A Structuralist Interpretation Of Bellow’s Art Of Fiction In The Adventures Of Augie March

Saul Bellow(1915-2005)is a Jewish American writer born in Canada,whose novels win great reputation for its luxuriant language,comic style,exquisite depiction and its far-reaching meaning.Written in 1953,The Adventures of Augie March is one of his masterpieces,which describes the drifting life of a Jewish youth,Augie,in search of his "good enough fate" and the axial lines of life.Conventionally,this novel is studied from such perspectives as the motif of quest,cultural identity,narrative techniques and social contexts.This thesis intends to explore the oppositional features in the text in terms of Structural Semantics;and also endeavors to interpret the behavioral features on the basis of Narrative Grammar,aiming to find out the codes and offer a perusal of this novel with the integration of form and content from the perspective of structuralism.This thesis is composed of five sections.Chapter One is an introduction to Saul Bellow,The Adventures of Augie March and the detailed literature review,on the basis of which the author introduces the methodology and study domain of the present thesis.As an intrinsic approach,the literary structuralism functions not merely as the depiction of certain work but the construction of a theory of the structure.Chapter Two presents theoretical analysis of Structuralism.It is developed from a linguistic model,and applies the research method of linguistics to literary interpretation.French structuralists Barthes,Greimas,and Todorov focus on the semantic and syntactic aspect of narratives.Structuralism holds that deep rules underlie the surface structure.Furthermore,binary opposition governs the narrative structure of a text.Greimas claims that binary oppositions exert a great influence on the construction of language and narratives.Both Greimas and Todorov believe that the narrative grammar helps construct every story in the deep structure.Greimas chiefly focuses on the semantic aspect of narrative,while Todorov emphasizes syntax.The former’s research is conducted with purpose of constructing basic plot pattern while the latter puts forward such notions as propositions and sequences to depict units of structure.As a result,characters,attributes and actions can be regarded as nouns,adjectives and verbs.The universal underlying model could be summarized by studying the actions of characters in the text.Chapter Three examines the contradictions of the surface structure and deep structure in the novel with the help of binary oppositions.Bellow’s life experience evinces the principle of binary oppositions.The duality in his Jewish cultural convention impacts on this novel.The Adventures of Augie March manifests binary oppositions in the theme and characterization.Harmony versus alienation in theme;sublimity versus vulgarity in characterization;Characteristics in the deep structure of this text can be demonstrated by these binary oppositions.Chapter Four constructs the plot,theme and character through circular narrative and circular actions in the novel in the light of narrative grammar.The action of some main characters is scrutinized:Augie,the protagonist,seeks for a good enough fate;Simon searches for social status and wealth;Grandma Lausch,Mrs.Renling and Thea,the power of manipulation;William Einhorn,wealth.Though every character has his or her own goal,the common feature of their actions can be generalized as a pattern:Seek—Attain—Lose—(Seek).Characters have undergone a sinuous road to quest,eventually some regain mental tranquility by realizing the axial lines of life or by means of decease,while others are still trying to seek their goal after they fail to maintain it.Chapter Five is the conclusion.Binary oppositions exist in the deep structure of this novel,and the circular model of actions contributes to constructing the narrative of characters’ behavior.The pattern has a great literary significance and is closely related to life.Augie’s drifting life serves as a symbol of the fate of the Jews in particular.Thus universal importance can be embodied in Augie’s persistent search for a meaningful life.Although minor defects lie in Structuralism,it can provide researchers with a systematic analysis of a masterpiece,underlining the artistic merits of literary works in the aspect of theory and criticism.Structuralism provides a brand new viewpoint in the interpretation of Bellow’s art of fiction in this novel,in which even a tiny distinction is appreciated.