摘要
认知诗学的"可能世界理论"有助于描述虚构世界的内在结构,分析文本的多重叙述层和叙述视点,发掘文本的多重主题、意蕴和审美价值。运用可能世界理论分析莫里森的新作《慈悲》可以发现:作者以17世纪末殖民初期的北美为背景,探讨这一特定背景下由蓄奴制引发和激化的人性问题,但并没有依循传统的"主人—奴隶"叙事模式,也没有把叙述者或主人翁固定于某一特定个人,除奇数章外,所有偶数章的主角是不同的人物,各章自成一个可能世界,服务于不同的主题和叙事目的,讨论了蓄奴制、宗教、两性关系、姐妹情谊等多重主题,并通过"行走"和"设问"两个功能推进命题实现可能世界之间的连接与通达,使这部小说既具有史诗般的宏大和丰富思想蕴涵,又显著体现了审美的多样性与统一性。
Possible worlds theory is helpful for analyzing the inner structure of fictional worlds,the narrative levels and the narrative point of view,so as to discover various themes and aesthetic values of the text.In the light of the possible worlds theory we can find that each of the even-numbered chapters in A Mercy builds up a possible world different from the others,discussing such thematic issues as slavery,religion,gender and sisterhood.The possible worlds are interconnected by two function-advancing propositions,walking and questioning,weaving a novel epic in scope and rich in implication.In such a novel,Morrison moves beyond the conventions of the master-slave narrative,interrogating human nature against the backdrop of the American slave system of the late 17th century.
出处
《当代外国文学》
CSSCI
北大核心
2011年第4期11-23,共13页
Contemporary Foreign Literature
基金
国家社科基金西部项目"英美文学界认知诗学研究"的阶段性成果(项目编号:11XWW003)
