A Study Of Apocalyptic Destruction And Utopian Construction In Gerald Vizenor's Bearheart

Gerald Vizenor is one of the most influential native writers in modern native literature and the winner of American Book Award twice.Vizenor is ambitious to challenge and overturn the stereotypes imposed on Native Americans by the mainstream culture in his novels.Vizenor?s debut novel Bearheart tells the story about how Native Americans fight for their survival and homeland in an apocalyptic world.This thesis will adopt the theories of apocalypse and utopia as the framework to study the apocalyptic destruction and the utopian construction in Bearheart.Besides,this thesis will also expound Native Americans? perseverance in true selves and their pursuit of a balanced utopian homeland in facing unceasing survival struggles and strives.This thesis consists of five parts: Chapter One gives a thorough introduction to Gerald Vizenor,his novel Bearheart,the literature review on Bearheart at home and abroad and theoretical framework of this thesis.Chapter Two will concentrate on the analysis of the apocalyptic destruction as a result of the evilness in the mainstream society.Men?s material life and spiritual life are decorated with the apocalyptic ruins,and the mainstream society has been chaotic and out of order due to the explosion of the oil crisis and the social riots.The loss of hope and morality has led to the spiritual distortion of the individuals,thus the humanity is on the verge of collapse.Chapter Three will focus on Native Americans? construction of the human goodness in the disordered mainstream society.Although Native American pilgrims have been tortured physically and spiritually by the whites during the pilgrimage,they never cease to absorb courage and strength from their eternal pursuit of freedom through escaping from incarceration,and Native American?s self-restraint has maintained their true selves when faced with desires.Hence,human goodness is established by Native Americans to resist the evils in the apocalypse.Chapter Four explores Native Americans? construction of utopian homeland.The construction of the utopian homeland enables Native Americans to escape from the impersonal mainstream society and to maintain their spiritual world in a balanced state.After experiencing the physical transformation and receiving enlightenment,Native Americans eventually gain physical and spiritual rebirth.Chapter Five aims to summarize the main discussions in each chapter and points out the practical meaning of the apocalyptic destruction and utopian construction to Native Americans? survival,protest and development during the pilgrimage.In conclusion,Native Americans jump out of the static native traditions,bring innovation to traditional culture and rectify the survival strategy to cope with survival crises and apocalyptic upheavals.Besides,the thesis also intends to arouse more thoughts on the internal cultural predicaments and external survival dilemmas of Native Americans in the current multi-dimensional world.