惆怅的献祭——《纯真年代》中阿切尔的伦理选择及动因诠释

A Wistful Sacrifice:On Archer's Ethical Choice and Cause Analysis

以二十世纪初的纽约上流社会为伦理语境,追溯《纯真年代》中男主人公纽兰·阿切尔的情感成长历程。通过对阿切尔与埃伦七次约会的回顾,探析阿切尔在面临婚外爱情时是怎样以及为何最终做出回归家庭这一伦理选择的。阿切尔对其婚姻伦理身份的回归是惆怅的,对家庭伦理秩序的重建是悲情的,这是对老纽约社会道德秩序的一份惆怅的献祭。

Set against the ethical situation of 20th–century New York Upper Society,the present thesis traces the mental landscape of Newland Archer,the hero in The Age of Innocence.It studies the seven rendezvous between Archer and Ellen in the hope of an insightful exploration of how and why Archer,faced with an extramarital affair,finally came to the ethical decision of returning back to his family.The wistful resuming of his ethical identity in marriage as well as his sentimental restoration of the ethical law in his family is a sacrifice offered for the Old New York social mores.