Interpretation Of Spiritual Imbalance In Hard Times From The Perspective Of Spiritual Ecology Theory

Charles Dickens is a famous British critical realism writer of nineteenth century.Hard Times is one of Dickens' masterpieces.The novel primarily describes Louisa and Little Tom's miserable experiences.In terms of spiritual ecology theory,this paper tries to interpret Hard Times,analyzing embodiment,causes of Little Tom and Louisa's imbalance of spiritual ecology and ways to reconstruct spiritual balance,as well as pointing out the significance of constructing harmonious spiritual ecology.The body part is divided into three chapters.The first chapter explores embodiment of characters' spiritual imbalance in this novel.Spiritual imbalance refers to a numb and disordered spiritual state that individual abandons belief and loses spiritual habitat.There are three symptoms concerning spiritual imbalance.The first one is spiritual “vacuum” which means numb and vanity in inner heart.In the novel,there is not direction in Louisa's life,and even more,she does not know what she really wants to do and should do.Apart from spiritual “vacuum”,spiritual “materialism” is also an embodiment of spiritual imbalance.Individuals dominated by materialism,consumerism and money worship lose human natural instinct.In Hard Times,Little Tom's soul is polluted by desire and money,and even profit-oriented value takes the place of pure belief.The third embodiment of spiritual imbalance is “alienation”.The second chapter discusses about the causes of mental imbalance.“Spiritual ecology” is the study with regard to the relationship between spiritual existence and its living environment.Thereby,this paper analyzes protagonists' mental imbalance,not only focusing on protagonists' own internal state of emotional life,but also aiming at the environment in which people live from three aspects as follows.The first one is absence of love in Thomas family.What is more,there are two points as for absence of love: indifferent relationship among family members and abnormal “utilitarian education” concept.The second cause is deterioration of natural environment.In Hard Times,human exploits resources from nature unlimitedly,severely destroying natural environment.Furthermore,that makes human beings lose spiritual support.The last factor probes into unhealthy social conditions.In the novel,the whole society enveloped by abnormal materialism and selfish anthropocentrism conditions Little Tom to be an individual who only pursues profit,and with it his spiritual ecology gradually collapses.The third chapter expounds that characters strives to return to spiritual balance,harmony and health from three aspects.First of all,the first way to achieve harmony of spiritual ecology is to reconstruct interrelationship by love.Because the root of failure lies in the inability to love,learning to love others is the most effective way to cure modern people's spiritual disability.In addition,achieving spiritual balance means reconstructing harmonious relationship with nature.The nature has the functioncomforts man and help him fill with energy.Finally,human can return to inner balance through self-reflection.Returning to spiritual balance has an important influence on resolving modern people's spiritual ecology crisis and establishing a sustainable and harmonious society.