Identity And Resistance: The Shaping Of Cultural Identity In Zweig’s Autobiography

Stefan Zweig (1881—1942) was a famous20th century Austrian writer. Duringhis whole life, he has written a huge number of books. He had achievements in thefields of poetry, prose, fiction, biography and drama. As one of the three bestbiographers in20th century, biography writing played an unique role in his literarycareer. In his biographies, history and literature complement each other, as well as astrong sense of the times and profound thought. His masterpieces, Three Masters,Romain Rolland, Montaigne and The World of Yesterday, hold an important status inthe world history of biography.This paper starts from Zweig’s sense of identity, combined with hisbiographical thought and autobiographical narrative art, focused on cultural identityissues in his autobiography. This paper is divided into five parts:Research review is about Zweig’s life and literary creation, and then leading tothe purport and significance of the paper through his current research.The first chapter mainly discusses the overall writing of Zweig’s biography,including his biographical creation, the origin of autobiographical writing and theoverview and analysis of the biographical thought. Zweig’s biographical thought isthe theoretical basis and practice of his autobiographical writing.The second chapter focuses on three kinds of cultural identities and the processof construction in Zweig’s autobiography. The chapter explores his different culturaland political ideas from three kinds of cultural identities: European, Jew and liberalintellectual. Zweig’s process of shaping the cultural identity is also the process ofexpressing his personal identity and resistance.The third chapter focuses on Zweig’s autobiographical narrative art. It is thefurther proof of the construction of Zweig’s cultural identity. That is to say,analysising him how to use different narrative techniques to convey his cultural andpolitical ideas in his autobiography, so as to construct some sort of his own identity.Only combines cultural identity with narrative art, we can fully understand Zweig’sautobiography.Conclusion is about the significance of Zweig’s autobiography.