英语专业毕业论文-论纳博科夫小说《洛丽塔》中的后现代主义特征.doc

On the Postmodern Features of Nabokovs Lolita摘要美国俄裔小说家弗拉基米尔纳博科夫在二十世纪美国文学史上是一位公认的奇特人物，无论是其作品还是本人都是评论界争论的焦点。许多评论家赞誉纳博科夫为英语文学中最优秀和最伟大的小说家之一，认为他的小说无论在其表现出来的机智还是给人们带来的思考愉悦方面，其深度在他同时代的美国作家中都是独一无二的。洛丽塔是弗拉基米尔纳博科夫的代表作，也是纳博科夫最具争议的一部作品。这部小说带给作者纳博科夫国际声誉的同时，也给一代又一代读者留下了说不尽的话题。本文试图分析洛丽塔的后现代主义特征，揭示其后现代性。全文分为四个部分，首先，对小说及作者纳博科夫进行了简单的介绍，并简要阐述了后现代主义文学的含义及其特征；其次，对小说在时间上的混乱和结构上的循环进行分析，从而论证了破碎性这一后现代主义特征在小说中的运用；再次，分析了小说中对两大主人公亨伯特和洛丽塔的反讽，从而更好的剖析人物的性格特征。最后，探究了戏仿这一写作手法在小说中的运用，分别从对主题的戏仿和对欧洲经典童话故事中人物的戏仿两方面进行分析，从而概括洛丽塔后现代主义特征。关键词：洛丽塔；后现代主义；破碎性；反讽；戏仿AbstractVladimir Nabokov，a Russian-born American novelist，is generally acknowledged as unique and distinetive figure in the 20th century Ameriean iterature.Both abokov and his works often give rise to controversy among crities.Many crities aeelaim Nabokov as one of the finest sylists and one of the greatest novelists in American literature，and argue that，in the intensity of intelligence and reflective joy，his literary writing is unique in his eontemporary Ameriean literature.Lolita is one of the most controversial Works in the world. The novel brought Nabokov international reputation，but also leaves readers the untold topic from generation to generation.This thesis is aims to analyse the postmodernism of Lolita, and to reveal its post-modernity. The thesis is divided into four parts: first, the novel and author are introduced briefly. Also expounds the postmodern literatures connotation and festure.Second,analyses the disorder of chronology and never-ending pattern so that to expound and prove the postmodernism of fragmentation.Then,discusses the two characters Humbert and Lolita in the novel with irony. As to analyse the characters feature. At last, explore the writing technique of the parody has explicated in the novel, separately from the parody of Love Subject and the parody of the characters in classic European fairly tales . Thus summarized the Lolitas postmodernism features. Key words: Lolita; postmodernism; fragmentation; irony; parodyContents摘要1Abstract2Contents3Introduction41 The introduction of the author, the work and the Postmodern literature51.1 The author51.2 The work51.3 The Postmodern literature62 Fragmentation of Lolita62.1 The disorder of chronology72.2 The never-ending pattern83 Irony of the characters93.1 Irony of Humbert93.2 Irony of Lolita104 Parody in the Lolita124.1 Parody of Love Subject124.2 Parody of the characters in classic European fairly tales164.2.1 Charlotte - The Evil mother164.2.2 Lolita - The beautiful princess174.2.3 Schiller - The save prince18Conclusion19Notes21Bibliography22IIIIntroductionLolita is one of the most controversial novels of the 20th-century. It tells a confessional story of a man Whose life is the desire for a twelve-year old nymphet. The Protagonist as well as the narrator，Humber t，who is a European Professor of 37，marries the mother of Dolores Haze(Lolita)to be near the girl. When Lolita's mother dies，Humbert gains the chance to Possess the girl. Then on a trip across America，stopping at many hotels，he achieves his desires. After some time，he loses Lolita to quality，another man of the same tastes who is indeed his rival，whom he later tracks down and kills.When the work Lolita came out in New York in 1958，the critics are pay close attention to it. In Nabokovs work, we can find that there are many postmodernism characters in the novel. After looked up the document about this novel that many scholars have analyzed the postmodernism characteristics of Lolita from some point of view. For example, In the novels first American review, John Hollander, saw Lolita as purely an experiment with literary forms:“Lolita,if it is anythingreally,is the record of Mr.Nabokovs love affair with the romantic novel.”1 Howard Nemerov concurred:“Nabokovs own artistic concern, here as elsewhere, I should say,has no more to do with morality than with sex.”In Nemerovs reading,Nabokov presided over a purely artistic universe“to which morality stands but as a dubious, Euclidean convenience.”2 Eric Goldman states,“Lolita touched,and still touches, a peculiarly American nerve.” 3In the magazine Nabokov Studies,numerous criticisms can be found on it.Butler focuses on modern aestheticism;4Marie C.Bouchet dwells on the details description 5Chinese critics also turn their eyes on this prominent figure in recent years.Li Xiaojun examines exile subject on Lolita, 6Zhou Qichao quotes that Nabokov is widely recognized“with William Faulkner,one of the two great American novelists of that same time.”7However,more and more critics agree that from his late 1950s,especially from 1960s Nabokovs writing steps on a new stage both in his artistictechniques and thematic depth:postmodernism.Pale Fire(1962)and Ada(1969)are often talked as his postmodern representatives and are most frequently mentioned with admiration by the postmodernists.Zhan Shukui tries to argue that there are two Nabokovs,“a modernist and a postmodernist”;and he classifies that“Lolita is modernist and Ada postmodernist.”8In this thesis,first, analyses the disorder of chronology and never-ending pattern so that to expound and prove the postmodernism of fragmentation.Then,discusses the two characters Humbert and Lolita in the novel with irony. As to analyse the characters feature. At last, explore the writing technique of the parody has explicated in the novel. Through the above content, to discuss the postmodern colour, which hope to help to deepen the understanding and study of Nabokov. 