菲利普•罗斯身份的悖论-以《退场的鬼魂》为例_英语论文

Identity Paradox of Philip Roth—Illustrated by the example of Exit Ghost

摘要

菲利普·罗斯是当代美国文坛最著名的犹太作家之一，也是近年来诺贝尔文学奖呼声最高的获奖人之一。虽年逾古稀，但他从没有停止创作的脚步。评论界对其几部闻名世界的著作已经进行了充分的研究，但对其近些年的新作却显得关注不足。对其发布于2007年的《退场的鬼魂》，评论更是凤毛麟角，且鲜有人从身份问题的角度解读这部作品。本文试图以细读法和文本分析法为基本方法；以面临身份困惑和自我危机的小说主人公为研究对象，对隐藏在小说主人公背后的罗斯进行分析。揭示步入晚年的菲利普·罗斯在面对他复杂的身份这一问题上的态度，分析罗斯眼中的犹太移民在美国的生存现状并且引发人们对于种族之间关系的思考。

本篇论文主体部分由三章组成。第一章从罗斯和祖克曼与生俱来的美国犹太人双重身份角度出发，通过文本分析法对罗斯字里行间体现的他对这种身份的态度进行分析。本论文认为，如同作者笔下的主人公一样，罗斯本人也经历着传统的犹太文化和先进的美国文化带来的冲击，是一个在不同文化之间的分裂自我。第二章是关于罗斯对他作家身份和犹太后裔之间关系的主动思考。作为一名职业作家，他不能也确实没有为犹太人唱赞歌。但他也做不到完全脱离犹太后裔的身份。唯一的解决办法就是真实的描写犹太人，这也是他被一些人误解为反犹太的原因。揭示了作家自我和和犹太自我身份之间的冲突。第三章分析了一个许多作家共同面临的问题，他们都经历着现实与虚构之间的冲突，即很难找到文字世界和非文字世界之间的界线。罗斯承认任何小说都或多或少有自传的性质，但不可以说小说等同于自传。这也是他创造祖克曼来给自己当挡箭牌的原因。

最后一部分为论文的结论部分。结论认为从小说主人公祖克曼身上，我们看到了一个在各个层面都自我矛盾的菲利普·罗斯，揭示了自我与种族；自我与职业；现实与虚构之间的张力和冲突。研究认为，祖克曼是罗斯的“他我”，祖克曼的个人经历和心路历程在一定程度上是罗斯对自己的认识。但我们应该辩证的看待虚构人物和作者本身的关系，祖克曼可以被看做是罗斯的另一个自我，但绝非罗斯本人。通过将自我和虚构人物的完美结合，罗斯实现了在文学中为自己辩护。

关键词：菲利普•罗斯；《退场的鬼魂》；身份悖论；犹太身份

Abstract

Philip Roth is one of the most prominent Jewish American novelists and one of the hottest candidates in competing Nobel Literature Award. He has never stopped writing because of his age. Compared with his other writings, Exit Ghost has not been given adequate critical attention both at home or abroad. Based on textual analysis and close reading, this study tries to explore the real Roth who hides behind the character he creates. 

This thesis is divided into three chapters. Chapter One expounds and verifies the double identities Roth and Zuckerman born with and explores Roth’s attitude towards this double identities between the lines. Like his protagonist Nathan Zuckerman, Roth suffers from the conflict between the conventional Jewish culture and the modern American thought. The second paradox is about Roth’s active thinking about how to balance himself well between Jewish identity and his profession. As a professional writer, he could not and does not praise Jews because of ethnic emotion. But he still cannot write without any Jewish elements. The only solution for him is to describe Jews truthfully. That is why he was not welcomed by some Jews and was regarded as an Anti-Semitic person by them. This chapter reveals the conflict between the writer’s identity and the Jewish ethnicity. The third paradox is about Roth’s living position; this is also a puzzle many writers have to face. It is hard for writers to find the bound between fact and fiction. Roth admits that fiction includes more or less element of autobiography, but it doesn’t mean fiction is autobiography. So he created Nathan to defend himself.

The final part is the conclusion of the dissertation. The novel reveals the split personality and self-crisis of the writer-protagonist deeply mired in various kinds of intense conflicts. This study highlights the tensions between self and society, self and profession, fact and fiction. Nathan Zuckerman is Roth’s alter ego rather than Roth himself. The dissertation also argues Philip Roth has been trying to defend himself against the charges through the combination of himself with his character.

Key words: Philip Roth; Exit Ghost; Identity Paradox; Jewish Identity 

Contents

Acknowledgements iv 

Abstract iv

摘要 iv

Introduction 1

Chapter One Confusion over Double Identities 4

1.1 American Writer Born and Bred Locally 4

1.2 Unchangeable Jewish Identity 7

Chapter Two Paradox between the Professional Ethics and Jewish Descent 9

2.1 Thought about the Jewish Identity 9

2.2 Professional Ethics: Describing Jew Truthfully 11

Chapter Three Paradox on Living Spaces 14

3.1 Zuckerman: “Philip Roth” in the Virtual World 14

3.2 “He” and “She”: Fictitious Self in Memory 15

Conclusion 18

Works Cited 20