美国社会的葛朗台现象

Abstract

Grandet is the background of this thesis. From analysis of the major role in Eugenie Grandet-Grandet, this thesis introduces Americans’ outlook on money. It points out Grandet reflects the phenomenon in America. From historic and philosophical perspectives, the Frenchmen helped Americans win the War of Independent, and built a close relationship with Americans. The Frenchmen brought their outlook on money to America. The French immigrants worked together and created American culture which was blending of French cultures under new circumstance. It influenced the American’s outlook on money. Grandet reflects phenomenon in modern American society. In Eugenie Grandet, Grandet was a materialist and a lover of money. He considered money as his life. To some extent, money is even much more valuable than his life. Just for money, he sacrificed daughter’s happiness, and sold his soul. Meanwhile, it is believed that some Americans are the lovers of money. In American’s mind, the material and money are very important. They are obsessive with money very much. However, everyone should consider one thing from two sides. In this thesis: the first place, they should have a basic recognition about the outlook on money, the definition of money, and reasons that influenced on Americans; the next place, this thesis should analyze the advantages and disadvantages of outlook on money. At last, this thesis points out the methods to deal with the disadvantages of the outlook on money.

Key Words

Eugenie Grandet; Grandet; money; Americans; outlook on money; America

摘 要

本文以葛朗台为背景，通过对葛朗台这一角色的分析，引出当代美国人的金钱观。而葛朗台现象的确反映了美国人的金钱观。从历史和哲学的角度，笔者了解到法国人曾帮助美国人取得独立战争的胜利，并建立了亲密关系，与此同时，法国人将自己本国的金钱观带给了美国人，两国的文化交流也进一步的扩大，并对美国人的金钱观带来了巨大的影响。而小说中的葛朗台是一个典型的金钱、物质主义者。他视金钱如生命，在一定程度上说，金钱甚至高于他自己的生命，他可以为金钱牺牲女儿的一生幸福，可以为金钱出卖自己的灵魂。而就此分析当今美国社会，作为世界最发达的国家，拥有世界最多的财富，而在美国人的价值观中却有一条不可取代的物质、金钱主义。但看问题不能只看一面，应从多方面进行分析，因而本文我们应该正确对待美国人的金钱观。首先让我们对当代美国人金钱观有一个初步的认识，知道美国人的金钱观是什么，在什么样的条件下产生。进而从正负两面分析金钱观带来的利与弊，最终指出如何树立正确的金钱观。

关键词

《欧也妮.葛朗台》; 葛朗台；金钱；美国人；金钱观；美国

Introduction

Eugenie Grandet is a famous French novel，written by Balzac, whose characters are Grandet, his daughter, and Charles. Grandet are the representatives of greed and money. He is obsessive with money. He represents some of the greedy Americans, though Eugenie Grandet is a famous French novel. And the Americans can learn it from historical and philosophical perspectives. From history perspective, they learn that France has a close relationship with America. The French immigrants worked together and created American culture which was blending of French cultures under new circumstance. The Frenchmen’s outlook on money influenced American’s. And from philosophical perspective, they learn that everything has a connection in the world, so they cannot separate one thing from another.

Many people say that money is the root of evil. However, every coin has its two sides; they can analyze the function of money from two sides. It’s a common knowledge that everyone likes money and needs money. Without money, they cannot buy food, clothes and other daily necessities. Without money, they cannot go to school, go to cinema or other places. In my thesis, it analyzes the disadvantages and advantages of the outlook on money, and gives the methods for dealing with the disadvantages of the outlook on money in appropriate way. And show them that money is just for better life.

Ⅰ. The Introduction of the Major Roles in Eugenie Grandet

Many people consider Balzac to be the greatest of all novelists. Eugenie Grandet, his spare, classical story of a girl whose life is blighted by her father’s hysterical greed, goes a long way to justifying that opinion.

For better understanding of the novel, there are three people they need deep analyses. They are Grandet, his daughter-Eugenie and Charles.

Firstly, this thesis puts their emphasis on Grandet.

