从文体学角度分析《引路人孙行者：他的即兴曲》中的叙述方法

从文体学角度分析《引路人孙行者：他的即兴曲》中的叙述方法［Abstract］Chinese American writer Maxine Hong Kingston (Tang Tingting) plays an important role in the splendid Chinese American literature world. Although the amount of her works is not abundant, with her unique writing style she draws great attention from the critical literature world. Based on her novel Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book which was published in 1989 with strong postmodern features, from the stylistic perspective, the thesis analyzes the narrative mode of the novel in order to show Kingston’s distinct and unique postmodern stylistic characteristics.［Key words］stylistic characteristic,the narrative method,point of viewIn stylistics, point of view and various forms of characters’speeches are also attractive writing techniques, which deserve making some analysis in order to explore its function in serving the theme of the fiction. Therefore, in the following part, the thesis will play central attention to analyzing the narrative method of Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book (TM). Here, the narrative method principally refers to point of view of the narration and forms of characters’speeches. Fiction is a kind of narrative literal genre, in which point of view is an important issue. We believe that point of view should include how to observe from angles tonarration. Shen Dan believes that if one wants to distinguish point of view justifiably, he/she has to make a distinction between the narrative sound and the narrative angle of view. The narrative angle of view intends to mean observing the content of the story. It is also seen as the angle of view of the narrative perspective, including the narrator’s angle of view as well as the character’s angle of view. Moreover, according to Ji Zengjun’s opinion from his paper Changes of Points of View in the Fiction and Its Stylistic Values, he points out that since the narrative angle of view can be divided into the narrator’s angle of view and the character’s angle of view, then the narrative sound can also be fallen into the narrator’s sound and the character’s sound in a fiction, among which the character’s sound relies on a variety of speeches.In addition, Leech and Short come up with their points in Style in Fiction, they put speeches into five types, which are namely:A. Direct SpeechB. Indirect SpeechC. Free Direct SpeechD. Free Indirect SpeechE. The Narrative Report of Speeches ActsThe narrative sound and the narrative angle of view are composed as an organic whole, in which the narrative sound is the primary element and the narrative angle of view is subordinate to it. Thus, changes of the narrative sound determine the alternation of the narrative angle of view and finally determine changes of point of view in the narration. From 20th century, there are different opinions about categories of point of view. N. Friedman proposes a very detailed division-eight types of point of view and later, Genette provides his three-way classification on the basis of the theory proposed by Friedman. Moreover, professor Shen Dan progressively gives her own quartering way according to her deeper comparison and analysis. In this thesis, professor Shen’s quartering division about categories of point of view will be accepted. There are as follows:A. zero point of view/ omniscient point of viewB. internal point of viewC. external point of view of the first pronounD. external point of view of the third pronoun1. The omniscient point of viewFor Kingston’s earlier books, she opts the first-person narrationpoint of view. When she receives interviews, she has also said that in her thirty-years writing career, she has used to creating by the first pronoun. But afterwards, she finds the defects of it, then she turns to using omniscient point of view. For this book Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book (TM), Kingston feels much different. She is proficient in putting omniscient narration into use. She says that she can always use the pronoun “you” and have direct communication with readers. She seems to have much more power and energy by controlling this, for she can say “we”, and she eventually understands the meaning of “community” and the implication of “us”. As long as she speaks in the tone of a member in “community”, she feels more confident.[1]306 Therefore, she applies omniscient point of view to his first true fiction TM. One of her purposes is just like her saying stated before; she has noticed the significance of “community”. In her fiction, especially in the last chapter, at the end of the novel and in Wittman’s long monologue, Kingston expresses her ideal to set up a diversified, equal, harmonious and peaceful community. She also reacts to her parody on Frank Chin with her desire and willing to unite him to collaborate and work together, since they are members of the same “community” and the same “us”. Meanwhile, Kingston selects Kwan Yin, the Chinese goddess of mercy, as the third person narrator in order to advocate the equality between males and females. Kwan Yin, as the narrator of Kingston’s novel TM, is for the feminist movementrefueling output and for breaking most of traditional male narrators. Kingston says that she finds out that omniscient narrators are all the white males in all of her reading books. This is because people of 19th century believe in God of the white males and those novels are completed on that condition. While, now, she believes that Kwan Yin, as the narrator, is a great change. Readers see the narrator as a female at the first sight. She always helps the heroine of the fiction and makes Wittman in difficulties.