A study of Robert Musil's work: The confusion of the boarder Toerless

• Main Authors: Yeh, Chen-Chun, 葉貞君
• Other Authors: Lin-Liu Hwei-ann
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1998
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/96435245675229475795

碩士 === 中國文化大學 === 西洋文學研究所 === 86 === German writer Robert Musil (1880-1940) described the agitate and conflict ofthe rational and sensible dimentions in the mental world of human beings withhis rational, strict, serious and cool style of language. Therefore the principle of the same importance of the rationality and sensibility is alwaysemphasized and paid attention to by Musil. Meanwhile he also seeks the new direction for the cultural life of human beings continuously. Literature isthe tool and the method for him to discover and guide people this new direction.According to his emphasized theme: the same importance of the rationality and sensibility, he has the intention to make readers to feel what the maincharacter felt in his mind, not make them to realize with the rationality.Therefore the content, sructure and the particular style of language are discussed in this thesis. Through analyzing the content, structure and the particular style of language in Musil's first novel, The confusion of the boarder Toerless, readers could not only feel how he presents the existenceof the rational and sensible dimensions vividly by literature, but also could appreciate his strict and rational literary skill and plentiful styleof language. Most important of all he arouses the thinking possibility of readers and makes them realizing what is the same emphasis on rationality andsensibility.In the part of analyzing content, characters are important. Through the minorcharacters, the process of the main character's self search and his dual conflict are all presented. Through the analization of the novel's structure and the particular style oflanguage, the high literary achievement of Musil is proved. In the chapter ofanalyzing structure, place and time are included. In the chapter of the particular style of language, there are some discussions about the lenth ofthe chapter in this novel, the psycological art, description, the applicationof the words and sentences and the picture-language. Besides, there are threeways of description including experienced speech, dramatic description andcontrast. Musil presents the feeling of the main character by four ways: comparison, metaphor, allegory and symbol.