A Thematic Study On Will Of Life Under The Comparative Literature Field Of Vision

Comparative literature is a scientific study of the interaction and relation among literary works from different nations and cultures. It is a science of transnational and interdisciplinary literature study. Thematic study is a special field of comparative literature, which ranges quite widely. Besides theme, thematic study also contains the study of subject matter, plot, character, images, and etc. With the help of comparing the two picaresque novels Lazarillo de Tormes and Moll Flanders, the thesis aims at making thematic researches on will of life.Will is an insuppressible impulse, of which endless desire is the essence. The greatest desire of will is life. Where there is will, there is life and world. Therefore, will is also called will of life. Human beings and the whole world are all the objectified will. Whereas death is greatest negation of will to live. Moreover, the fear of death and the longing for life is dependent on will to live. That is why the hero and the heroine of Lazarillo de Tormes and Moll Flanders still tenaciously overcome the difficulties, strongly protect and continue their lives, though they live in straitened circumstances. That is due to the will of life.Picaresque novel which appeared in the middle of 16^th century is a special literary phenomenon because of its unique artistic style. It consists of a series of stories which are connected by the loitering of the heroes in low class. Picaresque novel is the earliest narrative works of novels in modern sense. Lazarillo de Tormes is the first piece of picaresque novels, which is always considered as the ancestor. It creates an artistic form which is usually called pseudo-autobiography. It brings readers back to the multifarious living scenes of Spain in 16th century by accounting the experiences in the hero's own words. Moll Flanders is one of the most important works of Daniel Defoe who is the father of English novel. It is one of the most significant picaresque novels in the history of English novels, as well. As a novel of initiation, its realistic significance has closely relation with later critical realism.