A Dtudy of Humanity in Dystopian Works:Taking Nineteen Eighty-four as an Example_英语论文

摘要

乌托邦文学是一个重要的文学流派，是对乌托邦文学的超越和颠覆。作为这种文学的代表作品，英国作家乔治·奥威尔的《1984》长期以来受到广泛关注。本论文将结合《1984》对反乌托邦文学中的人性特点进行解读。

本文将结合费洛姆的人格异化理论和古斯塔夫·勒庞的群体心理理论来探讨反乌托邦文学中的人性特点，解释这种人性特点的原因，并且探索小说的政治寓意和现实价值。论文认为反乌托邦文学中的人性特点集中表现在人的异化。这种异化具体体现在人的能力受限制，人与人充满了不信任，以及思想的异常。至于成因，一方面，群体心理使反乌托邦中的人们更容易接受外在的限制；另一方面，极权主义这种体制对于人性具有压迫作用。

关键词:  反乌托邦 人性 《1984》 群体心理 异化

Abstract

As an important genre in literature, dystopian literature surmounts and subverts utopian literature. Being a representative work of dystopian literature, Nineteen Eighty-four by British writer George Orwell has been drawing the attention of the scholars. This thesis will study the humanity characteristics by analyzing the novel Nineteen Eighty-four.

This thesis will employ the alienation theory of Erich Fromm as well as the theory of crowd psychology to interpret humanity reflected in the novel Nineteen Eighty-four. Besides, political and realistic significance will be discussed. This thesis holds that one distinct feature of humanity in dystopian works is the alienation of humanity, which is manifested in the following three aspects: the restriction on people’s capability, loss of trust and abnormal mindset. As to the causes, firstly, characteristics of crowd make it easier for the people to receive restrictions from outside. Secondly, authoritarianism has imposed many restrictions on the individual of the society.

Keywords:  dystopian  humanity  Nineteen Eighty-four  crowd psychology  alienation

Contents

1 Introduction 1

1.1   George Orwell and Nineteen Eighty-four 1

1.2   Literature Review 2

1.3   Theoretical Framework 3

1.4   Thesis Structure 4

2   Themes of Alienated Humanity 5

2.1   Restriction on People’s Capability 5

2.2   Loss of Trust 6

2.3   The Abnormal Mindset 7

3   Causes for Alienated Humanity 8

3.1   Influence of Crowd Psychology 8

3.2   Repression of Humanity in Authoritarianism 10

4   Humanity and Anti-utopia 11

4.1   Criticism of Fragile Humanity 11

4.2   Satire of Political Reality 12

Conclusion 14

Acknowledgements 16

References 17