An Analysis of Traumatic Theme in As I Lay Dying_英语论文

摘要

威廉·福克纳是诺贝尔文学奖得主，其最受欢迎的一部作品《我弥留之际》备受大众关注。该小说讲述的是一段家人运送女主人灵柩回她40英里外的家族墓地安葬的送葬之旅，由15个不同的人物讲述，其中包括本德伦一家、众邻居和其他相关的叙述者，共59章。本论文从创伤理论出发，旨在从身体，情感，心理这三方面对小说人物的创伤以及其结果进行探讨，从而能够进一步地挖掘小说的深层主题意蕴和文学价值。同时通过深入研究，不难发现福克纳在小说中揭示了美国南方穷白人无法摆脱的精神困境和现实对个体的创伤意义，同时借此表达了他对南方民众道德世界与精神的关注，以及对广泛创伤主体深刻的人文主义道德关怀。

关键词：威廉·福克纳  《我弥留之际》  创伤理论  伤口

Abstract

As one of William Faulkner’s popular works, As I Lay Dying has attracted the public’s attention. The novel tells a story of a burial journey of the dead matriarch to the mother’s family cemetery forty miles away, and it is narrated by 15 different characters including the Bundren family, their neighbors and other relevant narrators over 59 chapters. Based on the traumatic theory, the thesis will delve into the trauma of characters in the novel who are shaped by wounds in the matter of the bodily, mental and psychological aspects, so as to further excavate the theme and literary value of the novel. Meanwhile, through in-depth study, it is not difficult to find that Faulkner reveals the spiritual dilemma and the traumatic significance of reality to individuals that the poor white people in the decayed southern land cannot get rid of, thus expressing his concerns for the spirit and moral world of the people in the South, and his profound humanistic moral concern for the people of universal trauma.

Key words: William Faulkner  As I Lay Dying  Traumatic Theory     Wounds 

Contents

Chapter One  Introduction.1

1.1  Introduction to William Faulkner.1

1.2  Introduction to As I Lay Dying.2

1.3  Structure of the Thesis3

Chapter Two  Literature Review.4

2.1  Previous Studies Abroad 4

2.2  Previous Studies at Home5

Chapter Three  Theoretical Framework.8

3.1  Definition of Trauma8

3.2  The Development of Trauma Theory.9

Chapter Four  Traumatic Analysis in As I Lay Dying11

4.1  Traumatic Symptoms in Body11

4.1.1 The Decay of Addie’s Dead Body.11

4.1.2 The Defilement of Dewey Dell’s Body12

4.1.3 The Disability of Cash.14

4.2  Traumatic Symptoms in Emotion.15

4.2.1 The Neglect of Family Love.15

4.2.2 The Mistrust in Community16

4.3  Traumatic Symptoms in Mind17

4.3.1 The Distorted of Mind.17

4.3.2 The Loss of Identity18

Chapter Five  Conclusion.19

5.1  Major Findings19

5.2  Limitations And Suggestions for Future Study19

Bibliography

Acknowledgements