An Interpretation Of The Heroes' Images In Nie Hai Hua And Lord Jim

This paper is to interpret the heroes' images in a Chinese novel NieHai Hua and Lord Jim from a famous English writer Joseph Conrad. Itdiscusses the heroes' characteristics, means how their writers used, and itscultural and thought connotation, from which analyzes the heroes bycomparison. The thesis also points out: although these two novels wereboth produced in the early 20th century, their heroes' images differ fromeach other because of different social backgrounds.According to the cloze reading to the novel context, the thesis willgive an explanation to these images with theories on image studies ofcomparative literature and postcolonial criticism.The paper consists of three chapters. Chapter One is to examine theheroes' character and their lofty realm of thought. Firstly, those heroes, such as Xia Ya Li and Hill Seinosuke in Nie Hai Hua, pay much attentionto their nation and country respectively. It is their sacrifice ties of blood torighteousness, bravery and an attitude to face death unflinchingly thatmakes themselves national heroes. However, Jim, who comes from LordJim, pursues his own success and honor. Therefore, he is an individualone.Chapter Two analyzes detailed techniques when the writers createthe heroes in their own works. In Nie Hai Hua, Zeng Pu contrasts MissXia and Hill brothers with Fu Caiyun and Jin Wenqing, so as to show thefine qualities and the noble spirits of these foreign people. They are calledflawless heroes. However, Conrad displays Jim's merits and demerits bycontrasting with many persons. To such an extent, Jim belongs to one of flaw heroes.Chapter Three discusses the thought and cultural connotations on thementioned images. As Zeng Pu is very disappointed with Chinese peopleat their characters, he eagerly expects to import western thought source.This is showed his high praise to the nihilists in Russia and beautificationto the samurai in Japan. Zeng's heroes are Utopian. Different from ZengPu, Conrad satirizes, or even de-constructs Jim on the one hand, on theother he has spiritual pillar from Jim, which demonstrates his WhiteComplex and Imperial Romance. Jim is so-named an imperial hero.