本論文之研究目的在於解析奧登三首詩作 (“Spain,” “Memorial for the City” and “In Praise of Limestone”) 及麥卡錫小說 (The Road) 中的語言特質與象徵元素，以進一步釐清其作品中自然、歷史，和宗教的位階關係。針對奧登的詩作，前人已多有研究。除了學術著述之外，本論文亦援用1) 當時評論家在作品初版時對奧登的批評，以究探其語言特性對於讀者的第一手效應；2) 奧登本人在各時期對於宗教、歷史，和自然的論著，試圖追溯其思考軌跡。而就麥卡錫而言，文獻上與奧登相同處在於使用了許多當代評論；不同處在於麥卡錫本人幾乎不撰寫論述性文章或接受訪談。在麥卡錫本人不願多談其創作哲學的情況下，批評家與學者們普遍認為：麥卡錫的語言特性致使他的作品具備高度的不定性 (第一章中將有討論)。本論文企圖以比較的方式，提供麥卡錫作品研究一個有力的支點，並也希望提供奧登詩作一個略新的檢視面向。 論文研究的主要背景為兩位作者對「毀滅」場景的刻畫，分析兩者在「毀滅」之中如何構築人類對於文明、外在環境，乃至於自身的認知。論文第一章在文獻回顧的同時也論及了奧登的宗教觀，並略微闡述為何麥卡錫有被如是考量的可能。第二章著重在作品中自然與人的關係；以石灰石 (limestone) 為代表，端看兩者作品中 (主要為 “In Praise of Limestone” 與 The Road) 人類如何賦予自然定義。的三章討論時間，以奧登在論述宗教時所謂的 “Natural time” 與 “Historical time” 看其作品中時間在毀滅之時的潛在壓力與崩解，並進而以此切入點閱讀 The Road 中的毀滅時態。第四章探究在 “Historical time” 的框架下，兩者作品中是否有意圖追尋「救贖」之可能；或說，何故「救贖」在他們的語境下成為一個強烈的考量。 / This thesis aims to analyze the three poems of Auden (“Spain,” “Memorial for the City” and “In Praise of Limestone”) and Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road. It pays attention to both authors’ language and image which construct the hierarchy of nature, history and religion in their works. As many analyses have been made on Auden, besides scholarly literature, the thesis also draws the reviews upon some poems’ first publication in order to see the first-hand effect of the poem’s language on its reader. Auden’s discourses upon nature, history and religion are also applied for seeking after the trace of his thinking. As to McCarthy, many book reviews are applied because the 2006 novel is still too young to yield a great amount of scholarly discourse. Different from Auden, McCarthy does not write discourse at all and rarely grants interview so his own artistic dogma is very little known. All is agreed by scholars and reviewers is that his language causes great instability, in term of the work’s theme and philosophy, which will be discussed in chapter one. By a comparison, this thesis hopes to provide a fulcrum upon which further analyses upon McCarthy can be made and a new aspect in reading some of Auden’s works. The background of this analysis is the scene of destruction in both authors’ works. It intends to see, in these works, how man’s perception towards civilization, the physical circumstance and himself is constructed during the time of destruction. Chapter one centers on literature review, along with which Auden’s religious viewpoints are discussed. The same chapter also justifies why such religious viewpoints can be helpful in reading The Road. Chapter two emphasizes mankind’s relationship with nature. With limestone as a representative object, chapter two sees how nature is loaded with mankind’s will. Chapter three applies Auden’s “Nature time” and “Historical time” in his discussion of religion, in order to see the frame and the stress of time during the time of destruction. Further in chapter three, the frame of time that Auden argues is applied to read McCarthy’s concept of time in The Road’s destruction. With “Historical time” as the premise, chapter four seeks for the possibility of redemption in both authors’ works and the reason why a redemptive choice is so plausible with their language.