亨利·詹姆斯《波士顿人》中语言道具的象征内涵

The Symbolic Meanings of Language Props in Henry James's The Bostonians

象征(symbol)在西方文论中占有重要地位,简单来说,象征就是借用具体的形象或符号,以表现某些具有类似性质的抽象的概念、思想或情感。亨利·詹姆斯在他许多作品都成功地运用象征手法,在《波士顿人》中,詹姆斯运用了大量的象征意象,这些意象成为贯穿小说的语言道具,是暗示人物命运及故事发展变化的主要线索,文章试图从这些意象的象征内涵出发来解读小说人物形象及其深层主题。

Symbol has been playing an important role in western literary theories.Generally speaking,symbol means to manifest some abstract conception,thought or emotion by using certain concrete images or signs with similar properties,which Henry James often used successfully in his works.In The Bostonians,symbolic images appear all the way through the novel,which hints the fate of the characters and the development of the story.This paper aims to interpret the characters and themes in The Bostonians through these symbolic images.