1 The introduction of the author, the work and the Postmodern literature1.1 The authorNabokov(1899一1977)was born in St.Petersburg，Russia，of an aristocratic family with rich and cultured Parents. His father was a liberal judge. In 1919，Nabokov fled with his family into Westem Europe. He studied Freneh and Russian Literature at Cambridge University in England and tookB.A.in modern languages there in 1922.1.2 The workThe story deals with the desire of a middle-aged pedophile Humbert,the narrator, for a12-year-old girl. In the psychopathic ward of a prison while awaiting trial for murder, 37-year-old Humbert wrote out his life story. Though once wed to a woman of about his age, he had long been obsessed by a passion for nymphets: girls between the ages of 9 and 14. Coming from Europe to the Upson business, he met and married the widowed Charlotte Haze only to be near her 12-year-old daughter Lolita. To achieve this he considered murdering Charlotte for many times. But Charlotte was killed by a car accident. After the burying, Humbert took his stepdaughter Lolita on a cross-country journey. Lolita finally escaped from his jealous protection, and he did not learn of her again until two years later, married, and pregnant. Then she told him that during her days with him, she had been cheated by a famous playwright Clare Quilty.Humbert murdered him and was jailed but died of a heart attack before his trial. Lolita died in Childbirth as delivering a stillborn daughter.1.3 The Postmodern literaturePostmodern literature is after the second world war appeared in western society, wide range of literary trend in 20th century 70 - the 1980s reached its peak. No matter in literary thought or in writing skills, postmodern literature is the continuation of the modernist literature and development. Mainstream academia have not distinguish between "modern" and "postmodern" two concepts, but due to the characteristics of literary development after the second world war has been far more than the traditional "modernism" can cover the scope, therefore will postmodern literature as a independent literary trend, and classicism and romanticism, realism and modernism simultaneously. And usually sense of the ideological trend, the genre is different, postmodern literature is neither alleged a specific writer or critics groups, also does not exist widely identity program and declaration. Not only such, postmodern culture is a kind of there is no central multicultural, tolerate different standards, advocate "the sustainable development for the maintenance of differences and the reputation of diversity efforts. It is for this reason, postmodern literature inter-branch genre is numerous, various trends, a lot of postmodern writers miscellaneous overgrown with critics self theory system itself exists inconsistencies. Postmodern literature refers to absorb the western modernism (including postmodernism) ideas and skills, through the new value orientation and traditional ethics and morality happen break, reflect modern life in emotional enjoy, materialistic people living in the bottom floor and rationality, the pioneer novels tend to humanism, pursue the character equality described. 2 Fragmentation of Lolita“The distorting and fragmenting reflexions of one enormous glass surface to the other can be taken as paradigmatic of the central of process and reproduction in postmodernist culture.”The postmodernist writer dislikes the wholeness and completion associated with traditional stories,and prefers to deal structuring narrative with other ways:Barry Lewis points out there are three ways:“One was the multiple ending,which resists closure by offering numerous possible outcomes for a plot.”The French Lieutenants Woman written by John Fowles is the classic instance of this.The second way is“authors directly addresses the reader,and even steps into the story himself at one stage as a character,”which interrupts the fluent reading.The third means of allowing space for the open and inconclusive“was to break up the text into short fragments or sections,separated by space,titles,numbers or symbols.”We have pointed out many evidences of disorders,rambling fragments or mistaken chronology in Lolita(see Chapter 4),so in this chapter I will focus on the other two features of fragmentation:open