An Analysis Of The Adventures Of Augie March From The Perspective Of Eco-criticism

The Adventures of Augie March written by Saul Bellow is one of the most famous novels in America.When it was published in 1953,it has aroused a high interest at home and abroad and won the National Book Awards the next year.This work is an important milestone in Bellow's literary career,which has established his literary position,the basic idea and features,marking his writing career to enter the Golden Age.Since that time,many scholars and experts began to interpret the work from different perspectives,which provides references for later studies.Since the 1960 s,people have gradually become aware of the increasing ecological issue and survival crisis as well as the literary criticism.Eco-criticism aims to explore the relationship between man and nature on the basis of the ecological issue and literary works,arouses people's ecological consciousness of natural protection,and advocates people's return to nature and the harmony between man and nature.From the perspective of eco-criticism in The Adventures of Augie March,this thesis tends to interpret the complicated relationship among human,society and nature from the three aspects of natural ecology,social ecology and spiritual ecology.The purpose of this thesis is to explain Bellow's ecological consciousness and his ecological thoughts in order to advocate human to cooperate with nature and build a harmonious and peaceful society.This thesis is divided into the following three parts:The first part is the introduction,which includes the brief information of the author Saul Bellow and The Adventures of Augie March.It also gives the brief introduction of the background and significance of this thesis and literature review in order to lead into the main body part of the study.The second part is the main body of the thesis including four chapters:The first chapter introduces the emergence,development,definition and characteristics of eco-criticism.Eco-criticism attempts to explore the relationship between literary works and nature,and advocate man's return to nature which is meaningful to resolve the ecological crisis.The issue that the novel focuses on is in accordance with three aspects of eco-criticism that are natural ecology,social ecology and spiritual ecology,which not only shows Bellow's attention to nature,but also embodies the feasibility of this study.The second chapter discusses the development of Augie's ecological consciousness.Augie has a new understanding and attitude towards the world and forms his ecological consciousness after his adventures.Facing nature,Augie enjoys nature and admits himself as one part of nature,which means the seeking and exploration of his ecological consciousness.Facing the society polluted by the industrialization,Augie realizes that the gap between rich and poor can lead to the polarization of the environment,and also lead to the deterioration of the natural ecology.In his ecological consciousness,he resists the ecological self polluted by the industrialization.Eventually,Augie chooses to return to the sincere humanity,to the simple lifestyle and to nature.This unusual experience is the process from his resistance of the social ecology to the return to the natural ecology.The third chapter discusses Saul Bellow's ecological consciousness.Facing nature,Bellow realizes that nature is highly powerful and complex,and it has its own rhythms and laws.Anything that does not respect the laws of nature or which does not follow its flow will suffer some consequences.Facing the American social environment,Bellow witnesses the fast economic and industrial development,in the meanwhile,he also witnesses the exploitation of the natural resources,which leads to the environmental problems.He has a profound insight into the great dangers hidden in modern science and technology,threatening the survival of human beings.Bellow criticizes the phenomenon of the overrun of science and technology seriously.During the adventures of Augie,Bellow has expressed his love and praise towards nature,while he has also criticized the plunder and destruction to nature by science and technology.Eventually,he realized that the ecological crisis of nature is a kind of ecological imbalance that can lead to the destruction of the Earth and the estrangement between man and nature leads to the ecological crisis,which can aggravate the spiritual crisis of human beings.The fourth chapter analyzes the ecological inspiration and discusses the profound significance in The Adventures of Augie March from the perspective of eco-criticism.It expounds the necessity and possibility of the transformation from anthropocentrism to ecocenrism,emphasizes the equal and friendly relationship between man and nature,and advocates that the harmonious development between man and nature is the ultimate pursuit of human in modern society.The last part is the conclusion,which is the summary of the main idea of the thesis.It reviews the three stages of forming his ecological consciousness and three parts of Bellow's ecological consciousness,and generalizes the way to resolve the ecological issue.In the meanwhile,it appeals for human's return to nature and building the harmonious and peaceful ecological environment.