当代美国小说概观(1945-2000年)四川大学 程锡麟I. 历史、社会和文化背景•第二次世界大战的影响: 全世界死亡的人数达3,500—6,000万,其 中美国是30万人 刺激了美国经济的发展 促使了战争小说的产生两大阵营的对立,冷战时期开始2. 五十年代麦卡锡主义“沉默的一代”William S. Whyte, Organization Man, 1956.Sloan Wilson, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, 1955.“垮掉的一代”(Beat Generation)3. 六十年代至七十年代前期动荡不安的时期:o古巴导弹危机(1962)o肯尼迪遇刺(1963)o民权运动-Black Arts Movement-Black Aesthetic Criticismo妇女解放运动-Feminism-Feminist Criticismo学生运动o反战运动o反文化思潮(Commune, hippies, rock music)o“水门事件”J. F. Kennedy 《他、她与它》 (He, She and It, 1991)o玛丽莲·弗伦奇(Marilyn French),《女 卫生间》(The Women’s Room, 1977 )o玛丽莲·鲁宾逊(Marilynne Robinson) ,《持家》(Housekeeping, 1980)Mary MaCarthy oThe All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton (1998), a novel set in 1855 during the battles of “Bleeding Kansas,“ oTen Days in the Hills (2007) Annie Proulx oMore than any other American woman writer, Proulx has claimed male territory as her own, writing about fishermen, itinerant musicians, cowboys, ranchers and drifters in ways that seem natural and unforced. In her three books of short stories set in Wyoming, she has mixed gritty naturalism, magical realism and local colour to talk about love and death in the American west. “The Bunchgrass Edge of the World“ ; “The Frog Prince“ ; “Brokeback Mountain“. Marilynne Robinson oHousekeeping (1981), was a fable of female relationships to language, nature and home set in a surreal and metaphorical western landscape. oGilead (2004), about the spiritual battles of a midwestern congregationalist minister.oIn Home (2008), set in 1957 during the civil rights movement.Anne Tyler oIn Morgan's Passing (1980), Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant (1982), The Accidental Tourist (1985) and Breathing Lessons (1988), Tyler's characters run away from claustrophobic marriages, families and homes, and recreate new families and utopian communities in unexpected forms. oSaint Maybe (1991) oThe Amateur Marriage (2004) Jayne Anne Phillips oBlack Tickets (1979) (short stories)oMachine Dreams (1984) , a complex and luminous novel detailing the history of a representative American family, the Hampsons, from the second world war to the aftermath of the Vietnam war. Bobbie Ann Mason oShiloh and Other Stories (1983)( Shiloh——夏伊洛(美国田纳西州一国家公 园,南北战争时的战场) ) was packed with references to popular culture, television and rock music. oIn Country (1985), her novel about the post-Vietnam generation. 9. 犹太小说o概述o索尔.贝娄(Saul Bellow),《赫索格》 (Herzog, 1964)/《洪堡的礼物》( Humboldt’s Gift, 1975)o艾萨克.辛格(Issac Singer),《卢布林 的魔术师》(The Magician of Lublin, 1960)o伯纳德.马拉默德(Bernard Malamud), 《装配工》(The Fixer, 1966)o菲力普.罗斯(Philip Roth),《波特诺的 怨诉》(Portnoy’s Complaint, 1969)oE. L. 道克托罗(E. L. Doctorow),《拉格 泰姆音乐》(Ragtime, 1975) Saul BellowBernard Malamud & Philip Roth犹太小说的特点:o多数犹太小说家都关注犹太文化传统、以 及这种传统与现代资本主义文明的冲突。
