On Gide’s Existentialist View Of Literature&Art And His Creative Practice

Andre Gide, a French author, has rich works during his whole life. Attention to living conditions of human beings is always the core of his thoughts and works, which also presents vivid existentialism characteristics in his literature. Based on the close relation between literature and investigation, starting from his thoughts of literature and art, this essay analyzes particularly in three aspects——essence, composing and function of literature and art, combining Gide’s investigations.The first chapter summarizes the research to Gide’s work both in domestic and abroad, pointing out significance of this essay which does research on his literature and investigation from existentialism point of view.The second chapter traces to the source, picking up "The Bible", Schopenhauer and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, analyzing from three aspects—thoughts background, philosophy and aesthetics base, finding out the beginning of the existentialism.The third chapter clarifies Gide’s essential definition to art from human mind and rationality; together with practice, analyzes the presence of this transcend concept in his novels.The forth chapter clarifies Gide’s art views of beauty and truth, and analyzes Gide’s unique recognition to the existence of human and world.The fifth chapter opens up from the art effect point of view, confirms the core attitude of Gide’s creation in life and times, analyzing the presence in investigation.From the analysis above, we confirm Gide’s existentialistic view of literature and art, his works and pursuit of life, which is back to life, back to self, in the limited living conditions, make full use of the freedom of choosing, in which we continuous transcend ourselves, pursuing higher existence.