《天使，望故乡》：尤金的成长和恋母情结
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摘要
托马斯·沃尔夫(1900-1938)是现代美国文学史上享有盛誉的作家之一,其自传性的四部小说奠定了沃尔夫在美国文学上的不朽地位。在沃尔夫短暂的不到二十年的创作生涯中,他先后创作了四部长篇小说以及三十二篇短篇小说。这些作品既是他超常的语言驾驭能力的体现,同时也赋予他“迷惘的一代”代言人的美誉。
《天使,望故乡》于1929年出版,是沃尔夫的处女之作,同时也是他最优秀的作品。在小说中,沃尔夫通过主人公尤金·甘特展示了自己的成长历程。小说对阿什维尔镇过分真实的描述和体现出的亲德态度使其在出版初期并不受欢迎,然而沃尔夫对语言的精湛使用和独特的创作技巧转移了评论家的视线。现在,该小说已被公认为是沃尔夫的代表作。
小说讲述了主人公尤金·甘特的成长历程,以尤金决心去哈佛大学继续深造结尾。尤金出生在一个复杂的大家庭中,家中没有父母的恩恩爱爱,没有兄弟姐妹间的嬉笑打闹,有的只是无休止的漫骂和打斗。作为家里最小的孩子,尤金从小就得到了母亲过分的宠爱,这为尤金的身心健康成长带来了障碍。在师母列纳德和哥哥阿宾的引导下,尤金最终摆脱了恋母情结的束缚,毅然离开家乡开始人生新的征程。因此,从故事情节来说,这是一部成长小说。
作为一种文学体裁,成长小说在世界文坛颇受作家们的青睐。在该类小说中,主人公在一系列的成长经历之后在身体上和精神上得到了成熟。在主人公的成长过程中引导人的作用不可忽视,他们对主人公的成长或起正面作用或起负面作用。
本文作者将《天使,望故乡》作为一部成长小说来分析,同时运用弗洛伊德的心理批评,尤其是恋母情结的相关重要理论进行深度分析,旨在勾勒出主人公尤金的成长道路,同时折射出一战前后美国年轻人的心理状态。
整篇论文共分为六章。第一章为引言,其中包括对托马斯·沃尔夫和其杰作《天使,望故乡》的简单介绍。文献综述作为第二章,是该论文的理论准备。在这一章,作者简要介绍了《天使,望故乡》的国内外研究现状；并对成长小说、俄狄浦斯情结进行了必要的阐释,为后面的文本分析奠定理论基础。论文主体从第三章开始。在成长过程中,尤其是在成长初期,恋母情结作为一种心理现象是普遍存在的,对恋母情结的适时协调有益于人的健康成长。该章以尤金的成长环境为基础,结合小说情节对尤金的恋母情结进行了全面分析,并提出是母亲的过分宠爱和干预导致尤金未能适时摆脱恋母情结。第四章对尤金的成长引导人做了分析。在尤金的成长道路上,师母列纳德和哥哥阿宾的引导作用不可忽视。作为尤金的精神母亲,师母列纳德不仅授予他各种文学知识,而且在生活上也对尤金关怀备至。哥哥阿宾是尤金在家中唯一亲近的人,作为尤金的终生伙伴,阿宾引导尤金逃脱家庭的樊笼,走出沉闷的故乡去追寻真正的自由。第五章是对尤金追寻自由的剖析。生长在一个缺乏爱充满冷漠的家庭,尤金感到无比的孤独。在师母列纳德和哥哥阿宾的引导下,尤金开始了对自由的追寻。由最初的想象自己成为英雄到最后的自力更生,由最初的执意提前上学到最后的独自旅行,尤金的追寻由幻想逐渐转为具体行动。在哥哥阿宾死后,尤金毅然离开家庭,离开母亲的控制,远上哈佛去追寻自己的真正理想。第六章作为结论对全文进行总结,并对尤金的成长历程进行全面勾勒,对尤金的自由追寻进行了升华。
通过如上结构安排,本论文从整体上对尤金的成长过程进行了全面勾勒,同时形成了对沃尔夫杰作《天使,望故乡》的深度分析。
Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938) is one of the prestigious and great writers in modern American literature, and his influence exceeds the sum total of four novels, which are a sequel of his autobiographical life experience, and thirty-two short stories. His skillful mastery of English language and special artistic techniques elevate him to the position of one of the spokesmen of the Lost Generation.
Look Homeward, Angel, published in 1929, is Thomas Wolfe's maiden work. In the novel Wolfe narrates his own life experiences in name of the protagonist Eugene Gant. Owing to the faithful narration of his hometown Ashville and some pro-German statements he made in the novel, the book did not receive warm welcome at the beginning of its publication. However, his skillful mastery of language and applying of long and rhetoric sentences shift the literary critics'attention from its weak points, and now it has become Wolfe's masterpiece and one of the compulsory textbooks for literature learners.
