Abstract

People tend to see the suicide as a kind of social phenomenon. But eventually, we should study further on the link between suicide and personal thoughts. To put it simply, suicide means thinking life is not worth living. What makes a person suddenly realize that life is meaningless? This feeling, a sense of separation from the world and life, is called the sense of absurdity.

The sense of absurdity is a feeling, which includes alienation, contradiction and boredom, which make people find a gulf between the world and themselves. Once caught in the sense of absurdity, people will be strange to everything they experienced before, and can’t understand themselves, others any more. Up the edge of the spirit, there are only two viable solutions left, suicide or finding out.

In Legend of a Suicide, actually there are two suicides. One is the hero’s part Roy Finn, an accomplished suicide. His suicide is the climax and turning point throughout the book. The other is Roy’s father, Jim, an unaccomplished suicide. This essay will analyze both their absurd consciousness through their suicides, and expatiate on the relations between suicide and absurdity.

Key words: absurdity, suicide, sense of absurdity, Legend of a Suicide

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

ⅠIntroduction-1

1.1 David Vann and his works-1

1.2Writing motive of Legend of a suicide-1

II. Absurdity and Suicide-3

2.1 The sense of absurdity-3

2.2 Absurdity inducing suicide-4

Ⅲ Roy Finn and suicide-5

3.1 Roy Finn's character-5

3.2 Roy Finn’s Sense of Absurdity-6

3.2.1 Period during living with mother-7

3.2.2 Period during living in Sukkwan Island-7

Ⅳ Suicide Tendency of Roy Finn's father-9

4.1 Alienation caused by shattered dreams-9

4.2 Alienation caused by failure of marriage-10

4.3 After Roy Finn’s death-10

Ⅴ Conclusion-11