从新历史主义的角度探讨《云图》中的人类迫害现象

An Exploration of Human Persecution in Cloud Atlas from the Perspective of New Historicism

摘  要：《云图》因其独特的叙事结构被公认为是大卫米切尔的巅峰之作，与此同时, 大量的世界文化学者研究了这部复杂的小说。本文意在于运用新历史主义的一些主要理论，特别是新历史主义的文本历史性和历史文本性的论述，揭示人类迫害与其历史背景之间的关系。所以，本文以新历史主义为基础，从两个方面进行探究：第一个是迫害首先作为《云图》中人们的“觉醒”的那些历史结果，长期存在于人类社会中；其次，自我认知在人类迫害问题的自我发展中起到了重要作用。本论文对《云图》的分析揭示了人类在进步的道路上从未停止努力，这种不同时代、不同性质和形式的迫害让人类更加清醒地进行自我认知，从而帮助人类反抗迫害以及争取自由和权利。

关键词：《云图》；新历史主义；迫害；觉醒；自我认知

Abstract: Because of its unique form of narration, Cloud Atlas is now regarded as the peak of David Mitchell’s artistic creation. At this moment, this complicated novel has been studied by a large number of scholars of the world. The purpose of this thesis is to reveal the relationship between human persecution and its historical context by applying the tenets of New Historicism, especially historicity of text and textuality of history. Based on these concepts, this thesis examines the text from two aspects: the influence of historical context on the issue of human persecution, which is a representation of people’s “awakening” in Cloud Atlas; secondly, self-awareness plays an important role of the self-development in human persecution. This analysis of Cloud Atlas reveals that humanity never stops trying on the road of evolution. This persecution, in different times and different forms, has given humanity a clear self-awareness so that it has helped humanity to resist persecution and fight for freedom and rights.

Key Words: Cloud Atlas; New Historicism; persecution; awakening; self-awareness