（英语语言文学专业论文）《白雪公主》的后现代叙事策略.pdf

vii 摘 要 摘 要 20 世纪 60 年代以来，随着后现代文学的发展，后现代主义的叙事技巧和相 关理论得到了广大学者的研究。后现代主义小说利用元小说，戏仿和拼贴片段这 些手法突破和颠覆了传统小说的美学标准， 从而在写作策略上形成了自己独特的 写作技巧和叙事方式。 美国小说家唐纳德 巴塞尔姆是后现代主义作家的重要代表人物， 被誉为 “后 现代作家的新一代之父。而其长篇小说白雪公主更是后现代主义小说的经典 之作，是对家喻户晓的德国格林童话白雪公主的戏仿。巴塞尔姆用片段拼贴 的手法再现了这个童话，并且对小说的结构和语言进行大胆创新，强调语言的构 建作用。本文旨在研究白雪公主的后现代叙述策略，即小说的元小说特点， 非线性叙述和后现代叙事的不确定性在小说中的应用。 引言首先对唐纳德巴塞尔姆及其作品白雪公主作了简要介绍。另外， 还对后现代主义小说的理论做了简要说明和分析， 同时还对国内外巴塞尔姆研究 状况及成果作了简要回顾，强调了本文的原创性和研究的必要性。 第一章研究了元小说即超小说特点在小说中的应用： 巴塞尔姆的小说界于传 统小说和极端超小说之间，属于一种温和的超小说。一方面，他继承了情节和人 物等传统的文学形式，另一方面，他对小说进行了深刻地反思，深入地探讨了小 说的本质。在小说中，作者通过超小说的自我反射叙事和碎片叙事曝露文学传统 的局限;深刻地揭示了语言的本质： 即语言的堕落和其传达意义的无能;思考了小 说和现实的复杂关系和差距。 通过元小说， 巴塞尔姆创作了更能反映现实的作品， 强调了作者和读者的亲密关系，促进了小说的快速发展。 第二章讨论小说的非线性叙述话语：后现代小说打破了传统的线性叙述标 准，而采用了一种非线性的叙事结构和模式，鲜明地表现了不同于传统小说的特 征。非线性的叙事主要体现在以下三个方面：颠覆性话语，颠覆了传统的情节发 展（开端，高潮和结尾） ；侵入性话语，通过嵌入来自小说情节以外的叙事片段 展现了小说创作的主观性；话语域，即语言游戏成为小说中真正的主人公。 第三章分析小说的不确定性。不确定性是对传统模式的颠覆，并以此努力寻 求事物发展的多种可能性。小说中充满了不确定的因素，本文主要从叙事视角， viii 时空顺序的不确定和主题三方面分析了不确定性在白雪公主中的体现。叙事 视角在不断的变换， 而且小说没有确定的主题， 主题的多重性得到了充分的表现。 这种不确定性要求读者的积极参与， 只有读者的参与才能真正地实现小说对意义 的追求。 最后，作者揭示了后现代世界的游戏性并公开批判了现实社会的虚无主义。 关键词关键词：后现代主义 元小说 不确定性 叙事话语 v abstract since 1960s, with the development of postmodern literature, the narrative strategies and theories of postmodernism are studied by the majority of scholars. the postmodernist fiction makes use of the metafiction, parody, fragment and collage to break and subvert the aesthetic standard of traditional novel, thus forms its own unique writing style and narrative modes in the writing strategy. donald barthelme was one of the most important postmodern writers in america, who was regarded as the father of postmodern literature. and his novel snow white is a typical work of postmodern fiction and is the parody of the well-known green brothers fairy tale snow white. barthelme rewrites the novel by using the technique of fragments and collage; and he makes an innovation on the novels structure and language, emphasizing the role of language construction. the purpose of this paper is to study the narrative strategies of snow white: the metafictional features, non-linear narration and indeterminacy in the postmodern novel. to begin with, this paper gives an introduction of barthelme and his masterpiece snow white. moreover, it makes a brief explanation and analysis of postmodern theory and also makes a review on the research condition of barthelme and his works both at home and abroad. chapter one studies the application of metafictional features in the novel: barthelmes novel is a kind of mild metafiction which is between the extreme metafiction and traditional novel. on one hand, he inherited the traditional literary form such as plot and character; on the other hand, he made a profound reflection on novel and explored the novels nature deeply. in the novel, the author exposes the limitations of literary tradition through the self-reflexive and fragmented narration; and reveals the essence of language: the delegation of language and its inability to convey meaning; then he reflects the complex relationship and gap between fiction and reality. through metafiction, barthelme creates a work which can better reflect vi the reality; he emphasizes the close relationship between authors and readers so as to promote the rapid development of the novel. chapter two discusses the novels non-linear narrative discourse: postmodern fiction breaks the traditional linear narrative standard, but uses non-linear narrative structure and patterns, which clearly show the unique characteristics different from the traditional novel. non-linear narrative discourse is mainly reflected in the following three aspects: subversive discourse overturns the traditional plot development (beginning, climax and ending); intrusive discourse shows the subjectivity of novel creation by inserting the narrative fragment from outside of the novel; universe discourse makes language games become the true hero of the novel. chapter three analyzes the indeterminacy of the novel: it is the subversion of traditional mode and seeks the variable possibilities of things development. the novel is full of indeterminacies which will be analyzed from three aspects: focalization, distorted time and space, and uncertainty of theme. the narrative perspective is changing constantly; there is no definite theme in the novel so that the multiplicity of the theme has been fully demonstrated. this indeterminacy requires the active participation of the reader, only the readers participation can realize the pursuit of the true meaning of the novel. in conclusion, the author reveals the playfulness of the postmodern world and exposes the nihilism and nothingness of the realistic society. key words: postmodernism metafiction indeterminacy narrative discourse iv 学位论文原创性声明 学位论文原创性声明 本人所提交的学位论文巴塞尔姆中的后现代叙事策略 （the postmodern narrative strategies in snow white） ，是在导师的指导下，独立 进行研究工作所取得的原创性成果。