An Interpretation Of More Die Of Heartbreak-under The Horizon Of Consumer Society

Saul Bellow is considered to be one of the most outstanding writers succeedingErnest Hemingway and William Faulkner in American literature circle. In1976, SaulBellow was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature for his subtle analysis ofcontemporary culture and the human understanding which are combined in his works.In several novels, Saul Bellow has expressed his criticism towards the consumersociety in which consumption is a leading factor and towards the excessive expenditurephenomenon where consumption is worshiped as an overwhelming and core value.The same criticism also applies to the novel More Die of Heartbreak. Saul Bellow, inthe novel More Die of Heartbreak, describes and shows the present situation of theprevailing materialism and hedonism in consumer society. Saul Bellow also thinksabout the present statement of modern humans’ spiritual wasteland in consumer society.This thesis aims to analyze Benn Crader’s heartbreaking experiences from thefollowing aspects, namely, Uncle Benn’s yearning for romantic, pure, Plato-type love,Uncle Benn’s pursuit of traditionally ideal marriage-patterns in peace and order, andUncle Benn’s attachment for intimate kinships and his adherence to his faith andprinciple. In the novel, Saul Bellow also explores the status of contemporary humans’spiritual wasteland from consumer society point of view in the novel More Die ofHeartbreak. Also Saul Bellow shows the readers hopes of owning a bright future forcontemporary seemingly absurd heroes to pursue an ideally spiritual paradise withpeace and order.This thesis mainly consists of four parts:The first part, chapter zero, gives a brief introduction of background informationincluding the writer Saul Bellow, the novel More Die of Heartbreak, literature reviewat home and abroad, and the topic statement, in order that the readers can have a betterunderstanding of the novel.The second part, chapter one, illustrates Baudrillard’s Consumer Society theory,gives the definition and conception of consumption and consumer society, andsummarizes three characteristics of consumer society, namely, what consumer activity focuses on in consumer society having conversed from objects’ use-value tosigned-value, humans’ morality norms having conversed from traditionally Puritanicalvalues to hedonic values, pillar strength of social structure having conversed fromproduction-oriented one to consumption-oriented one. It paves the way for lateranalysis of the negative effects (symbolization, materialization, and alienation) causedby the above three characteristics of consumer society and the analysis of BennCrader’s heartbreaking experiences.The third part, including chapter two, chapter three, and chapter four, points outrespectively Benn Crader’s symbolization which has caused the burst of Plato-typedlove, Benn Crader’s alienation which has caused the collapse of ideal marriage-mode,and Benn Crader’s materialization which has caused his abandon of the kinships andprinciple and belief under the influence of consumer society. In this part, Saul Bellowshows the readers the root reason of protagonist’s heartbreaking experiences in aspectsof love, marriage and kinships, which means that it is the consumer society,surrounding, manipulating, and even controlling people, who oppresses on humanspirit, and makes humans lose action power, dignity, and better self.The fourth part, chapter five, analyzes the waste and desert landscape ofcontemporary consumer society, and humans’ seemingly absurd pursuit of a promisingland under paradise-lost circumstances. Through depicting several characters such asMatilda Layamon, Dr. Layamon, the Judge Chetnik, Kenneth, Dita, Treckie, thegovernor himself and his boys, the spiritual status of modern people in consumersociety is presented clearly. And then the pursuit of the absurd hero in the absurd anddisorder world is focused on in the following three aspects, namely, the new value inthe absurd society triumphing traditional moral norms and culture, Benn Crader’spursuit of a promising land and paradise in contemporary spiritual wasteland, and thepact with the devil having been put to an end.To sum up, through the depiction of Benn Crader’s heartbreaking experiences,Saul Bellow shows the readers not only the present situation of contemporary people’sspiritual wasteland, but also his criticism towards consumer society and consumerculture which lead to humans’ spiritual lost. At the same time, Saul Bellow shows usthe possibility for humans to seek a promising paradise with peace and order, throughthe description of the protagonist Benn Crader’s persistent pursuit of the Garden of Eden, his never giving up hopes, and his resolutely determination to leave Matilda andfly to the North Pole for pole moss researches.