Contents

1。 Introduction 6

2。 Nothingness as one part of the theme 7

2。1 Plot of the story 7

2。2 Life in nothingness 7

2。2。1 The Origin of Nada 8

2。3 Character’s attitudes towards nothingness 9

3。 Being as another part of the theme 10

3。1 Struggle over nothingness 10

3。2 Life with being 11

4。 Being in nothingness as the theme 12

5。 The Background of the Author and the Novel 13

5。1 The General Introduction of Hemingway 13

5。2 The Lost Generation 15

5。3 Existentialism and Nihilism 16

6。 Conclusion 17

Bibliography 18

1。 Introduction

Ernest Hemingway is one of the most famed American writers in the twentieth century。 He prefers to use understatement to convey profound ideas and abundant connotations。 His new style of writing is popular with readers and many generations to follow try to imitate him。 Donaldson mentioned that “A full generation after his death Ernest Hemingway remains one of the most famous American writers”。来自优W尔Y论W文C网WWw.YoueRw.com 加QQ7520,18766

Although critics at home and abroad have made countless comments on the theme of Hemingway’s works, the current research results mainly emphasize two categories: one is the “code hero” who lives with “grace under pressure”; the other is his thoughts of nothingness, reflected in the “world of trauma, sleeplessness, loss, consciousness of nada, the void in the universe。”(Bradbury, 1992:99)

The nothingness thought is the dominant ideology in Hemingway’s works。 Philosophically, it is the belief that all values are illusory and baseless and that nothing can be felt and held。 It is often associated with a radical skepticism and extreme pessimism that condemns being。 As a result, many researchers tend to relate nothingness in Hemingway’s stories to tragic spirit。 Shunqiang Su，another Chinese critic gives a careful analysis of Hemingway’s thoughts of nothingness and come at the conclusion that his nihilistic thoughts expressed in his works can be grouped into three major categories: 1)realization of death, 2)realization of pain, and 3)realization of absurdity(苏顺强， 2000：131-135)

Yet critics of Hemingway’s works still tend to deal with his thoughts of nothingness piecemeal, to limit themselves to thinking about only its superficial originality, to weighing being and nothingness --- these two isolated ideas against each other without relating them to a same framework。 But one cannot fully understand Hemingway’s view of nothingness without considering his peculiar description of being。 What critics usually fail to see is that Hemingway is one of the very few twentieth century writers to present us with only one-eighth of what he really wants to say。 One may realize that is not all for nothingness, but just unwilling to consider the familiar concepts in a wholly different light。论文网

In the brief introduction I am not in a position to deal with the mass of detailed evidence to show the full scope of Hemingway’s thought, but I’d like to present it from two parts:

Firstly, I will focus on the field of the novel elements, including the writer, the writing background of A Clean, Well-lighted Place as well as the main characters in the novel ; then I will give analysis of two aspects of the theme --- being and nothingness。 Then I will explain the origin and the essence of Nada (nothingness) as well as the whole theme “being in nothingness”。