兼容有序 聚焦文化──谈90年代福克纳研究的态势

Faulkner Studies in the Past Decade: Disciplined Eclecticism and Focus on Cultural Studies

从上世纪90年代开始至今,福克纳研究发生了一些什么变化呢?英国文学评论家特里德尔借用布莱卡斯坦的"兼容有序"(disciplinedeclecticism)一词来概括90年代福克纳研究的态势。七八十年代西方文艺理论和批评方法,纷然杂陈、派别林立,同样在福克纳研究上观点方法各异,标新立异,互不相容。到了90年代,文学批评界出现了一个相对沉静的时期,着手重新建构文学理论和批评方法。福克纳研究的情况也出现了一些新的变化。其变化可归纳为以下三个方面:从注重形式到更注重内容;从关注地域和历史到更关注种族和性别;从强调福克纳作品的现代主义特性到开始研究福克纳与后现代主义和大众文化的关系。由此可见福克纳研究正在变得更包容、更有序、更关注文化研究。

The paper is a brief review of the developments of Faulkner studies in the last decade (1993～2003). British literary critic Nicolas Tredell has characterized Faulkner studies in the 1990s as 'disciplined eclecticism', a term invented by André Bleikasten. There are remarkable differences between the 80's and the 90's in Faulkner studies, mainly as a result of the changing situation in literary theory and criticism. The new developments may be summed up as follows: a) more concern about the contents than the forms, or about the study of contextual history and culture than writing techniques; b) a shift of invoking the relevance of Faulkner's works from the South and Yoknapatawpha County to 'the other South', approaching Faulkner from the postcolonial perspective and re-provoking the issues of race and gender; c) more stress on the relationship of Faulkner's works to postmodernism and popular culture than modernism. It seems apparent that Faulkner studies in the last decade has become more disciplined, more eclectic and more concerned with cultural studies.