Some Irrational Features In Modernist Literature

This dissertation intends to expound features of modernist irrationality reflected in modernist literature by analyzing relationships of irrationality with civilization, environment, and evil tendencies in human nature in two modernist literary works Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies to provide an insight to the ideal of man's salvation through irrationality.In the "Introduction" part, the author reviews the sources of irrationalism in literature and ethic of modernist irrationality. From the surface layer of meaning, irrationality is a collective concept of the subconscious, imagination and intuition, etc. From the deep layer of meaning, irrationality as the essential power originates from man's original desire to realize his free will by using life impulse.As early as ancient Greece, irrationality was displayed in the stories about the Olympians led by Zeus fighting against other Titans in Greek mythology. Both of them are derived from Gaea. Hence, the gods are the symbols of rationality, while the Titans are the symbols of irrationality. In Romanticism, irrationality prevailed.Irrationality gradually develops into an important thought of modernism in the process of its struggle against rationalism. In Western history, irrationality is always suppressed by knowledge and reason. With the over-development of science and technology, man becomes machine of modern civilization. Serious spiritual crises make modernists divert their attention from the exterior world to man's interior world. Irrationality reverts to the dark aspect in human nature. To Kant, the world consists of two parts, that is, the phenomenon and noumenon. In his philosophical system, noumenon equals "thing-it-self" which is not knowable by man's reason. Kant's division also leaves room for the flourishing of irrationality. In the psychological field, Freud thinks that id is a kind of man's inborn driving force. It is irrational. In the philosophical field, Arthur Schopenhauer's "will to life" and Nietzsche's "will to power" are also representative of modernist irrational philosophy.In the field of modernist literature, modern writers are concerned about man'sinner conflicting world. They break away from traditional writing techniques or literary theory and introduce some new writing techniques like stream of consciousness, mythical pattern, and symbolic expression in their literary works. The theme of modernist literature delineates the battle between man's interior world and the exterior world. The Romantics advocate man's imagination, intuition and inspiration. It demonstrates those irrational features by describing man's relationships with civilization, nature, and man himself. Therefore, modernist irrationality is also closely linked to modern civilization, wild environment and the moral choice in human nature. In order to exemplify irrational features of modernist literary works, the author focuses on two modernist novels Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies for a case study.The first chapter tries to prove the important positions of Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies among modernist literary works. Heart of Darkness is regarded as "the first truly modern work of fiction in English" (Adelman 5). Lord of the Flies is also "a modern classic" (Reilly 3). The two novels attract many critics. Some critics discuss Heart of Darkness from a post-colonial point of view. Some interpret the novel by taking a psychoanalytic approach. As to Lord of the Flies, most critics comment on Golding's revelation of the evil aspect in human nature. But so far, few have concentrated on modernist irrational features reflected in the two novels. Although the two novels belong to different periods in the 20th century, they can be looked upon as classics of modernist literary works. Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies can manifest features of modernist literary works, including modernist irrational features.The second chapter discusses the symbols and the myths which help reveal irrational features in Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies. Symbolism and myth are two important writing techniques that are widely used by modernist writers. Symbols can best reflect man's multiple consciousness, exploring irrational aspect in human nature. In Heart of Darkness, those symbols like the snake, the skulls, and the jungle represent irrational power. Above all, Kurtz is the symbol of evil in human nature. In Lord of the Flies, the pig's head and the beast symbolize irrational powerand evil in human nature. Besides, Jack is also the symbol of man's irrational aspect. Modernist writers employ myth to associate the present with the history. With bold innovation, they use myth to disclose the spiritual crisis in human existence. Heart of Darkness originates from Christopher Marlowe's Dr Faustus, while Golding's Lord of the Flies is mostly derived from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver s Travels. By taking the mythical pattern, the two writers express a pessimistic attitude towards human nature.The third chapter is mainly concerned