马拉默德笔下美国犹太人的现实与想象

The Reality and Imagination of American Jews in Malamud’s Works

美国犹太作家马拉默德的作品被评价为“仿佛真实的犹太人聚居区里住着想象中的犹太人”。首先是其作品强调道德性。其原因在于他关注美国犹太后裔的道德转化问题,更在于他要使读者记住法西斯的罪恶,记住每个人都要对他人负责。因而他将犹太人的自省延及到每一个人身上,说人人都是犹太人。成为犹太人就意味着在生活中受苦,从而找到生命价值和生活意义。但马拉默德向他的小说人物以及读者提供的道德教育是有问题的,是人为的,是一种说教。是我-它的方式,而不是我-你的方式。也就是说,是单方面灌输,是自言自语,无需别人的反应。他的作品中几乎没有“诱饵”,也没有“弯钩”,吸引人们“上钩”的是人们自身的道德感。

The fiction written by American Jewish writer Malamud was said to be"like real ghettoes with imaginary Jews in them". First of all, Malamud's fiction stresses morality. The basic reason is that Malamud fixed his eyes upon the conversion of American Jewish descendants'moral view. More important, he hoped the readers shouldnot forget the crimes commited by the Nazis and be responsible for each other. So he extended Jewish introspection to everyone, claiming that everyone is a Jew. Becoming a Jew means suffering in life so as to find the value of life and the meaning of living. However, the moral lessons with which Malamud provided his characters and readers are questionable. The moral lessons were expounded artificially and mechanically. The writing style is I-it one instead of I-thou one. In other words, it's one-way instilling, or monologue, never expecting any feedback from others. There' s no"bait"or"crooked hook"in his fiction, attracting others to"get hooked"with their own moral sense.