Grandet was one of the central roles in the novel. He was terribly greedy. He was the representative of greed and money. In his mind, money was everything, and he could not live in the world without money. He had a strong desire to possess money, though he had an abundant of money. He always left himself in a back room, and appreciated money for a long time. When he was dying, he asked his daughter to put money on the table, and money could make him feel warm.

In order to collect money, he lost human nature. He considered no love was in the world, and money is even much more valuable than his life. For example, Grandet had a servant, who had worked for 30 years. But he never received any gift from Grandet, except one old watch.

Though Grandet was a Christian, but actually he was not a real one. In his opinion, the existence of God was for his need. For him, money was real God and all the hope.

Compared with Grandet, his daughter was very kind and humane. She considered money as a method for helping others. She devoted her whole life to serving the people. And she had done a lot of public works. For example, she had built one restroom, eight primary schools and one library; she used money to help those who need it.

Lastly, they should put their attention on Charles. He was born in a rich family and spoiled. The turning point in his life was to do business abroad. The change of life condition made his moral standard and value concept change. He became a very self-fish man. He wanted to become rich. In order to possess money, he gave up his true love, and pursued a nobleman’s daughter. To some extent, his outlook on money was similar to Grandet’s. Both of them were materialists and the lovers of money.

II．Grandet Phenomenon in America

Eugenie Grandet is the novel of France. And many people consider that there is a big distance between their cultures: the French culture and the American culture, so the major role in Eugenie Grandet-Grandet cannot reflect the American society. However, this thesis considers the two countries’ people have great cultural communication. And it analyzes the cultural communication from two sides: the history and the philosophy.

From the historical perspective, they learn that the Frenchmen and the Americans had cultural communication long ago. For example, the War of Independent in the U.S, without the help of France, however, the Americans would not have won the day. The hope of such aid was one important reason why Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, for European states would not interfere so long as the colonies still recognized the English kings. Agents sent secretly to France were able to procure clothing and muskets. Individual Frenchmen, served as volunteers in the American army. The great victory of Saratoga in 1777, made possible by gunpowder received from France, seemed to assure the final triumph of the American cause. France now recognized the independence of the United States and formed an open alliance with Congress in January 1778. The new alliance enabled Congress to borrow an immense sum of money from France. French troops were sent to take part in the war and they fought to the end at York town. France also induced Spain to make war on England in 1779. After the Americans won the war, the Frenchmen presented the Statue of Liberty to Americans. The Frenchmen built close relationship with Americans. And many Frenchmen immigrated into America for pursuing money, business, and happiness. To some extent, the French outlook on money influenced the American’s.

From the philosophical perspective, they learn that everything has a connection in the world, so they cannot separate one thing from another. From Eugenie Grandet, they know that Grandet is the representative of money. However, when they mention Americans, the majority of people consider Americans as materialists and the lovers of money. Pursuing money has really become a key part in the American life and in a very important position. In one survey in America, there are 89 percent agreed that their society is much too monetary, 74 percent said love of money is a serious social problem. In their life, they believe money is bound to come true, and money is everything.

However, in the Unites states, there are still a lot of people who are kind and warm-hearted. They give their money to help others. They are the God’s presents. Just for private donation, it is not just the riches that donate in American society. In fact, a majority of the USA’s population contributes to charitable causes, even from the middle-class and the working classes. In this point, they are different from Grandet. They are not the rich men, but they are warm-hearted. What they have done is the same as Grandet’s daughter did.

So this thesis should have deep analyses of Grandet phenomenon in America, which help us understand the Americans’ outlook on money.