除文中已经注明引用的内容外，本论文不包 含任何其他个人或集体已经发表或撰写过的研究成果。 对本文的研究做出重要贡 献的个人和集体，均已在文中标明。 本声明的法律后果由本人承担。 论文作者（签名） ： 指导教师确认（签名） ： 年 月 日 年 月 日 学位论文版权使用授权书 学位论文版权使用授权书 本学位论文作者完全了解河北师范大学有权保留并向国家有关部门或机构 送交学位论文的复印件和磁盘，允许论文被查阅和借阅。本人授权河北师范大学 可以将学位论文的全部或部分内容编入有关数据库进行检索，可以采用影印、缩 印或其它复制手段保存、汇编学位论文。 （保密的学位论文在 年解密后适用本授权书） 论文作者（签名） ： 指导教师（签名） ： 年 月 日 年 月 日 1 introduction donald barthelme was born on april 7, 1931, in philadelphia, who was one of the most influential postmodernist writers in american literature of 20th century. he entered the university of houston and then went on writing for the houston post. after 1959, barthelme became director of houstons contemporary arts museum and the editor of an art and literature review-location. barthelme began to learn about the rising postmodernist arts and got to know a lot of famous artists and novelists, who were the abstract expressionists. then barthelme showed confidence on his gift for literature, so he devoted most of his life time to writing. in his writings, he used new techniques-language games and intertextuality. therefore he became one of the most excellent writers, at the same time won the recognition and status in american literature. throughout his life time, barthelme produced four novels, snow white, the dead father, paradise and the king, and more than a hundred short stories, which reflected his wide interest and power of observation. his postmodern concerns were connected with his thematic interests: the difficulties of expressing oneself in a fragment universe. he made all the imaginative signs, creative language, the special things or the dialogues mix together, which showed the absurdity of universe in contemporary western society. barthelme was good at imitating and creating black humor, his masterpiece snow white was a model for us to understand his aesthetics and expressive techniques which brought him to national attention at the beginning of its publication in 1967. in fact, snow white was a parody of the green brothers. barthelme reproduced the novel by using the postmodern techniques, such as fragment, language games. it was not only regarded as an experiment of the failure of language but it also examined the inability of literature to transcend or transform the contemporary reality. the novel was set in a modern society, snow white was a seductive woman lived with seven respectable small businessmen, whose work was to wash the buildings, and the ironic 2 part is that she shared the bath with her over-sexed roommates, snow white waited for her prince figure named paul who was busy making his role and heroic form. at last, an antagonist attempted to poison snow white, but paul had the drink and died. then the dwarfs departing ended up the version of the tale. the novel is mainly made up through the fragmented episodes. the speeches and conversations do not always make sense. people become surreal and strange. the language is very different from the tradition like the use of headline capitalism, bold-type and creating new words. it is full of ironies and pastiches all the novel. besides this, its metafictional feature is well displayed through the characters talking, which both make a creation and questionable relationship between the text and the readers interpretation. the thesis mainly analyses the postmodern narrative strategies such as metafictional features: nonlinear narrative discourse and indeterminacy in the novel snow white. the new strategies not only subvert the traditional internal structure, but also deconstruct its narrative form. it is no longer storytelling, spreading plot and shaping character. however, barthelme reveals peoples deformation, moral decline by using this kind of new method. the state of society was absurd and disordered. snow white, the typical postmodern literary work, which reveals the moral changing of society, is a real rebellion