从创伤理论分析《发条橙》_英语论文

A Study Of A Clockwork Orange From The Perspective Of Trauma Theory

摘要

英国作家安东尼∙伯吉斯的当代经典代表作《发条橙》运用后现代叙事的写作手法来突出关于人类社会自由意志和道德选择的难题,即赋予人们极端的自由意志会给社会带来暴力,但是极权社会对人们意志的控制又会使得人的自由沦丧。在这个背景下，小说的主人公阿列克斯以第一人称来讲述着自己的经历，在犯罪入狱后受到特殊的刑罚，被强迫改恶从善后变成了“带发条的橙子”，失去自由选择的权利，并且遭受了严重的创伤。即便小说的最后作者给了主人公迥然不同的未来，但是，遭受创伤的心灵并没有得到真正的治愈。本文旨从创伤理论的角度，借用弗洛伊德的创伤心理学理论和多米尼克∙拉卡普拉对创伤理论的构建等理论知识来分析主要人物的创伤经历，并且结合个人与家庭、社会、宗教的联系来解析创伤经历对其产生的影响，进而探究作为创伤文学的《发条橙》对作者和读者的意义所在。同时，提出在治愈创伤过程中所要做的努力，希望唤起社会大众对创伤群体的关注和对创伤影响的重视，进一步帮助他人回归正常生活。                                         

关键词：《发条橙》；创伤理论；创伤经历

Abstract

The English writer Anthony burgess's masterpiece A Clockwork Orange is regarded as a contemporary classic. By using postmodern narrative techniques, the novel shows the problem of free will and moral choice in human society. Namely, giving extreme freedom to people’s will will bring endless violence to the society, but the totalitarian society controlling people’s will will make freedom lose. In this background, the novel's protagonist Alex is telling in the first person about his own experiences. Because of the special punishment after imprisonment, he became a clockwork orange after being forced to change his ways. He not only lost the right to choose freely, but also suffered severe trauma. Even though at the end of the novel the author gave the protagonist a definitely different future, the scarred heart did not really get cured. This thesis is intended to analyze the main characters’ traumatic experience through borrowed from Freud's psychological trauma and Dominic LaCapra’s building of trauma theory and so on. Then combining the individual with family, society, religion, the thesis will analyze the influence of traumatic events and traumatic experiences, and then explore the significance of A Clockwork Orange as trauma literature for the author and the reader. Finally, it puts forward the efforts to recover from trauma hoping to arouse public’s concerns for trauma group and highlight the effects of trauma, further to help others return to normal life.

Key Words: A Clockwork Orange; trauma theory; traumatic experience

Contents

Acknowledgments

Abstract (Chinese) ii

Abstract (English) iii

Introduction 1

Chapter One Traumatic Experiences and Their Influences 4

1.1 Alex’s Trauma 4

1.1.1 Traumatic Experiences of Alex 4

1.1.2 Traumatic Influences on Alex 5

1.2 Alexander’s Trauma 6

1.2.1 Traumatic Events of Alexander 7

1.2.2 Traumatic Influences on Alexander 7

1.3 The Author’s Trauma 7

1.3.1 Traumatic Experiences of the Author 7

1.3.2 Traumatic Influences on Author 8

Chapter Two Recovery of Trauma 9

2.1 Recovery of the Characters’ Trauma 9

2.1.1 Self-reflection of the Traumatic Past 9

2.1.2 Building Connections with Others 9

2.1.3 Elevated Philosophy of Life 10

2.2 Recovery of the Author and Readers’ Trauma 10

2.2.1 Recovery of the Author’s Trauma 11

2.2.2 Recovery of the Readers’ Trauma 11

Conclusion 12

Bibliography 13