逃离农庄 逃离上帝——厄普代克长篇小说《农庄》的宗教之维

Fleeing the Farm,Fleeing GOD: The Religion Implication of Updike's Novel Of the Farm

在厄普代克的长篇小说《农庄》中,"我"和"母亲"的矛盾集中在对农庄的态度和选择妻子的标准上。"母亲"希望"我"能够离开纽约,回到农庄;"我"则劝告"母亲"离开农庄,居住在纽约。"母亲"对农庄的坚守象征着对上帝的守护;"我"对农庄的背弃象征着对上帝的逃离。"母亲"希望"我"选一个诗人作妻子,象征着昨日美国文化对神圣事物的渴望;"我"和"母亲"所喜欢的第一个妻子的离婚,以及和"母亲"所厌恶的第二个妻子的结婚,象征着年轻一代已经找到了上帝的替代物:性爱。

In John Updike＇s novel Of the Farm, the contradictions between the ＂mother＂ and ＂me＂ focus on the attitude toward the farm and the standards of choosing the wife. The ＂mother＂ hopes ＂I＂ can leave New York and go back to the farm. However, ＂I＂ persuade ＂mother＂ to leave the farm and settle down in New York. ＂Mother＇s＂ persistence in living the farm symbolizes the guardianship of God. And ＂My＂ abandon of the farm marks the fleeing from God. The ＂mother＂ hopes＂I＂ can choose a poetess as my wife, which stands for the longing for the divine in yesterday＇s American culture. The divorce with the first wife ＂my mother＂ and ＂I＂ like and the marriage with the second wife ＂my mother＂ hates show that the young people have already found the substitute of God： love.