对南北战争的重新审视——多克托罗的《大进军》复调叙事特点分析

A Reexamination of the Civil War: a Study Based on Polyphonic Narrative in E.L. Doctorow's The March

E.L.多克托罗的经典之作《大进军》运用具有后现代风格的复调叙事手法,再现内战中向海洋进军这一段历史。一类复调特征是文本的对话性,主要表现在文本对位结构和人物塑造。通过合理的想象,多克托罗将虚构人物和历史人物并置,建构历史人物的可能经历从而颠覆了官方历史对历史人物的记录。另一类是叙事视角的自由变化,人物通过自己的观察和思想活动,自由抒发对战争的看法,重构了内战中的大进军,对主流话语也形成了挑战。

E.L.Doctorow＇s The M arch employs the polyphonic narrative style to relive the historical Sherman＇s march to the sea in the Civil War. In the novel, one of the polyphonic characteristics is its outstanding loquacious dialogues, which includes text contrapuntal style and characterization. Doctorow juxtaposes the historical figures with fictional ones and stretches his imagination to suppose what might happen to the historical figures. He subverts the official description of historical figures. The other is the free changes of the narrative point of view. Through characters＇observation and contemplation, the views on war are expressed freely. Thus it reconstructs the historical march and challenges the mainstream discourse.