那桑尼爾‧韋斯特的悲劇靈視

作者:余玉照(國立臺灣師範大學文學院英語研究所)

摘要：

那桑尼爾．韋斯特(1903~1940)直到一九五０年代才被完全「發現」為一位重要作家。他在四本小說中，以令人難忘的方式，表現出一種堅定而深沉的悲劇靈視。本論文目的即在於探討這種悲劇靈視的本質，及其特殊的表現方式，以期有助於闡明這位一九三０年代美國領銜小說家的突出成就。
全文共分六章。首章解說此項研究的基本理論架構，同時回溯韋斯特死後聲名持續升高的經過，並指出他濃厚的悲劇意識的主要成因，藉以說明他的獨特性。第二章 裡評述巴爾索．司內爾的夢幻生活中主角在木馬裡的夢之旅，如何流露出韋斯特的虛無主義。第三章討論孤心小姐之主角如何為了許許多多受難者的緣故，而追尋所謂「基督夢」，但徒勞無功。接著，第四章研討妙哉百萬所描繪的「美國夢」之失敗因素。至於第五章，其重點在於考察蝗蟲日如何諷刺好萊塢的「夢想垃圾場」。最後，在結論章裡，藉著研討韋斯特在美國黑色幽默傳統中所佔的地位，來綜合評價他對其悲劇靈視所作的藝術處理。
韋斯特的作品顯然已為現代人所面臨的文化危機，提出了尖銳的批判。他的悲劇靈視對他作品的主題、技巧與文字風格皆產生了顯著的影響。他運用黑色幽默的模式以及一些超現實主義與象徵主義的手法，創造了一些特殊的意象，而其作品結構大都以夢與現實之衝突為基礎。他筆下人物大都無法忍受荒謬的現實，而且他們的夢想往往導致惡夢。這種夢之反諷從一些荒原意象中得到有力的映襯。韋斯特不僅深獲批評界的重視，而且帶給若干當代著名作家深遠的影響，由此觀之他被喻為美國三十年代最傑出的小說家之一，可以說是實至名歸。

《詳全文》

The Tragic Vision of Nathanael West

Author: Yu Yuh-Chao(Graduate Institute of English College of Liberal Arts)

Abstract：

Nathanael West (1903-1940), who was not fully "discovered" as an important writer until the 1950's, has presented a persistent and profound tragic vision in his four novels. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the special nature of his tragic vision and the special ways in which it has been manifested. Through this study, it is hoped, some light will be shed on the achievements of this leading American novelist of the 1930's.
The thesis consists of six chapters. The introductory chapter not only ex-plains the theoretical framework of the present study but also examines the uniqueness of West by tracing the steady growth of his posthumous reputation and discussing the primary shaping forces of his profound sense of tragedy. Chapter II deals with The Dream Life of Balso Snell in which the protagonist's journey in the Trojan Horse through dreams-within-dreams embodies West's attempt at artistic nihilism. In the third chapter, the focus is on Miss Lonelyhearts'-futile quest of the so-called "Christ dream" for the sake of suffering humanity. Then, Chapter IV concentrates on the factors of the failure of the so-called "American dream" as dramatized in A Cool Million. As to Chapter V, it is mainly concerned about the satire upon the "dream dump" of Hollywood as presented in The Day of the Locust. Finally, in the concluding chapter, an overall appraisal of West's artistic treatment of his tragic vision is made by way of discussing the position he has occupied in the tradition of American black humor.
West's work as a whole offers a penetrating critique of the cultural crisis facing modern people. His tragic vision has affected considerably the themes, techniques, and style of his works, and it is effectively presented through the use of his mode of black humor and some surrealist and symbolistic techniques. That vision has resulted in some special patterns of imagery and also in the special structure of his works generally based on the tension between dream and reality. Unable to withstand the absurd reality, many of his characters are often driven into nightmares by their dreams. This irony of dreams is well sustained by the imagery of the waste land. In view of the serious critical attention he has received and of the remarkable influences he has exerted on some prominent modern writers, there is no doubt that he deserves his ever growing reputation.