（英语语言文学专业论文）《最后的遗言》的复调特征和异化主题.pdf

ii 内 容 摘 要 格雷厄姆斯威夫特的小说总是以其独特鲜明的主题和叙事风格而闻名，他的 小说时常蒙着一层神秘的色彩，而且总是在平凡中体现事物不凡的一面，作品中的 主角通常是普通人， 但作者正是通过这些普通人的声音， 对人的生与死， 婚姻与性， 爱情与亲情，人与社会的关系进行思考。这一特征在其第六部小说最后的遗言 中得到充分体现。小说中所有的主人公均取材于伦敦南部的平民阶层，作者通过一 些看似漫不经心的人际对话描写巧妙地揭示了人物的内心世界和人的精神实质。 最后的遗言于 1996 年荣获英国布克文学奖，这一殊荣奠定了作者在当代 文学史上的杰出地位。在这部作品中，斯威夫特充分展示了他精湛的写作技巧和艺 术天赋。但同时作品中所运用的多种写作技巧，以及多重相互矛盾的声音之间的对 话对读者的理解和判断构成了巨大的挑战，本文试图运用巴赫金的复调理论，从分 析文本的复调特征和写作技巧，通过心灵之旅来探讨人物内心世界，揭示人的精神 实质，从一个新的角度阐释最后的遗言 。 本文共由五个部分组成。第一部分对作者以及文本的情节做了简要介绍，并对 国内外现有研究现状进行了分析，文本丰富的内涵使之成为当代英国文学研究中的 热点。 第二部分介绍了巴赫金在 陀思妥耶夫斯基的诗学问题 中所定义的复调小说， 并证明最后的遗言具备了作者和主人翁平等视角，各人物之间大型对话，人物 内心双声为特点的微型对话以及人物与读者对话等特点，是一本名副其实的复调小 说。同时运用对话理论分析了文本中的人物之间的对话大型对话；以及人物内 心的对话微型对话。小说中的五位主要人物兼叙述者：杰克，雷，维克，列尼 以及爱米，在不断前进的旅程中，带着各自不同的目的，从各自不同的视角，分享 共同经历的复杂历史，从而形成了叙述者之间的对话；同时，在每位叙述者的内心 独白中，我们都能听到不同的声音，小说中的主人公迷茫并思索着，最后潜藏在水 底的一面还是逐步呈露出来，形成了叙述者内心与自己的微型对话，使这本小说具 备了复调小说的主要特征。 结合前面对文本复调特征的分析，第三部分揭示了在现代生存状态下，丈夫与 妻子，父母与子女，以及人与社会之间的困惑关系。第四部分则强调“心灵之旅” ， 并为对面临困惑的人们如何去冲出重围，如何面对困境给出了参考答案。对旅程的 描写一方面刻画了小说的主题，另一方面也展示了人物的心理历程。同时整本小说 本身也可以被看作是一个旅程，在小说中作者正是通过心灵之旅来阐述作品的深刻 含义。 iii 第五部分指出最后的遗言作为复调小说，作品刻画了一群思想幻灭与精神 疏离的现代人形象，表达出作者对现代社会中人的生存状态和困境的思考，只有通 过分析小说的复调特征，才能从叙述者，叙事时间中“剥茧抽丝” ，找寻出小说的 深刻主题。才能使文本分析跳出枯燥的符号研究，揭示文学作品作为介入生活，批 判现实，寻找人生意义的文化产品的社会功能。现代人都承受着来自内心，信仰以 及社会等方面的重压，只有确立新的信念，勇敢地面对现实才是逃离困惑的良方。 关键词：复调特征关键词：复调特征 大型对话大型对话 微型对话微型对话 异化主题异化主题 iv abstract graham swifts novels are all ambitious in their own ways in their thematic and narrative features; the novels are sometimes covered with mystery, and embody unusual aspects from common people. in all his novels swift considers the nature of the relationship between life and death, marriage and sex, love and affection from life of common people. this feature is fully reflected in his sixth novel last orders. the interior world of modern people and spiritual essential are profoundly revealed through dialogues between people. in 1996, graham swift was awarded the booker prize for fiction for last orders. many critics and readers consider it as long overdue acknowledgement of his status as a contemporary novelist. in this novel, swift exhibits his technical virtuosity and aesthetic genius to the full. among the many writing skills employed in this complex novel, dialogue among the multiple conflicting voices gives great challenge to the readers interpretation and judgment. this thesis tries to use mikhail bakhtins theory of “polyphony”, to illuminate last orders in a new light. the thesis consists of five parts. the first part is an introduction to graham swift and a general introduction of last orders from angle of plot, multiple narrators and the writing techniques. it also makes a simple analysis to the research of status in quo. the second part will briefly introduce the literary term polyphony. through analyzing the characteristics of polyphony, the equal footing between the author and the heroes, the great dialogue between the characters, the micro-dialogue featured with double voicing within each character and the dialogue between the characters and the readers, to testify that last orders is a polyphonic novel. and also the thesis analyzes the exterior voice and interior voice among narrators and within narrators through the theory of dialogism. the five characters as well as narrators, ray, vince, lenny, vic, enjoy the history of each other, with different purpose and limitations from different perspectives. even within each narrators monologue, we hear different voices conflicting with each other. the third part will discuss the perplex relationship between husband and wife, parents and children, human and society, on the basis of analysis of previous parts. the fourth part emphasizes the journey，the spiritual journey, which is also the main plot and the theme of the novel. and also, in deed, it gives a reference answer to those v modern people who feel pressure of the society. the journey is a flexible and clear way for a writer to foreground themes of growth and change, to show human psychology in process. meanwhile, the novel itself can be seen as a journey, and the author uses the journey to further explore the complexities of novel. the fifth part refers that, as a polyphonic novel, it exhibits a group of disillusioned characters, and it shows the authors concern over the modern mans plights and sufferings. the thesis holds that only through analyses the polyphony feature of the novel can we have a better understanding of the theme of the novel, and can we jump out of the studies on the dry linguistic signs and be the reflection of modern life. modern man is suffering from spiritual predicament. only establish a new belief, face the society bravely, can they get away from the plight. key words: polyphony great dialogue micro dialogue alienation theme i 三峡大学学位论文原创性声明 本人郑重声明：所呈交的学位论文，是本人在导师的指导下，独立进行研究工 作所取得的成果，除文中已经注明引用的内容外，本论文不含任何其他个人或集体 已经发表或撰写过的作品成果。