Look Homeward, Angel tells the story of a boy named Eugene Gant and covers a time span of 19 years. The story begins at Eugene's birth and comes to an end when he finishes his college education at the State University. In his process of growth, the middle school teacher Margaret Leonard and his brother Ben are of great significance in helping him escape loneliness and have a clear awareness of life direction. At the end of the novel, Eugene leaves his home resolutely and sets foot on life's new journey. The plot structure embodies the book an initiation novel.
As a literary genre, initiation story is popular among the canon of world literature. It is a kind of novel that narrates a protagonist's growth experience, in which the protagonist gains his or her maturity both physically and mentally after a series of personal experiences. Besides, there are guide characters in the growth that influence the protagonist either negatively or positively and play an important role in the process.
With the help of Freud's psychoanalysis, especially with his idea of Oedipus complex, the author attempts to analyze the work from the perspective of initiation story, to examine the initiation journey of Eugene Gant and hopes to unveil the psychological states of the young generation before and after First World War.
The present thesis is comprised of six chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction and the author offers a survey of Thomas Wolfe and his masterpiece Look Homeward, Angel. Chapter 2 is the theoretical preparation. In this part, the author offers literature review concerning Look Homeward, Angel and theories related to initiation stories and Oedipus Complex are explained. Chapter 3 analyzes the abnormal love that follows Eugene's growth.Eugene is born into a large family and owing to the difference of his parents' personalities and values, the relations among members of the family are complicated and abnormal, among which Eugene's Oedipus Complex is the most striking. Chapter 4 interprets the guiding characters that help Eugene's initiation, In a child's initiation, the role of guides is indispensable and they, to a certain extent, decide the direction of the child's life. In Look Homeward, Angel, Margaret, Eugene's middle school teacher, and Ben, Eugene's brother and closest friend, exert positive effect on Eugene and help him gain ultimate maturity. Chapter 5 is designed to discuss Eugene's escape from desperate loneliness. All the people in the family are permeated in an atmosphere of loneliness, but only Eugene finds true exit to escape. Through his non-stopping quest of knowledge and adventurous trips, Eugene finally realizes that only by walking away from home can he break the loose of family life and enjoy true freedom. The thesis concludes in chapter 6. In this part, the author summarizes the thesis and highlights Eugene's final liberation.
The thesis is so structured that a panoramic picture of Eugene's growth is sketched and a simple study of Wolfe's masterpiece Look Homeward, Angel is formed.
《天使,望故乡》于1929年出版,是沃尔夫的处女之作,同时也是他最优秀的作品。在小说中,沃尔夫通过主人公尤金·甘特展示了自己的成长历程。小说对阿什维尔镇过分真实的描述和体现出的亲德态度使其在出版初期并不受欢迎,然而沃尔夫对语言的精湛使用和独特的创作技巧转移了评论家的视线。现在,该小说已被公认为是沃尔夫的代表作。
小说讲述了主人公尤金·甘特的成长历程,以尤金决心去哈佛大学继续深造结尾。尤金出生在一个复杂的大家庭中,家中没有父母的恩恩爱爱,没有兄弟姐妹间的嬉笑打闹,有的只是无休止的漫骂和打斗。作为家里最小的孩子,尤金从小就得到了母亲过分的宠爱,这为尤金的身心健康成长带来了障碍。在师母列纳德和哥哥阿宾的引导下,尤金最终摆脱了恋母情结的束缚,毅然离开家乡开始人生新的征程。因此,从故事情节来说,这是一部成长小说。
作为一种文学体裁,成长小说在世界文坛颇受作家们的青睐。在该类小说中,主人公在一系列的成长经历之后在身体上和精神上得到了成熟。在主人公的成长过程中引导人的作用不可忽视,他们对主人公的成长或起正面作用或起负面作用。
本文作者将《天使,望故乡》作为一部成长小说来分析,同时运用弗洛伊德的心理批评,尤其是恋母情结的相关重要理论进行深度分析,旨在勾勒出主人公尤金的成长道路,同时折射出一战前后美国年轻人的心理状态。
整篇论文共分为六章。第一章为引言,其中包括对托马斯·沃尔夫和其杰作《天使,望故乡》的简单介绍。文献综述作为第二章,是该论文的理论准备。在这一章,作者简要介绍了《天使,望故乡》的国内外研究现状；并对成长小说、俄狄浦斯情结进行了必要的阐释,为后面的文本分析奠定理论基础。论文主体从第三章开始。在成长过程中,尤其是在成长初期,恋母情结作为一种心理现象是普遍存在的,对恋母情结的适时协调有益于人的健康成长。该章以尤金的成长环境为基础,结合小说情节对尤金的恋母情结进行了全面分析,并提出是母亲的过分宠爱和干预导致尤金未能适时摆脱恋母情结。第四章对尤金的成长引导人做了分析。在尤金的成长道路上,师母列纳德和哥哥阿宾的引导作用不可忽视。作为尤金的精神母亲,师母列纳德不仅授予他各种文学知识,而且在生活上也对尤金关怀备至。哥哥阿宾是尤金在家中唯一亲近的人,作为尤金的终生伙伴,阿宾引导尤金逃脱家庭的樊笼,走出沉闷的故乡去追寻真正的自由。第五章是对尤金追寻自由的剖析。生长在一个缺乏爱充满冷漠的家庭,尤金感到无比的孤独。在师母列纳德和哥哥阿宾的引导下,尤金开始了对自由的追寻。由最初的想象自己成为英雄到最后的自力更生,由最初的执意提前上学到最后的独自旅行,尤金的追寻由幻想逐渐转为具体行动。在哥哥阿宾死后,尤金毅然离开家庭,离开母亲的控制,远上哈佛去追寻自己的真正理想。第六章作为结论对全文进行总结,并对尤金的成长历程进行全面勾勒,对尤金的自由追寻进行了升华。
通过如上结构安排,本论文从整体上对尤金的成长过程进行了全面勾勒,同时形成了对沃尔夫杰作《天使,望故乡》的深度分析。
Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938) is one of the prestigious and great writers in modern American literature, and his influence exceeds the sum total of four novels, which are a sequel of his autobiographical life experience, and thirty-two short stories. His skillful mastery of English language and special artistic techniques elevate him to the position of one of the spokesmen of the Lost Generation.
Look Homeward, Angel, published in 1929, is Thomas Wolfe's maiden work. In the novel Wolfe narrates his own life experiences in name of the protagonist Eugene Gant. Owing to the faithful narration of his hometown Ashville and some pro-German statements he made in the novel, the book did not receive warm welcome at the beginning of its publication. However, his skillful mastery of language and applying of long and rhetoric sentences shift the literary critics'attention from its weak points, and now it has become Wolfe's masterpiece and one of the compulsory textbooks for literature learners.
Look Homeward, Angel tells the story of a boy named Eugene Gant and covers a time span of 19 years. The story begins at Eugene's birth and comes to an end when he finishes his college education at the State University. In his process of growth, the middle school teacher Margaret Leonard and his brother Ben are of great significance in helping him escape loneliness and have a clear awareness of life direction. At the end of the novel, Eugene leaves his home resolutely and sets foot on life's new journey. The plot structure embodies the book an initiation novel.
As a literary genre, initiation story is popular among the canon of world literature. It is a kind of novel that narrates a protagonist's growth experience, in which the protagonist gains his or her maturity both physically and mentally after a series of personal experiences. Besides, there are guide characters in the growth that influence the protagonist either negatively or positively and play an important role in the process.
With the help of Freud's psychoanalysis, especially with his idea of Oedipus complex, the author attempts to analyze the work from the perspective of initiation story, to examine the initiation journey of Eugene Gant and hopes to unveil the psychological states of the young generation before and after First World War.
The present thesis is comprised of six chapters. Chapter 1 is the introduction and the author offers a survey of Thomas Wolfe and his masterpiece Look Homeward, Angel. Chapter 2 is the theoretical preparation. In this part, the author offers literature review concerning Look Homeward, Angel and theories related to initiation stories and Oedipus Complex are explained. Chapter 3 analyzes the abnormal love that follows Eugene's growth.Eugene is born into a large family and owing to the difference of his parents' personalities and values, the relations among members of the family are complicated and abnormal, among which Eugene's Oedipus Complex is the most striking. Chapter 4 interprets the guiding characters that help Eugene's initiation, In a child's initiation, the role of guides is indispensable and they, to a certain extent, decide the direction of the child's life. In Look Homeward, Angel, Margaret, Eugene's middle school teacher, and Ben, Eugene's brother and closest friend, exert positive effect on Eugene and help him gain ultimate maturity. Chapter 5 is designed to discuss Eugene's escape from desperate loneliness. All the people in the family are permeated in an atmosphere of loneliness, but only Eugene finds true exit to escape. Through his non-stopping quest of knowledge and adventurous trips, Eugene finally realizes that only by walking away from home can he break the loose of family life and enjoy true freedom. The thesis concludes in chapter 6. In this part, the author summarizes the thesis and highlights Eugene's final liberation.
The thesis is so structured that a panoramic picture of Eugene's growth is sketched and a simple study of Wolfe's masterpiece Look Homeward, Angel is formed.
引文
Abbott, H. Porter. The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative. Beijing:Peking University Press,2007.
Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Beijing:Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press,2004.
Aswell, Edward. C. A Note on Thomas Wolfe in Thomas Wolfe:The Hills Beyond. New York:Harper and Brothers,1941.
