On the Existential Interpretation of Contemporary British and American Literature

Abstract

Since the 19th century philosopher Soren Kerkegaard proposed the prototype of existentialism, existential thought has always been regarded as an important school of unique value in western philosophy. With the outbreak of World War II, the existentialist philosophy spread to the field of literature and politics, and a large number of sharp and thought-provoking excellent literary works emerged. Existentialism vividly depicts the difficulties and struggles faced by the people, reveals the absurdity of western social and political positions, and conveys the author's appeal and cry for self-awareness awakening and self-value realization in the article, which has a positive impact on the livelihood issues and social reform of western countries. By analyzing British and American existentialist literature, combining the characteristics of British and American existentialism and classic works, this paper deeply interprets the deep meaning of British and American existentialism, and the positive influence of British and American existential literature on human social civilization.