V·S·奈保尔后期创作研究

【作者】 俞曦霞；

【导师】 黄铁池；

【作者基本信息】 上海师范大学 ， 比较文学与世界文学， 2013， 博士

【摘要】 2001年诺贝尔文学奖得主V.S.奈保尔的跨界生存和写作生涯具有独特的思想内涵、审美个性和一定超前性。奈保尔始终是个开拓者,他一个多甲子年的创作清晰地反映一个当代严肃作家从早期学徒期以模仿和沿袭传统为主,过渡到创作中后期形成自己独有成熟风格,以理性思考和思辨为主要创作特色的转变过程。在一定意义上,奈保尔对体裁的创新体现他作为一个学者型作家的风格；他对其他作家作品的评论体现他作为一位睿智文学评论家的特点；而他对历史的独特理解和感悟又体现他作为一位严肃史学家的风范。身处二战后国际化特征显著的移民大都市伦敦使得奈保尔的作品清晰地呈现了从狭隘的地域特色过渡到描摹全球化时代的移民社会,奈保尔的创作在激活传统的人文精神同时体现了新的人文精神和人文生态。本文以奈保尔后期创作中的四部重要作品《抵达之谜》、《作家看人》、《浮生》和《魔种》为主要研究内容,借鉴新批评文本细读、叙事学、心理现实主义和文化时空体等理论批评手段和方法,分析几部作品内含的作家伦理思想、主题内容和艺术特色,揭示奈保尔创作一以贯之的“近距离”思想。本文以为,“近距离”思想是奈保尔文学思想的核心,表征在作家伦理上即作品要体现作家高度的道德关怀和伦理介入意识,表征在创作思想上即作品要体现作家的“现代敏感性”,抓住能体现时代和社会的最典型特征,表征在创作艺术上即作品要“近距离”描摹现实,逼视历史,以达到揭示真理、与真理对话的艺术效果。本文由六个部分组成。“绪论”部分概述奈保尔早、中和后期的创作情况,对与本文相关的国内外研究现状做了全面而又精简的综述,指出本文研究的主要思路和意义。第一章详细分析奈保尔“近距离”思想生成的家庭背景、文化和历史动因,“近距离”思想具体提出的文本背景、主要内容和表现,指出奈保尔按照自己观察方式评论其他作家作品,苛评背后实质是他强烈的作家伦理关怀意识以及由此产生的创作思想和艺术手法上的审美特征。这是本文的核心,是解读奈保尔作品的钥匙。第二章是对反映奈保尔“思想地图”的散文随笔集《作家看人》的研究,解析奈保尔对福楼拜的《包法利夫人》和《萨朗波》的不同态度,指出正是奈保尔本人的“近距离”思想导致他对福楼拜两部作品完全不同的评价；对待自己来自的特立尼达岛国的作家们的评论,反映奈保尔对故乡历史、文化和文学的关注,蕴含对殖民者的批判；而对母国印度,奈保尔通过自己独特的、人本论的历史观解读了印度的历史、文学和圣雄甘地,微察秋毫地分析印度人的“视而不见”是导致国民愚昧、国家落后的根源,阐释今后印度崛起的可能,而全面认识甘地则是奈保尔本人几十年不断理解、阅历知识丰富的结果,反映奈保尔“近距离”观的形成过程。第三章通过对自传体小说《抵达之谜》的文本细读,指出小说实质是在“近距离”书写奈保尔的理想人生观、赞颂印度流裔的人本论生存宗教意识,同时对大英帝国贵族思想对当今英国国民起着腐蚀作用进行客观揭露。第四章是对后期长篇姊妹篇《浮生》和《魔种》进行研究,指出主人公威利是奈保尔后期塑造的一个后殖民时代的“多余人”,他的生存、为理想的奋斗挣扎和所体验的彷徨迷惘的心路历程在一定意义上是全球化时期后殖民境遇下移民命运的普遍写照,很有典型意义。两部小说运用的心理现实主义和时空体叙述手法将主人公威利的心理活动和生活经历生动而又极富特征性地进行展现,是他“近距离”文学思想在艺术上的表现,体现奈保尔本人对创作艺术的不断突破和创新。结语对全文进行总结,指出奈保尔创作在三个方面的创新和突破：“近距离”思想、普世关怀的博大深厚和艺术手法上的创新。“近距离”思想是奈保尔特有的作家伦理、创作思想和审美意识的出发点和理据,通过以上论述,厘清在东西方文化交汇点上的奈保尔本人矛盾复杂的作家生涯一贯遵循的作家准则和始终坚守作家使命的原驱力,奈保尔始终追求真理的意识和深厚的人文主义关怀是他创作的核心关注点,成就了他辉煌的文学生涯!更多还原

