An Analysis of the Moth as a Metaphor in“The Death of the Moth”.docx

An Analysis of the Moth as a Metaphor in“The Death of the Moth〞【摘要】?飛蛾之死?是英国作家弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫的一篇短篇名作，非常细致地描绘了一只飞蛾挣扎着与死亡作斗争的过程文中的飞蛾作为对生死的隐喻，不仅提醒了生的意义，死亡中蕴含的英雄主义、悲剧性与不可抗的必然性，也传达了作者对于生命与死亡的认识——生死都只是自然法那么中的一环关键词】弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫;飞蛾之死;生命;死亡【Abstract】In“TheDeathoftheMoth〞，VirginiaWoolfgivesadetaileddescriptionofhowamothstrugglesagainstdeath.Themothintheessay，asametaphorofbothlifeanddeath，embodiesthenatureoflife，revealstheheroicandtragicsidesofdeath，andhelpsconveytheauthorsattitudetowardslifeanddeath—botharemerelyonelinkofthelawofnature.【Keywords】VirginiaWoolf;TheDeathoftheMoth;death;life【作者简介】罗欣然，华东师范大学。

Whilethedepictionofdeathinliteraryworksoftenfeaturesdramaticplots，VirginiaWoolfs“TheDeathoftheMoth〞approachesthethemeoflifeanddeathfromasmallerperspective.Theessaylimitsthescenetoashorttimeperiodandafixedspace，butcontainsasenseofimmensityandvastnessintheideaitexpresses.Themothintheessay，asametaphoroflifeanddeath，embodiesthenatureoflife，revealstheheroicandtragicsidesofdeath，andhelpsconveytheauthorsattitudetowardslifeanddeath.First，themothembodiesthenatureoflife，andexhibitsakindofheroisminhisunremittingeffortstofightagainstdeath.Mothsaretrivialcreatures，easilyignoredbymen.Themothintheessay，humblerbybeingonethatfliesbyday，seemsdoomedtoobscurity.Eventhoughmakingnearlynodifferenceandarousinglittleattention，itdancesalmostinexhaustiblyandenjoysitslifetothefull.Themoth，referredtoas“he〞bytheauthor，ispersonifiedtohighlightitsanimationandactiveness：itismorethanacreaturesubjecttotheformidablenature;itisalife，whichisprogrammedtobefreeandsplendiddespiteitsinsignificance.Bysingingpraisesforitsownlifeanddaringtodefyfate，themothillustrateswhatlifeis—tolive，tostrive，andtoappreciateonesownexistence.Thevitalityitemanatesinitswearilessdanceaddsahintofheroismtoitsdeath，whichcommandsmuchrespect.Themothalsodemonstratesthetragicsideofdeath—itsinsiginificancecomparedwiththeoutsideworld—andthetragedyisunderscoredbythecontrastbetweentheharmonioussurroundingsandthehardfateofthemoth.Whilethemothisstrivingarduouslyforitslife，thefieldoutsidefeaturesconstantpeaceandpleasure：birdsfeedinthebrooksandhorsesstandstill，bothignorantandindifferentofwhatishappeningtothemoth.Thetranquilityremainsundisturbedbythedisasterdescendingonthepoorcreature，andeventhefinaldeathofthemothdoesnotagitatetheslightestfluctuationoutside.Themothhasbeenallalonebyitself，strugglingagainsttheinsurmountablepowerofdeath.Whatevereffortsitmakesmatterlittletotheoutsideworld.。