish aristo