of the traditional fairy tale. postmodernism is a complicated term. it is not easy to define in words briefly or locate it temporarily. it refers to a set of ideas that appears in a wide variety of disciplines or areas of study, including art, architecture, music, film, literature, sociology, communications, fashion and technology. on one hand, it is a reaction to the modernism, with the meanings of absurdity and decadence. on the other hand, it shows the latest and modernized meaning as a universal context and cultural tendency. but it is important to remember that the beliefs and practice of the postmodernists are personal rather than identical with the existing conception or special groups. according to the postmodernists: there is no absolute truth in the society which is just an illusion misused by people. facts cannot determine anything; the so-called truth is in the hand of the special interest groups who control the power. changing appears every time, what is fact can be false tomorrow. the traditional authority is corrupt so 3 the postmodernists reject the constraints of social morality. as the postmodernist art, the postmodernist novels not only subvert the traditional inner structure of the novel but also show the experimentation of the novel form and narrative itself. this new kind of novel is named antinovel, which is rethinking, deconstructing and subverting the traditional novel form and narrative itself. unlike modernism, the postmodernism does not criticize the external world, but attaches great importance to show the living conditions. the postmodernists describe a feeling of innovation for the experiment with conventional ways of framing experience. the postmodern writers are so nihilistic that they cant trust their ability to give significance or reconstruct the absurd world. for the writers, writing and reading are two important factions in the novels, only when the novel connects with the readers reading and interpretation can it produces meanings. they make the readers believe that the text is the only reality. there is on real message, on order and no false moral statement, only the text can express the meaning of the events and reality. the main concern of the self-reflective novel is to reveal the process of narrative writing and its composition. the postmodern fiction tends to show the form rather than the content language, the disorder, the energy and vitality of the american society. confronted with the elusion and uncertainty of modern life, the writers believe that participation in the absurdity of the world can be the only closer way to the truth of the world. the postmodern fiction is characterized by a variety of individual voices. for they think that the reality is uncertain, disordered and multiple. the traditional literary art cannot bring order to reality and neither can it make the readers realize the absurd reality. so it should invent and exploit new narrative methods and techniques to express the time and space of the postwar reality. thus a new mode of writing called metafiction came out, it is a highly self-conscious and self-referential fiction which is practiced by john barth, robert coover, william gass and donald barthelme. according to the concepts of language, discourse is no longer the events expression, reflection and symbol; it is just a kind of event that can act on itself. as for the postmodern writers, the language makes up the reality, so the writing itself has 4 become the passion and only purpose. these fictions are innovative and artistic, and the language is refined and easy-reading. the plot is quite simple, mysterious that cannot explain the writers real intention and deep meanings, and it needs the readers interpretation to show the reality and fact. at the same time, the postmodernist novel subverts the conventional narrative methods by using narrative games such as non-linear plot, fragmented narrative and discontinuity. as a postmodernist writer, barthelme gives us a deep perspective on the american society of the mid-1960s and extends the art of fiction dramatically. his novels challenge the conventional method of narration and description of the world. in lois gordons book twayne volume, he claims: rejects traditional chronology, plot, character, time, space, grammar, syntax, metaphor, and simile, as well as the traditional distinctions between fact and