On Guy's Social Interest In Sword Of Honour

Evelyn Waugh is one of the most popular British satirists in the twentieth Century. The trilogy Sword of Honour is based on Waugh's personal war experience during the World War II, which is considered to be Waugh's highest achievement of his novels by critics. The novel depicts the experiences of the upper class represented by the protagonist Guy. He firstly looks forward to gaining honor by war, then suffers from disillusionment, and finally returns to the society. It shows the collapse of social order and the changeable value during the war time. Moreover, it expresses the spiritual perplexity of the upper class and their psychological change process in the turbulent society.Social interest is put forward by Austrian individual psychologist Alfred Adler. Later Heinz Ludwig Ansbacher sorts out the theory, translates it in English and develops it. Social interest is a kind of ideal state of individual mental health, which not only includes the human society, but also contains a sense of connection to all things in the universe. In this condition, the meaning of life lies in the understanding and cooperation with others, as well as the contribution to human well-being, hence resulting in a harmonious state between individual and society, even with the whole cosmos. Under this special circumstance of World War II, social interest theory can provide theoretical support for the protagonist's personality and mental state in the different stages.This thesis chooses the protagonist Guy for analysis, and then focuses on the transformation of his emotional attitudes to others and society by the thread of “loss of”, “seeking for” and “regaining” of social interest, which aims to probe the evolution process of the upper class' social mental state. The introduction part reviews the previous studies at home and abroad, and gives a brief introduction to the theory. Then the following questions will be raised. As an heir of the Catholic family, how does Guy lose the social interest and escape from the reality? Awaking from the illusory superiority, what does Guy think about his relationship with others? In the conflict between traditional values and modern society, what should he do and how to regain social interest? The first chapter mainly analyzes Guy's apathy after losing social interest, later he becomes self-centered and neglects others. Due to a major emotional blow, Guy begins to escape from reality. He expects to join the army, speaks highly of traditional utensils, and is eager to show his superiority over community through these articles. In chapter two, Guy's cognition to reality gradually awakes in the search phase of social interest, and turns his attention to others. As the military experience results in Guy's disillusion on war, he starts to survey the reality, and gives up the worship of traditional objects. By imitating others' behaviors, Guy tries to integrate into society. In the end, Guy knows the connotation of the Catholic Church, and obtains the social interest by the way of soul salvation. As a way of gaining honour, saving others' souls makes Guy realize his personal goal. Meanwhile, his sense of connection with the outside world gradually grows, the empathy ability which he regained enables Guy can understand even help others, which meets the standard of benefiting mankind. Finally, Guy gets the balance in the conflict between the traditional values and the real world, and becomes a Catholic both in society and transcends the world.With the description of Guy's self-centeredness and his negligence of others in the beginning, and then his attention on others owing to the awakening of cognition on reality, and finally his devotion to society with sympathy for others, this thesis depicts Guy's social situation from isolation to integration. Under the background of political upheaval and sharp social contradictions in the World War Two, the thesis conveys Waugh's reflection on how the British aristocracy's way to find a spiritual solution in the conflict between the traditional value and the modern society. Furthermore, it also implies Waugh's humanistic care about how the individuals to maintain healthy personality, and then contributes to society in the turbulent world.