《杰克上校》:马叙事与18世纪文化协商中的英国绅士

Colonel Jack's Horse Narrative and the English Gentleman in the 18th Century Cultural Negotiation

笛福的《杰克上校》讲述主角从底层孤儿奋斗为绅士的全过程,展示了18世纪初英国绅士是如何在与其他男性类型的文化协商中构建自身的。本文认为,笛福通过马这一意象的书写,从驭马强盗、骑士到种植园主-商人的身份变化,确定了绅士的中等阶层定位。商人尽管成为笛福笔下的18世纪英国文明代言人,但在掠夺性上却与驭马强盗和贵族存在家族相似。为维持商人绅士的文明定位,笛福继而要求商业的适度和可持续性。他在秉持进步思想的基础上,兼用贵族意识和保守意识塑造中等阶层绅士,以之为英国国民的典范。

Defoe's Colonel Jack follows how the protagonist struggles from the bottom of the social hierarchy to eventually a gentleman,depicting the way English gentleman constructed themselves in cultural negotiations with other male types in early 1700s.This paper argues that Defoe,with the image of horses,defines gentleman being of a middle class,as the protagonist's identity evolves from a highwayman initially,to a cavalier,and ultimately to a planter-merchant.Finding the predatory nature of merchant similar to that of highwayman and nobility,Defoe calls for moderation and sustainability of trade to maintain the cultural orientation of merchant gentleman,which becomes Defoe's spokesperson of British civilization in the 18th century.While upholding his progressive ideology,Defoe uses both aristocratic and conservative ideologies to shape middle-class gentleman as an example of British people.