A Study of The Moon and Sixpence from the Perspective of the Thirdspace Theory_英语论文

摘要

《月亮与六便士》是英国著名作家毛姆的代表作品，运用第一人称叙述手法和情景的形式，并以法国印象派画家高更为蓝本，毛姆为我们呈现了艺术天才斯特里克兰德追随自己内心的生命旅程。本文以爱德华索亚的第三空间理论为切入点，试图从地理空间、精神空间以及第三空间对《月亮与六便士》进行细致的文本分析与解读，深度剖析主人公斯特里克兰寻求自我的艰辛历程，致力于深化人们对作品主角的人物认知以及作品中的空间构建；从而揭示十八世纪英国社会对人的束缚和对艺术家的偏见，歌颂像男主的一类人不屈于物质和现实的安逸、对艺术和自我的不懈追求的崇高精神，鼓励人们打破束缚，追求自我。

关键词：《月亮与六便士》  第三空间  毛姆  自我实现 

Abstract

The Moon and Sixpence, a masterpiece of the famous English writer Maugham (1874-1965), employs the first-person narrative technique and an episodic format. Modelling his hero on Paul Gauguin, the French Impressionist painter, Maugham shows us the life journey of an artistic genius Strickland for soul-pursuing. This thesis applies the Thirdspace theory of Edward Soja as the breaking point, trying to make a detailed analysis of The Moon and Sixpence from the perspectives of geographical space, psychological space and the Thirdspace, deeply dissecting Strickland’s hardships of self-seeking and further deepening people’s cognition of the characters and the space construction in the work. In this way, this thesis reveals the prejudice against the artists and the restriction of society to men in the 18th century, extolling people like Strickland who were unyielding to material comforts and wealth but unremittingly pursuing art and self-realization, and thus encouraging people to break the bondage and follow their hearts.

Key words: The Moon and Sixpence  the Thirdspace Theory  Maugham  self-realization

Contents

Chapter One  Introduction 1

1.1  About William Somerset Maugham and The Moon and Sixpence 1

1.2  About the Theory of Thirdspace 3

1.3   Purpose of the Thesis 5

Chapter Two  Literature Review 7

2.1   Previous Studies on The Moon and Sixpence Abroad 7

2.2   Previous Studies on The Moon and Sixpence at Home 8

Chapter Three  Thirdspace Narrative Analysis in The Moon and Sixpence 10

3.1   The Geographical Space in The Moon and Sixpence 10

3.1.1 London 10

3.1.2 Paris 12

3.1.3 Marseilles 13

3.1.4 Tahiti 13

3.2    The Psychological Space in The Moon and Sixpence 14

3.2.1 Self-constraint—An Ignorant Stockbroker 15

3.2.2 Self-exploration—A Starving Painter 16

3.2.3 Self-actualization—A Charming Master 17

3.3      The Thirdspace in The Moon and Sixpence 19

3.3.1 The Limitation of Thirdspace--Mrs. Strickland and Blanche Stroeve 19

3.3.2  The Freedom of Thirdspace—Ata 21

Chapter Four  Conclusion 23

Bibliography

Acknowledgments