Mytharchetype Criticism on Toni Morrisons Nobel LectureWord文档格式.docx
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Mytharchetype Criticism on Toni Morrisons Nobel LectureWord文档格式.docx
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KeyWords:
ToniMorrison;
Myth;
Archetype;
Quest
中图分类号:
I026文献标识码:
A文章编号:
1009-0118(2010)-04-0189-02
ToniMorrisonisafamousAmericanblackwomannovelist.Shepublishedeightnovelsandalsohasahandfulworksinothergenresincludingdrama,nonfiction,shortstories,children’sliterature,articles,andalibretto.Morrison’sfirstnoveltheBluestEyes(1970)whichtalksaboutadreamofyoungblackgirlwhowantstohaveapairofbigandbeautifuleyes,establishedherplaceinliterature.HerthirdnovelSongofSolomon(1977)isaproductionabouttheconflictsthattheAmericanblackpeoplefacedintheprocessoflookingforfreedomandthelossoftheirownculture.Morrisonusedblackpeople'
sfolkloreandlegendtoromancetheproductionandrevealedonlytheblackpeoplerespecttheirownnationaltradition,theycanfindbackwhotheyare,andfinallyescapefromthe"
newspiritenslavement"
afterslavery.ToniMorrison’sPulitzerPrizewinningbookBeloved(1987)isconsideredasMorrison'
smasterpieceandoneofthebestandmostpopularworksintheAfrican-Americanliteratureaswell.Inthefiction,Morrisontellspeopleastoryaboutablackslavewomanwhohasatragiclifebutnevergivesupherfaithinself-growth,andreflectsthehumblepositionoftheblackwomenandtheirpainfulprocessofgrowth.In1993,ToniMorrisonwontheNobelPrizeforLiterature.ShewasthefirstAfro-AmericanwritertowintheNobelPrizeinLiterature,whichmakesheroneofthemostinfluentialwritersinAmericahistory.ToniMorrisonwasbornChloeAnthonyWoffordonFebruary18,1931.Morrison'
schildhoodwasfilledwithAfricanAmericanfolklore,music,rituals,andmyths.Bothofherparentscamefromsharecroppingfamilies,andherfather’sfamilyhadfacedagreatdealofdiscrimination.Morrison’sparentsinstilledthevalueofgrouployaltyandencouragedherpassionforreading,learning,andculture,aswellasconfidenceinherownabilitiesandattributesaswoman.
ToniMorrisonisanoutstandingpostwarAmericannovelist.Withhermagicimaginationandpoeticlanguage,MorrisonnotonlydelineatesthecrueltyofhistoricalslaveryandwhiteAmericans’continualdenialofblackpeople,butalsoexaminesblackpeoplewiththepursuitofindividualadvancement.InthepresentationspeechoftheNobelPrize,ProfessorStureAllé
n,PermanentSecretaryoftheSwedishAcademy,says“inherdepictionsoftheworldoftheblackpeople,inlifeasinlegend,ToniMorrisonhasgiventheAfro-Americanpeopletheirhistoryback,piecebypiece.Inthisperspective,herworkisuncommonlyconsonant.Atthesametime,itisrichlyvariegated.”MorrisonnovelsfocusontheexperienceofblackAmericans.Shekeepsearchingthehistory,cultureandspiritualworldofblackpeople.ToniMorrisonsucceededinmodelingtheimagesofblackwomanandrevealingthereallifeoftheAmericanblack,especiallytheblackwoman.Morrisonalsotriestofindarelationshipbetweenliterarycriticismandblackwriters.Thesecritiquesandstudiesenableblackliteraturetobeheardhowitissupposedtobeheard,andestablishaculturalandacademicdialogthatkeepsblackwritersfrombeingmarginalized.Shebelievesthatblackpeoplehavearichcultureofstorytellingtodrawuponandthattheirstoriesmustbeheard.
ArchetypalthemeisanimportantcharacteristicinToniMorrison’sNobelLecture.MythsandarchetypalliterarycriticismisaformofcriticismbasedlargelyontheworksofC.G.JungandJosephCampbellandmythitself.Itisatypeofcriticaltheorythatinterpretsatextbyfocusingonrecurringmythsandarchetypesinthenarrative,symbols,images,andcharactertypesinaliterarywork.“Arche”,fromGreekphilosophy,meanstheprinciple,cause,source,originofthings,beginningorultimateprincipleand“type”meanskind.Archetypalcriticismwasitsmostpopularinthe1950’sand1960’s,largelyduetotheworkofCanadianliterarycriticNorthropFrye.NorthropFryesaysintheArchetypesofLiterature“Themythisthecentralinformingpowerthatgivesarchetypalsignificancetotheritualandarchetypalnarrativetotheoracle.Hencethemythisthearchetype,thoughitmightbeconvenienttosaymythonlywhenreferringtonarrative,andarchetypewhenspeakingofsignificance.”JamesG.Fraser’smythandanthropologyandCarlGustavJung’scollectiveunconsciousnesslaythetheoreticalfoundationforarchetypalcriticism.
