论严歌苓《芳华》的写作缺憾

The Shortcomings in Yan Geling's Writing of You Touched Me

《芳华》采用第一人称主人公叙述中的回顾性视角,展开对往事的回忆。小说叙事分为三个层次:一是作者的叙述行为,二是故事讲述者——作家萧穗子的话语层,即她的回忆,三是故事层,回忆中少女萧穗子眼中的她与周围的人和事。但在小说中,第一人称限知视角总是不自觉地被类似于全知视角的后视角代替,即多年以后的萧穗子在回忆的过程中不断地感受体悟改写过的人与事,造成叙事视角的模糊和人物塑造的不足。叙事话语过度消解真实性,造成小说现实意义的流失。小说对主人公刘峰的形象塑造较为扁平化、符号化,而萧穗子的形象因为叙事者的刻意忽略更显苍白。这些都导致小说文本对历史的反思和批判力量削弱。

To recall the memory of the past,the writer Yan Geling uses a retrospective perspective of the first-person narration.There are three narrative layers in this novel including the writer Yan Geling’s narration,the representation of the adult protagonist Xiao Suizi,the observation of the young girl Xiao Suizi in the story.However,the limited view of the young girl Xiao Suizi is always replaced by the omniscient perspective of the adult Xiao Suizi which leads to the confusion of narrative perspectives and the failure in figural portrayal.Narrative discourse not only dissolves the truth of the story but also weakens the realistic significance of the novel.Besides,the presentation of main character Liu Feng is flat and symbolic while the portrayal of Xiao Suizi is too pale because of the author’s willful neglect.All these make the inadequacy of historical reflection and criticism in this novel.