阅读趣味背后的中产阶级文化建构——从乔治·吉辛的《女王50周年大庆》谈起

The Literary Taste and 19th Century Middle-Class Cultural Construction: With George Gissing's In the Year of Jubilee as an Example

在《女王50周年大庆》中,乔治·吉辛借笔下人物对书籍的选择向读者展示了与人物阶级身份息息相关的阅读趣味。通过引导"正确的"阅读趣味,19世纪英国中产阶级试图合法化自身的文化正确性,并寻求正确的社会位置。然而,与上述合法化过程相伴的却是挥之不去的"错位感",透露出该群体成员的文化焦虑与反思。可以说,通过对阅读趣味的选择,中产阶级成员对文化正统的渴求与反思,对自身"文化正确性"的希冀与焦虑,种种复杂心态,略见一斑。

In his book In the Year of Jubilee, George Gissing presents to readers his characters＇ literary taste, which is closely related to their social status, through their reading choices. By leading a justified literary taste, the 19 th century British middle-class members attempt to legitimize their own culture and their social position. However, the lingering sense of displacement, which has hovered the process of legitimization, indicates the middle classes＇ cultural anxiety and reflection. In other words, readers can get a glimpse of the middle classes＇ complicated feelings, which include their yearning for and reflection on cultural orthodoxy as well as their expectation and anxiety for the cultural legitimization, through their reading choices.