地方理论视域下《管家》中的二元对立

A Place Theory Approach to Binary Opposition in Housekeeping

玛丽莲·罗宾逊是美国当代著名小说家。她的作品题材大多与环境息息相关,反映了当代社会环境问题。《管家》是她的第一部小说,国内学界对它的介绍和研究还比较匮乏。文章运用劳伦斯·布伊尔的地方理论来探讨《管家》中的二元对立。一方面,地方被人为地划分为两个互为对立的部分:人类与自然;另一方面,在人类社会内部,男性与女性处于对立状态,两性不平等现象特别严重。有鉴于此,罗宾逊希冀改变这种现状,呼吁人类突破地方局限,实现地方的统一,以最终实现人与自然之间以及两性之间的和谐共处。

Marilynne Robinson is one of the most famous American contemporary novelists. Her works mostly deal with the environment, chiefly reflecting the current environmental problems. As her debut novel, Housekeeping is not widely discussed in China though it is a real hit in English-speaking countries. This paper explores the binary opposition in the novel based on place theory. On the one hand, place is divided into two opposing parts by human beings:humans vs. nature;on the other hand, men are in opposition to women in the human society with especially serious gender inequality. In the novel, Robinson calls for a change in the current situation, aiming at the harmonious relationship between humans and nature, and between men and women by breaking through the boundary of place.