『모드』에 나타난 허무주의

Abstract

One of the most controversial issues in interpreting Maud is whether Tennyson’s voice is reflected in the speaker supporting the Crimean War in the last scene. Many critics argue that Tennyson expresses through the mouthpiece his jingoism, which can also be seen in his other poems, although Tennyson denies any personal views in this poem, emphasizing that it is a monodrama he calls ‘a little Hamlet.’ This paper claims that the speaker, a nihilist, does not support the Crimean War, but tries to commit suicide in the name of patriotism. It may seem farfetched to associate Maud, written in the Victorian age, with nihilism, a philosophy of the twentieth century, but in fact this philosophical framework began its development in mid-nineteenth century Europe. For a nihilist, all man-made values are falsifications, and life is not worth living. The speaker exhibits nihilistic characteristics throughout the poem. Like his father, the speaker rages at all of the lies present in society. He mentions that doctors, politicians, tradesmen, and even mothers cheat for their own benefit. He believes that Maud’s father is a liar, and he kills her brother because he lies to him. As a nihilist, he believes that there is no truth in human society. In despair, he cries, “we are not worthy to live.” Finally, going to war, he says, “It is better to fight for the good than to rail at the ill.” Since he does not believe in the good as a nihilist, what he is expressing is simply a desire to get himself killed in the war. The conclusion is that Tennyson is not supporting the Crimean War in this poem, but describing a hopeless individual and the looming nihilism of this era.