伦理的“暗礁”:《暗礁》的文学伦理学批评

The Ethical“Reef”:A Study of The Reef from the Perspective of Ethical Literary Criticism

伊迪丝·华顿在小说《暗礁》中,通过看似普通的充满感情纠葛的婚姻故事,展示了新旧资产阶级交替时期的新旧伦理矛盾冲突的现实。处于多重伦理身份之中的老资产阶级贵妇安娜,面对触犯伦理禁忌的潜在可能,陷入伦理困惑与选择的两难,选择了放弃婚姻。代表经济独立的新女性苏菲最终也选择了离开,这是在其乱伦意识及传统伦理观念羁绊作用下的结局。两位女性同时离开,伦理结就此解开,而安娜寻找苏菲的行为则映射出她了解新世界、重新找到伦理定位的渴望。出现在标题中的暗礁,贯穿于小说的始终,其伦理寓意实际上就是新旧伦理道德观念的碰撞和"触礁"。

Edith Wharton＇ s novel The Reef reveals the contradiction and conflict between the old and new moral systems during the transition between the old and new bourgeois classes, through a seemingly common, but intricate story of love and marriage. Anna, a lady from the old bourgeois class with multi-ethical identities, is faced with ethical dilemma and difficult ethical choice while knowing the potential ethical taboo, and finally chooses to abandon her marriage. Sophy, the new-woman image with economic independence, chooses to leave at last due to the awareness of incest and the restrain of traditional ethics. The ethical knot is untied by their departure, and Anna＇ s search for Sophy reflects her desire to understand the new world and refind her ethical identity. This thesis holds a view that the ＂reef＂ in the title extends throughout the novel and contains an ethical implication, referring to a crash and ＂striking a reef＂ between the old and new ethics and morality.