Conflict between the Worldly Desire and the Liberation of Spirit in the Razor’s Edge_英语论文

摘要

毛姆追求人性的自我完善，他笔下的大多的主人公对欲望横流的世界冷眼相看，追求精神自由。《刀锋》中的主人公拉里就是一个精神探索者。本文通过罗列作品中各角色的世俗欲望与拉里的精神自由做一个对比，分析人们对名利的狂热追求，以金钱为纽带的虚假人际关系和以获得物质利益为前提的婚姻，找出世俗欲望与精神自由的矛盾冲突，说明建立在尘世欲望之上的满足都是短暂的。论文的最后我们会得知，通过平衡世俗欲望与精神探索之间的关系，便能获得精神自由。

关键词：世俗欲望；精神自由；矛盾; 拉里

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Worldly Desire in Elliot and Isabel 3

2.1 Material Desire 3

2.2 Desire for Fame 4

2.3 Sexual Passion and Possessiveness 5

3. Liberation of Spirit in Larry 6

3.1 Larry’s Desire for the Answer to Life and Death 6

3.2 Western Philosophy and Eastern Religion 7

3.3 Free of Material Dependence 9

3.4 The Meaning of Life for Larry 10

4. The Conflict between the Worldly Desire and the Liberation of Spirit 11

4.1 The Conflict Reflected in the Social Status 12

4.2 The Conflict Reflected in the Pursuit of the Material 13

4.3 Irreconcilable Conflict 15

5. The Way to Balance the Conflict 17

6. Conclusion 18

References 19