Ernest Hemingway's Ecological Ambivalence

As the representative of "the lost generation", Ernest Hemingway enjoys the worldwide reputation and remains a conspicuous figure in the field of literary criticism. With the development of ecocriticism, it has become a new and popular trend to study the relationship between human and nature in Hemingway's writings from the ecological perspective.With ecocriticism as the theoretical support, this thesis is to explore Ernest Hemingway's ecological ambivalence implicated in his writing, by applying an integrated approach of cross-disciplinary studies and textual analysis. Focusing on the specific manifestation of Hemingway's ecological ambivalence and its origins, the author of this thesis hopes to gain a better view of Hemingway's attitude toward nature and achieve a sounder understanding of Hemingway, who has realized the inter-dependence and reciprocity between human and nature but tends to advocate that human has the right to utilize, dominate and control nature. It is also hoped that this thesis will help human take an appropriate attitude toward nature and take responsibility for both the environment and non-human life.The whole thesis consists of five parts. The introduction part first states the purpose and significance of this thesis and then outlines the literary theory of ecocriticism on which this thesis is based. Chapter I studies Hemingway's ecological views on nature in three aspects, namely the returning to nature, the reverence for non-human life, and the criticism of human passion. Chapter II is devoted to a study of Hemingway's anti-ecological views in three respects, that is, the alienation from nature, the domination over nature, and the killing of animals. Chapter III focuses on the origins of Hemingway's ecological ambivalence, which has something to do with his father's influence, Western religious influences, his reading experience, and his personal experience. The last part presents the conclusion and main arguments, with a further exploration of Ernest Hemingway's ecological ambivalence. They are as follows:Hemingway takes a contradictory attitude toward nature, possessing both ecological and anti-ecological views. Such ecological ambivalence originated from the cooperation of paternal influence, religious influence, reading experience and his personal experience. In addition, his ecological ambivalence experienced a long-term changing process. Consequently, modern people should learn his ecological concept by taking a scientific approach and draw inspiration from it. Though his writing does not belong to eco-literature, the analysis of the fractions containing ecological views or anti-ecological views is of educational significance to understand Hemingway and the environmental protection movement.