杰克·伦敦的边疆情结——从北疆到亚太作品解析

Jack London’s Frontier Complex:On His Writings on Northland and Asian-Pacific Culture

自美国建国开始,"边疆"逐渐形成鲜明的美国特性。真实的边疆与虚构的边疆相互交织,建构成边疆神话,推动美国由大陆扩张向海外扩张转变。在"边疆封闭"后,杰克·伦敦的创作主题由北疆转向亚太,反映了"后边疆"时期根植于美国人心中的边疆情结,它由疆土扩张、资本扩张及文化扩张等意识所呈现。从梳理、连接伦敦的北疆及亚太作品的文学性与思想性出发,可发现伦敦的北疆、亚太作品及其社会主义思想的形成皆与美国人的"边疆焦虑"存在隐性联系,其民族叙事的矛盾性及社会主义思想的杂糅性体现出美国民主思想与海外扩张的张力。

Since the founding of the United States,"frontier"has gradually developed distinct American characteristics. The actual frontier and the imaginary one have been interwoven with each other in the formation of the frontier myth,propelling America’s transition from continental expansion to overseas expansion. After America’s declaration of the closure of the frontier,Jack London shifted his themes from Northland to the Asian-Pacific regions. This shift can be seen as the implication of the frontier complex rooted in Americans’ mind,which has been presented in the combination of territorial expansion,capital expansion and ideological expansion during the "post-frontier"period.