论《夺发记》中的消费主义

Consumerism in The Rape of the Lock

亚力山大·蒲柏的《夺发记》创作于18世纪英国消费革命时期。在诗中,蒲柏对贝琳达的梳妆台、气精、扑克大战以及"Cave of Spleen"等情节作了详细的描述,而这些描写无疑让《夺发记》全诗弥漫着一股浓厚的追逐时尚之风,体现了英国当时以商品崇拜为特征的消费主义。贝琳达晨起时的梳妆打扮透露出她对他人的视觉享受的重视,她在追求美丽的同时已经沦为一件商品。男爵为了她的那一缕头发更是兴师动众,祈求神灵。精灵们也为保护贝琳达的那缕头发而精心计划与安排。由此可见,在这种盲目且疯狂的消费社会中,人们对商品的狂热崇拜,最终也沦为了商品的奴隶。

The Rape of the Lock is written by Alexander Pope in the period of the consumer revolution which took place in the 18 th century England. In the poem, Pope gives a detailed description of Belinda＇s toilet, sylphs, the card game, ＂Cave of Spleen＂ and so on. By analyzing these depictions, it is easy to draw the conclusion that the whole poem is filled with the quest of fashion, which reveals consumerism with the feature of commodity fetishism.Belinda＇s elaborate make-up suggests that Belinda takes considerable attention on her beauty. When she begins her relentless quest of beauty, she is gradually becoming a commodity itself. Baron invokes god in order to win her lock.Even spirits take action to protect the safety of the lock. Therefore, the poem actually demonstrates that in such a crazy consumer society, people worship commodity and finally fall into its slaves.