Abstract:This paper reveals the material world destroys the spiritual culture and the phenomenon of spiritual poverty in affluent society. This make the reader have a comprehensive understanding of the western society.
Key words: affluent society spiritual poverty gift Humboldt Charlie
I. Background of Humboldt’s Gift
Saul Bellow’s many works have considerable autobiography colour, this point appears intensely in the Humboldt’s gift. Humboldt is the prototype of Bellow’s closest friends— Isaac Rosenfield and Delmore Schwartz, meantime it also mix the prototype of his friend and poet—Berryman. As for Charlie, lots of aspects are drawn from Saul Bellow himself: his family background, his awards, his world outlook, and so on. The other characters in novel originated from the realistic society. According to Saul Bellow’s keen observation on contemporary society, deep understanding on the contemporary culture, he accomplished this great masterpiece—Humboldt’s Gift.
II. An Analysis of Humboldt and Charlie’s Character and Comparison
According to the analysis of Humboldt and Charlie’s Character and comparison, we can gain the meaning of life and see clear that the fundamental conflict between spiritual pursuit and material pursuit. The novel reflects that spiritual culture is suppressed by materialism and reveals Americans even all human’s mental crisis.
A. Humboldt’s Character
Humboldt is one of the protagonists in the novel. Through the explanation of Humboldt’s experience and his change, Saul Bellow presents a true American writer’s life to the readers. From Humboldt’s short success and failure in his old age, we can see Humboldt’s death results from his mad, Humboldt’s mad because of his inquietude, Humboldt’s inquietude because Humboldt was hard to accept new circumstances. According to Humboldt’s experience we can draw a conclusion on Humboldt’s Character that Humboldt has his praise in his literature writing, he also has his confusion in material world, so he loses his way in affluent society. Although he dies, he finds his way as a artist in the end.
B. Charlie’s Character
About Charlie, most people hold negative view. Some people think he is a “snob” and some person say he is a “clever man” and “utilitarian” who make himself adapt to living environment. As far as I am concerned, this definition of Charlie is neither in accord with the actual situation nor the basic purpose of this novel. Charlie’s character is complex. When he is a student who loves literature, he tries his best to drop in Humboldt to satisfy his ambition for literature. With the help of Humboldt and his great effort, he becomes rich and famous. At that time, his attitude and behaviour towards Humboldt is not right. But finally his regret proves that he is not a snob and not a utilitarian. Charlie loses his way when he is famous, but through Humboldt’s experience and Humboldt’s gift, his heart is baptized. He finds his way as a writer’s new style of life in affluent society. So Charlie is also a hero in the novel.
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