族裔界限的延展与消散:《手绘鼓》

Extension and Melting-Away of Ethnicity:The Painted Drum

本文评析美国作家路易丝.埃德里克2005年出版的长篇小说《手绘鼓》,指出这部作品在延续作家以往创作主题和模式的同时,更加明确了一个逐步形成的族裔创作趋势:"族裔"界限不断消解,族裔自身是一个同化和异化的动态过程,而对此采取的批评视野也应该不断延伸扩展。小说中作家的创作意图不断深入,通过"事物间的空隙"这个关键词,以超越族裔范畴的文化态度揭示了当代人类的生存困惑,同时又以其独有的创作手法,即叙述声音的轮唱转换,汇集了具有解构和重构作用的族裔元素,不断丰富着读者看待问题的视角和方式,并借助"人人都是印第安人"的隐喻,揭示了人文精神和文化关怀的实质。

The essay analyzes The Painted Drum,the Native American writer Louise Erdirch's tenth novel,which continues her recurring theme and mode,but reveals more clearly the trend of ethnic writing being formed underway.In the novel,'ethnicity' is melting away due to the dynamic process of alienation as well as assimilation,in which our critical perspectives are extended and adjusted accordingly.By The Painted Drum,Erdrich further explores 'the space between things',and shows the bewilderment of human beings in their modern existence.With a trans-ethnically cultural attitude,the author follows her habitual yet more skillful multiple and shifting narrative viewpoints,manipulating those 'ethnic' elements to deconstruct as well as reconstruct ideas.Consequently the metaphor 'everybody is an Indian' exposes Erdirch's profound human concern,and triggers our reflection on the Native American culture.