解读《卢布林的魔术师》里雅夏的身份危机

论文摘要

近年来,流散文学得到广泛关注,而身份问题又是流散文学中的热门问题之一。生活在异质文化中的流散者遇到了怎样的身份问题呢?1960年出版的《卢布林的魔术师》(英语本)被誉美籍犹太作家辛格的代表作。评论家曾试图用各种方法,诸如原型批评,存在主义,女性主义等,来解读主人公雅夏。本文借助身份理论来探讨雅夏身份危机和辛格最终把雅夏塑造成虔诚的犹太人的目的和局限性。不同于生活在卢布林的虔诚的哈西德派犹太人,雅夏是一个犹太魔术师。他闯荡江湖,靠卖艺为生。流浪的生涯让他在自身文化身份构建中享有前所未有的自由,但犹太文化和世俗文化抵制的状态却让雅夏的文化身份处于一种分裂,不稳定,流动,不断形成的状态。雅夏试图在自己的犹太文化身份和异教徒身份之间保持一种紧张的平衡,但是分裂的身份让他几近崩溃。矛盾之中,他决定割断自己与犹太文化的联系,彻底的融入到世俗文化之中。然而,潜意识里犹太传统文化的影响却又阻止他改宗,同化。在小说的结尾,雅夏回到卢布林,成为一名虔诚的犹太人。通过叙述雅夏最终转变成虔诚的犹太人,辛格反同化的立场是显而易见的。但是,由于辛格自身没有逃脱传统身份构建思路的影响,他的最终解决身份危机的办法对生活在现代美国的犹太人来说是缺乏可行性的。他们不可能像雅夏一样通过割断同外界的联系来建立稳定,单一的犹太文化身份。

论文目录

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• ABSTRACT
• 摘要
• CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
• 1.1 Literature Review
• 1.2 Thesis Statement
• 1.3 Structure
• CHAPTER TWO THEORIES OF IDENTITY AND THE ISSUE OF JEWISH IDENTITY
• 2.1 A Brief Introduction to the Theory of Identity
• 2.1.1 Essentialism
• 2.1.2 Anti-essentialsim
• 2.2 The Issue of Jewish Identity
• 2.2.1 The Historical and Social Context of Jewish Identity Formation
• 2.2.2 Parameters in Defining Jewish Ethnicity
• CHAPTER THREE YASHA'S IDENTITY CRISIS
• 3.1 Yasha as a Half Gentile
• 3.1.1 Yasha's Doubt about the Jewish God and His Deviation From Orthodox Jewish Way of Life
• 3.1.2 Yasha's Pursuit of Worldly Success and Pleasure
• 3.1.3 Yasha's Craze about Secular Knowledge
• 3.2 Yahsa as a Half Jew
• 3.2.1 Yasha's Attachment to Esther
• 3.2.2 Yasha's Taking Refuge in a Synagogue
• 3.2.3 Yasha's Secret Belief in God
• 3.2.4 Yasha's Code of Conduct
• 3.3 Causes of Yasha's Identity Crisis
• 3.3.1 The Contrast between the Excitement in Warsaw and the Stifling Environment in Lublin
• 3.3.2 Yasha's Desire to Pursue his Individuality
• CHAPTER FOUR YASHA'S SOLUTIONS TO HIS PROBLEM OF IDENTITY CRISIS
• 4.1 Effects of Yasha's Two Conflicting Identities
• 4.1.1 Yasha as a Spiritual Orphan
• 4.1.2 Yasha's Chaotic State of Mind
• 4.2 Yasha's Solutions to the Problem of Identity Crisis
• 4.2.1 Solution One—Cutting off his Connection with Jewish Culture
• 4.2.2 Solution Two—Constructing his Identity as a Pious Jew
• CHAPTER FIVE SINGER'S INTENTION OF PORTRAYING YASHA AS A PIOUS JEW
• 5.1 Jewish Assimilation in America
• 5.2 Singer's Attitude toward Jewish Assimilation
• 5.3 Singer's Intention of Portraying Yasha as a Pious Jew
• 5.4 Singer's Limitation in Portraying Yasha as a Pious Jew
• CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION
• WORKS CITED