一场科学主义的祭典——小说《胎记》的异化主题解读

A Tragic Fiesta of Scientism——On the Alienation Theme of The Birthmark

霍桑小说《胎记》中的主人公埃尔梅是一位极端的科学主义代表,他为了证明自己超越自然、征服自然的能力,决心去除妻子脸上的胎记,最后胎记消失,妻子也远离人世。故事折射出霍桑对美国19世纪工业文明的反思以及他对科学发展所持的怀疑态度,揭露了在征服自然过程中人性的沦丧以及人与人、人与自然间关系的异化。霍桑以小说的形式记载了一段过往历史,更是预言了当下人类面临的重重危机,意义重大,发人深省。

As a representative of scientism, Aylmer, the protagonist in Hawthorne＇ s short story The Birthmark, decides to remove the birthmark on his wife＇ s face to prove his abilities of transcending and conquering nature. Finally, the birthmark is removed at the cost of Georgiana＇ s death. This story demonstrates Hawthorne＇ s introspection about the American industrial civilization in the 19th century and his skepticism towards the development of science. Besides, the deterioration of humanity and the alienation of both the relation- ship between man and man and that of man and nature in the quest for nature are revealed in it too. As a result, Hawthorne not only re- writes the history of his times in the form of a story, but predicts the current crisis that human beings are being faced with, which is sig- nificant and thought-provoking.