OnHeimingway’sEmploymentofSymbolismtoPresenttheThemeofAlienation

XieHuajie

【Abstract】This paper explores how Heimingway presents the theme of alienation by employing symoblism in his short story In Another Country.

【Key Words】Heimingway； Symbolism； Theme； Alienation； In Another Country

One of the underlying themes of Twentieth Century writers has been to point out the increasing alienation of people from their families，communities and society，even themselves.E.Hemingway.s short story In Another Country is a good writing reflecting the theme of alienation.

Symbolism，a frequently employed technique of writing by many modern fiction writers，is the use of symbols to represent ideas，which may also refer to an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas，emotions and states of mind.Symbolism contributes covertly to reveal，reinforce and serve the story.s themes with vivid symbols creating ideas and images for the readers to better understand the story.

In In Another Country，Heimingway successfully presented the theme of alienation partly through symbolism.

Firstly，the title of the story is an important symbol，which draws a general picture of alienation.At first glance，“In Another Country”refers to the fact that the American narrator is indeed in a foreign land—Italy； that he is a foreigner.Yet it is also a symbol for “another realm—the country of the sick and injured which was caused or left by WWI”.Or even more deeply，it symbolizes the soldiers in and after WWI，who were hurt both physically and emotionally，being constantly entangled in the feeling of being“in another country”，or foreignness and alienation in the society.So the title is a symbol for alienation from the society，the group and himself /herself as a whole.

Secondly，in the story，many symbols such as the animals，the machine，and the four together-walking soldiers etc.contribute a lot to the theme of a specific alienation，that is，alienation from the group.The symbols include the images of foxes，deer，birds，which stand for the victims.The soldiers in the war draw a very horrible and gloomy picture of casualty and death that symbolizes the miseries，pain，loss of living purpose and faith in life in the desolate postwar world.In addition，“machine”is another important symbol.On one side，it symbolizes the industry and technology that the soldiers depend on to cure their wounds and their spirit，but which can not.On the other side，it stands for“a sense of cheating by doctors，politicians，even the government”； while the response of the soldiers also suggest that they don.t trust machine，nor the doctor，nor the government，nor all the other people.Equally important is another symbol—“we were four together”.The story tells that“we walked the short way through the communist quarter because we were four together”，from the context，it is implied that people hate the soldiers and the war，and the soldiers therefore have no sense of safety in the community.This picture of four together-walking soldiers reveals their alienation from the communities.

Thirdly，another kind of alienation Heimingway pictured is the alienation from oneself“Ways”and“bridges”stands for free choices that people/ soldiers can make； “woman” who sold roasted chestnuts symbolizes the creative principle of reproduction，warmth，care，safe life； “medal” stands for glory and honor on one hand，casualty，death and ridiculous absurdity of the war on the other hand.These three symbols are sharp criticism for people.s nonsensical and self-contradictory choice of“medal”，the war.These symbols imply that people and soldiers are uncertain of what they did and are doing，they don.t understand themselves and even feel alienated from themselves.Besides，“Major”is a vivid symbol for self-alienation.His symbolic gesture“l(fā)ooking straight ahead” suggests that he has a lot of experience of life and is totally disillusioned with the present life and has no prospect and faith in future because of the brutal war.These reveal that the Major is a disillusioned and alienated man.But on the other hand，he is also the code hero who holds grace under pressure，whose“head up looking at nothing，carrying himself straight and soldierly…” that Heimingway usually created.

In conclusion，Heimingway.s employment of symbolism serves greatly to the theme of alienation in the story.