对本文的研究做出重要贡献的个人和集体均已在文 中以明确方式标明，本人完全意识到本声明的法律后果由本人承担。 学位论文作者签名： 日 期： 1 1. introduction novelist graham swift was born in london in 1949. he was educated at dulwish college, queens colleges in cambridge, and york university. he was nominated as one of the 20s best of young british novelists in 1983. in a 1998 interview, swift recalls an arduous, fifteen- year apprenticeship in his craft before the publication of his first novel, the sweet-shop owner in 1980. this was followed by shuttlecock in 1981. both novels were published initially by allen lane, and reissued within two or three years by penguin. a collection of short stories, learning to swim, was published in 1982 by london magazine edition. many of the stories in this volume had appeared in publications like london magazine and punch, and in collections of short stories like new stories and winters tales. one of them, “chemistry”, had also been broadcast on bbc radio 3, swifts early fiction was well-received by critics and also the readers, but it was the publication of waterland by william heinemann in 1983 that solidified his reputation and popularity. after the success of this novel, swift was able to give up teaching and his lived by his writing ever since. before the publication of later orders by picador in 1996, he wrote two other novels, out of this world (swift, 1988) and ever after (swift, 1992). graham swift has received numerous prizes for his writing. his second novel, shuttlecock, received the geoffrey faber memorial prize, waterland won the guardian fiction award, the winifred holtby memorial prize, the italian permio grinzane cavour, and was short-listed for the highly prestigious booker prize. ever after won the french prix du meilleur livre etranger, and last orders was awarded the booker prize in 1996. and when he was awarded the booker prize for fiction for his six novel last orders, many critics and readers acknowledge his status as a contemporary novelist. graham swifts novels are all ambitious in their own ways especially in their thematic and narrative scope. his novels are frequently organized around an underlying mystery, and his oblique and non-linear narrative technique lends itself to a gradual revelation of events in a manner reminiscent at times of the nineteenth century detective novel. the reception of swifts work by scholars and critics has always been respectful, and often more than that, but it has on occasion been somewhat negative. hostile commentary focuses on four qualities of his novels: a deployment of what are seen as one-dimensional, ultimately uninteresting, and unconvincing characters; an overshematic, 2 insistently intellectual organization of his texts; excessive ambition; and the use of melodramatic story material that makes too great demands on the readers emotions. (cooper, 2002: 4). a corollary to his sense of swifts inadequate technique in characterization is the critics concern that his novels are over schematic and overburdened with ideas. (cooper, 2002: 4). however, the positive comments on swifts work are much more common than the negative ones. swifts fiction has always received applause from a wide range of critics and scholars. in an important essay on swift published in 1989, del ivan janik declares that swift has “already established himself as a major novelist and may prove to be the most outstanding english novelist of the final quarter of the twentieth century. ”(janik, 1989: 74). in a similarly insightful piece published in 1991, david leon higdon sees swift, along with julian barnes, as one of the “most promising authors” of the 1980s, who has “consistently broadened his appeal with each new work, demonstrating astonishing mastery of fictional structures and burking little in his pursuit of complex ideas.”