III．The Americans’ Outlook on Money

A. Relevant Information

B. The Reasons for the Americans’ Outlook on Money

Why do Americans emphasize the important of money? They should consider the question from four sides:

Firstly, the materialism is one of reasons for the outlook on money. America is a society in which workers must buy and sell to live. Every part of life becomes a commodity, something to be bought and sold, whether it is a computer, the latest automobile, technological skills, or our ability to work. The media bombard people with advertisement. Commercials interrupt TV and radio programs with catchy appeal to the Americans to go out and buy. Shopping has almost replaced baseball as the national pastime. The Americans were induced by those factors. And the main way to achieve them is money. For example, Margarat Anderson, an accountant who works in a large firm on the west coast, expressed it well when she say: “we overemphasize on material goods very much, like computers. We always have to add things to our lives. We buy things just because of how beautiful and useful when we see it from TV, advertisement. It’s easy to allow money to corrupt us.” However, those advertisements not only have influence on the adults, but also have a great impart on the young people. The young people have become more material, and obsessive of money. In one survey on the Internet, 90 percent of parents agreed that children today wanted too many material things.” And 75 percent agreed that advertisement was corrupting our basic outlook on money. For example, Teri silver, a college student who studies at the New York, said she was silenced by the greed she saw the beautiful clothes from TV’s advertisement. For buying beautiful clothes, she has a deepest love of money. She thinks money is the only access to help her own these clothes.

Secondly, the competition makes the Americans have a deep obsession of money. This “land of plenty” has long enjoyed abundant material and human resources. It has the world’s largest, richest, and most productive economy. And people have gotten well to material wealth. Besides that, Americans believe that everyone has an equal opportunity to success. People aren’t abandoned by social class. They can work hardly to improve their status. Many immigrants reach this land of opportunity just for seeking a better future. This belief in equal opportunity has produced a spirit of competition. It likes a race to the top of the success ladder. However, if you want to be on the top of the success ladder in the United States, the first thing you have to do is collecting money. Especially for nowadays’ American situation, the United States stands as the world’s most prominent power, the Americans are living in a country both the military investment and the foreign policy achievement. However, now America is facing a series of challenges in the world economy. It was once the dominant exporting nation, but its competitive superiority was lost gradually in the 1970s and 1980s. America‘s biggest challenge is coming from the Pacific rim countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. American leadership and research in technology and its vast agricultural industry are being threatened by other nations. And the relative importance of American economy in the world has declined. The situation of the American economy tells Americans that they must have enough money, only in this way can they succeed, and they can still keep the leadership of the world.

Fourthly, the religious faith has great impact on the outlook on money. Religion is a very important part of life in America, just as some westerners comment that religion shapes the western character and culture. In America, the constitution may well establish a separation between church and state, but rare is the citizen who walks into a voting booth without a particular set of religious or moral outlooks, outlooks that often affect me outcome of a political race. On the whole, we cannot deny the influence of religion on American life. Meanwhile, religion is national. Over 90 percent of Americans say that they believe in God. For example, the Southern Baptist Church has sixteen million members, the largest Protestant group in the U.S. Over 40 percent go to the church or synagogue at least once a week. Half of the American Protestants are active church members. Even American money reminds them of religion. The words “In God We Trust” are stamped on the coins. The church encourages Americans to be less materialistic and monetary. When journalists write of greed, 71 percent agree that being greedy is a sin against God. Religious faith provided earlier generations of Americans with a moral language that help curb the pursuit of money. We should agree that religious faith is a source of wisdom and guidance in some degree. Just for the religious faith, it helps Americans believe that money is not everything. That means money is not all.

C. Advantages of the Americans’ Outlook on Money

Though the Americans’ outlook on money emphasize on money very much, it is beneficial to the modern Americans. Once an English writer said: “lack of money is the source of the evil.” Though money cannot bring happiness, no money will produce greater pain, and the happiness cannot exist. That is to say money maybe regarded as a means for attaining other things, rather than as an end in itself. Most of Americans draw a tight connection between money and other things. The outlook on money can help American achieve a lot of things. Freedom, for instance, is one of our deepest values, and in one survey, 71 percent agreed that “having more money means having more freedom.” Or 76 percent agreed that “having money gives me a good feeling about myself. The survey also showed that worrying about not having enough money is significantly relating with not feeling good about oneself.

