《理解小说》:一种独特的形式主义批评

Understanding Fiction: A Unique Formalist Criticism

“新批评”理论已被国内学界标签化、简单化了。一般认为,由于割断了文本与社会、文本与作者、文本与读者的联系,它已堕入纯粹的形式主义泥淖。本文认为,对“新批评”的认识,除了概论式的宏观研究以外,还要对其众多的经典文本作深入细致的微观分析。通过系统考察布鲁克斯、沃伦的《理解小说》,我们发现:作为“新批评”的经典文本,《理解小说》并未“堕入纯粹的形式主义泥淖”,在强调文学内部因素的同时,它还特别注重小说与现实生活的密切联系,注重对作家个人经验和创作意图的考察,注重小说与读者关系的研究。《理解小说》是一种从形式到内容的批评,是一种独特的形式主义批评。

The theory of“the new criticism”has been labeled and simplified by domestic academic circles.It is generally believed that it has fallen into the mire of pure formalism because it has cut off the connection between text and society,text and author,text and reader.In this paper,the understanding of“the New criticism”,in addition to the general type of macro research,but also to its numerous classic texts to do in-depth micro analysis.Through a systematic investigation of Brooks and Warren’s Understanding Fiction,we find that:as a classic text of“the new criticism”,Understanding Fiction does not“fall into the mire of pure formalism”.While emphasizing the internal factors of literature,it also pays special attention to the close connection between novels and real life,the investigation of the writer’s personal experience and creation intention,and the study of the relationship between novels and readers.Understanding Fiction is a kind of criticism from form to content,which is a unique formalism criticism.