“我在任何地方都感到不自在”--《天意》中精神异化的空间表征与社会根源

“I Am Not Anywhere at Home”:Spatial Representations and Social Cause of Spiritual Alienation in Providence

安妮塔·布鲁克纳小说《天意》有两处具有主题揭示作用的情景反讽:在家庭空间中,凯蒂与外祖父母相互之间的情感投入有巨大差异;在社会空间中,凯蒂忽视自己职场的成功而沉湎于情场的失败。作为兼具英法文化属性的混血后裔,凯蒂既不愿融入以法国性为主导的家庭空间,也无法融入以英国性为主导的社会空间,处于身份感缺失的精神异化状态。文章从空间批评理论出发,探讨《天意》所体现的英国移民后裔精神异化现象,进而结合英国战后历史语境,指出小说中精神异化现象的社会根源是二战后英国社会根深蒂固的排外心理。

In Anita Brookner’s novel Providence,two situation ironies are of great thematic significance,namely,the disparity of love between Kitty and her grandparents,and her abnormally distinct attitudes towards her career success and her failure in love.From the perspective of spatial criticism,this study examines what underlies the two ironies is Kitty’s spiritual alienation,arguing that as a half-blooded descendant of French immigrants to Britain,Kitty is neither willing to be part of the familial space,nor able to be integrated into the social space,and thus suffers from spiritual alienation on both.By exploring Kitty’s spiritual alienation in its historical context,this study draws a further conclusion that the social-historical cause that underlies such alienation is the exclusionist mentality deeply rooted in the post-war British society.