Meanwhile, if they can consider money as a mean for helping others, it can also help Americans to have a successful life. And the outlook on money makes Americans do many charitable donations. We notice that good works and organized charity were an integral part of the American’s characters. The Americans are obsessive with self-improvement and earn money have been accompanied by an urge to improve their life. For example, the president of Amway, Doug De Vos who use money in proper position, and spends his money on helping others. He does a lot of charities, which can help their company have a good reputation. And in his families, they believe when people have redundant money, they should spend their money on appropriate position, such as charity, which can help their company have a better condition. In the United States, about 90 percent of people are confident in the products of Amway. Meanwhile, the outlook on money makes some people work hardly. They believe that money is one access to success. In the way to pursue money, they attain more than money. They learn wide knowledge, the way to treat others and so on. Money makes them own a better life.

D. Disadvantages of the Americans’ Outlook on Money

We can hardly connect money with election. However, the view of money can destroy a democratic election in the United States. Election, especially for the election of president is very important in a country. If the election isn’t justice, the people would suffer the pain under the tyranny. It is believed that America is a democracy country and the process of election is justice. However, we are wrong; there are still some people use money to buy politic right and money. Money become the evil, money destroyed the American’s democracy. The federal and state governments have been taken over by those who are able to provide multi-million dollar election campaign funds. Wealthy person run for office or they “buy” their own candidates, then these elected officials carry out the programs of those who put them into power. The most visible example is Enron’s chairman, Keylay, giving 2 billion dollars to the Bush campaign and then allow by the Bush administration to manipulate the energy markets to make billions.

III. Solutions to the problems of the Americans’ Outlook on Money

In fact, money is a world language. Whether Chinese or American, money is just money. The money’s value is decided by human, so how to deal with money and the outlook on money are very important. What does the average America family do with money at present? For most of families, the first thing they have to do is to manage it. Families often keep careful financial records. Many of them spend their income in a planned way. They often plan for basic expenses like housing, food, clothes, and medical bills. On average, Americans save around 5 percent of their income. All of these conducts are appropriate. However, they need to find better methods for dealing with the disadvantages of the outlook on money.

Firstly, the Americans should remember God in their hearts. They believe God. And the Bible teaches them that enjoy their life. So they should remember that earning money is just for a happy life. Once upon a time, a black singer said: “though I sing the folk songs in the street and only can earn little money, they make me feel happy. I do the thing I really like.”

Secondly, the Americans should earn money through the proper way. Some TV program does investigations about the methods for earning money among millionaires. The following are the crucial factors in the success.

1. Honesty. They must be honest to everyone; only in this way can they gain other’s trusts.

2. Ability of self-restraint. We need control ourselves feelings and conducts. Don’t break the law.

3. Hard work. We need work hardly, and learn wide knowledge.

In conclusion, the Americans should remember that earning money is just for happy life. They shouldn’t consider money as everything. Only in this way can they be the real rich men.

Conclusion

Eugenie Grandet, Balzac’s spare, classical story of a girl whose life is blighted by her father’s hysterical greed, goes a long way to justify that opinion. In Eugenie Grandet, Grandet is the representative of greed and money.

The major role in Eugenie Grandet-Grandet reflects phenomenon in modern American society. From a great amount of information, I know that some Americans are obsessive with money very much, and they are the lovers of money. For earning money, they break the law. However, meantime, there are still a lot of people doing charities with money. They consider money as a means for helping others. As a larger sense, what they have done is the same as Grandet’s daughter did. So they should have a deep analysis of the Grandet phenomenon in America.

However, why do Americans emphasize the importance of money? We should consider the question from four sides: materialism, competition, immigrants, religion. All the factors influenced the outlook on money. For example, just for the religious faith, it helps Americans believe that money is not everything. That means money is not all. It helps us understand the Americans’ outlook on money.

Finally, under the analysis of the Americans’ outlook on money, this thesis points out the methods to deal with the disadvantages of the outlook on money. The Americans should regard earning money as a method for perfect life. Money is not the final objective in their life. There are still so many valuable things that need them to accomplish.

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