伊迪丝·华顿小说中的时代书写

A Study on the Age Description in Edith Wharton’s Novels

伊迪丝·华顿在其小说创作中详细记录了19世纪末至20世纪初的美国时代变迁。作为一名女性作家,她深刻意识到消费时代的价值观对于女性的负面影响以及女性在新旧时代交替时所面临的社会处境。对于第一次世界大战前后两个截然不同的时代,华顿在其小说中予以了反思。她希望通过“精神共和国”和“新的土地”在两个时代间建立起一座桥梁,从而实现一种传统与现代、自由与约束、精神与物质之间的完美平衡。

In her major novels,Edith Wharton describes in detail the changing time from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century.As a female writer,Wharton is deeply aware of the negative influence of the values in Consumption Age on women and the social situation women had to face in the transition between the old and new eras.In her novels,Wharton reflects on both different ages before and after the First World War.She expects that a bridge can be built between the old and new ages through Republic of Spirit and New Land.Thus a perfect balance can be established between tradition and modernity,freedom and restriction,spirituality and materialism.