[1]306 The omniscient narrator constantly operates and instructs Wittman. In the first chapter, when Nanci tells Wittman that how she receives the unjust treatment, Gwan Yin instructs Wittman to comfort her.Wittman, now’s your chance to whip out your Rilke, and give her his sympathy: Let us be honest about it, then; then we have ni theater, any more … Had we a theater, would you, tragic one, at and there … so without pretext of a role…(Kingston, 1989: 24)And at the end of the novel, Gwan Yin speaks to Wittman again which also, to some extent, means one kind of her operation on Wittman. “Do n’t be afraid. Here, let me tweak your ear, and kiss your other ear.”[2]340 At the same time, this omniscient narrator is a reminiscent, recalling in past events, Chinese traditional classics and western stories, etc. During the narration of the story and the recollection of the pastevents, the omniscient narrator gives her evaluation or suggestions. Moreover, she can also speak out characters’inner sounds in the novel, which may be unknown even for them. For example, when Wittman recalls his birth, the narrator gives readers the description at that time. “Yes, when she came near the trunk, a rube scene had filled the light and air, and he’d tasted strawberry jam and smelled and seen clouds of cotton candy.”[2]13 Next, she speaks out the inner voice of Wit tman.Wittman really does have show business in his blood. He wasn’t lying to impress Nanci. He was taking credit… He hadn’t yet done enough of the life-which-one-has-to make.(Kingston, 1989: 13) Then she starts to instruct Wittman and passes on principles to him. “Commit more experience, Wittman. It is true you were an actor’s child, and when your people played they wanted to be seen…”[2]13 Just like this, among the whole novel, this omniscient narrator not only makes readers know the protagonist’s external behaviors, but also dissects the protagonist’s inner thoughts and moreover, bring readers to touch upon the protagonist’s desire and willing which are secretive to readers and even unclear to the protagonist himself. Besides her omniscience to Wittman, she also guides readers to enter into next chapter and provides readers with some necessary information. For instance, at the end of each chapter, she makes a conclusion and leaves suspense to lead readers to gofurther into next chapter, which is similar to the form of Chinese ancient story-telling and she herself is a storyteller at this moment. For example, at the end of the first chapter, she tells readers:Our Wittman is going to work on his play for the rest of the night. If you want to see whether he will get that play up, and how a poor monkey makes a living so he can afford to spend the weekday afternoon drinking coffee and hanging out, go on to the next chapter.(Kingston, 1989: 35) In such a way, readers can proceed into reading the novel together with Wittman as well as get guidance from this omniscient narrator.2. The transient usage of shift-focuses of point of viewMoreover, during Gwan Yin’s narration, Kingston also transforms the perspectives of point of view to lead readers to catch the further meaning of the text. According to Ji Zengjun’s exposition, he concludes three different types of the transformation of perspectives of point of view. They are namely shift-focuses inside the mode of point of view, shift-focuses between modes of point of view and the transitional cross-border perspective. In the omniscient narration by Gwan Yin in TM, Kingston interludes the transient narration from the characters’visions. This transient internal point of view of the third pronoun also becomes one of inner features of omniscient point of view. The transitioncomposes the shift-focuses inside the mode of omniscient point of view. Therefore, in this complicated web weaved by Kingston, through different perspectives, readers can move forward to comprehend the text. Next, let’s take a paragraph extracted from the first chapter of the novel as an example to have a look at this typical stylistic characteristic applied in TM.What did she say? She said “ching-chong chinaman.” She can bear to say that. God, she’s tough. He had to get tougher. His head and body were going through contortions from merely hearing that. Did I hear wrong? Hallucinating again? … Now he was laughing nervously-the Chinese laugh-the giggle-lest it be a joke- … Where he’s almost gone deaf, she had said, “No ching-chong chinaman for me.” She meant she refused to read a grotesque whose bucktoof mouth can’t make intelligent American sounds. As if this language didn’t belong to us. Well…(Kingston, 1989: 23)In this short paragraph, Kingston employs three different types of perspectives, switching freely through different forms of the characters’speeches. These three types of perspectives are respectively from the protagonist Wittman, the heroine Nanci and the omniscient narrator Gwan Yin. In the first four sentences, there are Wittman’s astounded inner thoughts after hearing his beloved girl’s expression. His ideas arenarrated through the free indirect speeches. While, in the second free indirect speech which has been uttered by Nanci previously in the last paragraph is quoted by Wittman. Here, Wittman’s free indirect speeches just embody a kind of satire or mockery towards himself. From his college, Wittman has been keeping his deep love to this beautiful girl. Till now, he still has no means to get rid of this girl’s image from his memory and heart. When she tells him her ill-treatment from a discriminated American director, Wittman has no hesitation to try to sympathize and console her, although he has no theater now. Several paragraphs later, a much moreironic scene occurs. Wittman still wants to “help her out by thinking up a piece for her to do without insult” and he says to Nanci that “I’m writing a play for you, Nanci. Wait for me while I write for you a theatre;I will plant and grow fo r you a pear garden.”