米勒的《黑暗之心》解读及其文学批评转向

J.Hillis Miller's Interpretation of Heart of Darkness and His Theoretical Turn in Literary Criticism

《黑暗之心》是约瑟夫·康拉德(Joseph Conrad)最负盛名的小说,也是英国文学史上的一部经典著作,评论家们对它的解读,表现了不同的眼光,展示了不同的智慧。而J.希利斯·米勒(J.Hillis Miller)对这部小说的解读,则不仅表现出他的深邃烛照与人生智慧,更契合了他的几次理论转向。通过对米勒的这一研究之研究(“意识的意识”),可以看出他辉煌的文学研究生涯的重要轨迹。米勒由意识批评到解构主义批评,再到言语述行理论等文学解读方法的转向,都在其对《黑暗之心》的解读中有迹可循。本文探讨米勒对《黑暗之心》的独创性阐释以及其中的理论转向,也对其批评方法中存在的局限性进行探讨。

Heart of Darkness,one of Joseph Conrad's most famous novels,is a classic work in the history of English literature.Various interpretations by critics demonstrate their insight and wisdom.J.Hillis Miller's readings of it not only show his profound insight and wisdom about life,but also tally with his turns in literary criticism.A study of his study of the novel(in Miller's words“consciousness of consciousness”)will map the trajectory of his brilliant career of literary criticism.Miller started as a critic of“consciousness of criticism”,turned to“deconstruction”later and proceeded to“speech act”and“performative”theory.His critical practice left obvious traces of those theories in his interpretations of Heart of Darkness.This paper will focus on Miller's original interpretations of this novel by way of exhibiting his critical turns.It also attempts to reveal some limitations in his criticism.