fiction. what used to organize reality-time, space, and structure of language-is now often disjointed, and language, and the difficulties in using it. becomes the very subject of his art. most obvious is its refusal to be an orderly reflection of, and comment upon, a table, external world.i lois gordon gave a summary comment on all the barthelmes writing characteristics. it can be seen that barthelme is an innovative writer in language. to some extent, he is a master of language. besides the peculiar strategy in language writing, barthelme uses the innovative writing techniques-collage and fragmentation instead of the traditional novels chronologically causal and coherent connection styles. snow white is full of varied fragments such as folktales, advertisement, newspaper, movies and scholarly journals, which are made from the literary storehouses and books. at the same time, barthelme himself argues the same point that the fragments are the only forms he trusts. this statement fully reflects his aesthetic attitude which is perfectly testified in snow white. in terms of his special writing style and skills, he is turned out to be the most innovative writer in form and technique. in addition, so many critics have named him 5 as the “antinovelist”, “minimalist” or “metafictionist”, although barthelme has claimed that he has no interest in fiction about fiction. and barthelme is more willing to be called as a postmodernist writer and all the titles given by the critics have become the parts of the postmodernism. his innovative in language and form make him great fame and his statue and influence are so important and profound in postmodernism. although there are many positive voices about his fiction and himself, there still exist some negative comments on it. alfred kazin made the comment on barthelme in his book bright books of life: american novelists and storyteller from hemingway to mailer: barthelme has provided a necessary” satire to linguistic-cultural system “made up wholly of cant, clichs stale quotations, so that words now lead a life of their own, entirely outside the powerless-feeling people who are dragged along by themii john gardner claimed in his book on the moral fiction: barthelme has a sharp eye for modern mans doubt and anxieties, free-floating guilt, politics, manners, turns of speech,” and that “even in the most fabulous or refracted of his fictions he keeps a careful eye on how the world really works.” “he knows what is wrong, but he has no clear image of, or interest in, how thing ought to beiii christopher lasch pointed out that barthelme and other postmodern writers had lost their responsibility to provide the useful suggestions for readers. the writings of barthelme have gained great attention from different perspectives in american. however, the study on barthelme in china has just stayed in the beginning. and the chinese critics do not know barthelme and his works until 2001 in foreign literature, which give the instruction of him and his works. and in the later time some novels of barthelme have been translated into chinese, such as yu jianhuas translation of snow 6 white, which enable people to have a better understanding of barthelme and his works. among the several scholars who have worked on postmodernism, professor chen shidan is one of them. in 2002, he published the narrative strategy of postmodernist novels, in which he studies the intertextuality of the novel, discusses the artistic themes and techniques. professor hu quansheng makes a thorough theoretical study on language, collage, plot, character, reader, intertextuality in postmodern fiction. although many critics have studied his masterwork snow white from different perspectives, such as deconstruction, fragment, parody, collage and so on. up to now, compared with barthelmes significant position in american literature, not a lot of chinese critics know well about barthelme and his fictions. therefore, the primary purpose of this thesis is to study the novel snow white from the aspect of narratology, so as to make a deep understanding of the novel and barthelmes art of writing, it also intends to promote the readers interests in this important postmodernist writer and his works. 7 chapter one metafictional features postmodernism is a kind of innovative concept which distributes in different fields such as literature, art, technology and so