莉莉之死与“精神共和国”——伊迪丝·华顿关于伦理悲剧的尝试

Death of Lily and “Republic of Spirit”:On Edith Wharton’s Ethical Writing

伊迪丝·华顿在20世纪初期的美国文坛享有很高的声誉,被称为最后的"文学贵族"。她的小说多侧重于描写维多利亚时代末期纽约社会顶层的一个特殊人群——老纽约。华顿的早期小说《欢乐之家》讲述了该背景下主人公莉莉·巴特被上流社会抛弃和牺牲,最后孤独死去的故事。本文从古老的道德命题入手,重新从社会学、伦理学的角度分析了华顿对当时社会道德危机的应对,分析了华顿对理想社会的知识和情感关注。

Edith Wharton was a writer of reputation at the beginning of the 20th century, one of the last ＂literary aristocracy＂ in Victorian America. Many of her novels focus on Old New York--a group of people topping in New York city at fin de siecle. The House of Mirth, one of Wharton＇s early works about this class, tells the story of Lily Bart, a lady who is sacrificed and destroyed by frivolous society. This essay broaches the subject of morality in the novel, and explores the social crisis presented by the author from a sociological and ethical perspective. It also examines her intellectual and emotional concerns over the ideal republic.