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

【摘要】《飛蛾之死》是英國作家弗吉尼亞·伍爾夫的一篇短篇名作，十分細致地描述了一只飛蛾掙扎著與死亡作斗爭的過程。文中的飛蛾作為對生死的隱喻，不僅揭示了生的意義，死亡中蘊含的英雄主義、悲劇性與不可抗的必然性，也傳達了作者對于生命與死亡的認識——生死都只是自然法則中的一環。

【關鍵詞】弗吉尼亞·伍爾夫;飛蛾之死;生命;死亡

【Abstract】 In“The Death of the Moth”， Virginia Woolf gives a detaileddescription of how a moth struggles against death. The moth in the essay， as a metaphor of both life and death， embodies the nature of life， reveals the heroic and tragic sides of death， and helps convey the authors attitude towards life and death—both are merely one link of the law of nature.

【Key words】Virginia Woolf; The Death of the Moth; death; life

【作者簡介】羅欣然，華東師范大學。

While the depiction of death in literary works often features dramatic plots， Virginia Woolfs “The Death of the Moth” approaches the theme of life and death from a smaller perspective. The essay limits the scene to a short time period and a fixed space， but contains a sense of immensity and vastness in the idea it expresses. The moth in the essay， as a metaphor of life and death， embodies the nature of life， reveals the heroic and tragic sides of death， and helps convey the authors attitude towards life and death.

First， the moth embodies the nature of life， and exhibits a kind of heroism in his unremitting efforts to fight against death. Moths are trivial creatures， easily ignored by men. The moth in the essay， humbler by being one that flies by day， seems doomed to obscurity. Even though making nearly no difference and arousing little attention， it dances almost inexhaustibly and enjoys its life to the full. The moth， referred to as “he” by the author， is personified to highlight its animation and activeness： it is more than a creature subject to the formidable nature; it is a life， which is programmed to be free and splendid despite its insignificance. By singing praises for its own life and daring to defy fate， the moth illustrates what life is—to live， to strive， and to appreciate ones own existence. The vitality it emanates in its weariless dance adds a hint of heroism to its death， which commands much respect.

The moth also demonstrates the tragic side of death—its insiginificance compared with the outside world—and the tragedy is underscored by the contrast between the harmonious surroundings and the hard fate of the moth. While the moth is striving arduously for its life， the field outside features constant peace and pleasure： birds feed in the brooks and horses stand still， both ignorant and indifferent of what is happening to the moth. The tranquility remains undisturbed by the disaster descending on the poor creature， and even the final death of the moth does not agitate the slightest fluctuation outside. The moth has been all alone by itself， struggling against the insurmountable power of death. Whatever efforts it makes matter little to the outside world.