毛姆笔下的漫游者——《刀锋》中的文学绘图

The Image of the Loafer: Literary Cartographyin The Razor's Edge

毛姆的小说《刀锋》讲述了美国飞行员莱雷为了找寻人生的意义选择去全世界“闲逛”,最后在印度找到了人生的真谛。从欲望之都芝加哥、到梦想之城巴黎、再到宗教之所波恩,最后到吠陀经哲学之地印度,莱雷的旅程路线形成了一幅文学地图,体现了空间的移动变换。罗伯特·塔利的文学绘图理论以地图绘制喻指文学写作,通过叙事赋予世界形象,帮助人们认识世界从而缓解存在焦虑((1))。在《刀锋》中,通过塑造“漫游者”莱雷和“乌托邦”印度,毛姆将个人的经历和行程与世界的整体图景相联系,帮助主体思考与社会空间的关系,试图对资本主义进行抵制与颠覆,建立超越意识形态的多元文化主义。

William Somerset Maugham’s novel The Razor's Edge tells the story of an American aviator Larry,who chooses to“loaf”around the world to search for the meaning of life and finally finds the truth of life in India.From Chicago,the capital of desire,to Paris,the city of dream,to Bonn,the place of religion,and finally to India,the land of Vedic philosophy,Larry’s route comprises a literary map reflecting a movement of space.Robert T.Tally Jr.'s theory of literary cartography takes the drawing of maps as a metaphor for literary writing,tracing out the image of the world through narrative.It helps people to understand the world in which they live so as to alleviate existential anxiety.In The Razor's Edge,through the depiction of the“loafer”Larry and the“utopian”place India,Maugham connects the individual journey and experience with the overall vision of the world,helping the subject to reflect on the relationship between the individual and social space,trying to resist and overthrow modern capitalism,and build the multiculturalism beyond ideology.