[2]24-27 Caught by the sight of this scene, our readers must believe that Wittman and Nanci are certainly going to be married in the future, but later, another American girl Tana becomes his bride. Thus, here, the free direct speech contrasts with the free indirect speeches, which vividly portrait these two figures. And the comparison between the quotation-marked speech and the unquoted-marked speeches strengthens the effect of the sympathy to Wittman. Wittman’s free indirect speeches progressively make this kind of sympathy much more prominent. Meanwhile, a kind of satire is alsoconveyed through the speeches and felt by readers. After this, the perspective is transformed to the omniscient narrator again. Here, this omniscient narrator defends Wittman against Nanci and she tells Wittman that “he had to get tougher”[2]23 which conveys that the omniscient narrator’s almost affectionate attitude towards Wittman. Sometimes, she criticizes Wittman. Sometimes, she shows affectionate to him. While at other times, she expresses her interests on him. She even calls Wittman as “Dear American Monkey”.Next, it’s turn to Wittman’s twelve free indirect speeches, which deeply depict Wittman’s astonishment and even agony to his beloved girl on hearing her surprising expression of her thoughts. Here, these twelve free indirect speeches can completely and perfectly embody advantages of the subjective expression than using direct speech or indirect speech. Free indirect speech absorbs advantages both from direct speech and indirect speech. If, here, using direct speech instead of free indirect speech, there will frequently be quotation marks, introductory sentences, and the frequent transition between three kinds of pronouns and different tenses. However, when free indirect speeches are completely opted, there are only the third pronoun and the past tense which can avoid troubles in transition of pronouns, tenses and tedious introductory sentences in speeches. Meanwhile, in speeches, question marks make the conversation more vivid and subjective. Then, another new similar turn of threedifferent perspectives and two different speeches occurs once again. Then, the whole paragraph is ended with the narration uttered by the omniscient narrator.The transient usage of shift-focuses of point of view can be seen as a kind of deviant or foregrounding feature, which is the typical character of stylistics. In fiction, shift changes of the narrative visions result in shift changes of the narrative sounds, which embody unique stylistic values. As stated before, the usage of transient shift-focuses of point of view is one of characteristics of the omniscient point of view in TM. It is much more beneficial for readers to explore and comprehend the text from different perspectives as well as leave an independent imaginary space to readers. Moreover, from these different perspectives, readers can be guided or affected by the omniscient narrator’s narration and touch the feeling of irony or satire which is conveyed from the unique narrative method or send their sympathy and comfort to the protagonist, etc. These are the stylistic values of this unique narrative method. These unique effects can not be reached by the single perspective or sound in the narration. Just owing to Kingston’s fantastic utilization of this kind of stylistic technique, readers can feel a new and different kind of feeling when they are reading this fiction.Till now, from the previous statement, it’s so obvious for readers tocatch the sight of unique postmodern stylistic characteristics of TM, not only from its language, plot, but also from its narrative method. From these typical stylistic characteristics, Kingston’s genius and perfect writing proficiency is clearly embodied before readers. Moreover, in her designed picture scroll, the image of Wittman who is the representative of all ChineseAmericans is vividly and actually standing in front of readers. Through Kingston’s skillful description, we seem to see an independent cultural community appearing before us, in which all community members from different races and colors are all equal, harmonious and peaceful. And eventually, all of them can find their national identities, realize their cultural identities and become one part of the mainstream society in America. This is the very theme which is conveyed through the fiction and Kingston’s grand ideal.【References 】［1］杨仁敬，等.美国后现代派小说论［M］.青岛出版社，2003.[2] Kingston, Maxine Hong. 1990. Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book［M］.New York: Vintage.[3] Leech, Geoffrey N., Short, Michael H. 2001. Style in Fiction: A Linguistic Introduction to English Fictional Prose［M］.Foreign LanguageTeaching and Research Press.[4] Wang Shouyuan. 2000. Essentials of English Stylistics［M］.The Press of Shandong University.[5] Hu Quansheng, etc. 2003. Selected Readings in 20th-Century British and American Literature: Postmodernism［M］.Shanghai University of Communications Press.[6] 申丹.叙述学与小说文体学研究（第三版）［M］.北京大学出版社，2004.[7] 吴源.由文体学的特点看运用文体学的方法分析文学文本［J］.黑龙江科技信息，2007（1）.[8] 王守元，郭鸿，苗兴伟.文体学研究在中国的进展［M］.上海外语教育出版社，2004.[9] 王佐良，丁往道.英语文体学引论［M］.外语教学与研究出版社，1987.[10] 张龙海.戏仿、语言游戏、神秘叙事者、拼贴——论汤亭亭《引路人孙行者》中的后现代派艺术技巧［J］.外国文学，2005（3）.［摘要］华裔美国作家马克辛·洪·金斯顿（汤亭亭）在波澜壮阔的华裔美国文坛起着举足轻重的作用。