与南方小说关注农村生活题材形成对比的 是,犹太小说一般关注都市生活题材o在主题上,它们反映了犹太人对被美国社 会和文化同化的吸引和抵制;在美国“金色 大街”上发现的令人眼花缭乱的机会;父与 子的冲突及这种冲突带来的内疚感; 正统派犹太教与种种世俗观念的殊死争 斗;生活在现代美国社会里的犹太人所 体验到的边缘感、异化感和传统的断裂 感,同时他们又期望救赎、超越和对救 世主的信念;居住在富裕郊区的美国犹 太人那种浮华空虚的生活;以及主张恢 复真正的美国犹太人身份的有意识努力 [1] [1] 参见Sanford Pinsker, Jewish American Fiction, 1917- 1987. New York: Twayne, 1992, p. xii.10. 黑人小说o概述:o黑人小说家一般注重把描写奴隶制时代作为理 解现时的一种方式他们的作品发掘并重新构 建美国黑人的历史和文化,在过去的历史中寻 求对于现实的意义o黑人小说家特别注重发掘黑人民间文化传统, 在写作中纷纷采用了黑人的民间故事、传说、 宗教仪式、布道词、黑人音乐,包括布鲁斯、 爵士乐、圣歌和福音歌曲等o他们都普遍运用了黑人的方言土语和特殊 的表达方式。
o在创作思想和方法上,黑人小说呈现出多 元化的趋势,结出了丰硕的成果有的作 家把现代主义和现实主义交织在一起,把 黑人神话、传说和仪式融入小说中 o拉尔夫.埃利森(Ralph Ellison),《看 不见的人》(Invisible Man, 1952)o詹姆斯.鲍德温(James Baldwin),《 向苍天呼吁》(Go Tell It on the Mountain, 1953)o约翰.威廉斯(John Williams),《大 声疾呼的男子汉》(The Man Who Cried I Am, 1967)o约翰.怀德曼(John Wideman),《私 刑》(The Lynchers, 1973)o伊什梅尔.里德(Ishael Reed),《物 神》(Mumbo Jumbo, 1972)Ralph EllisonJames Baldwin & Ishael Reed黑人妇女小说o托尼.莫里森(Toni Morrison),《所罗门之歌》 (Song of Solomon, 1977)/《宠儿》( Beloved, 1987)o艾丽丝.沃克(Alice Walker),《紫色》(Color Purple, 1982)o托.凯.班巴拉(T. K. Bambara),《食盐者》( Salt Eater, 1980)o格洛丽亚.内勒(Gloria Naylor),《妈妈节》( Mama Day, 1988)Toni MorrisonAlice WalkerT. K. Bambara & Gloria Naylor11. 其他族裔小说o土著美国人小说:o斯科特.蒙马迪(Scott Momaday),《曙光织成 的房子》(House Made of Dawn, 1968)o莱斯利.西尔科(Leslie Silko),《仪式》( Ceremony, 1978)o詹姆斯.韦尔奇(James Welch),《血中的冬天 》(Winter in the Blood, 1974)o路易斯.厄尔德里奇(Louise Erdrich),《爱药 》(Love Medicine, 1984)Scott Momaday & Leslie SilkoJames Welch & Louise Erdrich华裔小说:o汤亭亭(Maxine Hong Kingston),《 女勇士》(The Woman Worrior, 1976 )o谭恩美(Amy Tan),《喜福会》(The Joy Luck Club, 1989)o任壁莲(Gish Jen),《典型的美国人》( Typical American, 1991)o李健孙(Gus Lee),《中国仔》(China Boy, 1991)o雷祖威(David Wong Louie),《爱的痛 苦》(Pangs of Love, 1991)o赵健秀(Frank Chin),《唐老鸭》( Donald Duck, 1991)Maxine Hong Kingston & Amy TanGish Jen & Gus LeeDavid Wong Louie & Frank Chin12. 值得关注的新近小说家n保罗·奥斯特(Paul Auster, 1947- ),The New York Trilogy (1987), a collection of three novellas, “City of Glass”, “Ghost”, “The Locked Room”.Paul Austero科马克· 麦卡锡(Cormac McCarthy, 1933- ),oBlood Meridian (1985), a western noveloAll the Pretty Horses (1992), won National Book AwardCormac McCarthyoE·安妮·普罗克斯 (E. Annie Proulx, 1935- ),oThe 。