(higdon, 1991:174.) all of those establish his status as a contemporary english novelist. last orders was well received by critics, in both britain and the united states, when it first appeared. reviewers were quick to respond to the novels technical virtuosity, astute portraiture, and compelling emotional strength. in the times literary supplement of 19 january 1996, oliver reynolds spoke of swift as a kind of hardyian sage, respecting his characters and deftly finding the universal within the particular: “last orders is about how we live and how we die and our struggle to make abiding connections between the two.” reynolds praised the work as a wonderful example of “the novels power to resolve the wavering meanings of the life we all share into a definite focus, one where the clarity with which things are seen renders them precious.” reynolds was most impressed by swifts multiplayer technique, especially the “concision” of swifts method, “simultaneously sparse and weighty,” and the parity he creates among the characters: “they each tell jacks story in their own way and thus tell the story of their own lives.” those kinds of praise can easily be found after the novel was published in 1996. many critics sounded a similarly praise to this novel. in the new york times of 11 april 1996, christopher lehmann-hanpt praised swift for departing from the jamesian tones of his earlier works and finding a convincingly colloquial idiom in last orders. lehmann-haupt also singled out, as several commentators did, the novels poignant 3 portrayal of “a dying generation bonded and shaped by world war ii.” jay perini, in his review entitled “canterbury tale” which appeared in the new york times book review on 5 may 1996, called last orders a novel of “impeccable authenticity”, and described swifts “most vivid accomplishment” as “the tumbling cockney used by his characters.” perini argued a writer must have “perfect pitch”: the ability to simulate dialect without condescending to his characters. perhaps the strongest and most glowing response to the novel came from john banville in his review “thats life!” which published in the new york review of books on 4 april 1996. banville described swift as “one of englands” finest living novelists,” he praises in particular his “unfussy subtlety of style, sly wit, and deep humanistic strain.” he also averred: if swifts writing lacks “fieriness,” it makes up for this by a compassionate awareness of the pain of living, “an awareness that, in the best of his work，swells into an authentic and at times magisterial tragic sense.” he gave a high praise to swift and his work. however, the research about graham swift and his novel is not as prosperous as that of abroad in china. only few novels of his appeared at home, and there is altogether one m.a. thesis and several published articles on cnki: “a dynamic intertextual study of graham swift novel waterland”, written by jin jia; “reading the context in graham swifts fiction”, by shu cheng; “graham swift and his works a brief introduction to swifts fictions” and an interview to graham swift written and translated by guo guoliang. so, the research on his works is limited, let alone the specific analysis from an angle of certain theory. in this way, through digging up the realistic meaning and aesthetic value of the novel, the thesis will play an important role in introducing graham swifts works, as well as other western literary works and theories into china. while persisting with a detail textual analysis of the novel, the thesis also combines theoretical valves in postmodernist context, which stimulates us to resurvey traditional value. besides, this thesis also reveals the spiritual enlightenment of the novel, which help the modern man escape from the perplexed situation. 4 2. last orders a polyphonic novel when bakhtin compares dostoevskys novel with shakespeares drama, he draws a conclusion that the “genuine polyphony” must have three outstanding characters. it must be multi-leveled; it must contain “plurality of fully valid voices within the limits of a single work.” (bakhtin, 1989:34); and the characters should be “ideologisists in the full sense of the word.” based on bakhtins polyphonic theory, this part tries to make a deep and detailed analysis on the main character-narrators independent consciousness in last orders from mainly two levels: the great dialogue among narrators, the micro-dialogue within narrator, thus exposing the polyphonic features of this fiction. 