试论当代美国小说中的边疆意义

On the Frontier Significance of Contemporary American Novels

对美国作家来说 ,边疆意义一直十分重要。尤其对传统西部小说家而言 ,边疆是他们关注的主题 ,因为他们的故事是以美国的西进运动为背景的。不过 ,边疆在美国“主流”作家的作品中也显得很有意义。当代美国小说家以各种各样的方式将边疆神话的成分置于他们的小说中 ,明显表现了边疆神话对当代美国文学的冲击与影响。

Although Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier thesis has been attacked by historians over the years, it is clear that the significance of the frontier continues to be important to American writers. Certainly the frontier remains central to the traditional western novelists, for they set their stories during the American western movement. But the frontier is significant in works by 'mainstream'American writers too. Contemporary American novelists embed elements of the frontier mythos into their novels in various ways, which shows the frontier mythos' impact and influence on contemporary American literature.