Bassett, John E. Thomas Wolfe, An Annotated Critical Bibliography. London:The Scarecrow Press, Inc,1996.
Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views-Thomas Wolfe. New York:Chelsea House Publishers,1987.
Bressler, Charles E.. Literary Criticism:an introduction to theory and practice. Beijing: Higher Education Press,2004.
Chang Yaoxin. A Survey of American Literature, the 2nd Edition. Tian Jin:Nankai University Press,2003.
Donald, David Herbert. Look Homeward:A Life of Thomas Wolfe. Boston:Little, Brown and Company,1987.
Elliott, Emory. Columbia Literary History of the United States. New York:Columbia University Press,1988.
Ensign, Robert Taylor. Lean Down your Ear upon the Earth, and Listen:Thomas Wolfe's Greener Modernism. University of South Carolina Press,2003.
Field, Leslie. The Autobiography of an American Novelist. Cambridge:Harvard University Press,1983.
Holman, C Hugh. The World of Thomas Wolfe. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1962.
Idol, John Jane. A Thomas Wolfe Companion. Westport:Greenwood Press,1987.
Wolfreys, Julian. Introducing Literary Theories:A Guide and Glossary. Qingdao:China Ocean University,2006.
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No well, Elizabeth. The Letters of Thomas Wolfe. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1956.
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Holliday, Shawn. Thomas Wolfe and the Politics of Modernism. New York:Peter Lang Publishing Inc,2001.
Freud, Sigmund. Archaic Remnants and Infantilism In:A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis. New York:Horace Liveright, Inc.,1920.
Stutman, Suzanne. My Other Loneliness, Letters of Thomas Wolfe and Aline Bernstein. Chabel Hill:The University of North Carolina Press,1983.
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Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Beijing:Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press,2004.
Aswell, Edward. C. A Note on Thomas Wolfe in Thomas Wolfe:The Hills Beyond. New York:Harper and Brothers,1941.
Bassett, John E. Thomas Wolfe, An Annotated Critical Bibliography. London:The Scarecrow Press, Inc,1996.
Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views-Thomas Wolfe. New York:Chelsea House Publishers,1987.
Bressler, Charles E.. Literary Criticism:an introduction to theory and practice. Beijing: Higher Education Press,2004.
Chang Yaoxin. A Survey of American Literature, the 2nd Edition. Tian Jin:Nankai University Press,2003.
Donald, David Herbert. Look Homeward:A Life of Thomas Wolfe. Boston:Little, Brown and Company,1987.
Elliott, Emory. Columbia Literary History of the United States. New York:Columbia University Press,1988.
Ensign, Robert Taylor. Lean Down your Ear upon the Earth, and Listen:Thomas Wolfe's Greener Modernism. University of South Carolina Press,2003.
Field, Leslie. The Autobiography of an American Novelist. Cambridge:Harvard University Press,1983.
Holman, C Hugh. The World of Thomas Wolfe. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1962.
Idol, John Jane. A Thomas Wolfe Companion. Westport:Greenwood Press,1987.
Wolfreys, Julian. Introducing Literary Theories:A Guide and Glossary. Qingdao:China Ocean University,2006.
Changfa, Lv. A Short History of Western Literary Theory. Kaifeng:Henan University Press,2006.
No well, Elizabeth. The Letters of Thomas Wolfe. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1956.
S Kennedy, Richard. The Window of Memory:The Literary Career of Thomas Wolfe. Chapel Hill:University of North Carolina,1962.
Holliday, Shawn. Thomas Wolfe and the Politics of Modernism. New York:Peter Lang Publishing Inc,2001.
Freud, Sigmund. Archaic Remnants and Infantilism In:A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis. New York:Horace Liveright, Inc.,1920.
Stutman, Suzanne. My Other Loneliness, Letters of Thomas Wolfe and Aline Bernstein. Chabel Hill:The University of North Carolina Press,1983.
Terry, John Skally. Thomas Wolfe's Letters to His Mother, Julia Elizabeth Wolfe. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons,1951.
Guerin, Wilfred L. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. Beijing:Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press,2004.
Wolfe, Thomas. Look Homeward, Angel. A Story of the Buried Life. New York: Penguin Books,1987.
Wang Xianpei. A Glossary of Critical Terms in Literary Theory. Beijing:Higher Education Press,2006.
Zhu Gang. Twentieth Century Western Critical Theories. Shang Hai:Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press,2001.
弗·雷·利维斯.伟大的传统.袁伟译.北京：生活·读书·新知三联书店,2002.
黄雨石译.一位美国小说家的自传.上海：上海人民出版社,2008.
李孟漪.解析《天使,望故乡》主人公成长过程中引导性人物形象[D].吉林：吉林大学文学院,2009
刘保瑞等译.美国作家论文学.北京：三联书店,1984.
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