2.1 the polyphonic novel defined by bakhtin the term “polyphony” is a musical texture consisting of several distinct melodic voices originally. in those voices, each independent but related, and every one is as important as the others, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony). come to literature field, polyphony refers to a possible fictional mode, to be contrasted with the monologic one. mikhail bakhtin is the one who first bring forward “polyphony” in his masterpiece problems of dostoevskys poetics (1929), in which he developed a bold contrast between the novels of tolstoy and those of dostoevsky. in the former, the various voices we hear are strictly subordinated to the author are controlling purpose: there is only one truth- the authors. in contrast to this “monologic” type of novel, dostoevsky developed a new polyphonic (or dialogic) form, whose orchestration is non-author/itarian in its refusal to unify the various points of view expressed in the various characters. the consciousness of the various characters does not merge with the authors nor do they become subordinated to the authors viewpoint; they retain an integrity and independence, and are not only objects of the authors word, but subject of their own directly significant word as well. (selden it is not subordinated to the characters objectified image as merely one of his characteristics, nor does it serve as a mouthpiece for the authors voice.” (bakhtin, 1984: 7) the characters in the novel have the rights to speak. however, when we emphasize the equal footing between the author and the heroes, it doesnt mean that the authors consciousness is nowhere expressed in a polyphonic novel. the consciousness of the author is constantly and everywhere present in a polyphonic novel, and is active in it to the highest degree. but the function of this consciousness and the forms of its activity are different from those of the monologue 7 novels: “the authors consciousness does not transform others consciousnesses (that is, the consciousnesses of the characters) into objects, and does not give them secondhand and finalizing definitions. alongside and in front of itself it senses others equally valid consciousness, just as infinite and open-ended as itself. it reflects and re-creates not a world of objects, but precisely these other consciousnesses with their worlds, re-creates them in their authentic unfinalizability. bakhtins theory of polyphony throws a new light on the interpretation of this novel. the narrators are equal consciousnesses. none of them is superior to the others in the processing throwing the ashes in to the sea. the world in each of their narratives is double directed, toward both jack and the other narrators. through analyzing the dialogues between the author and the many characters- narrators, among those narrators, within each narrator and between the reader and the narrators, we can find many polyphonic features in this novel. as bakhtin represents the basic traits of dostoevskys fiction in his problems of dostoevskys poetics, he says, a plurality of independent and unmerged voices and consciousnesses, a genuine polyphony of full valid voices is in face to chief characteristics of dostoevskys novel. what unfolds in his works is not a multitude of characters and fates in a single objective world, illuminated by a single authorial consciousness; rather a plurality of consciousness, with equal rights and each with its own world, combine but are merged in the unity of the event. (bakhtin, 1984: 6) from this point of view, last orders is exactly the case, the novel is narrated by a group of characters via their monologues, the narrators are the four male friends who make the trip to margate, ray, vic, lenny, and vince, and amy (jacks wife) and mandy (vinces wife). in addition, at the end of the novel, the dead jack also delivers a brief monologue, which is largely made up of the words of his dead father (swift, 285). and in this novel fifty-eight sections are headed by the names of the characters, specifying the narrator of these sections, for example, ray appears twenty-two times, vince, twelve; vic, eight; lenny, eight; amy, six; jack, one; and mandy, one. all of the heroes come from the same folks of society, all of those heroes an