On The Metaphorical Theme Of "Fathers And Sons" In Saul Bellow's Novels

Saul Bellow is a very famous contemporary Jewish - American writer. Almost all of his full - length novels imply a theme of "fathers and sons". Bellow doesn't regard the Jews and their cultural life as presentative object and descriptive key directly, but dispels the Jews' essentials into the potential medium in literature, and regards unique misfortunes of the Jews and the ideas of religion and culture as certain formed reason in literature, out of which special symbol and metaphor grows, so the metaphorical theme of "fathers and sons" is formed. According to this definition, below the surface of story strand, it is found that there is a paralleled developing and unceasingly intensifying theme of "fathers and sons". According to the difference in strand and clue, it may be divided into three patterns: "fathers and sons" by blood, "fathers and sons" in spirit, alienated "fathers and sons". He combines the metaphorical theme of "fathers and sons" with America culture, out of which the cultural and philosophical contemplation about human beings grows. It not only presents profound Jewish culture connotation, but also transcends Jew race specificity, so it is of cosmopolitan significance.The paper is divided into four parts. The first part analyzes "fathers and sons" by blood, which means sons follow fathers by blood relation, but sons are refused by father. It shows the contradiction and conflict between the old generation who tries to maintain the Jewish culture tradition and the younger generation who is assimilated by America culture. In actual fact, it implies the contradictory relationship between tradition and assimilation in Jewish culture, and the question of Jew immigrants who felt perplexed and confused about self - identity caused by it. The second part is about "fathers and sons" in spirit, which means sons deviate from fathers by blood relation, and then followspiritual fathers. The novels raise the questions about the spiritual crisis in the affluent society, the contradiction between sex and love, and the artists' destiny in such practical America, by the metaphorical theme of "fathers and sons", that is to say, by the two clues: "sons" deviate from "father" by blood relation, and then follow "spiritual fathers"; and "sons" follow "spiritual fathers", and then deviate from "spiritual fathers", and regress to "spiritual fathers" at last. In the third part analyzes alienated "fathers and sons", the fathers' authority has expanded to all kinds of social forces that sons must face, the relationship between fathers and sons shows the contradiction and conflict of dissenting relation force, which reveals the relationship between "individual/sons" and "dissenting relation force/fathers" from revolt to conformity. It shows the alienation situation and feelings of "individual/sons". The last part is about the reason for forming the metaphorical theme of "fathers and sons" in Saul Bellow's novels. The metaphorical theme is not only connected with Bellow's complex of "fathers and sons" and dual culture identity, but also is a shift from the diachronic motif, which has profound culture connotation. Bellow regards the predicament of the Jews as the symbol of the man's predicament and contemplates about American society and culture philosophically by the metaphorical theme of "fathers and sons". Bellow's novels transcend ethic group, time space and kingdom, and reveal their universal significance. So the theme of "fathers and sons" is of cosmopolitan significance.