with irrational features in Heart of Darkness. Civilization in Heart of Darkness is tinted with colonial color. It is fragile when those white pilgrims are confronted with the primitive Congo area. White man's hypocrisy is in contrast with the energetic "untamed" aboriginals in the Congo area. The white colonialists degrade into "hollow men." in this primitive land. In order to seek more profits, the white devastate the primitive land in the Congo area. Meanwhile, nature corrodes man's reason and damages his physical health. The white either lose their lives in this wild area or become insane like Kurtz. When Kurtz, a man from a civilized country, is situated in primitive Congo forest, he cannot resist irrational power in his heart and becomes a "death image." Irrationality lurking in the hearts of both the white and the black is presented as man's lust for ivory and power and externalized as mysterious rites in the jungle, etc. Both the white and the black manifest evil aspects in their nature: the white mistreat the black; while some tamed Negroes cruelly kill their fellows who are regarded as "rebels" against the white.In the fourth chapter, the author analyzes irrational features in Lord of the Flies. The influence of education as the representation of civilization fades away when the boys are lured by pleasure of hunting which is the embodiment of irrationality. Nature is hostile to man. At first, Ralph tries to set up a Utopia where the boys are in harmony with nature. However, the wild island invokes irrational power in their hearts. Consequently, Jack turns it into a Dystopia where the boys indulge in hunting boars, dancing around the fire and eating meat. They ruin nature, and make it become a wasteland. Irrational power in their hearts is totally released. Hence, these boys degenerate into a group of evil pleasure-hunters.The fifth chapter states the features of modern irrationality. As exemplified by thetwo novels, irrationality is in conflict with civilization. Modern civilization, as the embodiment of instrumental rationality, is hypocritical in essence. The exterior environment is hostile to the modern man. It arouses man's irrational power. What's more, modernist irrationality appears as man's evil tendency out of free will. Kant thinks man's free will makes him superior to the animal. Free will is similar to "thing-it-self," it is transcendental and cannot be perceived by man's reason. Hence, in author's opinion, free will has some color of irrational elements. The freedom of will is the basis of morality. According to Kant, man's first choice intends to be evil, because once man chooses evil, he gets self-knowledge through this fall. (Deng, 103-04) The dying Kurtz in the end degrades into a symbol of evil. The boys in Lord of the Flies are overwhelmed with irrational thought represented as pleasure of hunting and meat eating. Jack organizes his fellows to hunt pigs. Guided by this irrational force, they even kill Simon and Piggy. All the irrational behavior appears as an evil tendency.The sixth chapter asserts that modernist irrationality is a mode of salvation of man's spiritual predicament. According to Freud's three-level division of structural models in human nature: id ego, superego. Id is based on our pleasure principle exhibited as instinctive behavior. Ego sometimes pays attention to the others' needs and sometimes succumbs to the calls from id. It is free floating in all three levels. Superego is the moral part in human nature. It restrains the instinctive behavior that disobeys moral values or ethics. Superego is rational. In the two novels, Marlow's meeting with Kurtz and Ralph's struggle against Jack indicate the confrontation between superego—rational social conventions and id—irrational aspect in human heart. In the modern period, id is liberated from ego and superego. It traces the root of man's spiritual predicament. Besides, the indulgence in irrationality is similar to Nietzsche's Dionysiac state. It is in the internal insane state that agony and exultation coexist together. In a Dionysiac state, Kurtz, Simon and Jack pierce through the hypocritical surface, and realize the truth. Kurtz and Jack are Nietzschean heroes. A Nietzschean hero deserts all traditional values and faces his doom with great courage. Through his fall, he comprehends the true meaning of life. Kurtz understands the darktruth of life at his dying moment. Ralph realizes the dark side in human nature from Jack's riot.In the conclusion part, the author reviews the features of modernist irrationality. Modernist irrationality is in conflict with civilization and the exterior environment. It is an evil tendency in human nature upon free will. Kant's free will is tinted with irrational elements. Besides, man's first moral choice based on free will tends to be evil, because as what Kant thinks, man could elicit good from evil. Through the fall, people wake up from ignorance and realize the truth of life, just like Nietzschean heroes Jack and Kurtz in the two novels. Hence, the victory of irrationality over reason and rationality paves the way for man's salvation. The irrational trend in modernism is indispensable to man's maturity.