Archetypesoftenappearinmanyformsofliterature.TheuseofarchetypestoanalyzepersonalitywasadvancedbyCarlJungearlyinthe20thcentury.IntheNobelPrizelecture,ToniMorrisontellstheaudienceastoryofablindblackwoman.Thelecturecanbetracedbacktosomeancientarchetypesalso.Manyarchetypesinliteraturehavetheirrootsinmythology.CharactersintheBibleorinmythsareoftenconsideredasarchetypes.ThecharactersthatMorrisondescribesinthislecturearegivenmythicdimensionsandelevatedabovethemaboveordinaryrealities.AttheverybeginningoftheLecture,ToniMorrisonsays"
IntheversionIknowthewomanisthedaughterofslaves,black,American,andlivesaloneinasmallhouseoutsideoftown.Herreputationforwisdomiswithoutpeerandwithoutquestion.Amongherpeoplesheisboththelawanditstransgression.Thehonorsheispaidandtheaweinwhichsheisheldreachbeyondherneighborhoodtoplacesfaraway;
tothecitywheretheintelligenceofruralprophetsisthesourceofmuchamusement.”Fromthedescription,wecanseetheblindblackoldwomanismodeledonthearchetypesofGoodMother,andisendowedwithasenseofmythicalimagination.Onedaysomeyoungpeoplecametovisittheoldwoman.Theyseemtobebentondisprovingherclairvoyanceandshowingherupforthefraudtheybelievesheistheystandbeforeher.Oneofthemsays,"
Oldwoman,Iholdinmyhandabird.Tellmewhetheritislivingordead."
Insteadofgivingtheyoungpeopleanswer,theoldwomansaysnothingatfirst,andafteralongsilence,shefinallyspeaksandhervoiceissoftbutstern.“Idon'
tknowwhetherthebirdyouareholdingisdeadoralive,butwhatIdoknowisthatitisinyourhands.Itisinyourhands.”Fromthispointofview,theblackoldwomaninthestoryisconnectedwiththebird’slifeanddeath,orwecansaythewomanhasakindofpowerwhichcontrolsthebird’slife.WithaqualityofGoodMother,theblackoldwomantriestoprotectthebird.Sherepresentsanimagethatisfullofwisdomandsympathy.
Inthelecture,Morrisonalsosays"
Onceuponatimetherewasanoldwoman.Blindbutwise.Orwasitanoldman?
Aguru,perhaps.Oragriotsoothingrestlesschildren.Ihaveheardthisstory,oroneexactlylikeit,intheloreofseveralcultures.”Thus,theoldblindblackwomanalsohasthequalityoftheOldWiseman.Thesentenceimpliesthattheoldwomancanbealsoregardedasmaninsomecultureversions.Gender,fortheoldwomanormanisnotthemostimportantelement,becauselikeGoodMother,sheis“anandrogynousfigure.”Theoldwisemanisthepersonificationofthespiritualprinciple.Theoldwomaninthestoryrepresentsknowledge,reflection,insight,wisdom,cleverness,andintuitionontheonehand,andontheother,moralqualitiessuchasgoodwillandreadinesstohelpothers.Attheendofthestory,theoldwomansays"
Itrustyounow.Itrustyouwiththebirdthatisnotinyourhandsbecauseyouhavetrulycaughtit.Look.Howlovelyitis,thisthingwehavedone-together."
Theblackoldwomanguidetheyoungpeopletofindtheessenceoflife,therealmeaningoflife.SotheblackoldwomanrepresentsboththearchetypesofGoodMotherandOldWiseManusingtheirwisdomtoeducateandguidethoseyoungpeople.
IntheMorrison’sstory,theblackoldwomanisvisitedbyagroupofyoungpeopleoneday.Theseyoungpeoplecomewiththepurposeofaskingtheoldwomanaquestion.Theyseemtodisprovetheoldwoman’sclairvoyanceandshowingherupforthefraudtheybelievesheis.Theystandthere.Supposenothingwasintheirhands?
Urgentquestionsareatstake,includingtheonetheyhaveasked:
"
Isthebirdweholdlivingordead?
"
Perhapsthequestionmeant:
Couldsomeonetelluswhatislife?
Whatisdeath?
Thereisnotrickandsillinessatall.Itisastraightforwardquestionwhichisworthyoftheattentionofawiseone.Andiftheoldandwisewhohavelivedlifeandfaceddeathcannotdescribeeither,whocan?
Formthepassageabove,wecancometoaconclusionthatthoseyoungpeopleareactuallyquestingfortheessenceoflifeanddeath.Morequestionsraisedbythoseyoungpeoplecanobviouslyprovetheirquest.Theycontinuouslyasked“Telluswhatitistobeawomansothatwemayknowwhatitistobeaman.Whatmovesatthemargin.Whatitistohavenohomeinthisplace.Tobesetadriftfromtheoneyouknew.Whatitistoliveattheedgeoftownsthatcannotbearyourcompany.”Theyaree
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