地方、身份和逃避:《美国牧歌》中“亚当”的伦理选择

Place, Identity and Escape: The Ethical Choices of “Adam” in American Pastoral

《美国牧歌》是菲利普·罗斯的扛鼎之作,也是全景解析越战时期美国历史与社会的先锋作品。小说展示了在地方不断丧失的状况下,主人公犹太移民瑞典佬不得不面临严重的族裔身份危机。然而,在进行与身份相对应的伦理选择时,瑞典佬沉浸于自己建构的逃避主义世界中,以空间移动、田园想象和自我重塑等途径来逃避混沌现实、本民族文化和犹太人特性,始终扮演着“尽善尽美”的美国“亚当”角色,最终错位的族裔伦理身份使他陷入多重伦理困境之中,招致了悲剧性命运。罗斯以其深刻的道德探索,寄寓对美国犹太移民生存意义及其所肩负的伦理责任的哲学思考。

American Pastoral,Philip Roth’s magnum opus,is a pioneering work that offers a panoramic analysis of American history and society during the Vietnam War era.The protagonist,a Jewish immigrant known as“the Swede,”faces a profound crisis of ethnic identity amidst the continual loss of his local environment.When confronted with the ethical choices tied to his identity,the Swede immerses himself in the self-constructed world of escapism,seeking to evade the chaotic reality,his cultural heritage and his Jewish identity through spatial shifts,pastoral fantasies and self-reinvention.Throughout the novel,he consistently plays the role of the idealized American“Adam”,which ultimately leads to a dislocated ethnic and ethical identity,plunging him into multiple ethical dilemmas and resulting in his tragic fate.Through profound moral exploration,Roth embeds his philosophical reflections on the existential significance and ethical responsibilities of Jewish immigrants in America.