中产趣味、人际隔阂与自然的拯救——解读安·贝蒂的《洛杉矶最后的古怪一日》

Middle-Class Taste, Interpersonal Estrangement and Natural Salvation: An Analysis of Ann Beattie's That Last Odd Day in L.A.

安·贝蒂的短篇小说《洛杉矶最后的古怪一日》刻画了美国中产阶级的趣味区分以及由此产生的人际隔阂。通过描写凯勒洛杉矶之行的见闻与顿悟,贝蒂揭示了此种趣味区分并非仅是布迪厄所说的"惯习"和"场域"形塑的结果,更是消费社会中大众媒体操控的产物。在"上帝已死"的后现代社会,贝蒂将拯救中产阶级精神危机的希望寄托于人与自然的重新联结之上,她的这种自然观呼应了美国新英格兰地区历史悠久的超验主义思想。

Ann Beattie＇s short story That Last Odd Day in L.A. depicts American middle class＇ s taste distinction and the resulting interpersonal estrangement. Through describing the experiences and epiphany of Keller＇s trip to Los Angeles, Beattie reveals that this kind of taste distinction is not only the result of what Pierre Bourdieu described as ＂habitus ＂ and ＂field ＂, but more importantly, the product of mass media manipulation in the consumer society. In this postmodern world based upon the spirit of＂God Is Dead＂, Beattie pinned the hope of rescuing the middle-class spiritual crisis on human＇s connection with nature. Her view of nature echoes the Transcendentalist ideas of nature originated in the early New England region of America.