【Abstract】 The trans-boundary living and writing of V.S.Naipaul, the winner of Nobel Prize for Literature in2001, has showed his unique thinking connotations, aesthetical tendencies and forsights. As a literary pioneer writing for over60years, Naipaul has experienced between appreticeship, mainly following literary traditions, and mid-late periods, developing maturally a writing style characteristic of rational and speculative thoughts. In some sense, Naipaul is a literary scholar for his innovation in styles; an intelligent critic for his original literary viewpoints; a serious historian for his keen awareness of history. His writing has developed from narrow localism to colorful immigrant societies in globalization in accordance with his living in London, a metropolis after World War II.In light of perspectives of New Criticism, narratological theory, psychological realism and cultural chronotop, this dissertation tries to disclose "Close Distance" thought in Naipaul’s four important works ("The Enigma of Arrival","The Writer’s People","Half a life"and "Magic Seeds") and his ethics and themes and artistic features of the works as well. Hence, I argue that "Close Distance"thought is the core of Naipaul’s works,which comprises of followng aspects: Works should reflect moral concern, ethical emphathy and "Modern Sensibility" of the writer, incarnate those most characteristic of times and society so as to close to history and truth.This dissertation consists of six parts."Introduction" part generally introduces Naipaul’s three writing periods and gives a relatively comprehensive and brief introduction of studies on V.S.Naipaul at home and abroad whiling pointing out the main standpoints of this paper. First chapter is the detailed presentation of "Close Distance"thought, its background of culture, history and main contents as well. I argue that it is his strong ethical concern and writing aesthetics that lead to Naipaul’s critical assessment to those masterpieces by other writers, which are also the keynotes to read and understand his works. Chapter two is the study of prose work "The Writer’s People", a map of Naipaul’s thought (called by "New York Book Review"). It is "Close Distance"thought that leads to Naipaul’s different remarks about "Madame Bovary"and "Salammbo" by Flaubert. While repudiating colonists, Naipaul shows his great concern on the literature, history and culture of Trinidad through his remarks on those writers from Trinidad, his hometown. Upon his unique humanistic views of history to penetrate amazingly into Indian history and literature, Naipaul points out that Indian people’s blindness to their own faults is the root cause for their ignorance and backwardness. Comprehensively evaluation of Mahatma Gandhi not only shows Naipaul’s sustainable academic efforts, but reflects objectively the formation of his "Close Distance" thought. Chapter three highlights "The Enigma of Arrival", an autobiographical novel. Thinking highly of Trinidad Indian’s humanistic attitudes towards religion, Naipaul in essence presents his views of ideal life and criticizes Britain aristocracy for its bad efforts on modem people. Chapter four is the study of novel "Half a Life"and its sequel "Magic Seeds", which attempt to analyze the hero William, a contemporary "superfluous man", with his loss and struggle for idealism, is typical among those immigrants in globalization to some degree. Perspectives of psychological realism and culture chronotop, vividly describing the psychological activities of William, are two aspects of "Close Distance" Thought."Conclusion"part summarizes that Naipaul’s writing in his late period has three innovative facets:"Close Distance" Thought, ideas of deepening universal concern and artistic innovation in writing. It is "Close Distance" Thought that builds up Naipaul’s ethical writing and aesthetical thinking. It is his pursing truth and profound humanism that measure his intricate writing and bring forth his brilliant achievements for world literature.更多还原