存在空虚、身体政治和女性主义-安·贝蒂短篇小说《换挡》解读

Void, Body Politics, and Feminism: On Ann Beattie's “Shifting”

安·贝蒂是当代美国重要短篇小说家,《纽约客》杂志著名撰稿人,曾与雷蒙德·卡佛、鲍比·安·梅森等"极简主义"作家一起推动了当代美国短篇小说的复兴。学界在评论安·贝蒂的作品时,不少是从"极简主义"角度进行的。但需指出的是,安·贝蒂作品还有一个最重要的特征:它真实地反应了"婴儿潮一代"女性的生活状况和心理状态,这也是她经常被称为"时代代言人"的原因。《换挡》是安·贝蒂早期重要作品,主要描写了年轻女性娜塔莉婚后的家庭生活,入木三分地刻划了"婴儿潮一代"女性共有的存在空虚。不过,作者通过让娜塔莉逐渐感知自己身体、认知自我身份,使其形成了独立的自我意识。《换挡》一文的发表正值美国女权运动高涨之机,它映射了彼时美国年轻女性生活状况和心理状态的改变。

Along with Raymond Carver, Bobbie Ann Mason and other minimalist writers, Ann Beattie plays an important role in the renaissance of American short stories. As a result, many scholars study her short stories from the perspective of minimalism. As a spokesperson of her age, however, Beattie more importantly describes the living conditions and psychological status of young women of the Baby Boom generation in her short stories. The 1977 ＂Shifting＂ centers on Natalie＇s daily life to depict the existential void these young women experience. By sensing her own body and recognizing her own identity, however, Natalie gradually cultivates an independent self-consciousness. Published during the second-wave American feminist movement, ＂Shifting＂ timely represents the changing living conditions and psychological status of young female Baby Boomers.