On Protagonist’s Resurrection Of Humanity In Resurrection From The Perspective Of The Other

Resurrection written by Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy is a very important novel marking the transition of his worldview in his last ten years. By describing the spiritual resurrection of the protagonists, it reveals the dark social reality and puts forward the theme of moral perfection, thus acquiring a prominent status in European critical realism. This novel reflects Tolstoy’s excellent technique of "Dialectics of Mind" which highlights the complex changes of goodness and evilness when it touches upon the mental process of protagonist Nekhludoff from a man driven by sexual desires to a man of pure soul. It leaves large critical space for literary criticism.In western tradition, the theory of the other has a long history and after 20th century, there is a tendency of "turn-to-the-other" in the humanities. Literary criticism has made great contributions to the theoretical construction of the other. Post-modernism, feminism and post-colonialism all oppose the violent relationship between the self and the other. The theory of the other provides new reading tactics to free the oppressive other in the text, reveal the implicit violence in human relationship and explores a new way of constructing the human relationship.The theory of the other is very complex, and among various philosophers and literary critics, Lacan and Levinas systematically discuss some key questions of the relationship between the self and the other and the construction of the subject from different angles. Although the concepts of subject and the other they talk about are not the same, they have similar theoretical allusion. As Levinas points out, the subject is constructed by living for the other. However, Lacan thinks man always sees himself from the perspective of the other and constructs his own identity through the other’s recognition. In sum, the subject can be invaded by general violent others to be alienated, but there is a special other’s face awakes the subject to live for him (her) so that the responsible subject is constructed and perfect humanity comes into being.As we all know, when interpreting Resurrection, readers always reflect on his changing mental process to either interpret the key problem of morality from different angles or question whether as Tolstoy teaches, fallen humanity can realize self-salvation through religion. This paper has a distinctive perspective as it employs Levinas’ theory of the other and Lacan’s theory of imaginative order, symbolic order and real order to analyze how protagonist Nekhludoff changes from an alienated man to a moral man, from the internal perspective of the other and the external perspective of the real order. It finds that his transformation is accomplished through his relationship with the other, which frees him from the condition of alienation and allows him to be a real man, thus leading to the resurrection of humanity. The purpose of this paper is to prod people to reflect on their living condition, the existence of the other and the relationship with transcendental divine power. By exploring its moral values and humanistic concern, this classic is resurrected in the post-modern context.