在他者中寻求自我:论《对立人生》的“反乌托邦”叙事

In Search of Self in Others:On "Anti-Utopian" Narrative in The Counterlife

菲利普.罗斯在《对立人生》中使叙述结构主题化,不确定的叙述形式为读者呈现了当今美国犹太人身份的不确定性。本文指出,小说通过内森.祖克曼在以色列所看到的纷乱复杂的形势以及他在英国遭遇到的反犹情绪,表现出明显的＂反乌托邦＂倾向。小说似乎要表明,本质主义与一厢情愿地归化都不是当今美国犹太人认识自我的理想之道。也许,＂真正的犹太人＂并不逃避各种＂对立＂,而是需要在＂同化＂与＂异化＂之间努力找到一个平衡点。自我也许是在与他者不断互动中产生。

In The Counterlife,Philip Roth thematizes the indeterminacy of the narrative form to present the indeterminant identity of Jewsih American people.In view of the conflicting situations in Israel and the anti-semitism in Britain both experienced by Nathan Zuckerman,there is a strong ＂anti-utopian＂ tendency in the novel.It seems that the novel wants to show that both Jewish Fundamentalism and unconditional assimilation are not ideal choices for contemporary Jewish American people.＂An authentic Jew＂ may mean to balance the contradictions between ＂assimilation＂ and ＂alienation＂ instead of escaping from them.Self may result from a continuous interaction with others.