爱尔兰本土意识在叶芝作品中的体现_英语论文

A Study of Native Consciousness in William Butler Yeats’ Works

摘要

区鉷教授曾在上世纪八十年代提出“本土意识”理论，并认为本土意识的核心是民族意识。他认为在不同时代，本土意识表现为不同的时代精神；在不同的人身上，其表现为不同的主体意识，且本土意识是不断变化的。19世纪末至20世纪初，英国统治下的爱尔兰目睹了外来文化与本土意识产生的碰撞，这种碰撞的激烈程度在这一阶段趋近于峰值。在这样的历史条件下，爱尔兰诞生了大量民族主义作家，叶芝便是其中之一。在不同的文学创作阶段，本土意识在叶芝作品中的渗透程度是不同的。因此，叶芝的作品展现出的本土意识也具有不同的特点。在本论文中，作者希望探究民族意识觉醒的爱尔兰给叶芝的文学创作带来的多种影响，如在人生追求及政治主张等方面的影响。故本文在本土意识理论的辅助下，主要通过文本分析、文献研究分析等方法，探寻叶芝创作出的作品中蕴含的本土意识元素，最终归纳出了其中体现的本土意识的两大特点——对于自我解放的追求以及较强的政治性。

关键词：本土意识；爱尔兰；叶芝；爱尔兰文艺复兴 

Abstract

In 1980s, Professor Ou Hong first advanced the theory of “Native Consciousness”, and he believes that the core of native consciousness is nationalism. He deems that in different eras, native consciousness embodies itself as different zeitgeist; that on different individuals, native consciousness embodies as different subjective senses. Additionally, Professor Ou thinks that native consciousness is continuously changing. During the time between the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, the English-governed Ireland witnessed the severest clash of the foreign Anglo-Norman culture and its own national culture. Under such historical conditions, Ireland emerged a plenty of writers of nationalism. Yeats was one of them. Native consciousness was involved differently in Yeats’ works and has various features. In this essay, the author hopes to explore how the nationalism-emerging Ireland influenced Yeats and his works, especially on the parts of personal pursuit and political appeals. Under the aegis of the Native Consciousness Theory and other researching methods such as discourse analysis and literature analysis, this essay studied Yeats’ works and the different native consciousness they contain. Finally the author finds that there are two major features of Yeats’ native consciousness—the pursuit of personal liberation and political tendency.

Key words: native consciousness; Ireland; William Butler Yeats; Irish Literary Revival

Contents

Acknowledgments 

Abstract (Chinese)  i 

Abstract (English) ii 

Introduction1

Chapter One Mythic figures of Irish myths, legends and folklore in Yeats’ works: Irishness accompanied by the clashes and fusion of Gaelic culture and Anglo-Norman culture 3 

1.1 Yeats’ verse plays 3 

1.1.1 Maeve the Queen and other figures in The Countess Cathleen 3 

1.1.2 Cuchulain in the The Death of Cuchulain 4 

1.2 Yeats’ poems: Enlightenment from mythology: Rethinking of life philosophy 6 

1.2.1 “Fergus and Druid” 6 

1.2.2 “The Hosting of Sidhe” 6 

Chapter Two Geographical images 8 

2.1 Sleuth Wood 8 

2.2 Isle of Innisfree 9 

Chapter Three The identity of Irish Peasants 10 

3.1 The importance of Peasants 10 

3.2 Their functions of being witnesses, participants, and tellers of Irishness 11 

Conclusion 12 

Bibliography 15