从凝视理论视域解读《夜行列车》中的身份建构和权力控制

Interpreting Identity Construction and Pow-er Control in Night Train from the Perspective of Gaze Theory

近年来,凝视理论在文学研究领域引起了越来越多的关注。在英国当代小说家马丁•艾米斯的《夜行列车》这部作品中,凝视元素贯穿始终。首先,小说主人公迈克•胡礼汉在看到好友詹妮弗•洛克韦尔的尸体被解剖时,对自己身体的感知发生了微妙的变化,突然产生了被男性关注的期望。紧接着,迈克作为巡警的凝视被其他女性误解,却在男性眼中展示出权威;当她身份转变为便衣暗探时,又需要灵活地隐藏自己的目光,其不同身份下的观看和被观看经历揭示了性别不平等的社会现实。最后,在审讯室这一情境中,监视者的凝视对被监视者产生影响,被女性警探迈克凝视的男性嫌疑人特瑞德感到不适,需要克服心理障碍来应对凝视,这体现了凝视与权力控制之间的关系。本论文通过分析上述情境中呈现的凝视元素,依次探讨了凝视对自我认同、身份建构和权力控制所产生的影响,同时也引发了对个体自由意志和社会性别观念的思考,具有一定的启示意义。

In recent years, gaze theory has attracted more and more attention in the field of literary studies. The elements of gaze are present throughout the work Night Train by the contemporary British novelist Martin Amis. Firstly, the novel’s protagonist, Mike Hoolihan, experiences a subtle shift in her perception of her own body when she sees the body of her friend Jennifer Rockwell being dis-sected, suddenly developing an expectation of being noticed by men. Subsequently, Mike’s gaze as a policewoman is misunderstood by other women, yet it conveys authority in the eyes of men. When her identity shifts to that of an undercover detective, she must conceal her gaze flexibly. The expe-riences of watching and being watched in her different roles reveal the social reality of gender ine-quality. Finally, in the interrogation room scenario, the gaze of the observer has an impact on the one being observed. The male suspect, Trader, who is being stared at by the female detective Mike, feels uncomfortable and must overcome psychological barriers to cope with the gaze, illustrating the relationship between gaze and power control. This paper, through the analysis of the gaze ele-ments presented in the above scenarios, sequentially explores the impact of the gaze on self-identity, identity construction and power control. It also prompts reflection on individual free will and societal gender notions, offering certain valuable insights.