The Research On The Ethical Writing Of In Our Time

Ernest Hemingway is a brilliant writer of the 20 th century literary circle,whose unique writing style as well as ethical thought has greatly changed the framework of literature.One important reason that Hemingway is unsurpassable and inimitable is that his ethical thought has deeply penetrated into his writing.This thesis aims to explore the ethical writing of In Our Time,with the hope of better interpreting Hemingway's ethical thought through the three basic terms including sphinx factor,ethical environment and ethical predicament.More importantly,Hemingway foregrounds and highlights his ethical thought through three different writing strategies,which are the coherent structure of writing,iceberg theory of writing and substitution structure of writing.Therefore,this thesis intends to explore the comprehensive value of this work through ethical writing.This thesis is mainly composed of five parts:Chapter one is an Introduction part,it mainly sketches out Hemingway's life and gives a rough content of this work,as well as summarizes the literary reviews abroad and at home related to this work.Most research centers on the structure of this work,the feminism perspective or individual stories in this work.And based on the material collected,this thesis will highlight the significance by applying Ethical Literary Criticism and ethical writing to better appreciate this work.Chapter Two analyzes the sphinx factor in “Indian Camp”,“Chapter II” and“The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife”,based on the argument “whether the structure of work is coherent or not”.Hemingway explores the deepest,innermost animal factor that is no different from other animals in “Indian Camp”.In Chapter II,Hemingway further illustrates that the animal factor in human beings eventually turns them into real animals.Nevertheless,in “The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife”,Hemingway makes us believe there are such things called human factors that also exist in human beings.The point of view that the animal factor and human factor are in unity in Ethical Literary Criticism testifies the coherent structure of those three stories.And the writing strategy of combining three thematically different stories shows the correctness of the dual nature in human beings.Thus this thesis concludes that Hemingway makes the seemingly different stories follow each other on purpose to portray the unity of the animal factor and human factor as well as unite the structureof his seemingly dispersed work.In turn,the sphinx factor also demonstrates the unity and coherent structure of this work.Chapter Three points out the outcome after Hemingway puts his various characters in ethical environments such as bullfighting,or the boring,dreary after-war marital life.Hemingway likens human life to bullfighting,which shows nothing but violence,cruelty and death.Just like matadors try to attract the spectators attention,the protagonists in the stories also make themselves the center of others attention.In“Indian Camp”,“The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife” and “Battler”,protagonists often try to get the attention of others by their own “brilliant performance”.The various phenomena of suffering,pain and violence in daily life are caused by the animal factor,and death in bullfighting is the climatic presentation of the nada world.However,only in extreme danger does the matador(a paradigm metaphor for human beings)show his greatest courage,skill and dignity.The transient but forever moment when the matador “became one with the bull” demonstrates Hemingway's code heroes bravely stepping out of the nada world,which is also a necessity for the coming into being of the code hero.The ethical thought of great courage in extreme danger(death)is expressed not only in theme,but also in Hemingway's iceberg theory of writing.The 1/8 part of the iceberg symbolizes human beings' courage,which is held by the nada,the dangerous world underneath the water.That's why Hemingway's language is so concrete and concise,since beneath the concrete surface lies great tragedy which is invisible.That is,his ethical environment of the nada world has circumscribed the come into being of the code hero.Thus,Hemingway's ethical conception is his writing.He illustrates the combination of nada and “code hero”through his iceberg theory of writing and we can also strongly feel this nada,death and courage in the iceberg theory.Chapter Four analyzes the ethical predicament of the American couples in “Cat in the Rain” and “Mr.and Mrs.Elliot”.Substitution structure of writing is not only the means to solve the ethical predicament,but also a common model of Hemingway's stories.The war has destroyed all ethics,morals and rules of the civilized world,and has thrown human beings into a lonely world where relationships with others are broken down.Human beings are in a state of frustration,solitude,selfishness and boredom.The American couple and the hotel owner in “Cat in the Rain” are in the state of selfishness and numbness,which is decided by the ethical environment after war.In “Mr.and Mrs.Elliot”,the inharmonious relationship of the young married couple in both sex and psychology verifies the tremendous ethicalchange at the beginning of 19 th century.Yet the couples use substitution to solace the ethical knot of their desperate,lonely situation.In addition,Hemingway also applies substitution writing to make his story structure change from tragedy to comedy,thus achieving a more balanced and unique structure.Chapter Five is a summary of this thesis.Hemingway not only has great ethical thought for his time,but also possesses a great writing ability to express and overcome those thoughts.Ethical thought and writing methods are inseparable.Hemingway uses his unique writing strategies,including the coherent structure of writing,iceberg theory of writing and substitution structure of writing to test the nature of human beings,the great courage created in the specific ethical environment,and human beings' ability to step out of the tragic nada world.