end and metafiction.2.1 The disorder of chronologySince weve discussed the uncertainty and unreliability of the narrative,we can expect the uncertain ending,or,to be more specific,the open end of Lolita.One continued value of Lolita emerges from the never-ending patterns woven into the text,patterns that allow the novel to outstrip its commentators,to exceed even its own last words.Either the“moral apotheosis” or“aesthetic bliss” of Humbert retraces his travels along highway after highway and from town to town,always hoping to postpone its own conclusion.After thousands of miles of cross-country travel designed to prolong his time with Lolita,Humbert uses every rhetorical strategy available to preclude his storys inevitable end and avoid any final judgments.Through tantalizing allusions to a variety of genres and through an interminable intertextual network,he constructs an extremely intricate and entangled narrative,avoiding the ends associated with those genres and misdirecting any readerly desire for closure.Distinct from Humberts tale,Nabokovs novel engages in an ongoing meditation on the nature of endings,one that foregrounds the many contradictions between the positions espoused in its afterword and foreword-between desire and meaning,revel and revelation,read -ing and rending.Lolita serves as the title for two books:the first,Humberts autobiography and apologia,consists of a distended,resounding,emph-hatic middle that finally draws to a close only when he discovers that his own creation must end in order to become a work of“articulate art”;and the second,Nabokovs novel,with its bookend commentaries,identifies the toll exacted during Humberts journey to awareness.Lolita begins as such a story,as John Ray“prefaces”a manuscript written by Humbert,who himself relates events with the shaping power of hindsight.When Humbert embarks on his“cryptogrammic paper chase”(p.250),revisiting through travel guides and guest books his initial journey with Lolita,he both reenters the preceding text and allows for the return of Quilty,the repressed of Humberts “Confessions”which leads to no ending.2.2 The never-ending patternWe may still ask John Ray forward to what end?Because its plot revolves around acts of incest,Lolita is riddled with these archetypal short circuits.And many readings,including that of John Ray,focus on its teleological elements,on Humberts curative evolution toward“moral apotheosis”.But what becomes of the novels forward progress when the narrator teases the reader by solving the mystery of Quiltys identity without reporting it,forcing the most assiduous readers to return to the text and reconstruct the chapter-long hunt?And in a novel that alludes impliedly to the fate of the title character in a foreword,and then leaves her status ambiguous,to be apprehended only on rereading,how can we speak of page 327 as the end?However,whats more important for Lolita is the pleasure of the text itself.When the reader begins to sympathize with Humbert,to forgive his crimes as manifestations of“the last lovers” overpowering love,he is engaged by the novels capacity. Humberts expressions of love convince many readers,not only because they hint at redemption but also because the language itself is enchanting.Humbert recreates his previous journey while searching for Lolita.His pleasure in the process of evoking Lolita is evident from the famous first words of his narrative,from his curse testifying to her capacity to enthrall.He blackmails Lolita,forcing her to remain with him,both to satisfy his sexual desire and to serve as a kidnapped poetic muse;paralleling his sexual desire is another“ancient lust”for Muse.After their many near misses,the paths of the two rivals are bound to intersect because the conflicts and mysteries must achieve partial resolution for both the reader and Humbert.Humberts change in consciousness parallels this change of status:no longer the center of the web of plot lines surrounding him,Humbert the reader returns to the text in order to discover the truth that evaded him during his first pass.Thus the end goes back to the beginning and question remains unsolved.3 Irony of the characters"Lolita", another prominent characteristics is saturated with strong in narration in the irony attitude. Irony is a common writing technique in postmodernism novel。It is with some context or situation with result from the opposite or revealed and criticism or mock, Irony avoid direct expressed the attitude of narrative object, But the effort is to use the gap between language and context to form ironic effect.The irony characte-ristics in works "Lolita" is very outstanding.Nabokov has made full use of the tone and tactics with the irony at his novel.Irony avoid direct expressed the attitude of narrative object, But the effort is to use the gap between language and context to form ironic effect.The irony characteristics i