利科克幽默的社会意义 ——阐释《小镇艳阳录》和《阔佬历险记》

论文摘要

斯蒂芬·利科克（1869-1944）是英语世界最受人爱戴的加拿大幽默大师。他那充满人道和善意的幽默丰富了人类对自身和社会的理解,因而超越了国界。其代表作姊妹篇《小镇艳阳录》和《阔佬历险记》就是利科克对20世纪初加拿大社会全景式的反映,《小镇艳阳录》还成为加拿大文学史上的经典之作。 本文作者以历史为视角,把利科克多才多艺的人生、丰富的著作和他生活的经济增长、社会转型期的加拿大历史时代置于广阔的语境下,来阐释《小镇艳阳录》和《阔佬历险记》。这两部代表作是这位幽默大师和社会批评家对人和社会关心的全部写照,也是他对二十世纪初加拿大社会全景式的透视。利科克用《小镇艳阳录》那幽默的亲切的叙家常式的叙述风格,带领读者遁入那个正在逝去的、令人怀念的田园牧歌式的玛莉菠莎小镇社会;《阔佬历险记》又让读者游历了充满铜臭的大都市普鲁托亚街,以此警示:如果对个人主义和享乐主义不加遏止,加拿大的明天就葬送在普鲁托亚的陵宫。作家一边人道地嘲笑了人类固有的弱点和局限:眼界狭小、随大流、虚伪、贪婪、自私;一边厚道地批判了拜金主义和享乐主义的社会风气。通过幽默,利科克把社会批评和人道精神有机地结合起来,体现了幽默的严肃性和作品的主题思想和社会意义。

论文目录

• Abstract （in English）
• Abstract （in Chinese）
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter One A Brief Survey of Leacock And His Times
• 1.1 A Synopsis of Leacock and His Writings
• 1.1.1. The Multi-faceted Life and Career of Leacock
• 1.1.2. Leacock's Versatile Literary Creation
• 1.1.3. Leacock's Political Stance
• 1.2 The Age of Progress Breeding the Literary Humor and Welcoming Criticism
• 1.2.1. A Society in Transition
• 1.2.2. The Clash of Ideologies Nourishing the Humorous Literature
• Chapter Two An Analysis of the Humor in Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town And Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich
• 2.1 Leacock's Theory of Humor
• 2.2 The Comical World of Pastoral and Idyllic Mariposa
• 2.2.1. The Chatty Intimate Narrative of Humor
• 2.2.2. The Tragic Comical Business World
• 2.2.3. The Social Life of the Microcosmic Community
• 2.2.4. The Community-oriented Scoundrelism in Religious Affairs
• 2.2.5. The Chivalrous Romance
• 2.2.6. The Political Farce of Mariposa
• 2.3 The Turning "L'Envoi" Suggestive of One Theme of The Two Sister Works
• 2.4 The Plush World of Plutoria in the City
• 2.4.1. The Ludicrous and Ridiculous Business World
• 2.4.2. The Vulgar Plutorian Social Life
• 2.4.3. The Gold-digging Romance
• 2.4.4. The Economic Plutorian Religiosity
• 2.4.5. Baseball Bats and Pickaxes Promising Democratic Politics
• Chapter Three The Social Significances of Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town And Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich
• 3.1 The Humorous and Satirical Intent Underscoring the Hope of Social and Spiritual Regeneration
• 3.2 The Humorous Art Interweaving Social Criticism with Humanity
• 3.3 The Earnest Social Concern for the Under-privileged Class
• 3.4 The Social Criticism of Ethos of Leacock's Times
• Conclusion
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgements
• Publications