摘   要

本文旨在通过对小说《寻找格林先生》的分析，去探寻作者索尔•贝洛对生命意义的看法，探寻他想要通过作品向读者传达怎样的思想。纵观贝娄的创作历程和作品成就后，本文先从文化角度，结合犹太文化的主要观点，分析其蕴涵的犹太文化要义。寻找格林先生的过程，象征着人类不同于其他生物的一种特殊的存在方式。贝娄在探讨现代人的负罪时，还将此追寻到人性的本质，唤起人们对现代生活意义的深刻认知。贝娄从存在主义哲学的高度思考、把握现代文明中人类的命运，思考人与社会、人与人和人与自我的关系。他试图在这个世界里，在事物中以及现实生活中探寻生命自身存在的意义。作品通过格里布寻找虚无的格林先生，是要强调人必须用自身的行动创造出意义，以自己的行动改变命运。

关键词：索尔•贝娄，犹太文化，存在主义，生命意义

ABSTRACT

This article attempts to explore the meaning of life in Saul Bellow’s view by analyzing the short story “Looking for Mr. Green”. The purpose of the analysis is to reveal what ideas about the meaning of life Saul Bellow wants to convey to readers. From the angle of culture, the essence of Jewish culture will be explored. The process of looking for Mr. Green is a symbol of people’s living which is different from other creatures. Saul Bellow is exploring the guilty of modern people and deepens this into people’s nature to arouse people’s attention to the profound meaning of modern life. He grasps the destiny of modern people and is influenced by the philosophy of existentialism. He is trying to explore the real meaning of life in this world. Through the process of looking for Mr. Green, he wants to emphasize that people need create the significance of life by their own action and to decide their own destiny. 

Key words: Saul Bellow, Jewish culture, Existentialism, Meaning of life 

1  Introduction
Saul Bellow was a great writer who succeeded the literature master William Faulkner in America. For his literary contributions, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for literature, and the National Medal of Arts. He is the only writer to have won the National Book Award three times, and the only writer to have been nominated for it six times.
Saul Bellow is a writer of realism and romanticism. He is also profoundly influenced by existentialism. His novels depict the Jewish families, cities, and the spirit of contemporary American life. Most protagonists of his novels are Jewish intellectuals. Those characters are traditional and conservative Jews and they are poor, pathetic and ridiculous. At the same time, they are the persons who have a serious feeling of sensitivity. Sometimes they are disappointed on their life, but they constantly strive to explore the numerous significant issues of human’s existence. They fail to find the answers from religion and the interpersonal relationship such as love, family affection. They have the feeling of great emotional distress. Their struggle whose purpose is to control their own destiny is a spiritual pursuit. In Saul Bellow’s view, human beings cannot decide their own fate, but they can choose the attitude to face the destiny. The characters are alienated by the society, but they are not destroyed by the community.