Edgar Allan Poe and Moral Relativism ---- A Comparison of The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado_英语论文

摘要

由于小说中存在对恐怖、精神错乱和谋杀等元素的大量描写，长期以来，埃德加·爱伦·坡被误认为缺乏道德是非观，甚至被同时代奉行超验主义的作家说成是道德沦丧的疯子。他的经典短篇犯罪小说《泄密的心》和《一桶白葡萄酒》对谋杀过程有着一定程度的相似描写，而两位主人公，即两则故事的叙述人，却遭遇了完全不同的结局。在这两则故事中，凶手的性格、思维模式和行为都有部分的共通之处，而最终一人罪行被揭发，另一人却做到了逍遥法外。过去文学界批判坡的作品缺少对道德是非观的揭示，本文即将通过对文本中叙事、人物刻画和环境背景的分析，论证坡事实上是运用独特的写作技巧来表达道德观念。他是从相对主义的角度来看待道德伦理，即是站在了涉及道德事件的行为和行为人之外看问题。对坡而言，道德规范并非是权威的、绝对化的，而是相对于一定时空的，他打破了自己所在时空所谓的“权威道德”，将道德规范作用于不同的个体。

关键词：埃德加·爱伦·坡； 《泄密的心》； 《一桶白葡萄酒》； 道德观； 道德相对主义

Abstract

Edgar Allan Poe, considered as lacking sense of moral and even insane, has been misunderstood for years due to the depiction of terror, insanity and murders in his short stories. Nevertheless, with similar depiction of murders, the narrators in The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado turn out to experience utterly different endings,. As for the two murderers, having much in common, such as their personalities, thinking modes and certain behaviors, one ends up with being arrested and the other going scot-free. It is said that Edgar Allan Poe has hardly expressed any moral outlook in his works. This thesis aims to demonstrate that, through text analysis focusing on the narrative, characterization, setting and background, it is not difficult to find out how Poe has used distinctive writing techniques to unfold morality. He has exemplified his moral outlook with an eye to moral relativism, which is explained as beyond activities and participants concerning the ethical events.

Key words: Edgar Allan Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado, Moral outlook, Moral relativism

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Demonstration 3

2.1 An analysis of the narrative 3

2.1.1 Narrative and Poe’s morality in The Tell-Tale Heart 3

2.1.2 Narrative and Poe’s morality in The Cask of Amontillado 4

2.1.3 A Comparison and moral relativism 5

2.2 An analysis of the characterization 6

2.2.1 Characterization and Poe’s morality in The Tell-Tale Heart 6

2.2.2 Characterization and Poe’s morality in The Cask of Amontillado 7

2.2.3 A Comparison and moral relativism 9

2.3 An analysis of the setting and background 9

2.3.1 Setting, background and Poe’s morality in The Tell-Tale Heart 10

2.3.2 Setting, background and Poe’s morality in The Cask of Amontillado 10

2.3.3 A Comparison and moral relativism 11

3. Conclusion 12